The Best Fleece Jackets for Women in 2023

With a cozy, soft brushed interior liner and air-permeable construction, this synthetic midweight hooded fleece ($180) remains our favorite overall fleece jacket. This design truly balances warmth, comfort, and breathability. And it even offers protection from the elements, thanks to the nylon in the weave that helps guard against wind and abrasion.

After testing dozens side by side, this jacket sets the benchmark as the most comfortable and versatile of all.

The soft, stretchy fabric used for the hem and cuffs smoothly pulls on over watches or jewelry. The fabric around the hips easily expands. And a four-way stretch fabric around the underarms doesn’t restrict movement one bit. The jacket exemplifies the Goldilocks of thickness — enough to be cozy and durable but not so much to become too bulky under layers.

This hoodie has a surprising resilience to extremely cold, strong wind. It helped shield gales while wearing the jacket as an outer layer during fall and winter trail runs at 9,000 feet high in the Colorado Rockies.

On the low end, we tested this fleece in temperatures that ranged from 20 to 40 degrees F plus windchill. After moving and warming up, we tend to sweat even in cold conditions. But this fleece did a great job wicking sweat, effectively moving moisture away from the body to help keep us dry while running at a brisk pace.

There aren’t thumbholes. But we love the length of the arms, which cover our wrists and can stretch to comfortably cover our whole hand if we don’t want to carry glove liners.

Arc’teryx’s Kyanite Hoodie has an attractive, simple cut. As of 2023, the fleece is more fitted, with a trimmer pattern meant to hug the body for performance and be easy to layer over. If you like a more relaxed fit, consider sizing up. There are two zippered hand pockets, and a portion of the materials are Bluesign-approved.

The design is streamlined for layering beneath a ski shell, harness, or down jacket while running errands around town. Just wear deodorant, as the fabric does retain body odor. We also wish the pockets were lined with a slightly softer fabric but otherwise, we love every detail of this jacket.

This full-zip fleece ($70) from Helly Hansen is a simple, streamlined layer that fits nicely over a base layer and beneath a ski or snowboard jacket. This fleece is one of our go-to midlayers for laps at the ski resort. And best of all, the price is friendly.

We really like having a fleece with no hood to tuck in or snag, especially when we’re doing activities that require a helmet and already-beefy jackets or face masks.

A Bluesign-certified garment, we greatly appreciate that the fleece fabric is made from 100% recycled polyester. This jacket also offers one of the most inclusive size ranges with XS through 5XL sizes available for the women’s fleece. Furthermore, at only 280 g, this midlayer feels light despite a nice amount of warmth.

We haven’t noticed the high-quality YKK zippers wear down or get stuck, including on the two hand pocket closures. And the flat seams help create a close fit. When zipped up, the fleece keeps the neck hugged and décolletage warm and protected.

For a well-contoured and non-technical midlayer, this fleece is a great option. Beyond resort skiing and riding, this is a nice fleece year-round. We can pull it on for cool days, casual walks, everyday errands, and work meetings as well as casual outdoor activities like hikes and campouts.

We recommend sizing up with the Helly Hansen Daybreaker Fleece Jacket if you prefer a looser fit or for bulkier body builds. Since this layer isn’t water-repellent, we suggest grabbing another jacket when it’s raining or snowing hard.

We really enjoyed using the Norrøna Falketind Alpha 120 ($209) as a midlayer while alpine snowboarding and cat skiing, and the design worked super well for climbing, too. The higher hand pockets keep the zippers from pinching underneath a harness.

With an incredible balance of being feathery light and air permeable yet warm, this fleece is nearly neck-and-neck as our team’s favorite. (We recommend a shell or windbreaker outer layer to shield wind, especially if it’s cold.)

This amazing fleece looks and feels good — the long length reaches the bottom of the hips with an asymmetric longer back cut and generous hem.

The arms are lengthy, so we can cozy up our wrists or slide the fabric over the backs of our hands with the thumbhole. Despite the extensive fabric, the cut is sleek without bulk.

Made with a combination of Polartec Alpha and Polartec PowerGrid fabric (grid fleece), it’s also one of the most sustainably made technical fleeces we tested. Its fabric is Oeko-Tex- and Bluesign-certified, which means the textiles are free of toxins and sustainably sourced. Additionally, more than 50% of its fibers are recycled.

Most of all, it’s covered in technical features. It offers a surprising amount of warmth at a low weight (244 g). The design has flatlock seams that reduce knobs or rubbing along the stitch.

