This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you book or buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. Learn more
No matter where you’re traveling to, it’s always good to pack a travel hoodie with you. Even in the warmest of climates, extreme weather can always hit, whether it gets cold at night or in air-conditioned man-made environments.
Travel hoodies don’t just have to be about keeping you warm, however. There are many stylish travel hoodies on the market that can help you feel comfortable and feel good, as well as keep you warm.
We’ve taken a good look at the travel hoodies on the market and identified some of the best hoodies, covering both men and women. Chills on your neck or goosebumps down your spine will be a thing of the past after purchasing and packing one of these stylish, comfortable travel hoodies!
Best Travel Hoodies
Quick Picks
Don’t have time to read through the article? Then don’t worry, we have you covered. Use our quick picks to get to the travel hoodie that best suits your needs right away.
| Best Hoodie for Men | Woolly Clothing Men’s Merino Wool Henly Hoodie |
| Best Hoodie for Women | Woolly Clothing Women’s Merino Pro-Knit Wool Hooded Dress |
| Best Zip-Up Hoodie for Men | Carhartt Men’s Midweight Hooded Zip-Front Sweatshirt |
| Best Zip-Up Hoodie for Women | The North Face Women’s Shelbe Raschel Hoodie |
Travel Hoodie Considerations
Material
The biggest factor here is to consider the type of trip and activities you’ll be doing. For example, while cotton may be softer than other fabrics, if it gets wet, your travel hoodie is going to be very uncomfortable and unable to keep you warm.
Do your research on the materials used and consider whether you want a hoodie that is more geared to outdoor use, better for urban environments, or can be used in multiple environments.
Merino Wool
Merino wool has become a go-to for many people who travel for extensive periods. As a fabric, it insulates well while being relatively lightweight compared to other materials.
Arguably, however, its ability to transport moisture and manage temperature without smelling or creasing that much makes it ideal for multiple uses and traveling with less luggage that you can use far more frequently.
Merino wool may be more delicate and expensive than other materials, but should definitely be considered when thinking about packing for longer trips or when packing clothing that can have multiple uses. However, consider that many merino wool items can only be hand-washed.
Pullover vs. Zip-Up
While a pullover can often be warmer, they tend to be larger and heavier and often more difficult to take on and off. Zip-up hoodies are generally easier to put on and remove, and while the zipper allows you to open or close the hoodie as much as you like, consider zippers can get stuck or even break.
Thin vs. Thick
The biggest factor to understand here is where you want to sit on the ‘warm vs. practicality scale.’ Often, thin hoodies are lighter to wear, easier to take off, and much easier to pack. However, if the weather gets colder than you anticipated or it rains, they aren’t going to help keep you as warm as you need.
While thicker hoodies can be more difficult to pack and carry, heavier, and sometimes even make you uncomfortably hot, they are always going to keep you much warmer than a thinner hoodie.
For example, on a trip to Peru, as I was based in Lima, I was more than happy with my thin zip-up hoodie. But when we arrived in Cusco, in the mountains, to trek Macchu Pichu, I did not anticipate how cold the region would be, as Lima, at times, was searing hot. It’s important to understand where you’re traveling, the terrain, and the temperature range, before choosing a travel hoodie.
Weight and Size for Packing
Warmer, thicker, and larger hoodies, naturally, will take up a little more weight allowance, but more importantly, space in your carry-on, so it’s important to consider this.
Many travelers may just travel wearing the hoodie at all times. While this is definitely an option, even on an air-conditioned flight you may find yourself too hot with a thicker hoodie and want to take it off, meaning you may have to carry it around your waist or under your arm.
Hood, Pockets, and Features
While hoods, pockets, and other features like small zippered pockets will generally add weight and size to your hoodie, they can definitely make the hoodie more functional if you find use for them.
If you’re traveling to a place in the rainy season or partaking in some outdoor adventure travel, a hood can definitely be a good idea. Large pockets, however, I find aren’t the best for storing valuables and are more a method of keeping your hands warm, which you can easily do with gloves or long-sleeve shirts.
Wash Options
When traveling, it is very difficult to control how your clothes are washed when you use laundrettes or a laundry service. Often, laundry services will wash everything in large batches on one setting, so you may find delicate clothes will get ruined.
Especially in hot countries, you can forgo a ruined t-shirt or vest because it’s often easy and inexpensive to find loose clothing. Your hoodie, however, is far more precious and serves a greater function, so you need to consider its durability when washing.
Take a look at our guide to doing laundry while traveling to give you a little more insight and some creative ideas.
Travel Hoodie Picks
If you’re ready to dive in, let’s take a closer look at four of the best travel hoodies on the market.
