“Faux-dini”: 2.3 oz. Windshirt, <$15 – Initial Review and Sourcing

[Marcus]

I tried out the linked faux this weekend. Mild temps – 60s into the 50’s. Calm the first day, 15-30 mph winds the 2nd day.

I used it the first night to beef up the warmth of the Nitro/IB120 and was comfortable in the high 50’s around the fire.

The 2nd day I wore it in the morning. The green fauxdini breathes well enough that I can feel air movement with my Nitro under an Icebreaker 120 in the lower range of that wind and has noticeable air movement in the higher gusts. I think this will indeed make a very good high-output windbreaker in combo with the Nitro but in cooler temps and higher winds I forsee a need to keep moving to maintain a comfortable temp. I would need at minimum a UL puffy vest for rest breaks in a cooler/windier scenario.

Can anyone link or recommend a cheap (<$50) lower CFM wind jacket as well? Something like 40CFM according to your unscientific darth vader test (which many 10D and Argon90 fabrics are 35-40 CFM for comparison).

Im pretty sure this one is well over 40cfm.

[Brad W]

Has anyone guesstimated the CFM of these Amazon fauxs?

[Stumphges]

Sure would be interesting to see some objective data on these. I’ve lost track. Are there many versions now being used, or has demand coalesced around one product that seems best?

[Ethan A.]

I ordered the Amazon Prime fauxdini we were discussing above in Blue in Medium, Large and X Large as I had a hunch that in that color it tracks typical US men’s sizing and I’d say it does.

What this means is that at 6 ft tall, 41 in chest, 34 in waist and 170 lbs  I can get a closer fit with the Medium and a bit roomier fit with the Large and both are long enough in the arms unlike my old eBay one. The extra room of the Amazon Blue XL isn’t needed. I generally size my wind shirts to just fit over a base layer and at most a light mid layer like my R1 Hoody. I can try to take some photos to illustrate the difference in sizing.

I’d agree with a previous assessment that it feels about twice the CFM of my old pre-2012 Patagonia Houdini which was measured at 35cfm.

I recently wore my older eBay fauxdini (made of the same material as the Amazon one) running in 50F and 20mph winds over a very breathable MEC light Thermal hoody (which is a bit less warm than the Patagonia Thermal Hoody / Capilene 4) and it was comfortable.

 

 

[Jon Solomon]

I received a size L of the Dooy windbreaker sold through Amazon US. Importing from Amazon US is just a hair more expensive than ordering through Amazon UK and the US site has more color/size options.

The breathability (CFM, not MVTR) is comparable to the Pertex fabric used in the current iteration of the Patagonia Airshed Pro Pullover, so somewhere between 50 – 60 CFM. I don’t think that it is higher than that. I suspect it has a lower MVTR than the Pertex, because wearing it feels stuffy in a way that the Airshed doesn’t.

After cutting away the hood, the neck storage, and the chest pocket, the piece weighs 64 grams or 2.25 oz. Removing the heavy zipper on the chest pocket would definitely take it down a notch or two, but I don’t have the skills to do that.

The zippers are of poor quality. The fabric itself seems to have decent puncture resistance but very poor tear strength. If you rip it on some thorns, it won’t be pretty.

Fit wise, the arm length is okay, but when extending to reach, the coverage isn’t what I’d like.

I’ve been looking for something with CFM breathability comparable to the Patagonia Airshed Pro Pullover at half the weight and a lower price. This might be it, depending on how it works in the field. The Patagonia piece, which I use all the time, fits much better, is more functional, and probably a heckuva lot more durable. Plus it looks better.  Whaddya expect?!

[Ethan A.]

Jon, you should specify your measurements and the color of the Amazon Dooy jacket you ordered. The colors aren’t sized the same.

I find the Blue closely tracks actual US men’s sizes. Also I found the arm length fine reaching overhead for the Large and XL and I need to double check the Medium. I’ll keep either the L or M.

While I’d appreciate a better front zipper, my and my wife’s fauxdinis from eBay (made of the same material) have held up fine to regular use and washings for about 4 years. We don’t bushwack in them, but they’ve held up surprisingly well.

Note that most thin wind jackets will become more tear prone when wet. That’s what destroyed my Patagonia Houdini – my wife putting them wet into a dryer on low with heavier wet cotton laundry.

