I recently tried 6 different Carhartt hoodies, including this Carhartt 103312 hoodie, to evaluate them on weight, comfort, thickness, and warmth. My conclusion was this: The Carhartt 103312 Quilt-Lined Hoodie is the warmest Carhartt hoodie that I have tried, and is perfect for those of you who want an insulated hoodie that isn’t too bulky or heavy.
Despite being what I thought was the warmest hoodie that Carhartt offers, it was actually lighter in weight and not as thick as some of the other hoodies. Carhartt accomplishes this by using a Poly-fil insulation that traps heat but is also lightweight and non-bulky.
In this article I want to discuss this Carhartt Quilt Lined Hooded Sweatshirt in more detail, and compare it to other Carhartt hoodies so you have an idea how this hoodie compares, and what its strengths and weaknesses are.
My Summary: Despite weighing less than the other insulated Carhartt Hoodies, I thought this one was the warmest. Think of this almost like a jacket. It keeps me warm in basically everything but the absolute bitter cold. It zips to the chin and has a zip-close chest pocket that the other styles do not have.
Carhartt 103312 Quilt Lined Hoodie Sweatshirt Review
My Overview
Think of this Carhartt insulated hoodie as a jacket. It keeps me warm in basically everything but the absolute bitter cold. Despite the warmth, it isn’t extremely heavy, bulky, or thick. This is due to the Poly-fil insulation that is warm, but lightweight and non-bulky. I measured my size medium at 2.05 pounds in weight and 2.005mm in thickness.
Regarding design, this hoodie zips all the way to the chin and has a zip-close chest pocket that the other styles do not have. It also has an internal chest pocket that is big enough to fit my iPhone. There’s also a media pocket hidden inside the right hand-warming pocket.
The hand-warming pockets have the flaps that cover the openings (see above). This helps keep the weather out of those pockets in case you hope to store your phone or other essentials. As I mentioned, this hoodie also has the zip-close map pocket on the chest, which the other hoodies do not.
The fabric on this hoodie is water-repellent. No, it won’t keep you dry in a monsoon, but it will repel light precipitation and snow to help keep you dry on those wet, cold winter days.
Overall, this is a very warm hoodie that keeps me warm in most all conditions except for the extreme bitter cold. But I’ve found this hoodie useful even in the extreme conditions because it is non-bulky and I can layer it under my work jacket.
Warmth
This Carhartt 103312 hoodie uses a quilt-lining that has Poly-fil insulation. This insulation is lightweight and non-bulky, but very good at trapping heat. Here is a look at the lining in my hoodie:
Below is a table on how I think these Carhartt hoodies rank regarding warmth. Please understand that this is just my opinion from wearing these hoodies – I haven’t scientifically tested them and Carhartt does not assign a temperature rating to their products.
I think the Carhartt 103312 insulated hoodie is the warmest hoodie. To read more about the warmest options, visit my article about insulated Carhartt hoodies. Here is how I think they rank regarding warmth:
| Style | Weight (lbs) |
| Carhartt 103312 Quilt Lined Zip | 1 (Warmest) |
| Carhartt 103308 Sherpa Lined Zip | 2 |
| Carhartt 104078 Thermal Lined Zip | 3 |
| Carhartt 100614 Unlined Zip | 4 |
| Carhartt 100615 Heavyweight Pullover | 5 |
| Carhartt K121 Midweight Pullover | 6 (Mildest) |
Fabric
This Carhartt quilt lined hoodie uses a midweight external fabric made with 10.5-ounce cotton/poly blend. This is a Carhartt Rain Defender Hoodie, which means the fabric is treated and is water-repellent.
Don’t expect this fabric to keep you dry in a monsoon, but it is very capable of defending you against light precipitation and snow. Here’s my Carhartt Rain Defender Hoodie beading up moisture and preventing it from soaking in:
Weight
My size medium Carhartt 103312 hoodie weighed only 2.31 pounds for a size medium. As I mentioned above, despite being what I thought was the warmest Carhartt hoodie, this hoodie was reasonably lightweight and non-bulky.
Here is how the weight of this hoodie compares to the other Carhartt hoodies that I tried:
| Style | Weight (lbs) |
| Carhartt 103308 Sherpa Lined Zip | 2.70 |
| Carhartt 104078 Thermal Lined Zip | 2.48 |
| Carhartt 103312 Quilt Lined Zip | 2.31 |
| Carhartt 100614 Unlined Zip | 2.14 |
| Carhartt 100615 Heavyweight Pullover | 1.98 |
| Carhartt K121 Midweight Pullover | 1.62 |
Thickness
Just like we discussed with weight above, despite being what I thought was the warmest Carhartt hoodie, this Carhartt 103312 Quilt-Lined Hooded Sweatshirt was not bulky. The Poly-fil insulation used under the quilt-lining helps trap heat, but isn’t too thick and bulky. My size medium measured at 2.01mm thick:
Here is how the thickness of this hoodie compares to the other Carhartt hoodies that I tried:
| Style | Thickness (mm) |
| Carhartt 103308 Sherpa Lined Zip | 6.28 |
| Carhartt 104078 Thermal Lined Zip | 4.04 |
| Carhartt 103312 Quilt Lined Zip | 2.01 |
| Carhartt 100614 Unlined Zip | 1.63 |
| Carhartt 100615 Heavyweight Pullover | 1.66 |
| Carhartt K121 Midweight Pullover | 1.29 |
Sizing
This Carhartt 103312 hoodie has a relaxed fit that does not fit tight against the body. Here I am wearing this hoodie:
Here is my size medium compared to a size medium Hanes undershirt straight out of the package:
My recommendation is to order your normal sizing for this Carhartt quilt-lined hoodie.
