This is my first Russell, and it totally blows my other hoodies out of the water. It's the heaviest and thickest, which makes it the warmest. It also has the best hood design, in my opinion.

I have a shaved head and my other hoodies snag on my stubble, and leave fuzzies on my cranium. The Russell does not do this, since the whole hood is doubled-over, where the smooth outer surface is inside the hood. This makes the hood warmer (double the material), as well as provides a smoother on/off action of the hood.

Sure, it's more expensive, but I definitely can tell the difference in quality of manufacturing, materials, and design. Can't go wrong with this one. I loved it so much, I just recently ordered the zip hoodie, too.