The underarm gussets allow for a greater range of motion. We love the fitted hood. There’s a zippered chest pocket, which is a rare feature on women’s fleeces. Two zippered hand pockets offer generous space, too.

Norrøna boasts this breathable fleece midlayer is great for ski touring, mountaineering, hiking and backpacking, climbing, and general outdoor activities. We tested the Falketind Alpha 120 for all of those activities plus more. And we agree.

This unique hooded zip-up ($199) is a classic technical fleece for adventures in our book. Albeit lightweight, this design is thoroughly armored.

A snag-free synthetic material is double-woven for tenacity. The Bluesign-approved fabric is treated with a durable water repellent (DWR), allowing precipitation to drip off. The textile remains air permeable yet capable of barricading a breeze. Despite being a key tool, this fleece is stretchy and comfortable.

While this layer isn’t a burly shield for blizzards or rainstorms, the R2 TechFace Hoody is as slender as a weather-resistant fleece gets. It’s a great choice for layering beneath other jackets year-round or pulling on in variable conditions. We grab it for summer days at the crag or trail runs on drizzly spring days.

Two hand pockets with zip closures are smartly placed a few inches above the hem, allowing space for a harness or hipbelt on a pack. An internal chest pocket with a streamlined zipper is a great stowaway for an ID or credit card. The chin guard can reach up and snug around the lower half of the face.

The hood is spacious enough to fit over a helmet yet lean and contoured to sandwich beneath one, too. Plus, there’s an integrated laminated visor to help prevent obstruction of vision — rain drips off nice and easy.

We appreciate that the stretch-knit cuffs aren’t bulky and slide easily over thin gloves or a watch. Overall, this layer is comfortable and articulates well during big-movement activity from skinning to climbing.

Excellent breathability and a sleek fit make the Patagonia R1 Air Full-Zip Hoody ($169) an ideal layer for getting after it on cold days. We tested this layer during an unseasonably cold, spring climbing season at Smith Rock, spring ski touring in the North Cascades, and hiking in Central Oregon in temps down to 30 degrees. This is a jacket that moves and breathes with you, fits seamlessly under other layers, and even doubles as a hat with its form-fitting hood. 

The trade-off for R1’s high level of breathability is lower weather resistance. The wind cuts right through this fleece, and it’s best paired with a light wind layer in gusty conditions. If you’re looking for something fleecy and a bit more weather-resistant, the Patagonia R2 Techface will be a better choice.

The R1 is also most effective as an active layer; bring along a puffy jacket to trap your heat in while belaying or taking a lunch break during your ski tour. The full zip makes venting easy, and we appreciated having multiple zip pockets for stashing chapstick, phones, and snacks. 

For cold-weather hiking and climbing, ski tours, or ice climbing, the R1 Air Hoody is a layer you won’t take off.

Having a super technical fleece that repels water feels too good to be true. Voormi’s proprietary “surface hardened” wool blend plus a DWR coating on the Diversion Hoodie ($269) means this fleece sheds moisture, making it our number one pick for water resistance.

This layer blends the best qualities of fleece with stink-resistant, warm-when-wet wool. It’s breathable. And it’s made in the U.S.

Even if it’s poured on, liquid beads off the surface, which we confirmed while wearing this technical layer ice climbing, backcountry touring, and resort snowboarding in the Rocky Mountains. The unique construction weaves soft 21.5-micron wool in the interior with an outer-facing nylon layer that reinforces the midlayer’s strength. This jacket works super well as an outer layer, too.

We appreciate the assortment of pockets with two outer hand pockets, an interior mesh chest pocket with a zipper (plus a headphone port), and two long, stretchy interior dump pockets to toss items like hats and gloves.

This jacket functions well in broad conditions from blizzards and freezing temps to frigid bluebird days. We also experienced a few sun-baked single pitches while ice climbing, during which the pullover was a prime outer layer. This jacket is comfortable to touch and move in and is extremely durable, even against abrasive textures like unforgiving ice crystals.

Yes, the Diversion Hoodie comes with a higher price tag but is worth it for a long-term investment in an everyday workhorse. Consider sizing up — we found the thumbholes and wrist seams too snug despite the overall great fit. The hood has a tight fit, too.

A jacket made with Western durability and flair, the Stio Turpin Fleece Half Zip ($99) is the daily driver among layers. This fleece is equally at home on a chilly fall run and sipping a beverage at your favorite brewery, providing lightweight warmth in the elements and looking good while doing so.

