Arc’teryx Quiq Hoody – Climbing Gear Review

James Parkinson heads out on the local crags to test the Arc’teryx Quiq Hoody…

Performance – *****

Style – ****

Value for money – ***

The Arc’teryx 24 range is a collection of relaxed leisure wear designed for rock climbing, travel or just going to the pub. A core piece in this collection is the Quiq hoody.

Made from Apgar™, a stretchy cotton blend fabric, the first thing I noticed about the Quiq was the quality. As you’d expect from Arc’teryx, it is first class and with a retail price of £90, you’d hope so too! With a reasonably close and anatomical fit, the Quiq isn’t from the big, baggy, skater hoody mould but is actually fairly smart. I’ve worn it on an impromptu evening out to some fairly nice bars (nice for the CGR team, anyway) and not felt out of place.

The collar and hood were a couple of things that might take some getting used to; the tall collar styling is quite unorthodox and the hood is enormous! Good for pulling up over a helmet if you feel the need on a cool evening’s cragging or for living out your Jedi knight fantasies.

In action, I found that the stretchy fabric didn’t restrict climbing movement at all, despite the closeness of the fit. The gusseted underarms help in this respect too and the cuffs are nicely elasticated if you want to pull them up your forearms. The close fit means that the Quiq layers well under a shell or insulating jacket and the Apgar™ fabric breathes fairly well too, meaning the hoody can be used as a comfortable mid layer for various activities.

The kangaroo pocket on the front is lined and so thicker than the rest of the hoody meaning that hands can stay warm in between attempts at your project. It is also handy for stashing bits and pieces for the walk in.

Arc’teryx recommend washing in cold water or even dry cleaning but I have put it through a 40· wash a couple of times now with no ill effects. Much simpler than faffing about at the dry cleaners!

Available in four colours – Blue Onyx, Demarara, Utility Green and Wood Violet – the Quiq hoody is a great piece of everyday or climbing clothing with the quality you’d expect from Arc’teryx. At about twice the price of many hoodies on the market, it isn’t cheap but if you splash out, you won’t be disappointed.

Price: £90

To find out more about the Arc’teryx Quiq Hoody and where to buy it, visit the Arc’teryx website.