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If you’re a hiker staring down a chilly summit ridge, a trail runner pushing a vertical climb, or a climber making an alpine start, you know the truth: your midlayer fleece is the unsung hero of your layering system. It must deliver warmth without turning into a sweat-soaked sponge. For too long, finding a truly versatile hooded fleece that excels across all these high-output activities felt like searching for solid névé on an October snow slope—until now.
Enter the new Rab Quantra Pro Hoody. Built with advanced gridded Thermic™ Pro Hybrid fabric and a low-profile hood designed to fit seamlessly under a climbing helmet, Rab claims this is the ultimate midlayer upgrade. We spent weeks putting this jacket through the wringer, from fast-paced hiking to technical routes, to see if its promise of breathability and durable performance lives up to the hype.
First off, the Rab Quantra Pro Hoody is truly versatile. I’ve been using it for a variety of activities this season, from damp trail runs and hiking days on the hill to climbing sessions both indoors and out. I liked its low bulk, lightweight design, and the fact that it’s an all-day wear piece; once I decided to wear it, it generally stayed on, even in warmer, drizzly conditions. The breathability of the Thermic Pro Hybrid fabric has been excellent. It’s been a little too breathable in the current windy autumn we’ve been ‘enjoying’ here in the UK, so I’ve often been wearing it under a gilet or hardshell. This combination of low bulk and high breathability offered a lightweight package (349g on the trusty CGR scales) that felt comfortable all day.
The warmth from the hoody comes from the gridded inner, which traps heat. You are not going to find the warmth of a pile jacket, but that isn’t what it’s designed for. It’s designed for warmth on the move and assumes you’re not planning extended stops in colder conditions. Anyway, that’s easily solved with a lightweight insulation jacket. So, think of fast and constantly moving activities like trail running and speed hiking for this piece. When worn under a shell or gilet, it works very well, and I have been surprisingly warm—sometimes too warm—with this system. The grid system is a clever weave and isn’t laminated like cheaper systems, so you can expect good durability with the Quantra Pro; it has survived several washes and shows no sign of wear at all.
The fit is performance-oriented. The test size was a Medium, and my chest size is what I would call M+ (a 39–40” chest and a 33” waist). I found the fit pretty much perfect. The fabric offers plenty of stretch without feeling too tight and allows for full mobility when climbing and running.
There are plenty of great features on the hoody. The hood, especially, is excellent and fits well under a climbing helmet as well as over a cap. The only adjustment is from the elasticated trim, so if you have a particularly small head, you might get some movement, but on the whole, the hood has worked well. As you would expect from a brand steeped in climbing and mountaineering lore, the zipped hand pockets are perfectly placed to be accessible when wearing a pack or climbing harness. They are mesh-lined to maximize breathability and finished with YKK reverse coil zips to help keep the warmth in.
Other finishing touches include a full YKK Vislon zip with a glove-friendly tab, dual cinches on the hem, elasticated trim on the cuffs, additional fabric on the chin guard, and a reflective Rab logo for those long winter night runs. All are made to the excellent Rab standard in a Fair Wear certified facility. So, the Rab Quantra Pro Hoody is a great, versatile midlayer jacket that you will find useful for all mountain activities—from long days out on the fells and alpine adventures to trail running and climbing on your local crags. The fit is great, and the minimalist design offers a lightweight, low bulk jacket that you will reach for time and time again.
The Rab Quantra Pro comes in sizes S–XXL and three colour options for men, as well as sizes UK 08–16 with three colour options for women. The SRP is £120 and it can be bought directly from Rab UK and specialist retailers.
Disclosure – CGR reviewers and writers are never paid to provide a review and the website does not take advertising or link to affiliate sales. We are a bunch of keen climbers and travellers who accept sample products and offer an honest and independent review of the item.
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