Which fleece jacket should you choose for hiking?
A thick fleece pulled on in the car park on a winter morning soon gets too warm on the first climb. Choose yours based on how hard you’ll be working. Made from 200 g/m² Thermopolar 200 fabric, the ARTIC, FREEZE, ADELIE and ALASKA weigh no more than 300 g: a lightweight fleece is enough while you’re walking. Thicker Thermopolar 300 fleeces, at 300 g/m², provide more warmth for cold days and long breaks; the 620 g CANADA is designed for bivvy nights and mountain huts. The long-pile REFUGE, at 320 g/m², is described on its product page as the warmest fleece in the range. These styles are brought together in our classic fleeces.
Compare these details on each product page:
- Fabric weight: 200 or 300 g/m² for Thermopolar, 320 g/m² for the REFUGE.
- Weight: from under 250 g to over 600 g.
- Wind resistance, specified for stretch fleeces.
- Style: full-zip jacket, half-zip top or sleeveless gilet.
- Protection: hood, high collar or thumb loops.
Stretch, wind-resistant fleece for active outings
On a windy ridge, you’re sweating and exposed to the wind. Cimatherm Stretch fleeces move with you, and their product pages specify the wind speeds they block: a steady breeze of 20 to 40 km/h for the WARMIT, BREVENT, ORBA or ELBROUZ. For Nordic walking and snowshoeing, the DIKLO and CHANI insulate the chest, let the back breathe and withstand a cool wind of 40 to 60 km/h. For mountaineering, the ELBROUZ adds reinforcements at the shoulders and elbows to protect against harness abrasion, while the JORASSE has a cold-weather face mask sewn inside that you can pull out in one movement.
Technical Cimagrid fleece for mountaineering and ski touring
Under a heavy pack, a shoulder seam can eventually chafe. The WHYMPER and TORRE use grid-structured Cimagrid fabric, have no shoulder seams and wick moisture away during exertion; their balaclava-style hoods fit under your helmet. The DOLENT and ARMET open at the collar to regulate warmth without taking off your fleece, and their pockets remain accessible when wearing a harness. Without hoods, the CHIRAN and BISANNE suit Nordic walking and snowshoeing. The hybrid BARETTI and BERNINA add synthetic insulation at the front and on the arms, a ventilated back and a water-repellent treatment. They all weigh between 240 g and just over 400 g.
Fleece gilet, half-zip top and merino wool fleece
The sleeveless gilet keeps your torso warm and leaves your arms free when carrying a backpack. ICEBERG, made from long-fibre Thermopolar 300, is designed for severe cold; CINTO and PAGLIA, in Cimatherm Stretch, also block the wind, with shoulder reinforcements on CINTO. A sweatshirt pulls on over the head. The half-zip ADELIE and ALASKA are worn as a second layer over a technical T-shirt, collar closed against the wind, open on climbs. The ARBIZON and CHARVET combine fleece fabric with merino wool insulation, which regulates temperature as your level of effort changes.
Wearing a fleece in the three-layer system
When hiking, wear a fleece as a second layer over a thermal base layer that wicks away sweat. In cold, dry weather, wear it on its own. When rain, snow or strong winds arrive, add a waterproof jacket over the top : our range of waterproof jackets covers everything from hiking to mountaineering. Our guide to the three-layer system explains which combinations work for each season. Men’s and women’s fits are brought together in our men’s fleeces and our women’s fleeces.