Details
This Carhartt 103312 hoodie zips all the way to the chin to give you extra weather protection around the neck. Here’s a look at mine:
One thing that is unique about this hoodie compared to other Carhartt hoodies is it has an external zip-close chest pocket. Here’s what that pocket looks like on my hoodie:
This hoodie also has external hand-warmer pockets that have a flap that covers the top to help keep rain out of the pockets. The right hand-warmer pocket has a small media pocket hidden inside. This hoodie also has an internal pocket that is large enough to fit my iPhone.
This hoodie has a standard zip-front design with a cuffed waist and cuffed sleeves. The attached hood is also insulated for warmth.
Carhartt 103312 Hoodie Alternatives
If you want to browse through a wide variety of options, visit our article about the best work hoodies. In the next few sections, I will briefly discuss other Carhartt options to compare and contrast to this Carhartt 103312 hoodie.
What Carhartt Hoodie Has Similar Warmth?
The Carhartt Sherpa-Lined Hoodie style 103308 I listed as the second warmest Carhartt hoodie that I’ve tried, but it is VERY close to being the warmest. It was very hard to judge between the Sherpa-lined hoodie, and the quilt-lined hoodie we discussed above, as to which one was warmest.
The design of this Carhartt Sherpa-Lined hoodie is very similar to the design of the Carhartt Quilt-Lined Hoodie. Both are water-repellent, zip all the way to the chin, and have a cuffed waist, cuffed sleeves, and lined hood. The Sherpa hoodie does weigh more and is thicker.
Here’s a look at my Sherpa-Lined hoodie:
This Carhartt Sherpa-Lined Hoodie is a very comfortable hoodie that keeps me warm in basically everything but the absolute bitter cold. It you prefer a softer feel to your hoodies, this is a nice alternative to the Carhartt 103312 hoodie. To read more, visit my Carhartt Sherpa Lined Hoodie review.
What is the Best Mild Weather Carhartt Hoodie?
For mild spring and fall temperatures, I like to use my Carhartt Midweight Pullover Hoodie style K121. I’ve been using this hoodie for years. I think it is that perfect hoodie to keep in your truck to wear on days that turn unexpectedly cool during the fall and spring months.
This midweight hoodie has a very standard pullover design. It weighs less than the Carhartt 103312 Quilt Lined Hoodie, and is not lined. Here’s what mine looks like:
This K121 hoodie is my choice for the best mild weather Carhartt hoodie. If you prefer a zip-front design, I’d recommend the Carhartt 100614 Rain Defender Hoodie which is unlined, and another nice option for mild weather.
Which Carhartt Hoodie Fits Looser?
This Carhartt 103312 hoodie has a relaxed fit, that is honestly pretty loose and will not fit tight. That said, there are looser options also.
A comparable hoodie that has a looser fit is the Carhartt 104078 Thermal-Lined Hoodie. This Carhartt Thermal-Lined hoodie is also very warm and is designed very similarly to the Carhartt 103312 hoodie. Both zip all the way to the chin and have water-repellent fabric.
Here’s what my Carhartt 104078 Thermal-Lined Hoodie looks like:
This thermal lined hoodie has a loose fit. Here is my size medium compared to a size medium Hanes undershirt straight out of the package:
If you want something that fits very loose and gives you plenty of space to move around without feeling restricted on the job, this Carhartt Thermal Lined Hoodie will be your best option. To read more, visit my article about this Carhartt thermal lined hoodie.
What’s the Warmest Carhartt Pullover Option?
If you prefer a pullover hoodie, and want the warmest option, in my experience that is the Carhartt 100614 Heavyweight Hoodie. This hoodie is not lined, but it is water-repellent, and uses a heavyweight 13-ounce fabric blend that keeps me warm even on days that get down near freezing.
Here’s what mine looks like:
I’ve been using this Carhartt Heavyweight Pullover for years as a nice base layer under my work jacket during brutally cold winter days. This hoodie fits true to size with a loose fit.
Conclusion for my Carhartt 103312 Quilt Lined Hoodie Review
My Summary: Despite weighing less than the other insulated Carhartt Hoodies, I thought this Carhartt Quilt Lined Hoodie was the warmest. Think of this Carhartt 103312 hoodie almost like a jacket. It keeps me warm in basically everything but the absolute bitter cold. It zips to the chin and has a zip-close chest pocket that the other styles do not have.