Sherpa Adventure Gear Renzing Hat Review

Materials

The Sherpa Renzing hat is made of a high-density lambswool yarn. In comparison to my other hats which are made of Merino wool, the fabric feels rougher and at first, I was a bit worried that the hat will be itchy. Nevertheless, my worries proved unnecessary. The hat is very comfortable, not least because it has a velvety soft fleece lining on the inside. The lining is placed in the lower part of the hat – imagine an ear-band smoothly stitched into the hat. This fleece lining provides extra warmth where you need it the most and is a really awesome feature of the hat. The woolen fabric is loosely knitted and porous which makes sense as the hat would otherwise probably be too warm for aerobic activities such as hiking.

When I wore the hat for hiking for the first time, I immediately noticed that it provides very good insulation. Although the temperatures were below zero, it kept me warm throughout the hike. The fleece lining kept my ears and forehead at a pleasant temperature while the excess heat escaped through the loosely knitted woolen fabric at the top when the activity level increased. Due to the loosely knitted fabric at the top the hat also provides very good breathability. The whole design is indeed very sophisticated. Now, since the fabric is quite porous (excluding the fleece lining), the hat obviously doesn’t provide very good wind protection. On the other hand, the hood of most jackets is anyway a better option for wind protection than just about any hat. In very windy conditions I always wore my Dark Peak jacket’s hood over the hat.

A hiking hat should also be moisture-wicking, quick drying and odor resistant. The Renzing hat nicely pulls moisture from the skin and transfers it to the outside where it can evaporate. However, the hat does absorb more moisture than synthetic or thin Merino hats, and thus it takes longer to dry. Nevertheless, I didn’t find this a big problem because the wool stays surprisingly warm even when it gets wet.

In terms of odor resistance, I was very satisfied. I wore the hat on several hikes in the past month without washing it and it still didn’t become smelly. This is, however, not a big surprise because wool is naturally antimicrobial. I have never had bad experience with wool in the matter of odor resistance.

Sizing, Fit and Comfort

The Sherpa Renzing hat comes only in one size and since I have a slightly narrower head circumference than the average, I was worried it won’t fit me. Nevertheless, the hat fits me almost perfectly. It could be a centimeter or two narrower for a snugger fit but all in all I’m very satisfied.

The material is also quite stretchy and thus I think that the hat should fit most adults.  I found the hat very comfortable to wear. The fleece lining on the inside feels very nice against the skin and so far, the hat hasn’t caused me any problems in terms of chafing or other discomfort. The embroidered logo is behind the fleece lining so that it doesn’t irritate your skin. Another really cool thing about the Sherpa hat is that it has a seamless construction because it is hand-knitted. There are no seams at the top, which indeed increases the comfort and reduces the bulk. Before getting the Sherpa Renzing hat, I have never had a hat without seams. The fit is indeed better when there are no seams at the top. Nevertheless, the Renzing hat is not completely seamless. The fleece lining is stitched to the woolen fabric but the seams there are super discreet and you for sure won’t feel them.

Washing and Drying

The Sherpa Renzing hat should be hand-washed, but so far I only washed it one time – when I received it. I washed it in lukewarm water with a wool detergent (suitable both for machine and hand washing) for a few minutes, and at first the water turned quite dark, probably due to excess color. However, after rinsing it in clean water a few times, the washing water was completely clear. As with just about any other wool garment or accessory, the Sherpa hat shouldn’t be tumble-dried but hung to air-dry. While hand-washing the hat is quicker than you would think, it takes quite long to dry. I don’t find this a big problem because the hat is odor resistant and thus it doesn’t have to be washed as frequently as synthetic hats. Once I’ll feel like the hat needs it, I’ll simply repeat the process above at a time where I don’t need to wear the hat the day after.

Verdict

I’m very happy with the Sherpa Renzing hat because it’s comfortable and very functional. I really like the fleece lining and the seamless construction. The fleece lining keeps your ears and forehead warm while the seamless construction significantly enhances the fit. The hat is also very breathable, moisture-wicking and odor resistant. I wore the hat on several hikes in January and it always kept me warm and snug despite that the temperatures were often below zero. So, if you are looking for a good hat for low temperatures, I do recommend the Sherpa Renzing hat.

If you have any questions about this product, drop me a line in the comments below.