I’d like to try an Argon 90 wind jacket too. But for now I’m fine with the fauxdini, and when too windy and cold, switching to a rain shell.

[Jon Solomon]

Hey Ethan,

Good idea. I’m 170cm tall and weigh 72 kg. My shoulders are broad and chest is about 102cm. My arms are slightly longer than the standard length for my medium short height. I bought a Blue size L.

After buying that from Amazon US, I purchased one from Amazon UK in Gray size L. Perhaps I’ll report back on that, too, when I get it.

Nice to know about the longevity of the zips in field use. I’m more worried about getting the zip caught due to user error (like trying to zip up hastily in wind) than anything else.

Just a note about Argon 90. You’ll see a lot of people quoting a figure of 40CFM for the fabric. I don’t have any hard numbers myself, but just blowing through the fabric (I have a pair of windpants in Argon 90) it’s obvious that it isn’t anywhere near that high. It isn’t even half as permeable as the 7D fabric used by EE, which is quoted at 35CFM. Hopefully somebody will test it soon so that we can get some hard numbers on that fabric.

Tears must have been shed when the Houdini came out of the dryer shredded. What a story!

Anyway, the Dooy windjacket on Amazon is a unique offering in the market today, both a very good buy and a very useful piece for those that want high CFM at very low weight.

Jon

[YoPrawn]

I’ve never owned or tried a wind breaker before and always just used my rain jacket for wind.

Trying to have an open mind and give it a go, but the nicest windbreakers with decent CFM are pretty expensive for just trying the things out. Could be that I find no use for them after some field testing.

Now, I am a little confused on which one of the Fauxdini models are currently available in the USA?

Is this what I am looking for?

https://www.amazon.com/Packable-Waterproof-Windbreaker-Lightweight-Outdoor/dp/B087CLZY1V/ref=sr_1_2?qid=1652537352&refinements=p_4%3ADooy&s=apparel&sr=1-2&th=1&psc=1

Now, I want a gray colored one. I usually wear anything from L to XL. Any tips on sizing these?

I plan on probably taking the hood off and adding a hem draw cord if it doesn’t seal up on its own.

EDIT: Gotta love the translations on some of these Amazon cheapo products. I prefer my jackets to be very sultry, thank you very much. lol

 

[Matthew / BPL]

The reviews seem to indicate that you should order one to two sizes larger. You probably already saw that but just in case…

[YoPrawn]

EDIT: Probably is the right one. Here is a list of things to look for that I found posted by someone else in this thread:

Translucent material
Stow-away hood
Elasticized hem & cuffs
Zippered chest pocket
Fabric should not look “coated” or shiny

Is this the jacket or at least the type of fabric I am looking for in the mythical “Fauxdini”?

All of the links and products I tried to find in this thread are not available or very difficult to find and verify what I am getting.

On the other hand, free shipping and free returns is nice, but would prefer to get it right on the first go.

Thanks for the help, folks.

[Marcus]

1. I Have that Doody brand.

I have soured on it somewhat after some use. It is too breathable in a moderate wind. Well more than 35cfm in my estimation.

I was hiking with a alpha 90 hoody and the Doody wind shirt in 45 degrees and intermittent 15-20mph wind. When the wind was blowing I could feel cold air penatrating the shell (through the fabric) and my hoody leaving me cold at rest and about right when on a moderate climb.

Because of this, I am looking for a different, lower cfm fauxdini for colder weather wind blocking.

This one would be good for warm-cool weather.

Once it’s in the 40s or wind is consistently >15mph i need something more wind proof based on my experience this winter

[YoPrawn]

Cool. Nice feedback.

That’s actually exactly what I need, something that slows down the wind, but still lets plenty through. I have a silnylon UL jacket that also acts as a wind barrier when I am not sweating. Anything with too low of a CFM would overlap too much with the silnylon jacket that has giant pit zips.

If I like the windshell system I will probably pony up for the Patagooch Genuine-dini Air in the future.

[Pithawat V]

Reporting back on the size: I got the grey one, size medium from https://www.amazon.com/Packable-Waterproof-Windbreaker-Lightweight-Outdoor/dp/B087CLZY1V/ref=sr_1_2?qid=1652537352&refinements=p_4%3ADooy&s=apparel&sr=1-2&th=1&psc=1

I’m 176cm, 75kg asian build and normally wears Patagonia medium. The medium fits me well, with room to layer an alpha hoody underneath.

