Arc'teryx Grotto Toque
The Arc'teryx Grotto Toque weighs 95 grams and uses recycled polyester with a colorful, abstract bird logo. This beanie handles temperatures from 10°F to 35°F during active snow sports and costs $60. One-size-fits-all design covers head circumferences from 55-60cm. I wear this during resort snowboarding when I need serious heat without switching to a full balaclava.
⚠️ COUNTERFEIT WARNING: The Grotto Toque is heavily counterfeited. Fakes are extremely common on eBay, Grailed, and Poshmark. The easiest tell is wrong font stitching on the logo; the letters look off compared to authentic versions. See our authentication guide before buying secondhand.
The Grotto became one of Arc'teryx's most popular beanies alongside the Bird Head Toque and Bird Word Toque. The oversized bird graphic makes it instantly recognizable. The mid-length cut provides more ear coverage than shorter models while still working with slouchy or cuffed styles.
Recycled Polyester Knit, Thinner Since 2024
The Grotto uses 99% recycled polyester yarn and 1% elastane. The synthetic knit traps air for insulation while letting moisture vapor escape, so you don't end up soaked during laps at the resort.
The fabric feels soft against the skin without irritating, even during all-day wear. Arc'teryx redesigned the Grotto in 2024, switching to a thinner knit compared to earlier versions that had a denser, more substantial feel. The newer version still insulates well but sits noticeably lighter on your head.
Best Between 10 and 35 Degrees
The Grotto handles 10°F to 35°F during active use. Below 10°F, the wind cuts through during chairlift rides or while standing around. Above 35°F, it traps too much heat once you start moving.
Air circulates through the knit better than you'd expect from a polyester beanie, which keeps moisture from building up against your scalp during intense skiing. That ventilation is what makes the Grotto functional on resort days, when you're alternating between fast runs and slow lift rides. For warmer conditions, the Lightweight Grotto Toque blends cotton and Coolmax instead for shoulder-season comfort.
How Does the Arc'teryx Grotto Toque Fit?
One-size-fits-all covers head circumferences of 55-60cm. The Grotto fits larger heads better than most Arc'teryx beanies, though it still runs snug at the upper end of that range.
The mid-length design covers your ears fully without excess material bunching under helmets. You can wear it cuffed for a shorter profile or uncuffed for a slouchy look. The knit compresses flat under ski and snowboard helmets without creating pressure points, which gives it an edge over thicker wool-blend options like the Bird Head. For help picking between models, check the beanie sizing guide.
FW25 Colorways and Seasonal Releases
Arc'teryx releases the Grotto in vivid two-tone colorways featuring the oversized bird logo. FW25 colorways (Model #: X000009253) include Mars/Bliss, Dynasty/Azalea, Blaze/Copper Sky, Carob/Canvas, Solitude/Void, Aster/Blaze, and Black/Void. The SS24 catalog listed model X000009253 under the "Bird Head Toque" name with colorways Forage/Chloris, Arctic Silk/Warm Stone, Dark Magic, and Black/Alpine Rose, confirming the model number was shared or transitioned between product names.
Previous seasons included Copper Sky/Blaze, Dynasty/Dark Dynasty, and other combinations. The graphic wraps around the beanie in a hard-to-miss format, making this one of the most visually distinct toques in the lineup.
The loud design works for the mountain and around town on weekends. It's not subtle enough for office settings, but that's not what Arc'teryx built it for. The Embroidered Bird Toque offers a toned-down alternative if you want less branding.
Pills Fast, Especially the 2024 Redesign
The fabric pills fast. I noticed noticeable fuzz within two weeks of regular wear, and a hangnail once caught a thread, pulling a small hole. The older, thicker version held up better in this regard; the 2024 redesign trades some durability for a lighter feel.
Hand-washing in cold water and drying flat keeps the beanie in shape. Machine washing accelerates the fraying, so skip it if you can. At $60, the quick wear marks are tough to swallow. The Outdoor Research Gradient Beanie uses boiled merino wool with a fleece earband at a similar price and avoids the pilling problem entirely.
Cold Resort Days When Thinner Options Won't Cut It
I reach for the Grotto on cold resort days when thinner options won't cut it. It's a furnace that handles single-digit temps while sitting still on the chairlift, but it vents enough heat to stay comfortable during runs. I'm not a fan of massive branding, so it stays in the weekend rotation rather than everyday use. The graphic is bold enough to turn heads at après, just not something I'd wear to a meeting.
Find the Arc'teryx Grotto Toque at Arc'teryx.
Grotto Toque Price and Weight Since 2019
The Grotto launched in late 2019 as model 21712 at $39 and 85 grams. Arc'teryx described it as "a mid-length winter hat featuring an oversized Arc'teryx bird graphic and a small word logo on a flip up ear band for extra warmth." The flip-up earband was a launch feature, not a later addition.
By 2021, model 28900 weighed 90 grams at $39 with the same 100% recycled polyester construction. Colors that season: Black/Binary, Ephemera, and Komorebi. The 2022 version kept 90g and bumped to $50 under model X000005787 in Habitat/White Light and Relic/Habitat. By 2023, model X000009253 held at 90g but the price climbed to $55.
In six years, the Grotto gained 10 grams and $21. The jump from $39 to $60 represents a 54% price increase while the construction stayed largely the same. For comparison, the Bird Head Toque saw a similar trajectory from $35 to $60 over the same period.
FW25 also introduces a brand-new companion: the Grotto Ribbed Toque, model X000009932. It ships in four colorways (Arctic Silk/Solitude, Black/Graphite, Bliss/Dk Bliss, Tatsu/Olive Moss) and uses a ribbed knit construction instead of the standard flat knit. That's the first Grotto variant Arc'teryx has released since the original launched.