Black Diamond Coefficient Hoody — Review
Coefficient Hoody. Yes I got a red one.
One little flaw results in a flat tire. Bicycle inner tubes and backcountry midlayers both work like that — hidden, but crucial. Thus, acquiring a quiver of likable mid-layers for winter athletics can be more of a challenge than you expect. Some are flawed; too baggy, too short, weird colors, weird collars, funky zippers, on and on. So I’m always experimenting.
Enter the Black Diamond Coefficient Hoody. I’ve spent a few days outside in this hooded uni. In a word: delightful. Provided you have an athletic or semi-athletic (me) build, you’ll find this piece to fit fairly snug yet not attempt to be faux spandex. The sleeves are long enough for thumb hole installation (at WildSnow.com, everything shall be modified!). Torso length might be considered slightly long, but that’s better than too short and is a hard dimension to get perfect. Coefficient textile is that waffle faced Polartec Powerdry fleece that in my experience works super well — almost too breathable sometimes (feel that breeze!), but in a midlayer you need air movement, not stagnation.
I like the Coefficient’s minimal pocketizing as well — it delivers nothing but a chest pocket that’s perfectly sized for a pack of cigarettes or a smaller phone. Inside, you’ll find a nice fleece collar that creates a warming effect by body mapping more insulation around your neck when you’re zipped up or have the hood up. That’s about it, clean and simple results in few words. WildSnow three thumbs up for the Coefficient; if it had thumb holes I’d add a fourth.
Shop for Coefficient Hoody, recommended!
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Comments
12 Responses to “Black Diamond Coefficient Hoody — Review”
I’ve worn a Coefficient Hoody for about a year now and it’s great, but the ‘athletic fit’ should be in BOLD. It is billed as a mid-layer, but with my stocky build (5’7″, 158lbs) I can’t wear anything underneath without feeling claustrophobic, so I use it as a base layer. It’s great on really cold days when one needs a stout base, otherwise it’s too thick and not so good when the temps are moderate. If you’re built like a Tour de France rider you’ll love this as a mid layer.
Thanks for the compliment (grin). It’s slim, but I wouldn’t call it ultra slim in latest cut. As with most of this stuff, you have to try it on at retailer or by etail cross shipping. Lou
Pack of cigs, haha.
Is this much different from a Patagonia R1 hoody? Love my Patty! (And it has thumb holes).
Regular, or King-size? I can’t skimo without my Virginia Slims.
Regarding the cigs, this is an international website so we have to mention tobacco now and then. Just as since we’re located in Colorado we have to mention pot now and then, come to think of it, or did I forget? Lou
I have also had very good experience with the Coefficient Hoody. After a ton of use, I have had some piling on the exterior, this is minor and cosmetic but worth mentioning. I believe mine is the first gen, so perhaps this has been improved in this years model. Completely agree about the appropriately minimal pockets (fits my older gen/nonphablet iPhone).. While I am a fan of thumbholes on similar pieces, the wrist material on the Coefficient does a very nice job of staying snug and closing off gaps. My L fits this skinny 6 footer perfectly.
I think I have last years model in powerstretch with zipperd hand pockets only, the original list price was not good so MEC had reduced the price pre-xmas to what was OK and its been a good piece, skinny 5’8″ I went with small
Always good to get information about slim fitting stuff. I sometimes wonder why companies who design their clothes not for the average person but for people who are a lot in motion (like backcountry-skiers) do such a bad job in that. Most times when the thing fits around the belly, the sleeves are too short and the shoulders to narrow, or if that is ok you have a lot of extra material around your waist. Sure I am not exactly a fat guy (almost 6.2 and 165 pound) but then most of my buddies who are a lot in the mountains have a similar build.
Dont know if you can get Salewa-clothes in the US, but their newer models also are quite slim fitting.
What I don´t like is the lack of hand pockets. Makes the thing less versatile without saving really much weight. Be it as hand warmers, or, as I often do in summer time using the jacket as a little “pack”: On multi-day trips I frequently leave my pack at the base of a peak to climb it and only wrap a jacket round my waist to have some weather-protection with me and carry in the pockets things like compass, power bar and so on.
My height and weight are nearly identical to Vincenzo Nibali, so this thing might fit alright for me. As to thumb holes, I have developed a liking for them. Sometimes lighter gloves will suffice with layers having thumb holes.
I’m 6’4, 180 lbs. and find that the Coefficient in Large fits perfectly. Hugs the body in the right way and the sleeves are perfect for my 35/36 length arms. However, I never use the hood. It’s a scuba-style hood, yes, but it’s not made for tall guys with long necks. It really pulls hard on my head and the fabric lifts up quite a bit off my skin and above the collarbones in order that the hood can fit over my head. (I tried the XL and got the same effect.) Uncomfortable. I’ve never read about others complaining, but I would imagine other long fellows will experience the same. With the hood down, though, it’s my favorite mid-layer.
I think hoods are too prevalent. How many do you need? I’d prefer a normal or high collar, a hat and a neck gater for cold days.
A hood on the shell. Otherwise it’s hoods all over the show.
My bad I found the bill and I actualy have the BD Solution hoody not the BD Coefficent hoody, I think you could find the Solution cheaper than the Coefficent cuz I know I did, also if you want hand warmer pockets the Solution has them, as for hoods I like em and besides … its a “hoody”