I’ve tested lots of fleeces over winter and these are the 3 I’ll be wearing in 2026

For anyone who spends time in the outdoors – for work, play or travel – a top-performing fleece jacket is an absolutely essential piece of kit. I’m outdoors a lot, for all of the above reasons, and I have tested countless tops described as fleeces by myriad brands. Some perform excellently but look awful, while others are super stylish but prove less effective in the elements – occasionally you get one that ticks all the boxes. But before I get into three of my current favourites for spring conditions, it’s worth quickly considering the question, what exactly is a fleece?

Traditionally, fleeces were made from recycled synthetic materials and were regarded as groundbreaking eco-friendly outdoor-active clothing, but the word ‘fleece’ is bandied around very loosely these days, and is used to describe a wide range of tops, from casual-wear hoodies made from all sorts of fabric to garments that look more like wind cheaters and softshells. While a wider material mix might be more acceptable now, however, a true fleece is primarily a midlayer garment, designed to work well when worn above the best base layers and beneath a good waterproof jacket (when required).

Best for basic warmth

Columbia Crystal Leaf Omni-Heat Technical Half-zip Fleece

There is much more going on than meets the eye with the Crystal Leaf, which is available for an extremely accessible price. It’s a thin and lightweight fleece, but the Omni-Heat Helix technology traps warmth inside, while the fabric remains breathable, and internally generated moisture is quickly wicked away from the body when you’re working hard on the trails.

It’s a half-zip top, and there’s no hood on this version, but I believe less is more when it comes to true midlayers – very few people actually use hoods on lightweight tops, and usually they end up sticking out the top of the jacket and getting wet in the rain. And a full zip can reduce thermal protection, and this top is designed to be worn all day, not to be taken on and off. There are no pockets either, which is fine when you’re using it beneath a coat.

I love the thumb holes, which prevent the sleeves from bunching up when you pull on an outer layer and keep skin from being exposed when you’re wearing gloves. The high neck and long back panel both keep drafts out, and being 10% elastane, the material is super stretchy, allowing for a full range of movement when you’re climbing, scrambling or doing anything dynamic. The only downside is that, so far as I can see, no recycled fabric has been used.

Best features

Rab Ramshaw Hoody

If you’re intending to rock your fleece as an outer wear, instead of merely a midlayer, then it’s handy to have a few more features. The Ramshaw, by Rab, is designed to be seen, and (even in the not-for-everyone ‘pollen’ colour I’ve been testing) it’s good-looking fleece.

It’s also pretty thin and light (517g), but when combined with an outer shell, like a waterproof coat, the raised squares on the external face of the fleece are designed to capture air that your body will heat up, creating a good warm layer. With a high degree of stretch, it’s a very dynamic garment, perfect for rock climbing, hiking and scrambling. And it’s made from 75% recycled materials.

Features-wise, it has three fully functional pockets (a pair of hand pockets and a chest pouch), all of which zip shut, so you don’t lose important things mid-trail. It has a full-length zip, so you can dump heat quickly when you need to, plus a good chin guard and a decent hood, which fits under a helmet and can be tightened with toggles to protect your head and ears from the wind. It doesn’t have thumb hoops, but the sleeves are elasticated at the wrists, which prevents sleeves from bunching if you do don an outer layer.

Most stylish

66 North Tungudalur Hoodie

Designed to deliver warmth on the edge of the Arctic Circle (and to turn heads wherever you wear it), gear from 66 North is always seriously stylish and very high-performing (and usually priced accordingly). The Icelandic brand do make much thicker fleeces for mid-winter, but the Tungudalur (available with and without a hood) is a thinner. Low-bulk, lightweight garment, perfect for spring-summer-autumn as outerwear, or when worn beneath a windproof and/or waterproof shell when the elements are feistier.

It has a full zip for easy heat management and a pair of hand pockets with zips. There are no thumb loops, but the wrists are elasticated to stop bunching and prevent sleeves from riding up your arms. I have been testing the lidded version, and the hood can be tightened to keep out the worst of the weather. Although it’s the kind of clobber you want to show off, not hide, it works well as a midlayer beneath a jacket.

Made from high-end Polartec Powerstretch Pro fleece (external link), this trim-fit top is warm, breathable, and tough, with a smooth, abrasion-resistant exterior and a soft-feel inner that is luxuriously comfortable next to the skin. The material mix wicks moisture away excellently and offers four-way flex, for when you’re reaching for handholds or posing at the pub. Lastly, it’s made from 84% recycled material.

Good to know

Fleeces are useful – essential even – all year round: an outer layer for evenings and mornings in summer, a comfy, protective top on cooler spring and autumn days, and a high-performing thermal midlayer beneath a waterproof shell in winter. But it’s hard to find a one-size-fits-all fleece that covers all those occasions.

Thickness, weight and bulk are key considerations, as are features (including pockets, hoods and thumb loops) and style choices – such as a smooth-finish or long-pile fleece – that go beyond the garment's mere look (long-pile tops are considerably warmer).

Then there’s the tech, with design innovations such as Columbia’s Omni-Heat system, raised grids (as seen on Rab’s Ramshaw Hoody), and advanced materials like Polartec Powerstretch Pro (used in 66 North’s Tungudalur Hoodie), all adding to the thermal performance of the tops.

The three fleeces covered here are all low-bulk, mid-weight garments, which I regard as perfect for 9 to 10 months of the year. In mid-winter, and especially if you’re venturing into colder climes or up into the mountains, you’ll need a thicker, heavier, warmer garment like Patagonia’s Classic Retro-X fleece, which is a brilliant traditional number, made from 100% recycled synthetic material, that will keep you very cosy when worn under a waterproof jacket.

When choosing a fleece, if you’re mainly planning to wear it as a midlayer, simplicity, performance, and cost will be the top priorities, so something like the Columbia Crystal Leaf Omni-Heat Technical Half-zip Fleece is probably perfect.

If you think it’s likely you will be wearing it on the outside for much of the time, then the look of the top, and elements like pockets, are more important, so the Tungudalur or Ramshaw fleeces will be better options. Fleeces are always made from synthetic fabrics that will never fully biodegrade, so personally, I choose tops made mostly from recycled materials.