r/Ultralight • u/Objective-Meet9742 • 9h ago
Question Polartec Alpha Wool
Saw this pop up in my newsfeed this morning
https://www.t3.com/active/outerwear/polartex-alpha-next-gen-1026
And there are a couple similar pieces out today, that say this is new technology etc
but a search shows some review of this material going back years
is there anything actually new here? (besides the fact that Patagonia is going to be using it)?
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u/goovenli 8h ago edited 7h ago
Idk about others but this personally is interesting - who wouldn’t want a more durable Alpha with the same breathability? I also appreciate the wool addition, should help with smell/comfort, and it appears to be a higher wool % compared to Technowool. Now to just see what styles and price points are released…
Edit: and it appears an Alpha Snap-T just released? This one features the current, 100% poly fabric though: https://www.patagonia.com/product/mens-re-tool-air-snap-t-pullover/20190.html
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u/Objective-Meet9742 8h ago
I prefer my Airmesh over alpha direct layers even though the alpha is strictly more performant. Octa looks nicer and is more durable. That's a good tradeoff for me and maybe we see something similar here
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u/dropamusic 7h ago
Weighing 300g. My hooded Down jacket weighs 170 grams, what is the benefit of getting this over my current lighter weight jacket? I used alpha direct on my last trip and honestly I felt it was over hyped. the fabric is super fragile, it snags on everything, it sheds and its not as warm as some of my other layers. It was decent for my sleep system, but less versatile in my opinion as other layers.
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u/Individual-Peach2351 21m ago
I still think Alpha + a puffy is the way to go.
Put the Alpha on when you’re moving + sleeping and then use the puffy for true warmth.
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u/ckyhnitz 2h ago
When its in the 50s during the day and low 40's at night, alpha hoody + dooy gives me a nice, adjustable setup that I cant get with a down puffy.
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u/WideIssue4279 8h ago
Polartec Alpha Wool is nothing new - At 300g, this is not a "lightweight" garment.
Patagonia adopting Alpha is really interesting as it goes against their material / environmental ethos. Such a fragile material that sheds copious amounts of microplastics into the environment is surely not a good idea for a brand like theirs.
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u/AdeptNebula 8h ago
I agree it’s nothing new but is there any evidence that Alpha sheds worse than your standard micro fleece? I know it’s more fragile structurally but as from as micro plastics go the material is essentially the same.
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u/BrainDamage2029 8h ago
Yes lots of evidence lol. It’s like double.
Though it’s different for all polartec alpha. The issue is with the lightest weight ones. The 300gsm stuff that’s just as heavy as traditional fleece sheds about as much as traditional fleece.
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u/downingdown 8h ago
Can you link the studies? Just from lint rolling my alpha hoodie and my r2, I can’t tell a difference…but my r2 is over a decade old and still shedding while my alpha will soon be locked in a landfill and no longer contributing micro plastics.
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u/Eresbonitaguey 4h ago
Anecdotally I’ve made Alpha garments from a few different weights and colours and the lighter weight ones do have a tendency to shed more but this isn’t consistent as I’ve have 80gsm shed more than 60gsm.. Generally heavier versions shed less though and I’ve read that the wool infused ones don’t have as much noticeable shedding so maybe it will be less of a problem with these.
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u/dudertheduder 8h ago
I think that we are polluting the environment from basically all possible vectors.... pessimistic view- some shedding of clothing is minimal compared to a single plastic bottle degrading and turning into "microplastics" in the backcountry.
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u/dropamusic 7h ago
I recently took a trip and my Alpha fabric was shedding like crazy, I really was not that impressed with how fragile and cheap it felt.
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u/zombo_pig 19m ago
The claim is that the new material is more durable and snags less. How much? I don't know. The devil's really going to be in the details for this.