We enjoyed the Turpin’s versatility and found ourselves grabbing it as a layer to meet friends after work, hop on Zoom calls, walk our dog on nippy winter mornings or rip groomer laps at the local ski hill. 

Little details make the Turpin fleece pop. The button snap cuffs — a nod to the Jackson, Wyoming brand’s heritage — keep sleeves from sliding onto our hands. A curved and back yoke emulates the appearance of a classic wool shirt. The rope pull for the half-zip opening adds a splash of contrasting color and is easy to slide. The jacket has that soft, fuzzy traditional fleece look and feel, without being too bulky to function as an adaptive midlayer. 

We also appreciate that Stio has a variety of stewardship initiatives: The brands offsets the carbon footprint of every order, has a trade in program for used gear and reports that more than 50% of products use organic cotton, recycled materials, and responsibly-sourced down. 

Like lots of fleece, this layer is permeable enough to feel the wind. So if it’s an extra gusty day, or you run cold, make sure to layer appropriately under and over the jacket. We recommend a shell on wet and windy days. We found the lack of hood allowed the jacket to layer nicely — but hood or no hood for a fleece is really a personal preference. 

If you’re looking for a traditional fleece that looks sharp at meetings, on the streets, and down the slopes, the Turpin Half Zip is the jacket for you. 

We love the cozy yet stylish vibe of the Patagonia Better Sweater Hoody ($169). The sweater-knit exterior fabric combined with the fuzzy fleece interior kept our testers looking and feeling good on cool-weather hikes, spring camping in Central Oregon, and hosting clients at an outdoor event.

Plus, it’s low maintenance. Though it looks as nice as a sweater, you can throw the Better Sweater in the laundry with the rest of your clothes. No need for dry cleaning! 

This medium-weight fleece traps heat well. Our tester stayed comfortable in temperatures down to 30 degrees with this jacket as a mid-layer under a medium-weight puffy. We like all of the zip pocket options, and the hood adds some extra warmth in chilly conditions. It’s not the most breathable or lightest option on the market, and we wouldn’t recommend using this for strenuous activities or backcountry travel. 

For those looking for a layer that will keep you comfortable on a camping trip but is easy to wear on a casual night out, the Better Sweater is a great choice. With its 100% recycled polyester, Fair Trade-certified sewing, and Bluesign approval, it’s also a better choice for the planet. 

Don’t be fooled by this jacket’s thin appearance. The Backcountry Hybrid Grid Fleece Pullover ($128) packs a punch and is surprisingly warm, particularly during high-output activities like trail running and ski touring. 

This fleece kept us toasty warm on a 35-degree run with no wind and a base layer underneath. The pullover is also versatile: We found the jacket could act as an against-skin base layer, rather than as a mid-layer, thanks to the soft hand feel of the grid fleece. We love a multipurpose top that serves various activities. 

On one bluebird ski tour in Montana’s Rattlesnake Mountains, the temps hovered in the high 20s, and this layer kept us warm even as the shade set in the basin towards the end of the day. That said, with a wool base layer on beneath, we felt unnecessarily warm beneath the sun at the morning start.

Other features make this jacket sing. We liked the stretchy sleeve cuffs and material on the hood for a snug fit that helps seal in warmth. The longer cut is flattering and means the top doesn’t ride up when you lift your arms but also might need to be tucked in if being worn as a ski or snowboard layer.  

One thing we didn’t like? A pullover design isn’t the most efficient or easy choice for ski touring when mixing layering options. We’d likely prioritize a full-zip midlayer for that activity. 

Overall, we heartily recommend this jacket. It’s a silky fleece meant for athletic activities, rather than a fluffier, bulkier fleece better for lounging around. The jacket’s thinness is deceptive, keeping us quite warm when also generating our own heat, and it’s a great price for what you get. 

The smart construction of the Orvis PRO Fleece Half-Zip Pullover ($129), with its breathable fabric on the underarms and sides, makes it our top choice for breathability. And the outermost fabric is abrasion-resistant yet not rough against the hand.

At a midweight level, it feels lighter than other comparable weights we’ve worn, even though it retains warmth well. We pulled on this fleece as an outer layer or midlayer in frigid conditions while camping, hiking, and walking in Colorado. We found the jacket needed a layer on top in windier conditions, though.

The fleece side panels allow heat and sweat to escape, so you don’t get too hot. We could transition from 10 degrees outside to dinner inside a busy restaurant without needing to take off this fleece layer.

