Hooded sweatshirts are my go-to choice of apparel during Reno’s cold weather months, so I jumped at the opportunity when Born Tough reached out to Reno Dads and offered to send us a product to review. I volunteered as tribute seeing as this type of apparel is right up my alley. Thanks to the cold weather, I went with a hooded workout sweatshirt. I figured, really, what could be that different in this sweatshirt than any of the many others in the closet?
To my surprise, a lot is different! The sweatshirt I picked has all the trappings of a run-of-the-mill hooded sweatshirt: hood, pouch, and quite comfortable. Born Tough’s product stands out immeasurably on function and fit than any of my standard fare. Which is part of what they are trying to do with their active-minded sportswear brand.
To be honest, you’d have to try hard to make a bad hooded sweatshirt. I have them so I know it is possible, but they all serve a purpose. Sometimes a thin, ultra light hooded sweatshirt is what you need for warmer weather and sometimes you need a really thick, baggy sweatshirt when you just want to sit down and not do anything. This sweatshirt serves its purpose as a more functional solution for being active in cold weather, which, in my household with two little boys obsessed with sports, is always needed.
So what makes this hooded sweatshirt different?
Next to each side of the pouch are two separate and very discreet zipper pockets to store your keys or phone safely while you are out an about. I found this exceptionally useful when out throwing a baseball with the kids and not having to worry about my phone dropping from the pouch.
The fit, at least according to my wife, is fantastic. I actually like it, as well. It has a more tapered fit rather than the normal baggy, looser fitting hooded sweatshirts. I’m this weird in-between size between medium and large. For me, medium fits better, albeit tighter and shorter whereas large is looser but the length is better. This product is a large and is tighter at the top and looser at the bottom. The length in the body and arms is perfect. Kind of the best of both worlds.
I also love not having some crazy large company logo plastered on the front of the sweatshirt. The Born Tough “BT” logo is very small and easily overseen, to which I am a fan. Perhaps their marketing folks disagree, but it is a selling point for me!
And finally, the hood seems a little thinner than the rest of the sweatshirt material, which is brilliant. Maybe that is a small detail, but it certainly counts! I am not a fan of baggy clothes and extra fabric everywhere and this hood is a nice compliment.
Go-To Athletic Sweatshirt
Despite only having it for a few weeks, I already find myself going to this sweatshirt when I am doing something physical that I need movement, to include running and playing with the kids. Thanks to the fit and function, it is a more practical sweatshirts than most of my other options. The material doesn’t appear different than anything else you can buy, but the function and fit certainly compensate in Born Tough’s efforts to stand out.
Other than this review, I don’t have a relationship with Born Tough. I don’t know much about the company or where their products are made. Their product is solid and practical. Which is more than I can say for many of the random things I buy, so check them out!