Best Hoodie for Men
1 – Woolly Clothing Men’s Merino Wool Henly Hoodie
Check Price on Amazon
Materials
If you’re a fan of natural materials, this is the hoodie for you. It is made out of 100% 190 GSM, 18.5-micron Australian merino wool. Merino wool is known as an amazing natural insulator, and this hoodie is guaranteed to keep you warm on its own or as a layer.
Merino wool, as a material, has a few more desirable properties to consider. It will wick moisture away from your skin, and it has anti-microbial properties, which will help prevent odors. It is naturally stretchy, which lets you move around feeling like you are restrained by the travel hoodie.
Comfort and Features
Merino wool is a very comfortable material to wear at any time of the year, and you don’t have to worry about this hoodie being itchy like a regular wool sweater, for example. The hoodie is a pullover with a partial three-button closure system, which lets you open the hoodie up if bit if you’re feeling too warm.
It features a two-piece hood with a standard drawstring closure system for a better hood fit. A large pouch pocket can be found in the front, and it should be suitable for the needs of any user. The stitching on this hoodie is done with flatlock seams, which adds some additional stretchiness.
Best Hoodie for Women
2 – Woolly Clothing Women’s Merino Pro-Knit Wool Hooded Dress
Check Price on Amazon
Materials
Made from 100% pro-knit Australian merino wool, the hooded dress is a great choice for all-around warmth and comfort due to its size.
Comfort and Features
Complete with a hood for extra warmth or getting caught in drizzle, a front pocket to keep your hands warm, and pro-knit construction for extra stretch, this hoodie is ideal for all seasons and keeping warm in a variety of different places.
As with merino wool products, the no-odor and moisture-wicking capabilities of the fabric help keep you comfortable in many different environments.
Best Zip-Up Hoodie for Men
3 – Carhartt Men’s Midweight Hooded Zip-Front Sweatshirt
Check Price on Amazon
Materials
This Carhartt hoodie is made of a 50-50 blend of cotton and polyester. It weighs around 10.5 ounces, which puts it in the medium weight category. This mix of materials and weight makes the hoodie quite warm without being too heavy. People who picked this hoodie up have found the materials to be of very high quality and very durable.
On top of that, the material is blended in a way that makes this hoodie more resistant to getting dirty or stained than your average garment. It can be machine washed without worrying about ruining the material.
Comfort and Features
The hoodie has a full zipper closure that lets you open up the hoodie should you find that it is too warm. A zipper means that there is no pouch pocket on this hoodie, but rather two fairly roomy pockets separated by the zipper in the middle. Personally, we prefer this kind of pocket arrangement, and I find it to be safer for storing items than a pouch pocket.
This variant of the hoodie features a two-piece hood with drawstring closure, but there are variants with a three-piece hood as well. The cuffs and the waistband are all stretchable for a better fit, and all the main seams are triple-stitched for added durability. This is a great travel hoodie for men who want something lighter and more flexible.
Best Zip-Up Hoodie for Women
4 – The North Face Women’s Shelbe Raschel Hoodie
Check Price on Amazon
Materials
Now to the world-renowned North Face, and their excellent Shelbe Raschel travel hoodie. Made from a combination of elastin and very soft polyester fleece, the materials are of very high quality, and the hoodie itself is very warm as it is meant for colder conditions. At 15.8 ounces, it’s a travel hoodie that can give you plenty of warmth in colder climates.
Speaking of colder conditions, the materials are wind-resistant and coated in a durable water-repellent finish. It is important to note that this does not make it water-resistant, but the material will give you a little more cover if you get caught in a downpour. All of this, combined with a soft-shell design and top-notch materials, make it a great pick-up if you plan on visiting any cold places.
Comfort and Features
The soft inner fleece lining makes this travel hoodie incredibly comfortable to wear. The hoodie features a full zipper closure that stretches all the way up to the top of your neck. The head is covered by a three-piece hood, which is also lined with soft fleece for added comfort and features a soft-shell design just like the rest of the garment.
The hood has no drawstrings or any other means to control its fit. These are two pockets on the hoodie, one on each side of the zipper. The pockets themselves appear quite roomy, and they have their own zipper closure, which lets you safely store items inside without worrying that they will fall out during activities.
Travel Hoodie Summary
That takes us to the end of our stylish list of travel hoodies. As we spoke about previously, even in the hottest of climates, packing a travel hoodie is always a good idea.
You never know when the weather may take a turn, or if you end up in a cold, air-conditioned environment that requires an extra layer, without considerable bulk or weight.
You Might Also Like to Read
- Best Packing Cubes for Travel
- Best Microfiber and Quick Dry Travel Towels
- How to Pack Dirty Clothes while Traveling
- Best Anti-Theft Backpack Picks for Travel
Save and Pin for Later
Looking to buy a travel hoodie, but haven’t quite made your mind up yet? Save this article and pin it to one of your Pinterest boards to revisit later.
Non-product images licensed from Shutterstock