It seems Outdoor Research hedged some bets on the Ascendant Hoodie and purposely created a light and packable active insulation layer that offers a decent level of weather protection as well. This combination does breathe, but not as much as I would have expected. The Pertex Microlight shell however, doesn’t match that breathability, and it is actually quite windproof. Polartec Alpha Direct, with its open knit construction, is extremely breathable by itself and is probably the most breathable insulation I have used. Both fabrics have stretch properties, while the Microlight also features a DWR finish.īreathability is a hallmark of the active insulation category. This jacket uses Pertex Microlight 20d for that outer material and the Alpha Direct is attached in drop liner fashion, covering the entirety of the inner surface.

As the name implies, Alpha Direct is used without an inner face fabric, with the insulation attached only to an outer shell. The gear manufacturer is aiming to increase breathability and compressibility, while lowering weight when compared to the Uberlayer, by utilizing Polartec Alpha Direct. Outdoor Research has taken this a step further with their Ascendant Hoodie. This allows the use of very open and breathable inner and outer shell materials, creating such widely usable pieces like Outdoor Research’s Uberlayer, the 2017 Gear Institute Best in Class for Active Insulation. Polartec Alpha spans this dichotomy by being more durable and stable than other synthetic insulation, its unique properties preventing migration or poking through face fabrics. Polartec’s Alpha insulation almost single handedly created the active insulation category, designed to facilitate stop-and-go activities by providing warmth when standing still yet allowing high vapor and heat transfer rates while on the move.

Outdoor research ascendant v uberlayer