A high-quality fleece jacket can both be used as a snug mid-layer in cold weather and as an outer layer when hiking in dry weather at moderate temperatures. It can also be used as casual wear in everyday life and is thus one of the more versatile pieces of hiking clothing. In comparison to other mid-layer/insulation fabrics, fleece has the advantage of being moisture-wicking and absorbing very little water (whether sweat or rain), which also makes it quick-drying and providing decent warmth even when wet. You should, however, not use fleece jackets as base layers as the fabric is too thick and has no natural anti-odor properties unlike Merino wool which is highly recommended for base layers. Fleece, nonetheless, is better than Merino wool for mid-layers as it has a better weight to warmth ratio (e.g. the warmth it can provide for its weight) – although not as good as down which will provide the most warmth for its weight. You should therefore go for a down jacket if you are looking for a very warm mid-layer.

You can read more about the properties of fleece in relation to other mid-layer fabrics in the article Comparison of Mid-layer Materials. Remember that any mid-layer mainly provides insulation rather than weather protection, so it should be worn under a shell layer like a rain jacket or softshell jacket if you are anticipating more than a little rain or wind on your hike.

1. Our Picks of Hiking Fleece Jackets for Women

1. Arcteryx Covert Cardigan
2. Mountain Hardwear MicroChill 2.0
3. Burton AK Turbine
4. Marmot Flashpoint
5. Sherpa Adventure Gear Sonam

2. Comparison of Women’s Fleece Jackets for Hiking

Feature/Product	Arcteryx Covert	Mountain Hardwear MicroChill	Burton AK Turbine	Marmot Flashpoint	Sherpa Adventure Gear Sonam
Fabric	Alpenex Heathered Fleece (100% Polyester)	Wick Q Microfleece (100% Polyester)	Polartec Power Stretch Pro (95% Polyester, 5% Elastane)	Polartec® Classic Micro 100% Polyester Lux Velour Fleece	Polartec Thermal Pro (100% polyester; 53% is recycled)
Fabric Density	Mid-weight	Mid-weight	Mid-weight	146 g/m2	200 g/m2
Average Weight	15 oz. (unhooded)	6 oz. (half-zip)	11 oz. (hooded)	10 oz. (unhooded)	10 oz. (pullover)
Average Weight (Metric)	435 g (unhooded)	168 g (half-zip)	317 g (hooded)	277 g (zip jacket)	294 g (pullover)

3. The Selection

1. Arcteryx Covert Cardigan

Suitable for:

• Hiking
• Trekking
• Mountaineering
• Climbing
• Backpacking

 

The Arcteryx Covert Cardigan is perfect for those who want the warmth of fleece but not necessarily the fuzzy look of traditional fleece. Instead the Covert Cardigan looks more like a wool sweater as it is made of Arc’teryx Alpenex heathered fleece, a brushed back knit polyester fabric which has the look of wool, but also features all the benefits of performance fleece. These include being moisture-wicking, breathable and quick-drying. The Arcteryx Covert Cardigan is also available in a hooded version (which is only 30 grams heavier), as a sweater, and as a vest and all models come in several muted colors.

 

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2. Mountain Hardwear Microchill 2.0

Suitable for:

• Hiking
• Trekking
• Mountaineering
• Climbing
• Backpacking

 

The Mountain Hardwear Microchill 2.0 has quite some advantages over the original version. The flattering waisted fit is the same, but the fabric is now Wick Q moisture-wicking microfleece to keep you dry and comfortable besides warm and snug. It is also a lot lighter. The Mountain Hardwear Microchill 2.0 fleece jacket is both available with and without a hood as well as in a half-zip version and comes in a variation of colors, so there should be something for everybody whether you prefer bold or downplayed hues.

