The Woolx Stowe Vest Stands Up to Cold and Wind

Who is This For

The Woolx Stowe vest is for anyone who prefers natural fibers to provide warmth and weather protection in cold weather. It’s ideal for staying warm in low-energy activities, and it also shines as a top layer for moderately paced activity in cold, windy, wet weather. Ideal for people would find a heavyweight sweater too warm and who are looking for a layer with a longer cut. I think people who are often cold will like the vest as a mid-layer under a winter jacket, and people who tend to feel too warm in lots of layers might like the vest as a top layer over a warm sweater or shirtjac.

Field Testing

Scenario 1

Urban hiking | 27° F, snowstorm | Gothenburg, Sweden

The first time I wore Woolx’s Stowe vest, I was walking in a late afternoon/early evening snowstorm to get exercise and to run a few errands. I wore the vest over an ultralight merino wool t-shirt and a merino wool hoodie. I had a thin, lightweight, wind-blocking insulation jacket as my outer layer, and I felt like I had the outfit dialed in pretty well because the temperature felt much colder with the wind. The densely knit Woolx Stowe vest provided excellent warmth. I felt cozy as I trudged through the thick, heavy snow.

I tend to overheat very quickly with exercise (that’s why I love vests), so it didn’t take me long to unzip my jacket to get more ventilation. I was also working a bit harder because I was slowly accumulating items in my large pack as I stopped to run errands.

I stopped at the grocery store and packed my 28L backpack to the brim with food, including a liter of sparkling water and a liter of almond milk. I started the hardest part of the walk, a long uphill trudge, made harder by the thick snow collecting on the sidewalks. The wind had picked up, huge snowflakes were dancing around in the air, and I was trying hard not to slip in the snow. I could feel the wind on my arms through my merino hoodie, and I was impressed with how well the Woolx Stowe vest blocked the wind. My torso was warm but not hot.

I tend to think of and use wool primarily as wicking, breathing layers, but the dense boucle knit provided pretty incredible weather protection. The wind is very cold in Gothenburg, but to my surprise (and gratitude), the Woolx Stowe has blocked it every time. The vest’s collar is a few inches tall and kept my neck warm. I like the style because it works well for cold weather and allows space if I need to add a neck gaiter underneath.

I love wearing vests because if my core is warm, I feel comfortable in my activities. The absence of sleeves provides wonderful ventilation, so I don’t overheat if I start working hard.

The final leg was about 1/3 of a mile up a large hill. It was hard with my heavy pack, so I had to stop a few times to catch my breath. When I finally made it home and removed the Woolx Stowe vest I realized that the front of the vest felt wet, but the dampness had remained on the surface. Amazing. Even when wet, the vest kept me warm and dry. I hung it up over a chair, and 90 minutes later, when I grabbed it for a quick trip to the laundry room across campus, it felt dry.

Scenario 2

Urban cycling | 35° F with wind chill more like 20°F | Gothenburg, Sweden

The thing about Gothenburg is: the temperature that appears on my iPhone app never accurately informs me about the weather. It is almost always at least 10° colder because there is usually some wind involved. The other night it was almost 40° F; it felt balmy on my porch after the bruising mid-teen temperatures of early February. Then, the minute I cycled down the hill to the bike path, I felt the wind rip at my arms.

I was wearing a long-sleeve cotton button down shirt under the Stowe Vest because I was on my way to an event and needed to look a bit more put together than my usual wool hoodie. I was shocked at how cold the wind made it feel and instantly regretted not wearing a jacket. Still, only my arms were cold. The vest kept my body very warm, and it effectively blocked the wind. The mist in the air felt refreshing on my face as I pedaled through the city.

On the ride home I wore a hoodie I’d stashed in my backpack under the vest; that helped a lot with the cold arms. Cycling in Gothenburg is challenging because of the many hills, so it would need to be 15° F or colder for me to add a thin insulation jacket over the vest. On its own the vest is incredibly warm. I think the solution to this scenario would be adding an ultra-thin, lightweight wind jacket underneath the vest.

Scenario 3

Office work in drafty studio | 55° F | Gothenburg, Sweden

The office where I’m currently working is huge, with high ceilings and ancient, single-pane windows. It’s incredibly drafty and quite cold, especially when the temperatures outside get down to 12°F. My daily uniform is a wool t-shirt with a wool hoodie, which is fine when I’m moving between rooms or doing physical work, but when I’m not active (because I’m sitting at the computer), I need a lot more warmth. Even with a space heater, I need to raise my core body temperature to stay in the room.

The Woolx Stowe Vest has been the perfect addition to my uniform because it’s so warm and cozy. Nothing insulates like thick wool. I’m a big fan of vests because I always get too hot. I need the ventilation that a vest provides. I’m more comfortable wearing a vest and wool wrist/hand warmers than a heavyweight sweater.

I also love the Woolx Stowe Vest’s simple, boxy design and its large, deep zippered front pockets. I can stash my wallet and passport in one and my phone, asthma inhaler and spacer, and a packet of tissues in the other. There is a flat zippered pocket on the chest, but I rarely use it because I can fit everything I need into the side pockets. Sometimes I use it to stash a lip balm.

Fit

I’m a tall woman with an ample chest and a long torso, so I often find a better fit in men’s outerwear because it tends to run longer through the torso. I love the boxy fit of this warm vest because it’s comfortable and easy to wear as a mid or top layer. There is room underneath for a wool hoody, a thin fleece, or an insulated shirtjac.

The Woolx Stowe Vest is not a performance or technical garment designed for fast-paced and high-effort activities, so it doesn’t need to be body-hugging or as breathable as a garment designed for intense activity.

The vest is only available in men’s sizes, and it runs quite long. This design is perfect for me because I’m 6′ tall and have a very long torso. I love having a vest that hits about two inches lower than my low-slung pants in front and perfectly covers the top of my bum. That coverage is the difference between sort of being warm in the cold and feeling confident about being covered even on windy days. No wind slips underneath the vest.

Too small

Slightly small

Fits well

Slightly big

Too big

Materials & Construction

Material/Fabric: 340g merino wool

The Woolx Stowe Vest is made out of a dense boucle fabric containing 80% Australian Merino Wool and 20% Polyamide, with the latter material adding strength and durability to the wool. The vest is well-made, with a wide weather strip underneath the zipper, durable seams, and lightweight mesh used on the inner pockets.

Sustainability Creds: Non-Mulesed Wool, Woolmark® Certified

Bottom Line

Wool is my favorite fabric because it’s warm, it breathes well, and it’s naturally odor-resistant. The Stowe vest is not as breathable as my more performance-oriented stretchy wool layers, but the tradeoff is amazing weather protection. This densely knit vest does a wonderful job of repelling moisture and blocking wind. It’s cozy, comfortable, and keeps me warm for so many winter activities. It has become one of my favorite winter layers.

Specifications

• Men’s Sizes: S-XXL
• Women’s Sizes: only available in men’s sizes
• Colors: Carbon Black, Deep Navy
• Price: $170 (on sale now for $119)

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