Stretch Woven Softshell Synopsis

  This is a brief synopsis of some of the stretch woven softshell (as opposed to shelled micropile and windshirts) materials that I've used.  It's obnoxious to wade through all the manufacturer hype on softshell materials.  They'd have you believe that every fabric is the best thing you've ever tried for every situation.  I'll put together more on other softshell varieties as time allows.

Stretch-Woven's
(approximately from lightest to heaviest)
Schoeller Dynamic: About the stretchiest you can get (but will pill/fuzz up for that reason), very breathable, fairly durable, blocks little wind (less than Polartec Wind Pro, more than regular 100 wt. fleece), dries very fast. Example: REI Mistral

Toray Primeflex: Light, tougher than Dynamic, fairly stretchy.  This is the material that Cloudveil used in their Inertia Peak line.  It will be used in Kuiu's mountain pant as well. 
Schoeller Dryskin: Stretchy, somewhat prone to fuzzing, very breathable, durable, a little more wind/weather resistant than Dynamic, dries very fast. It has a nice interior nap that really helps with moisture transport.

Schoeller Dryskin Extreme: Same as regular Dryskin but with Cordura woven in for durability. My favorite all around stretch woven softshell. Example: Mammut Champ Pant or New Age jacket

Outdoor Research Proprietary--Exos:  Very simialr to Dryskin Extreme.  Cordura weave.  I was told that I had a pair from a mis-woven batch.  They fuzzed up relatively quickly.  Good performance though, and I would buy again.

Patagonia Guide fabric: No wind blocking membrane, but pretty wind resistant. Very resistant to pilling/fuzzing thanks to a tight outer weave, moderate stretch, moderate drying times. Good breathability and moisture management. Can tear under the wrong conditions (crampons anyone?), which is less than ideal. Good all-arounder.

Polartec Powershield: Stretch-woven outer, light fuzzy inner, and a perforated PU layer sandwiched in the middle. Very tough, a little heavier, less breathable than non-membrane softshells, but good for cool/cold weather; blocks wind well. Any softshell with a windblocking membrane is going to be less breathable and stretchy than otherwise.

Schoeller WB-400: Similar to Polartec Powershield. Stretch woven outer, light fuzzy inner, all bonded together with a windproof membrane in between. Heavier, durable, and nearly windproof. More breathable than most hardshells, but less than other stretch-wovens. Not breathable enough to be a good active layer in my opinion, other than very cold conditions where the temp. gradient from inside to outside of the fabric helps to push moisture.

Schoeller WB Formula: Similar to WB-400, but the membrane is on the outside, and it's waterproof/"breathable". Not really a true softshell. Too heavy and not breathable enough for extremely active use. Makes a good ski jacket in my opinion