Western Rise Venture Waffle Crew Review
Not your predecessor’s waffle.
Western Rise Venture Waffle Crew Review Introduction
Western Rise - they are serious about fabrics. And about new fabrics. And about new clothing made from new fabrics. It certainly keeps it interesting as someone that writes about that kind of thing.
One of the lines that Western Rise has always toed pretty well is the tech-fabric but casual vibe. They want to produce versatile pieces that are techie enough to be comfortable and durable for outdoor related stuff, but also make it so you’re not out of place in an urban environment. They never go to dressy/formal levels, but you’ll usually be pretty OK in most situations. Versatility.
The latest venture into the casual-tech clothing space is the … ahem … Venture waffle line. Once again they’ve dipped into the wizardry from Japan (my old favorite Session T is made from Japanese fabric as well, but not sure that’s available any longer) to bring you something that can maximize comfort and warmth, while staying extremely thin and easy to pack. It’s a waffle knit, but this ain’t you’re Old Navy waffle knit.
This is my Western Rise Venture Waffle Crew review - the latest minimalist travel shirt from the team. I wore this all over the place - in my day to day all over NYC and at home, I also traveled with this on multiple domestic flights and took it with me on my recent quick jaunt to the UK.
As always for full transparency, I did proactively reach out to Western Rise to ask if they’d be willing to provide a piece for review and they agreed. However, this is not sponsored and I received no money to publish this. I do use affiliate links which help to support the site if you decide to use them to make a purchase, but you’re under no obligation to do so and there’s no additional cost to you. Thanks for stopping by!
-Need travel insurance? As an American, our health care system is complicated and your regular insurance might not cover you abroad. For international travel, I’ve been using World Nomads for years. They have adventure packages that cover most hiking and even ice hockey. Be sure to read all the coverage information (it’s laid out very well on the site) to make sure it’s right for you, but be sure to give them a look. I find their rates quite competitive and the quotes are free! -
Venture Waffle Crew Overview
Fabric macro. That’s a waffle the Dutch would be proud of.
Like we mentioned, Western Rise likes to get technical but keep things minimalist at the same time. That’s a pretty typical mantra for them overall and that goal was no different for the Venture Waffle (it does come in two other versions, fyi).
Traditionally, waffle crews have always been quite comfortable but are usually made from cotton, which is not really a travel friendly fabric if you’re talking about truly optimizing.
The Venture Waffle fabric is lighter, warmer (and cooler), and quicker drying than a traditional cotton waffle. That’s meant to be the pullover’s superpower. What’s also interesting is that the fabric is meant to trap air. Scientifically speaking, this means it can be a better insulator. That works in warm or cool weather. Thermoregulating is a great quality to have. Now look at this within reason. It’s better for cooler or cold weather than hot. But on slightly warmer days you should still be comfortable - just maybe not in the black in glaring sun. Again, be reasonable here, tech clothing is not a space suit, lol.
On top of it being easy packing due to its weight, it also boasts anit-odor technologies which while it doesn’t mean it’s impervious to odors, it’s extremely helpful when you have a super long flight or a train and don’t want to immediately smell when you get to your destination. It can help you stretch the time out between washes without full-on bringing the funk. Nobody wants your funk. Even you. This anti-odor treatment is an addition to the shirt as a treatment vs. the built-in nature of merino’s protection.
Stats from the site:
100% Polyester
215 GSM
Odor- Resistant
Wicking
4-way Stretch
Anti-pill durability
UPF 50+
Quick Dry
It retails for $118 USD as of Dec 2024 but you can often find it cheaper based on sitewide sales or two-for-one deals that WR runs. It comes in a blue-gray, black, and sand/dune color. I have the black for this review. If no sale is going on, see my discount code at the end of the article.
Venture Waffle Crew Fit
Need to quickly touch on this since we’re talking about clothing here. I’m on record as saying I think WR tends to make their Smalls a little big in proportions. My thought is that it’s made more for the slimmer but taller dude rather than actual smaller or shorter dudes. And that’s their prerogative - as a brand you have to make a choice vs. trying to solve for every single person. You can’t scale that as a business. I’m 5’6” for reference.
But the Venture crew is no different. I found the sleeves a little long and the body as well on the first try-on out of the box. So what I did was to put it in the laundry and dry it - against their recommendations mind you. Always know you’re taking a risk in doing this and the results will vary depending on your washer and dryer, don’t forget that. Mine has a relatively low heat dry cycle, so I felt pretty safe with this.
Once I pulled it out, it indeed was a bit smaller and while still a relaxed fit and maybe more than I’d typically go for, I think it was definitely acceptable and got my partner’s approval. But for most, I’d expect a relaxed fit - and I’d say the depictions of the models on their site is true to this. There shouldn’t be any surprises here.
The Good
As is the wont of Western Rise, they are using top notch fabrics. Whether it’s something they’ve developed or spent tons of time sourcing, they usually nail this. I think the Venture waffle fabric is no different. How’s that for overly flowery grammar? Who still uses “wont”? Eat your heart out, Editors. Moving on.
The fabric is just pretty cool. I wouldn’t say it’s as soft as cotton, but it’s quite comfortable to wear due to its lightweightness. Whether I was on the plane or out and about, I was absolutely comfortable the entire time. A Captain Obvious kind of goal.
The other area where this really shines is when you need to pack it. Again, it’s really light and easy to fold or roll. I also found it kind of….springy I guess is the word? It kind of bounces back after pressing it. So for me at least, it did a great job resisting wrinkles. Now I’m very much on record stating my belief that nothing beyond the material found at Roswell, NM in the 40’s is completely wrinkle free. Things will wrinkle given enough time and pressure, some more than others (Insert “Pressure and Time” reference from Shawshank). So prevention and resistance is key to me. This does a really solid job with that.
It’s also pretty easy-care. You don’t have to sweat it as much as merino and can just wash it in Cold. For you hard core folks, in-sink of course works too. Because it dries quicker than cotton, you should be OK air drying this sucker, too.
The Bad
Only thing I’ll list here is a classic What-About-Me-ism. But this whole site is a What-About-Me-ism so let’s go with it! But no, jokes aside, it's a tough “me problem” because I don’t fit the normal mold for off-the-rack clothing.
That said, I still think WR should consider making their Men’s Sm to be more of a true Sm meant for shorter people. The proportions are still long and it’s consistent across a few of their shirts.
That’s really the only real complaint I have against this shirt.
Final Thoughts On My Western Rise Venture Waffle Crew Review
Do you need one more shirt? Sometimes no, sometimes yes! If your goal is to find a few more pieces that are minimal, comfortable, and have those qualities that really help to make your load out much more travel friendly and even a smaller load overall, then this is just another solid product that you should consider taking a look at. Western Rise really does do a good job with cool fabrics in minimal looks that don’t scream “North American tourist wearing hiking gear even though I’m not hiking.” And really the world needs more of that in it.
Its weight to warmth ratio is fantastic, it doesn’t get much better than this for a layering system, it’s very packable (vs. a fleece or traditional pullover sweatshirt), wrinkle resistant for its purpose, and it’s quick dry for those that don’t really have access to a dryer and want to hand wash or air dry.
Those are all winning characteristics in my book and I really think it’s worth you putting the Venture Waffle crew on your list of things to check out. As noted, maybe just try it on and see if it fits you to your liking.
In case there are no sales going on - use WANDER15 for 15% off your purchase! (Cannot be combined with Sales).
As always with most brands, I’d suggest buying directly through their website for best service.
Wander more - and wander smarter everyone.
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