Editor Tested: The Kor Alloy Crew Is a Technical Sweatshirt for Active Lazy People

15.11.2024 - 09:37 / matadornetwork.com

As an outdoor enthusiast who lives in the mountains and enjoys sports like mountain biking, skiing, and hiking, people are always surprised when I tell them this: overall, I’m pretty lazy.

Yes, I work hard (remotely). And I try to get out for a few hours cross-country or downhill biking most days in the summer, and try to ski once or twice a week in the winter. So for those short bursts, I’m not lazy. But when I’m not sweating outside, I’m your average couch potato: burning through Netflix shows at night, staying in pajama pants until 10 AM, and complaining about any social plans that start after 7 PM.

This is why I was absolutely thrilled when I found a piece of gear that was basically me, in clothing form: a technical sweatshirt.

That’s a term I made up, I think. But it’s the perfect way to describe the Kor Alloy Crew Sweatshirt from Mountain Hardwear. It’s a pullover as comfortable and cozy as a sweatshirt, but with many of the finishes and features of an outdoor-ready climbing or hiking jacket. Here’s what makes me think spending $225 on a sweatshirt is reasonable — because it’s not really just a sweatshirt. Read on.

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The Kor Alloy Crew packs into its own pocket, making it much easier to pack in a suitcase or backpack. Photo: Suzie Dundas

I love a good sweatshirt, but they’re not the most practical for outdoor activities, especially since cotton is among the worst fabrics for outdoor wear. But the Kor Alloy Crew’s materials are more akin to what you’d find in a down jacket or piece of technical clothing, with a water-resistant DWR finish and synthetic insulation to trap your body heat. Synthetic insulation is generally a better choice for athletic wear as it dries much quicker than down sourced from ducks and geese.

I also love that the Kor Alloy Crew steals a feature from down jackets: it packs into its own chest pocket. Most sweatshirts are bulky and take up a decent amount of space in a suitcase or backpack, so they’re not great for travel. But this takes up so little space that it’s easy to toss in my backpack for a day hike, or even clip to a harness or backpack for activities like climbing or cross-country skiing. You’ll want to store it hanging like a normal shirt, however, as keeping it packed for a long time can lead to pretty noticeable wrinkles.

Design-wise, I like that the insulation is body mapped, putting less insulation in areas that tend to overheat (like armpits) and more insulation on places that get cold,