Icebreaker Quantum Hood & Sprint Crewe
We tested the Icebreaker Quantum Hood and long-sleeved Sprint Crewe – two merino wool garments that work brilliantly both separately and especially together.
A while ago we were asked to test garments from Icebreaker, and the selected products were the Quantum Hood and a long-sleeved Sprint Crewe, both of which work wonderfully on their own and especially together.
Let’s start with the most versatile and also addictive garment: the Quantum Hood. The Quantum Hood is a mid-layer in Icebreaker’s GT series, which the company has high hopes for ahead of the coming season. The sweater, made from 260-gram merino wool, has a tight fit, long sleeves with thumb holes, a chest pocket with headphone port, back pocket, a very snug-fitting hood, and a two-way reflective full-front zipper.
The Quantum Hood is designed to be a sweater that suits a multitude of different activities, and just as mentioned in the first sentence, it’s addictive. It’s been a faithful companion both in everyday life and during various activities since day one. It usually keeps you just warm enough and has fantastic breathability and moisture transport.
Its toughest test came during a long-distance ice skating tour at high tempo and partly in fairly strong headwinds, where it really had to prove itself. It warmed well when needed and stayed dry on the inside while the outside was thoroughly damp. During the tour, the Sprint Crewe was used as a base layer, and the combination was excellent – since it, like the Quantum, breathes and warms. The tight fit is maintained thanks to Icebreaker sewing with single and double-twisted yarns.
The tight hood on the sweater is also worth mentioning. It fits so snugly that you get a slight “Linus and his blanket” feeling, but it still provides very good freedom of movement and worked excellently under a helmet when conditions picked up in the mountains. The Quantum Hood suits most occasions, but if it’s cold outside, the activity is calm, and the outer shell isn’t thick enough, it can get chilly thanks to the excellent breathability.
The Sprint Crewe also belongs to the GT series and is made from 200-gram merino wool. The fit is tight, and the thin fabric feels very good against the skin – nothing itches, no seams chafe, and the thumb holes keep the sleeves in place. The top dries very quickly, and just like the Quantum Hood, the breathability is excellent. This is the thinnest merino wool base layer top our editorial team has tested, and the difference in breathability between thicker materials and this one is significant. The function can definitely be compared with high-performance synthetic materials, but with the major advantage that wool doesn’t start to smell bad and therefore works better on longer trips.
The fact that the garments don’t smell is due to a protein in the fiber called Keratin – the same protein found in our nails, hair, and skin. When we start sweating, salts and fats form on the skin, which allows odor-causing bacteria to thrive. But on merino wool, they can’t get a grip because the fiber has a shell of protein. Simply described, they fall off the garment and it therefore doesn’t smell.
Both the Quantum Hood and Sprint Crewe are warmly recommended to anyone seeking a mid-layer and technical base layer in merino wool that is both extremely comfortable and functional. Combined, they’re made for each other but naturally work well separately too. The fact that they don’t start to smell is a big plus, but the absolute biggest plus is the breathability, which is clearly world-class. You’ll find both garments in well-stocked stores, priced at SEK 1,599 and SEK 799 respectively.
Icebreaker’s Baacode, which lets you trace the origin of your specific product, is naturally interesting for the curious – and if you want to know from which farms one of I Love Outdoor’s Quantum Hood samples originates, click HERE.
