Searching for the best fleece jacket for women can be an arduous endeavor. With a wide variety of styles and features available, it can be difficult to know which one is best for you. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at some of the best fleece jackets available on the market today. Keep reading to learn more!

Best Overall Fleece Jacket: Arc’teryx Covert Cardigan

When you’re looking for an uncluttered, simple fleece jacket, the Covert Cardigan is a great choice. The front panel is a subtle heathered pattern, while the sleeves are a solid black. There are zippered hand pockets to keep your hands and small items warm, and the zippered chest pocket is a great spot for keys, cash, and tickets. The fit is trim, with just enough room for layers underneath. It’s also great as a light layer over a mid-layer on cool, dry days. The Covert is warm and soft, and it manages moisture well, only getting a bit clammy when it’s wet. While we prefer a zippered hand pocket or two on our backs, this jacket has a zippered chest pocket, for secure storage. Like most Arc teryx outerwear, it’s fairly expensive, but it’s well-made and designed to last, so it will last through years of use and washings.

Features We Like
-Made of 100% recycled fleece
-Classic fit
-Breathable fabric
-Synthetic fabric
-100% Fair Trade Certified product
-Produced in a Fair Trade Certified facility
-Covert Cardigan boasts Arc teryx aesthetic
-Updated fabric made with 100% recycled polyester

Best Pullover Fleece Jacket: Patagonia Lightweight Synchilla Snap-T

The Patagonia Lightweight Synchilla Snap-T is our favorite pullover fleece jacket: It’s exceptionally warm, it’s comfortable, and it’s a true classic. The fabric is made of 100% polyester, inside and out, which gives it a soft and comfortably heavy feel. The 200-weight material insulates even when wet, though it’s not windproof. The fit on the jacket is relaxed, but not sloppy, like many of the fleece jackets we tested. It’s sized generously, so you may want to size down if you like your pullover fleece jackets to be tighter. The length hits at mid-thigh, and the arms are cut longer to accommodate bulky winter gloves. The cuffs are always pulled tight, which is always a plus for cold-weather comfort. The snaps on the placket are reinforced with nylon, so the jacket won’t fall apart when you open or close it dozens of times a day. The sleeves feature Y-joints, which makes them comfortable, and the straight-cut hem allows for tucking in shirts and sweaters.

Pros
– High-quality materials
– Lightweight, warm, and breathable
– Snap-tab collar
– Full zip hoodie with zipper garage
Cons
– Expensive

Best Budget Fleece Jacket: REI Co-op Groundbreaker 2.0

REI has upped its game when it comes to fleece jackets. They’ve updated the stitching design, replaced it with 80% micro polyester, and added a zippered chest pocket and thumbholes at the cuffs. It’s warm and light, and although it costs more than our previous top pick (the Columbia 200), it’s well worth the upgrade. The REI Co-op Groundbreaker 2.0 comes in a variety of sizes that are well-fitted, and it’s easy to reach your hand down inside to adjust your hood or cinch the cuffs. The 2.0 version of the Groundbreaker is 1.5 ounces lighter, and while that makes it slightly stiffer and less comfortable than the previous version, it’s hardly noticeable. The fit is snug, and the jacket feels even lighter when it’s zipped up. It has just the right ratio of thickness and weight to keep you warm without adding bulk or extra weight when you need to be mobile. The zipper is large and easy to pull, and the zippered chest pocket keeps your phone handy when you need to leave your phone behind.

Pros
– Fitted for a wide range of body shapes and sizes
– Quick drying and insulating
– Machine washable
Cons
– Expensive
– Heavy

Best Heavyweight Fleece Jacket: The North Face Denali 2

The North Face Denali 2 is the warmest jacket in our guide, but it only comes in one size. If you’re between sizes, order up. The fleece is soft and stretchy, but the jacket doesn’t breathe all that well, so it only works as an outer layer in mild conditions. It’s also cut generously, so if you layer it over a tank top, you’ll get some pumped-up biceps. The jacket is highly durable, with a double layer of fabric at the shoulders and elbows, which we found gives it better abrasion resistance than most of the fleece jackets we tested. The hood (with covered, secure-zip hand-and chest pockets) is comfortable and fits well, but it’s fairly low, which means that your hat may slip off. The jacket is also thick, even with the zippered side vents, so it’s warm even in a light breeze. We got about 4 hours 50 minutes of battery life on a charge, which is above average.

Pros
– High cut
– 4-way stretch
– Stretch fleece lining and sleeves
– Room to layer
– Durable, yet soft feel
– Large pockets, including fleece-lined hand pockets
Cons
– Minor pilling on shoulders, elbows, and sleeves
– Sleeve length is slightly long

Best Performance Fleece for Hiking and Skiing: Patagonia R1 TechFace Hoody

If you’ve spent any time in the mountains, you know that cool-weather layering often means wearing 2-3 shirts and a jacket over your core layer, and then piling on the mid layers when you warm up. Patagonia’s R1 TechFace Hoody solves that problem by marrying the stretchy, breathable, moisture-wicking performance of polyester with weather-resistant and easy-care durability, in a cut that’s slightly more tailored than a traditional fleece. The R1 TechFace Hoody is stretchy and stretchy—it stretches out over your hips and shoulders when it warms up, and then compresses back down around your chest when it drops below freezing. And it’s warm, too—unlike Merino wool, polyester traps heat on your body more efficiently, so it’s warmer than wool, but just as breathable. But unlike a down coat, it’s light and packable. Adding two mid layers to your core layer when it’s cold helps trap warm air, while the lower bulk of fleece allows for more mobility. Patagonia also designed this fleece with abrasion resistance in mind, so you won’t look like a blueberry after a big fall. Every bit of the gamut is covered—we wore this fleece over our winter baselayer while skiing inbounds and backcountry, and over a T-shirt while hiking. It worked well no matter what activities we were doing and is versatile enough that it can even be worn with shorts in the summer. With Patagonia’s lifetime guarantee, the R1 TechFace Hoody should last you a very long time.

Pros
– Lightweight
– Breathable
– Soft
– Skin protectant
– Very stretchy
– Easy to wash
– Sufficiently warm
– Moisture wicking
– Machine wash
Cons
– Slightly pricey
– Not as warm as synthetic