Patagonia Tropic Comfort Natural Sun Hoody Review

Bottom Line

The Tropic Comfort Natural Hoody (men’s / women’s) stepped into the spotlight this year as our favorite everyday sun shirt thanks to its standout comfort and odor resistance. It shines on casual outings like after-work hikes, climbing gym sessions, and bundling up for s’mores on chilly evenings. It’s not a great technical piece, but it’s a solid daily driver that excels for everyday and light outdoor activities.

We gravitated toward the Tropic Comfort on day hikes and when running errands, but its inability to wick moisture left us feeling noticeably sticky during more strenuous outings. For options that work better on heart-pumping adventures, check out our sun shirts gear guide.

How We Tested

We tested this shirt on two different four-mile hikes: one along a snow-filled trail in 40-degree weather and one in the sunny, exposed high desert. We even wore this shirt as a base layer for snowboarding a handful of times. 

Comfort

The Tropic Comfort Natural Hoody is undeniably comfortable. The modal/spandex jersey fabric feels soft against the skin and offers a good amount of stretch. Though there are some minor annoyances – like an additional finger loop for the sleeves and a heavy zipper on the side-panel pocket – the shirt was quick to impress from a comfort standpoint. 

We had zero complaints about the fit, even with our broad shoulders and fluctuating weight in the upper arms. The shirt slid well under layers, including sweaters and puffy jackets of various thicknesses. The fabric moves and stretches very well, too. 

Sun Protection

The Tropic Comfort’s UPF 40+ rating isn’t the highest available – and does fall short of The Skin Cancer Foundation’s threshold for its Seal of Recommendation – but it does have some great features that boost protection. 

First, we love the hood. It fits well, leaving room for a ball cap underneath. When the wind starts blowing, there is a handy button at the neck that tightens things down without forcing you to cinch it around your face.

We also love that the sleeves completely cover the hands and come with both standard thumbholes and additional loops to sling around other fingers for a more secure fit. The secondary finger straps took some getting used to and felt a little unnecessary at times, but overall, they proved more helpful than not.

Breathability & Wicking Power

The Tropic Comfort isn’t the most breathable or best at wicking moisture but doesn’t hold onto odors like one might expect. After testing the Tropic Comfort on a few hikes, we noticed that it really trapped heat, causing us to sweat a lot more than we did in other shirts.. As a standalone piece, we noticed that air passed through the fabric well, but we still felt very sticky, especially under the armpits.

Some users claim that the Tropic Comfort feels noticeably heavy when wet. This is due to the modal-heavy fabric, which is made from the pulp of beech trees and has similar properties to other natural fibers like cotton and wool. For reference, modal is said to be about 50% more absorbent than cotton. 

This absorbency is made worse by the shirt’s long drying time. We took the Tropic Comfort on a wintery trek in South Lake Tahoe in February, with temperatures in the mid 40s and a breeze adding a chill from snow at the summit. The shirt was comfortable and warm enough to wear on its own while hiking uphill, especially in the sun, but it became laden with sweat and noticeably cold at the crux of the climb. It did not dry by the time we got back to the trailhead two miles later.

This experience was replicated on another hike in the high desert hills of Reno, Nevada, with temperatures in the mid 50s. After starting with a major climb, we were too warm in the Tropic Comfort with a light puffy overtop but too cold without it. As a result, we would not recommend this shirt for extensive day hikes, multi-day trips, or winter adventures – a saturated shirt can be uncomfortable at best and downright dangerous in cool to cold temperatures.

At the end of the day, we were impressed by the Tropic Comfort’s odor control. Despite emitting a hearty B.O. after each of the aforementioned hikes, the shirt didn’t smell too bad and was saved from the wash. 

Versatility

The Tropic Comfort Natural is a pretty versatile piece. Though it’s not our first choice for technical adventures, it has an attractive appearance that makes it well suited for everyday wear. Ultimately, this is the shirt we gravitate toward the most when running errands or taking the dog for a walk around the neighborhood. Though a little pricey for a sun shirt, we feel this makes it a solid value.

We also love that the modal-heavy fabric retains its shape and resists wear better than cotton. Throughout our tests – including putting on and ripping off snow gloves while snowboarding, sorting through and carrying home rocks while hiking, and nervously messing with the button cinch for the hood – this shirt held up flawlessly with no visible snags, tears, or other signs of deterioration. 

Should You Buy the Patagonia Tropic Comfort Natural?

To answer this question, it’s important to first consider your outdoor goals and objectives. If you enjoy hiking as a social outlet or an easy way to decompress after work, the Tropic Comfort could check all the boxes. It’s highly comfortable, easy to wear, and impressively odor-resistant. You do pay a bit of a premium for the Patagonia name, but the design is well built and looks good to boot.

If you’re training hard for an objective or enjoy more technical outings, the Tropic Comfort is likely out of the running. It doesn’t breathe well, is quick to absorb moisture (i.e., sweat), and takes a long time to dry. If those characteristics are important for you, there are plenty of more performance-ready options on the market.

What Other Sun Shirts Should You Consider?

We think this shirt is a real winner, but you might want to check out more top-rated options in our guide to the best sun shirts. Here are a few that give the Tropic Comfort Natural a run for its money:

Arc’teryx Sunna Hoody Review: Though the Tropic Comfort ranks highly for comfort and versatility, it falls behind the Arc’teryx men’s Cormac / women’s Sunna Hoody in most metrics. Technical but surprisingly comfortable, the design features a stretchy fabric that’s very easy to move in. The Cormac/Sunna are also very breathable, quick-drying, and protective but not as great at crossing over for casual wear.

Cotopaxi Sombra Sun Hoodie Review: Bridging the gap between technical and convenience, the Sombra is a great choice if you value both ease and performance. Its playful design isn’t out of place around town, and the fabric wicks moisture well and protects against the sun even better than the Tropic Comfort’s.

REI Sahara Shade Hoodie Review: The Sahara Shade offers easygoing comfort at a friendlier price than the Tropic Comfort. It’s also better at wicking sweat and offers improved breathability. The biggest drawback is that it doesn’t hold up as well over time, ultimately losing its shape, accumulating holes and stains, and fading quicker.