The fleece material, mainly, is a material smooth and lightweight that is warm and 100% polyester. A jacket, to be specific, has layers within that trap air from penetrating to provide the much-needed warmth while wearing light clothing. For outdoor fanatics, fleece jackets are the real deal to include in your hiking outfit. You don’t have to be in your heavy attire to beat the cold outside. Fleece jackets can serve as an extra layer to your warm clothes on rather freezing days. In case of a drastic weather change, you can always easily carry your jacket because of its manageable weight. There are several types of fleece jackets with different features, weights and breathability aspects to suit your needs. Below are tips to guide you in buying a fleece jacket online.
- Features of fleece jackets.
These jackets come with different features depending on what you want them for. Below are some features found in fleece jackets.
A hood
Although a hood won’t keep you warm, it will leave you dry in case it rains. Suppose you are out hill climbing or bike riding. In that case, you might want to include a fleece jacket with a hood in your hiking outfit because it will keep you warm and can be worn comfortably inside a helmet.
Pockets
Often, fleece jackets will have a set of pockets for warmth on cold days. The pockets can be placed in various areas for particular needs. For example, they can be placed on the chest to easily access essential items, say a compass, while hiking or just at the bottom like a sweater to pocket if it is chilly.
An alterable hem.
Some fleeces may have an adjustable hem primarily to keep air from going through them. If you restrict air from getting through, you get more warmth. To adjust the edge, you can use drawstrings or a toggle. Drawstrings will help you make the jacket a better fit and windproof to keep cold away.
Anti-pill
You need to get a treated fleece jacket to prevent thread pills from emerging on the fabric’s surface after you wash and dry your fleece. This treatment will keep your material away from any ball-like threads to retain your fleece jackets’ warmth capability.
Zip features
These jackets are of different with half, quarter or full zips. The two main ones, though, are the quarter fleece and the full zip fleece. They offer a range of purposes. A zip will help you wear your jacket quite quickly and also allow you to cool down whenever you experience excess heat.
Thumb loops
A subject to criticism, these loops are loved and hated. They are designed to be held down by the thumb to avoid the sleeves from rising, say when you are out for your morning run.
- Weight variances and warmth
The heaviness of the jacket depends on the thickness of the fabric and the layers used on it. The thicker the jacket, the heavier it is. There are three different weights fleeces can be offered in. The lightweight, midweight and heavyweight fleeces weigh 100 g/m², 200 g/m², and 300 g/m², respectively.
A lightweight fleece is more of an outdoor activity cloth, providing just a little but adequate warmth for, say, your morning pursuits. For colder days, it can be worn inside another fleece for more warmth.
On the other hand, a midweight fleece is all-rounded as it can be worn as the outermost layer on cool days, but for freezing cold days, you can use it as a layer to increase warmth.
A heavyweight jacket fleece is specifically made for cold temperatures. It offers enough warmth. No need for you to add extra layers. They are, however, bulky than the other fleeces.
- Breathability
Another consideration before you purchase your fleece is its breathability. Whenever our bodies are active, we sweat to cool ourselves. A lighter fleece will provide better breathability than heavier ones. Adequate breathability in fleece jackets will keep your body dry and warm. Don’t assume that heavy fleeces cannot be breathable. Companies nowadays are focused on maximizing breathability for a warm yet comfortable look. The best mens fleece jacket, mainly to wear while hiking, will have to be a breathable one to take care of excess sweating.
Final thoughts
For the best mens fleece jacket, several brands offer quality garments. Whether you need A lightweight fleece for your camping outfit, a mid-weight day to day jacket, or a heavyweight one for the cold.