Which fleece is the warmest?

The REFUGE, with its 320 g/m² long-pile fabric, is the warmest fleece in the range. It is designed for bivvies, mountaineering belay stops and long waits in the cold. The CANADA, made from Thermopolar 300 and weighing 620 g, is also suited to bivvies and mountain huts. In the women’s range, the NORVEGE uses thick-fibred Thermopolar 300 and is made for the coldest outings.

Fleece jacket or fleece sweatshirt: which should you choose?

A half-zip sweatshirt, such as the ADELIE or ALASKA, weighs less than 300 g and fits under a technical jacket. A full-zip jacket, such as the ARTIC or FREEZE, made from the same Thermopolar 200 fabric, can be opened fully to let heat out on a climb without taking it off. For town and mountain huts, the ICON is a unisex hoodie made from heavy cotton knit.

How do you wash a fleece jacket?

Machine-wash it at 30 °C, preferably inside out. Avoid tumble-drying and let it air-dry to preserve the fibres’ softness and loft. Like all Cimalp clothing, it is covered by the free repairs for life.

Fleece jackets

Thermopolar 200 or 300 hiking fleece jackets, wind-resistant stretch fleeces and technical Cimagrid fleeces for mountaineering: jackets, half-zip tops and gilets in men’s and women’s fits.

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The best Fleece jackets for enjoying the mountains

Fleeces

Hiking and mountaineering down jackets

Hiking clothing

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 stops; the 620 g CANADA is designed for bivvies and mountain huts. The REFUGE, with its 320 g/m² long-pile fabric, is the warmest fleece in the range. You'll find these models in our classic fleeces.

Compare these key features:

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 windswept ridge, you're sweating and exposed to the wind. Cimatherm Stretch fleeces move with you and block a steady breeze of 20 to 40 km/h, such as the WARMIT, BREVENT, ORBA or ELBROUZ. For Nordic walking and snowshoeing, the DIKLO and CHANI insulate your chest, let your back breathe and stand up to chilly winds 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 move.

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.

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