A modern fleece is essentially a better sweater. It’s lighter and quicker-drying for backcountry travel, but fundamentally does the same job as those fishermen’s cable knit tops of yore: it keeps you warm, even when you’re damp, and breathes well enough to keep you from swamping out.
And the best men’s fleece jackets today are diverse: We tested thicker fleeces for colder temps, breathable fleeces for high-intensity exercise, and even wool-based fleeces for their odor-resistance and comfort. Our crew put these midlayers through the wringer while skiing, running, cycling, and climbing, wearing them with waterproof shells and without. Of the 62 fleeces in our testing pool, only six stood out as the ultimate winter midlayers.
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