CFM wise, using blow test:
– 2 layers similar to 2022 Nano Air 1 layer or R1 Techface (approx 40cfm)
– 1 layer my breath passes through very easily, maybe 80 – 100cfm.

I’ll be using the jacket for running in 10C temp range, which should suit me well.

[Mark Verber]

I am curious about the dooy love. I get that when active why we want some air permeability, but I found the dooy rather excessive. It seemed like the air permeability of the dooy was similar to a classic supplex hiking shirt which is more comfortable against the skin and means you don’t need to hassle with yet another layer.

[Bill Budney]

I am curious about the [D]ooy love.

For $20, the value in terms of weight and pack size is extreme. The fact that it breathes “well” puts it miles ahead of many more expensive windshirts, including recent real Houdinis.

The fact that it breathes too well (letting in more wind than desired) is merely a reminder that it is a $20 windshirt. For the price and weight, you could easily afford to carry two.

Your comparison to “just a shirt” is apt. My Dooy is similar in performance to my Columbia Silver Ridge Lite fishing shirt. The Dooy weighs and costs less, and is half the size when packed. Dooy is still a good value when compared that way.

Over a light fleece or base, the comfort range is pretty large.

Is it my favorite windshirt? No. However, I cannot think of a better value anywhere near the price of a Dooy. (Note: It runs small.)

[Todd Stough]

I know this is an old thread, but it is interesting to see the different thoughts.  I’d like to be able to hike in a fleece and not have the wind blow through quite so bad.  I tend to hike hot.  It sounds like the Dooy would do just what I need.  Like Bill said over a light fleece.

 

I’m curious if there have been any new discoveries for budget windshirts?  Looking on amazon or aliexpress and there are so many options it is hard to tell where to start.

[Bill Budney]

There are more windbreakers than can be counted, and they all work to block wind. Both Propper and Trailside Supply Company have decently breathable jackets at budget prices, although they are more like “soft shell” in weight rather than “wind shirt”.

As Stephen Seeber pointed out in his article about air permeability, it doesn’t take much to partially block some wind. A lightweight woven shirt can be a good compromise between weight, breathability, and cost. Brand names are not important; just shop around at your favorite budget store.

The Dooy still stands out in its end of the market. It is not outstanding at blocking wind, but it is lightweight, breathable, and inexpensive. I should mention that they fit about two sizes smaller than standard American sizes.

A Dooy plus an emergency poncho is a flexible combination that weighs less than four ounces.

The things to avoid are inexpensive lightweight jackets that do not breathe well. Unfortunately, it is difficult to know about breathability just from the advertisements. You may have to try several and return those that you do not like.

[Brad W]

I have the Dooy. It’s junk when compared to a real, name brand wind shirt. Loose threads, horrible left handed zipper, strange fit. It does breathe well, a bit too well for me. It sits in my gear bin now, have not wanted to pull it out. My real Houdini is going on probably 4,000+ miles and I never hike without it.

[Dan Quixote]

I haven’t used my dooy much, but it worked well for me hiking in heat as a sun/bug shirt. I was surprised it was tolerable next to skin. Was up in Alaska, one of the few hot days in Anchorage last year, but it was money. Build quality is pretty low, though.

[Todd Stough]

I’ve never thought that much about wind shirts, I assumed I would just sweat like crazy.  I see people that wear a rain jacket like a wind shirt.  The instant I put my rain jacket on I can feel the humidity build up, I certainly couldn’t do that while moving.  I’d be afraid wind shirts would be the same.   Plus the Dooy is $20 and a Houdini is $60 on sale.  I’ll probably end up not getting one.

[Tim Czarkowski]

Windshirts breath exponentially more than a rain jacket. Their entire purpose is to block the wind but breath enough that you won’t sweat. From what I understand the houdini doesn’t breath as well as the cheap ones, but I’ve never used one personally. I’ve never sweated in my cheapy. If your sweating in it, you don’t need to be wearing it.

[Roger Caffin]

I’ve never sweated in my cheapy. If your sweating in it, you don’t need to be wearing it.
Exactly.

Cheers

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