Product review: Eddie Bauer SolarFoil® Hoodie

Presented by Eddie Bauer 

Whether you’re out on a skiff searching for tailing fish or wading in cold, mountain-fed creeks, a day spent on the water will typically last you from sunup to sundown, that’s a lot of sun exposure. So, having the right sun protection in a shirt is a must.

I recently brought the Eddie Bauer Solarfoil Hoodie along with me on a trip to Minnesota to do some lake fishing with my family. If you have never experienced the summers in Minnesota, you know that they are hot and humid, so that means extra hot. The air gets so thick that at times everything that you wear just feels like it is constantly wet from the humidity. I can get very uncomfortable in these conditions, just like anyone else would, so I was really putting this shirt to the test.

The FreeDry moisture-wicking technology and Polygiene odor control were such game-changers. I was able to stay comfortable even when it got over 90 degrees with 80+ % humidity. I’m the angler that will always be the, “One more cast!” person, meaning it takes a lot to get me off the water, but humidity is one of the things that can end my fishing day early. The Solarfoil shirt was so breathable that I felt dry and cool with any breeze. It was a really pleasant surprise how well the shirt worked in these conditions and allowed me to enjoy my time out on the water, despite the mugginess in the air.

The immediate thing that I loved from the moment I put the Solarfoil shirt on, is that it is so soft to the touch, it feels like that old vintage T that has been broken in the perfect amount and has that comfy softness that everyone desires.

I noticed that the fit of the Solarfoil was thoughtfully designed. I have had sun shirts time and time again be too tight, so that casting becomes uncomfortable. When I’m are wearing something all day long, comfort plays a crucial role in whether or not something will work out for me while out on the water. The Solarfoil fit was loose and generous in all the right areas, it was long enough to go past my waist, and my neck was adequately covered for added protection.

I was able to make stretched-out, double hauls when casting bigger flies and heavier rods and have no issues with the sleeve and chest area feeling “too tight.” Having a shirt that is versatile for all the different types of fishing that I do is very important and makes my gear less of a headache. It's great to have a go-to UPF shirt that covers me anywhere I am.

The little added touches that are incorporated into the SolarFoil® Hoodie make you appreciate it that much more. You can tell that Eddie Bauer really thought about what this shirt was going to be used for and what would be needed from it.

The SolarFoil® Hoodie is equipped with FreeShade 50+ UPF. Not only as a female constantly being told, “You need sun protection,” but just as person that loves the outdoors, I know that I want to be out there enjoying it for as long as I can. Having sun protection sometimes goes as an afterthought for me but it is extremely important, so it is great knowing that this shirt is giving me that protection from the harsh rays. Another small but significant detail in the SolarFoil® Hoodie that is more helpful than I would have thought are the thumb holes. Not only do they add a bit more comfort for me personally, but they help in keeping my hands protected from the sun.

I have learned first-hand how important having this covering for the top of your hands is. I traveled to Colombia two years ago for a fly-fishing trip and did not have this protection on the sun shirt that I brought down and got a terrible sunburn that turned into sun poisoning with blisters.

So many sun shirts made for women don’t have a hood on them. When I am fishing, I am hyper-focused and will forget all about what my body needs, so having that hood helps give me another layer of protection when I go for hours and forget to reapply that sunscreen. I can just toss the hood up over my hat, neck, and face for that added protection. It is also always nice when traveling by boat and you can put the hood up over your hat so it doesn’t blow off your head.

I will be adding this shirt when traveling both to exotic places to fish, or fishing my home waters in Oregon. It will make the difference between creating incredible memories of the fish of a lifetime or an incredible memory of a sunburn leaving you looking like a lobster.

Cover photo: Kayla Lockhart