 

3. Burton AK Turbine

Suitable for:

• Hiking
• Trekking
• Mountaineering
• Climbing
• Backpacking

 

Burton is one of the best known brands for snowboarding equipment, but several of their garments can also be used efficiently for hiking. The Burton AK Turbine is one of them as it is a good-looking yet high-performance fleece sweater made of Polartec Power Stretch Pro fleece. This fabric has a two-layered construction with a moisture-wicking inner layer covered in a four-way stretch nylon exterior. Therefore, the Burton AK Turbine has a superior wicking and quick-drying performance – perfect for hikes where you want to give it your all. Whether you choose the hooded  or the half-zip model of the Burton AK Turbine, the high neck collar will help to keep your neck warm.

 

4. Marmot Flashpoint

Suitable for:

• Hiking
• Trekking
• Mountaineering
• Climbing
• Backpacking

 

The Marmot Flashpoint fleece jacket is made of Polartec’s lightest Classic Micro fleece fabric with a density of 146 g/m² which makes it something in between a light- and mid-weight fabric. Therefore the jacket provides warmth without being bulky. Other advantages of the Polartec Classic 100 Micro include it being highly breathable, pill-resistant, durable and that it is made of recycled materials. Besides the zippered hand-warmer pockets, the Marmot fleece jacket also features a zippered sleeve pocket for small valuables. The newest version of the Marmot Flashpoint comes in four colors with darker panels over the shoulders and at the wrists, but you can also find older less stylish models of the jacket for a more affordable price. Among these are also a half-zip and a hooded version.

 

5. Sherpa Adventure Gear Sonam

Suitable for:

• Hiking
• Trekking
• Mountaineering
• Climbing
• Backpacking

 

Sherpa Adventure Gear is a smaller under-the-radar brand which makes some really high-performance garments. One of them is the Sonam fleece sweater which is available as a pullover version with a cowl chimney collar for increased warmth and a zippered jacket, both with and without a hood. All Sonam models are made of 200 g/m2 Polartec Thermal Pro fleece which is known for being breathable, moisture-wicking and quick to dry. Unlike conventional fleece used for casual wear, it is also pill resistant and highly durable. The Sherpa Adventure Gear Sonam fleece sweater comes in four stylish dark hues with several details celebrating the Sherpa heritage such as the prayer flag drawcord neck adjustment and climbing rope inspired drawcords (on the pullover and hooded model). Also notice the horizontal stitching on the collar and how seams are placed away from shoulder tops and hips to avoid chafing under backpack straps.

 

4. Buying a Hiking Fleece Jacket for Women – What is important?

Material

Fleece is not just fleece. There is a very big difference between the rolls of fluffy fleece you see in fabric and haberdashery shops to the high-performance fabrics used in quality outdoor clothing. These fleece fabrics are chosen for being moisture-wicking, breathable and having a good weight-to-warmth ratio. In general they can be differed from one another by two parameters; density and texture. In terms of density, there are three categories; lightweight (100 g per m²), mid-weight (200 g per m²) and heavy-weight (300 g per m²). The denser the material, the warmer the garment. Garments made of mid-weight fleece tend to be the most versatile as the heavy-weight fabric can be very bulky and thus harder to layer properly while garments of light-weight fleece offer inferior warmth. When it comes to texture, fleece can indeed be knitted into many different looking fabrics which will also have slightly different properties. Recently it has been very popular to use fleece with a grid pattern as it supposedly is better at trapping the body-warmed air and thus have a better weight to warmth ratio than similar fleece fabrics with a different texture. To get a better idea of how different and sophisticated fleece fabrics can be, you might want to take a tour of top manufacturer Polartec’s website.

Zipper

A zippered jacket provides the best possibilities for ventilation on the go, but if you are perpetually cold or just don’t care for the look of a zipper you might want to go for a pull-over fleece sweater or a half-zip version. In the selection above we included fleece sweaters that come both as zippered fleece jackets, pullovers and half-zip sweaters.

Hand pockets

As with all other insulation tops that can also be used as outer layers, it is a great advantage if your fleece jacket has pockets that you can warm your hands in or store minor items that you want to keep close.