The Mountain Hardwear Summit Grid Hoody is our best value pick, and we rate it 77 out of 100.
A 309g square-grid pullover with an adjustable hood and a kangaroo pocket, sold for a fraction of what the premium grid hoodies cost.
Scored on Breathability, Warmth, Layering and Fit, Weight and Value for Money, against seventeen other fleeces.
Best Value
Mountain Hardwear Summit Grid Hoody
- Weight (S): 309g
- Fabric: 100% polyester square grid
- Weight class: Lightweight
- Style: Pullover
- Pockets: 1 kangaroo
Pros
- A real grid fleece without premium money
- Adjustable hood, rare at this price
- Kangaroo pocket
- Squashes flat in a pack
Cons
- Least warm of the grid fleeces
- Wind goes straight through
- No zippered pockets
What We Make of the Mountain Hardwear Summit Grid Hoody
A fully featured grid fleece at half the premium money, and the one our testers had to be talked out of keeping.
Across 5 metrics it landed on 77 out of 100, good enough for the best value award.
What tips it: A real grid fleece without premium money.
Least warm of the grid fleeces.
Made for hikers who want grid fleece performance without premium money.
I wore this against bare skin on a cold night at 8,000 feet and did not want to take it off in the morning. It is half the money of the fancy ones. The only thing I actually missed was a zip on the pocket.
James, Top-Notch test team
Test Results and Where It Ranks
value for money is where it wins. warmth is where it does not.
The scores below come from the same tests every panel here went through.
Breathability
The square-grid structure vents well under load, though not at the level of the Rab micro-grid.
Wind cuts through it quickly without a shell, which is the same trade every grid fleece here makes.
Worn against bare skin on cool mountain nights it kept moving air rather than trapping damp.
| Breathability | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 8.5/10 |
| Mountain Hardwear Summit Grid Hoody | 7.5/10 |
| Guide average | 7/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 5.6/10 |
Warmth
Warmth is the lowest of the grid fleeces on test, at 6 out of 10.
It works as a base layer in colder months and as a standalone on cool summer evenings.
The adjustable hood seals more heat in than the fixed hoods on the pricier jackets.
| Warmth | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 9/10 |
| Mountain Hardwear Summit Grid Hoody | 6/10 |
| Guide average | 7.1/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 6/10 |
Layering and Fit
Pullover cut, so venting is limited to the neck zip. Our testers rated it more comfortable than most of the jackets above it.
It squashes into a backpacking pack without a fight. No zippered pockets, which rules it out for anything you would hate to lose.
| Layering and Fit | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 8/10 |
| Mountain Hardwear Summit Grid Hoody | 7.8/10 |
| Guide average | 6.7/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 5.5/10 |
Weight
309g in a small, so a medium lands close to the Rab.
Light enough to carry as a spare layer rather than the only layer.
| Weight | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 9.1/10 |
| Mountain Hardwear Summit Grid Hoody | 8.7/10 |
| Guide average | 7.2/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 3/10 |
Value for Money
A grid fleece with an adjustable hood and a kangaroo pocket, at this money, is the best value in this guide.
It gives up breathability to the Rab and warmth to almost everything, and it still scores 77.
A solid colour version exists if the two-tone is not for you.
| Value for Money | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 9.5/10 |
| Mountain Hardwear Summit Grid Hoody | 9.5/10 |
| Guide average | 7.5/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 5.5/10 |
Who Should Buy This One?
It is best suited to hikers who want grid fleece performance without premium money.
The standout: A real grid fleece without premium money.
The catch: Least warm of the grid fleeces.
If Not This One, Then What?
Different priorities? Start with one of these.
Rab Ascendor Light Hoody, our best overall for hiking. The only fleece here that stayed on all day at a working heart rate, and it undercuts every jacket it beats.
Black Diamond CoEfficient Hoody, our fastest drying. The quickest drying fleece we tested, which is the reason to pick it over the more famous grid hoodies.
Amazon Essentials Full-Zip Polar Fleece, our best budget buy. About the price of a burger and a drink, and it still scored 70.
Also from this test: the Wrangler Authentics 1/4 Zip, our cheapest that still breathes pick, if the budget is the whole brief.
Specifications
| Weight (S) | 309g |
| Fabric | 100% polyester square grid |
| Weight class | Lightweight |
| Style | Pullover |
| Pockets | 1 kangaroo |
Final Word on the Mountain Hardwear Summit Grid Hoody
The Mountain Hardwear Summit Grid Hoody finished this test as our best value choice, scoring 77 out of 100.
It comes down to one thing: A real grid fleece without premium money.
Not perfect: least warm of the grid fleeces.
It belongs with hikers who want grid fleece performance without premium money.
Compare it against the other nine in our 10 Best Fleece Jackets for Hiking, Tested and Ranked guide.