Overall, the four-way stretch, freedom of movement, and warmth-to-weight ratio are wonderful. There’s also a chest pocket with a zipper closure.

One of our favorite choices in this year’s lineup is the warm and cozy Women’s Denali 2 Jacket ($179) by The North Face. Somewhere between a standard and relaxed fit, it has a 100% recycled polyester fleece fabric with DWR (durable water repellent) finish that sheds light moisture if it gets wet.

Nylon panels on the chest, below the forearms, and across the shoulders offer abrasion resistance in high-use areas. We also love the adjustable hems and three zippered pockets (two hand, one chest).

The fleece density is on the higher end at 350 gsm, making the design toasty and cozy though not the best for shoving into small packs or when weight and bulk really matters. This thick insulation made it one of our top choices for testing in the middle of Colorado winters. It’s also zip-in compatible with other TNF jackets like the Mountain Jacket or Mountain Light Jacket — a huge perk if you already own The North Face outerwear and are looking for flawless layering integration.

And the Denali 2 is available in sizes XS-2XL.

Looking for a plus-size fleece that’s cozy, stylish, and midweight? The Polar Escape Half-Zip Plus Pullover hits all the marks. Made by prAna ($99), the fleece offers a relaxed fit across a dialed 1X-3X size run.

With a thicker high-pile (chenille texture), the fleece is made from recycled polyester and has a soft jersey-knit liner. The brand topped it off with a kangaroo pocket in front and a fleece-lined hood.

The lower hem adjusts to lock in warmth. We’ve only got two words: cozy AF.

In terms of feedback from customers and testers, some were not happy with the looser fit (some thought it runs large), and others weren’t sold on the colors. But prAna does market the Polar Escape as an oversized fit. So, if that’s what you’re looking for, this fleece is a great choice.

Our former love for the OG Mountain Fleece — which is still available at a nice steal ($59) — has been replaced by the upgraded Topo Designs Subalpine Fleece ($189), especially with that full front zipper. Our biggest hangup with the prior design was the pullover, leading to snagged or static hair.

Made with super soft sherpa fleece, the style harks back to the classic roots. But the straight and slightly more fitted cut is conventional.

This fleece, constructed with a 100% polyester Polartec double-face fabric, is super cozy. We gravitate toward this zip-up for camping out, huddling around a campfire, or hanging at the base of a crag. We also get loads of compliments while walking an urban grid or at picnics in the park.

We love the addition of two zippered exterior hand pockets plus the vertical zippered chest pocket and interior pockets. There’s so much more room to carry items beyond the external chest pocket with the snap closure.

The Subalpine’s reinforced chest, back, and elbows offer great warmth and wind resistance. That boost is thanks to the Taslan nylon, a durable fabric with a DWR finish for resistance against the elements.

The 3-inch ribbed cuff sleeves also bar wind and retain warmth while adding durability. (Note: bulky watches or bracelets don’t work well with those cuffs.) The tradeoff for sustainable warmth? The Subalpine Fleece is a bit too bulky and warm for backpacking or skiing.

Throughout testing, we found that the snug fit of the Trollveggen fleece jacket looks nice and offers solid insulation. And the stretchy material allows for a range of movement and activities. Plus, thumbholes are always a pro in our book.

We wore this medium-weight wool-polyester blend from Norrøna ($249) in windy, cold conditions during 12-hour shifts collecting beets, shoveling dirt, and cleaning machinery in 25- to 70-degree temps.

In the coldest temperatures, this midlayer was better paired with another outer layer. But while using this fleece jacket for outdoor runs and weight-lifting sessions, the layer showed great moisture-wicking ability.

One drawback: The multiple seams, which connect the color panels on the arms and chest, make the fleece uncomfortable against the skin.

On the search for an affordable, casual fleece that also works great as a winter layer? Look no further than this Kari Traa design. The Rothe Midlayer Fleece Jacket ($100) is an insulated zip-up with two zippered hand pockets and a mock turtleneck.

With a casual flair, the jacket has a relaxed fit and ribbed cuffs. In addition to the high collar and hand pockets, the standard features include a chest pocket and elastic hem. Distinctive colors and colorblocked pockets and cuffs might not be everyone’s style, but we loved how these popped and were easy to find amongst our friends’ black jackets.

The polyester fleece fabric is a higher pile than most fleeces on the market. And we loved its level of warmth in testing.