Alpha

Pros

• alpha has been surprisingly resilient after repeated laundering.
• I have both and prefer alpha. Active takes on water and loses loft more easily. It also seems way less durable. I’ve had an alpha hoodie that’s still going strong after years of use with just a few small holes from bushwhacking.
• Alpha is warmer, lighter, more packable, more breathable and dries faster than merino.
• It is not accurate to say alpha is heavy since it is the warmest fleece out there. A two pound alpha fleece is not heavy, it is actually the lightest fleece for the warmth it provides.
• alpha air dries like a champ. I hang it up wherever after washing and it's totally dry within a couple hours.

Cons

• On the last trip with an Alpha layer I had worn it under a rain shell for multiple days but one morning forgot to put it on. Same weather (all day rain) and only noticed at the end of the day I hadn't worn it and couldn't tell a differen...
• One thing I don’t understand about alpha that I’ve been wondering: the mesh makes it so breathable that any breeze makes it unviable for warmth unless you have a wind shell
• It's definitely got better durability than alpha. The octa does kind of compress and lose loft, but the mesh face fabric does wonders for longevity. ... However, the alpha has a better warmpth/breathability ratio.
• After testing both Octa and Alpha, I found that my sun hoody provides enough warmth (I run hot) while offering a wider temperature range. The Alpha and Octa tend to be too warm for me unless it’s winter.
• Alpha is primary for active/moving, but can be used for sedentary/stationary as well (though it's not as good, gram for gram, as down.)