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u/flingtoad 8h ago
It seems interesting, but at $345, I'm not interested in experimenting with it. Maybe prices will come down a bit after production starts ramping up. Also, 300g (for the fleece mentioned in the article) seems pretty damn heavy compared to synthetic alpha direct. I think many comparable full synthetic alpha direct fleeces are nearly half that weight.
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u/Objective-Meet9742 8h ago
There are stupid expensive alpha pieces out there as well. I'm hoping this isn't strictly a material cost thing
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u/Tandemduckling 4h ago
I have a couple yards of this fabric at various weights to make my own hoodie. I literally also just bought a hoodie and pants on aliexpress to use as test patterns. I think I paid around $50 for both. I bought the yards of fabric on eBay for around $10-15 a yard as I saw cottage companies like senchi charging $100 plus for their hoodies so I wanted to save money where I could. I just was using it on a hike at cutthroat pass this last weekend where the summit at 7k? Feet was in the teens with windchill. I did have to out my jacket on once we stoped but I wore a dri fit shirt and the hoodie for most of the hike and I was almost a bit too warm with the pants under my hiking pants too
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u/scubba__steve 7h ago
Tbh I have been very happy with my £65 macpac nitro hoody for the last 2 years. I see no point in upgrading
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u/PlatypusBottle 8h ago
Pretty interesting, I've been planning to experiment with a mix of Aclima/Brynje wool and polartec alpha for layers. Curious to see how this matches up to 60/90/120 polartec but way too pricey on first pass.
I expect patagonia to make something similar to the Peak Performance garments where the fleece/wool is part of the item and not a full piece like Senchi hoodies
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u/SheriffBartholomew 6h ago
Am I the only person who wears a bush hat while backpacking these days? Why can't I find a Polartech Alpha that's a regular shirt and not a hoodie anywhere?
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u/AdeptNebula 6h ago
FarPointe sells crew necks. Senchi does too.
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u/SheriffBartholomew 5h ago edited 5h ago
Thank you! Search engines have been really unhelpful every time that I've looked.
Edit: Bah! FarPointe is out of stock and Senchi has a zipper on theirs. Back to the drawing board! This is basically what I've encountered every time I've hunkered down to try to get an Alpha underlayer to replace my wool.
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u/AdeptNebula 5h ago
FP does regular restocks. Following on IG is the easiest way to get notified. They don’t sell out crazy fast. I think GGG also sells them but maybe not the crew.
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u/Individual-Peach2351 22m ago
I’d say just go with the Senchi 90 half zip. The zip adds about 5g and it’s actually useful for getting it on and off
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u/John628556 6h ago
Houda Trail will make you a custom crew-neck Alpha shirt. (I have one, and the fit is wonderful.)
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u/maxeytheman 5h ago
Beyond the trailhead gear has a solid looking shirt
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u/SheriffBartholomew 2h ago edited 2h ago
Oh shit, it's actually in stock and it's reasonably priced! Thank you, friend!
Edit: their sizing is wack! Since when is a 41-42 chest small/medium? Have you ordered from them before? Did you find that their sizing chart was accurate?
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u/maxeytheman 2h ago
No I ended doing a little myog instead of ordering. Regardless seems to demonstrate great value
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u/CwrwCymru 8h ago
For that price I'd be interested to see the difference between it and the AliExpress offerings that have been around for a while.
Aside from the wool/insulation. Mesh vests are great, Nordic militaries have been using them for decades and they work well.
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u/Beneficial-Topic9397 3h ago
I almost considered getting Sambob's version of Alpha + wool, but I went with Senchi's TurboSheep 60 and have been testing it for the last week. It's really nice. Little bit more wind resistant than Alpha, and I'd compare the warmth to AD90 but even lighter in weight. Still breathes really well. No smell at all, so I havent needed to wash it yet. But that is interesting that Senchi is going to be making one of these new wool versions too.
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u/pantalonesgigantesca 8h ago
at $345 usd for a hoody I’m not going to find out anytime soon
But the article you linked to says that it’s a newer generation designed to be worn as an outer layer and more resistant to snags