Stay cosy with these great fleece top mid layers

Cosy and adaptable, a midlayer fleece is a vital part of your hiking wardrobe

It doesn’t need to be winter for a fleece layer to prove useful when you’re heading into the great outdoors - they’re invaluable as a midlayer year round, particularly if you’re heading up mountains.

Fleeces are made from synthetic insulated fabrics and are highly breathable, machine-washable, and quick drying.

Technically, we’re talking about synthetic Polar fleece here, made with polyester, as opposed to the kind of fleece harvested from sheep.

Polar fleece is a relatively new material in the outdoors market, and was first created in the USA by Malden Mills, founder of Polartec, in 1979.

It was an instant hit with walkers, campers and mountaineers as it’s naturally hydrophobic, barely retaining water when wet and making it very quick to dry.

It’s also deliciously warm, but does not withstand wind that well – so if you’re out in the elements, a fleece is best used worn over base layers and under a waterproof, windproof shell jacket. The versatility of fleece fabric means there are myriad types of light mid layers available, including zipped jackets, pullovers, gilets and hoodies.

These come in different weights, too – lightweight, thin fleeces work best as part of a layering system, whilst thick, chunky fleeces work well when worn alone. If you’re planning on wearing your fleece under a waterproof jacket we’d recommend picking a lightweight half or quarter zip pullover.

If you want a fleece layer you can wear on its own, a zipped hoody or a jacket is your most versatile bet

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