So a few weeks ago I finally got a “woobie hoodie.” Had wanted one for a while but just never pulled the trigger. So I hunted down what I was looking from from the dozen or so makers out there and ended buying 2. One normal and one Frogskin, because I’m a sucker for camo and as Shawn says it’s sort of my trademark at this point.

The two companies I picked from are Woobie Gear and Wooby Hoody. The selection criteria were price and a lack of logo. (I’m not a fan of logos in general and I’m also leery of stuff that implies your a veteran when I’m no such thing) So that eliminated most of the brands as almost everything had some kind of Bro-vet logo or American flag slapped on it. Or they were $100 for a simple hoodie.

I had originally anted one of the Zero Foxtrot hoodies as they were the first I had seen making them but they had discontinued their original style hoodies in favor of some heavier duty ones and in the process the price went up as well as added a logo. But they do make quality stuff so I’ll make sure to link them here

The cheapest I found was the Woobie Gear coming in at $65. Cheap and plain, just like a hoodie should be. There is not too much to say, it’s a hoodie just made out of polyester batting. The fit is loose like a regular cotton one so just order your normal size. A very comfortable jacket that punches way above its weight it warmth.

The second jacket I got was from Wooby Hoody. Why? Because frog skin. I justify it as my “jeep jacket” to preserve the black one the wife got me. (That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.) I replaced the tiger stripe shirt I had stuffed in the seat back with this. This one cost a bit more at $80 but they offer a lot more pattern or color options. The fit and finish do also seem to be a tad higher. Also the jacket has a bit more features such as zippered pockets and internal pockets. The biggest difference though will be in the fit. These run smaller, like a tailored jacket. so you may way to go up a size if you are in between sizes or just like the looser fit.

Comparison
Fit: The Woobie Gear fits like a regular hoodie, just order your normal size and run with it. The Wooby Hoody is tight/shorter so you will want to read the measurements/sizing carefully. I almost returned mine when I first put it on. expecting a loose fit.
Sort of in this area is the cuffs on the two. The Woobie Gear had more typical elastic cuffs and waist and the Wooby Hoody has thin elastic cuffs and an adjustable waist. Both are comfortable and fine so I guess it might come down to preference. The regular elastic of the Woobie Gear does seem to seal out more of the cold that the Wooby Hoody style does as well as feel more “cozy.” But the weather here has been obnoxiously warm so I haven’t really been able to do much of a comparison.

One last bit of the fit before moving on, the slimness of the Wooby Hoody one would lend itself to a better mid layer as it wont be all bunched up under a coat.

Features: The Woobie Gear is a hoodie, not really a “feature” type piece of clothing outside of comfort, but it does apparently have a DWR coating. We haven’t had any rain but I did spill some water on myself and it ran right of. The Wooby Hoody one does bill itself as a more technical garment so it has a number of little touches, such as interior pockets, zippered outer pockets and a zipper baffle.

Construction: Neather have any real issues, I have found a few loose threads on the Woobie Gear but nothing that you can’t just hit with a lighter or even ignore, The Wooby Hoody does seem pretty solid and I have not found any loose stitches.

Conclusion
Honestly I can’t decide. I like them both. I know that’s a cop out but it’s true. Both are super comfortable and warm. It will come down to your own style and use. If you wear a lot of untucked shirts then the Woobie Gear will probably serve you better as the longer length and elastic waist will look better. If you will more likely be wearing this as a mid layer then the Wooby Hoody might be better for you with the slimmer profile. I would still maybe recommend ordering a size up on the Wooby Hoody ones as most of us probably aren’t as trim as we should be.