Black Diamond Solution 150 Merino Half Zip Hoody Review

A lightweight, warm, NuYarn Merino blend base layer with a half zip, hood, and thumb loops? Yes, please! The Solution 150 Hoody comes with all these features as well as the warmth of a much thicker and heavier base layer while still drying and breathing like its svelte brethren. The tight, athletic fit makes it look almost too good to be when used hidden underneath your mid and outer layers, where it works exceptionally, thanks to its stretchy fabric.

Performance Comparison

Warmth

The Solution 150 punches far above what its fabric weight would lead you to believe, thanks in part to the NuYarn Merino wool blend. This fabric adds considerable loft to the base layer when compared to more conventional ring-spun or core-spun yarn. Our lab tests show that you should consider this base layer to feel almost as warm as a 200 g/m² midweight layer. On backpacking trips, when weight is important, the Solution 150 has great warmth-to-weight performance that I find perfect for shoulder seasons.

To complement the warmth of the fabric, the extra long torso and drop tail hem can leave you confident that tucking in the Solution 150 will have it stay in place all day long. The extra long sleeves end in thumb loops to keep sleeves from rolling up and drafts from entering between gloves and coat, which I appreciated during my early morning sunrise bike commutes. The half zip comes right up to the bottom of the chin, and the helmet-compatible hood seals your head from the outside for particularly cold conditions without the need for an additional hat.

Breathability

It's a rarity to feel comfortable wearing the same base layer you had on at the start of a 6,000-foot mountain climb as you do at the summit of the peak, but the Solution 150 Hoody pulls off this trick with ease. The secret is its ability to breathe well while keeping a comfortable level of warmth close to your body. I'm impressed at how well this base layer can do just that, enhanced by how much you can thermoregulate at high output thanks to the front zip, hood, and sleeves you can roll over your elbows. I feel almost claustrophobic if I get too stuffy underneath all my layers, so having a breathable base layer like the Black Diamond Solution 150 is absolutely clutch.

Sweating out the base layer was rarely a problem when the Solution 150 Hoody was worn alone, thanks to the NuYarn wool blend's wicking ability to transport sweat away from the surface of your skin and out into the environment coupled with the light weight of the fabric itself. And since breathability with the Solution was better than most wool base layers, it stays fresh for multiple wearings — music to the ears of ski tourers, backpackers, and those that want to treat their gear with a light touch by keeping it out of superfluous wash cycles.

Comfort and Fit

The slim, form-hugging, and athletic fit of the Solution works wondrously as a base layer that supports a plethora of additional tops layered on top of it without feeling bunched up and all out of place. Tuck the bottom of this base layer and use the thumb loops to keep the torso and long sleeves from riding up, and feel confident they'll stay in their place all day. The flatlock stitching throughout is both strong and barely noticeable on the skin, helping to prevent even the idea of chafing. The raglan sleeves (a design rarity for Merino tops) remove the usual top shoulder seam, making carrying a pack much more comfortable.

Generally, base layers comprised of a fabric blend with Merino and other components are a great showcase of the best parts of each. This tends to result in a stellar balance of comfort and performance. The Solution 150 Hoody is just such a case. The patented NuYarn technology, which wraps wool fibers around polyester filaments, means that, next to skin, this top feels incredibly plush, as though it was crafted of 100% pure Merino. Additionally, the inclusion of polyester means that the garment holds its shape better over time.

Durability

Our harsh abrasion test shows one weakness for this hoody: the thin, 150 g/m² fabric will get eaten up when pitted against the destructive forces of sandstone cliffs, thick underbrush, or other general abuse. This characteristic is shared with all wool and wool blend base layers, no matter the thickness. The synthetic fibers help marginally in resisting abrasion, but the garment will only be as strong as its weakest link. For maximum lifespan, use this base layer as a base layer: underneath other layers, where the relative delicateness of wool is properly protected — especially when taking part in outdoor activities where abrasive surfaces will be encountered.

In the real world, I didn't observe any premature wear or quality control problems with the fabric or seams. I haven't seen any pilling, which usually hits thin wool layers hard. Washing and drying don't result in sagging or an out-of-shape garment either; it looks just the same as when I first put it on.

Drying Speed

The Solution 150 is one of the faster-drying base layers in our roundup. This is due to the thin, 150 g/m² NuYarn Merino wool blend fabric and comparing it to base layers made with 180, 200, and even 250 g/m² wool fabrics. Surprise! Thinner fabrics dry faster.

In the marketing materials, the NuYarn Merino wool blend is touted to dry at Mach speeds compared to 100% Merino wool. The added loft created by the Merino wool blend does in fact marginally benefit drying speed times. For the weight of the material, there's just more loft to the fabric, allowing more surface area for water to evaporate away.

The drying speed on the clothesline translated to excellent drying time out in the field. Carefully hand washing the Solution in a watering hole, then lightly hand wringing it was enough to get the base layer dry enough to wear again within an hour. On one backpacking trip, I hiked back into civilization knowing I wanted to grab a pizza almost immediately. Being able to wash then quickly dry the Black Diamond Solution on my pack right beforehand helped me look (and smell) somewhat presentable!

Layering Ability

All the accouterments of the Solution (half zip, hood, thumb loops, extra long sleeves and torso) allow this base layer to act as a light, next-to-skin baselayer. No need to swap out this layer when you can unzip the front, take off the hood, and roll the sleeves up if you need to dump out some heat. Such flexibility makes the Solution 150 act almost like two separate layers in one.

The Solution 150 Hoody also integrates fantastically underneath other garments. The thin, stretchy fabric slides easily against both skin and other fabrics while also minimizing pinch points. On a five-day backpacking trip, we hardly took this layer off. I was happy to discover excellent freedom of movement while scrambling around ridgeline crests and while tossing and turning in my nighttime bivvies. The tight, athletic fit means less bunching underneath mid and outer layers. The low-profile flatlock seams minimize chafing while moving about. Thanks to the raglan sleeve design, the lack of seams on the top of the shoulders means one less pressure point between your baselayer and heavy pack straps. The Solution 150 fits a little tight on me, but I'm able to move around pretty freely.

Should You Buy the Black Diamond Solution 150 Hoody?

This hoody has been the base layer I reach for the most to tackle everything from early morning autumn bike commutes and late-night hikes to shoulder season backpacking trips and nervous first dates. If the slim athletic fit works for you, you'll likely enjoy this layer's excellent comfort, breathability, and warmth. Hands down, the Black Diamond Solution 150 is one of my personal favorite base layers. I love all of its little features: the hood, the zip, the thumb loops. I forgot it on the bus to Durango right before a 500-mile backpacking trip, and I almost canceled the trip, not wanting to go without it!

What Other Base Layers Should You Consider?