A good fleece jacket is like chicken noodle soup for the outdoor soul. It’s the garment in your gear stash that easily transitions from Saturdays on the sidelines at your kid’s soccer game to tracing Clouds Rest in Yosemite. Yet with so many brands selling so many variations of fleece, it can be exceedingly difficult to discover which one works best for you. So to help take the guesswork out of the process, our editors picked their four favorite fleece options.
Fleece: A Modern Love Affair
It was a little more than 30 years ago when a company called Malden Mills invented Polar Fleece, and literally revolutionized the way people dress to go outside. Since its introduction, synthetic fleece has become synonymous with outdoor revelry and recreation. It has become an inescapable element of daily life and for good reason. It breathes. It stretches. It’s so soft you’ll want to curl up in it, yet so durable it looks great season after season.
For outdoor enthusiasts, a quality fleece jacket functions as a lightweight and breathable midlayer for outdoor activities in a range of weather conditions. The technical beauty of synthetic fleece is that it offers tremendous breathability during aerobic activities. Moreover, because fleece is made from hydrophobic fibers it holds less than 1% of its weight in water, retains much of its insulating properties when wet, all while remaining lightweight, machine-washable, and quick drying.
For all these reasons, synthetic fleece has been called one of the great innovations of recent times. That being said, it has made it’s way into ‘beloved apparel’ status as much for its soft touch and big warmth as any inherent performance values. Now, with the crisp cold winter air hanging heavy, it’s the perfect time to sew up a fleece jacket that will keep you warm and cozy for your cool weather pursuits.
Patagonia R3 Hoody
This is the option you want when you’re getting out and getting after it. The warmest in Patagonia’s Regulator line-up, the reversible R3 Hoody is an ideal insulator at the crag, then reverses out for high-pile warmth as a midlayer when confronting winter storm Jonas. Composed of 97% polyester with 3% spandex, the R3 puts a premium on movement with minimal bulk allowing this fleece to be comfortably layered under a shell when the weather takes a turn for the worse.
The R3 also comes equipped with a new fabric engineered for breathability and compression, Polartec Power Dry; this high/low grid fabric is placed on the R3’s side and underarms panels to make the R3 even more breathable, compressible, and easier to layer. And because it’s Patagonia, you get a bonus round of warm fuzzies knowing your R3 Hoody is made utilizing post consumer recycled (PCR) plastic soda bottles and is bluesign approved.
Mountain Hardwear Monkey Man
A solid day in the Sierra can consist of an early morning hike followed by an afternoon on the river, and then an evening spent sipping some adult beverages at the local mountain tavern. It’s days like these for which the Mountain Hardwear Monkey Man jacket was born. A staple of the Mountain Hardwear collection since 2001, the Monkey Man represents the classic High Pile Fleece Jacket.
Its hi-loft fleece fabric offers exceptional warmth when you need to stay toasty taking a trailside break to soak in the views of Lake Tahoe. The jacket’s two zippered hand pockets are an ideal spot to keep your paws cozy as you take a walk down Truckee’s historic main street. Even better, this MH classic will be getting an update in 2016 as the brand updates the Polartec fleece to the Brick Stripe fleece, and makes some slight adjustments for a better all around fit.
adidas Outdoor ClimaHeat Fleece
Whatever the weather, wherever the adventure, the adidas Outdoor ClimaHeat Fleece Jacket has a knack for crushing the chill amidst otherwise contentious conditions. In order to deliver the best efficiency in climates where moisture and thermal management matter most, ClimaHeat technology is designed to mimic the hollow fibers of a polar bear’s fur so as to trap heat and dry faster.
Pretty impressive stuff, and trust us when we say that you can’t argue against the luxuriously soft feel over the body. To top it off, adidas Outdoor added woven overlay on the shoulders to help shrug off wind and weather when Mother Nature gets a little aggressive. Side note, our team received more compliments on the ‘blood orange’ color of this fiery beast than any other jacket.
Outdoor Research Exit Hoody
Some days all you want from your fleece jacket is a warm retreat from the cruel cold world outside. Made of Alpin-Wool Plus fabric, this hoody from Outdoor Research combines the best comforts of a sweater, a hoodie, and a fleece. The wool/nylon blend exterior fends off snowflakes, and the polyester interior is warm and soft against the skin.
Throw this on while making a coffee run, or, even better, a beer run. You’ll look like you don’t care, but in a way that makes everybody want your hoodie. And don’t worry, it’s luxurious warmth works just as well at the cabin as the local tavern. With a fixed hood and zippered hand pockets, this versatile piece is a mountain town must-have.