PÁRAMO MEN’S BENTU FLEECE,

£125

You probably already have a fleece. But you might not have one quite like this. The Bentu is thin, soft, lightweight, versatile and, as you would expect from Páramo, it’s a quality item. I was sent one in ‘marl grey’ to review. Apparently, it matches my hair. The Bentu is made from Nikwax fleece (100% polyester) with a PFC-free water-repellent finish. This material is described as “wind resistant and directional”. That last bit means it pushes liquid water away from you to keep you dry even in high humidity. The Bentu is guaranteed Fair Trade and can be recycled (when it eventually wears out) via Páramo.

There are two zip-up hand-warmer pockets (a bit larger would be nice) and a beautifully zipped, vertical access, chest pocket that can easily take a big mobile phone, but despite what the blurb says, I couldn’t get an OS map in there. There’s a fourth ‘unofficial’ pocket inside on the lower right. The back hem is gently scooped for a bit more protection and the cuffs are loose, which means you can push the sleeves up to let some heat out.

I did my review in January. The Bentu provides a contoured fit but allowed very good freedom of movement. As a top layer, with a worn microfleece and T-shirt underneath, in an 18mph wind at 10-11°C for just over an hour, it did pretty well at keeping me warm and the wind out. It was stop-start birding, mostly on the move, and my arms felt a bit cooler than my torso. My phone was in the chest pocket and that stayed warm enough to hold its charge – it doesn’t always. I tried the Bentu as a mid-layer under a ventile coat at 5-7°C, with winds of up to 12mph. During the initial walk from the house I was almost too warm at times. If I did a lot of standing around, however, I began to cool – a bit more warmth would have been good.

But this is not a heavy-weight fleece. It’s intended for summer use – for warmth when the temperature drops or when you take a pause. It packs down small and only weighs about 400g. It would be a great item to travel with. I didn’t get to test the water-resistance but have no reason to doubt it. So, if you get caught in a bit of rain it will protect you. Of course you can use it as a mid-layer if you want to. But here’s the pièce-derésistance. It’s designed to work in harmony with the Bentu Windproof (£ 100) to provide a fully waterproof garment that is even suitable for winter use.

100% polyester, 403g, S-XXL, lifetime guarantee, colours include moss, marl grey and midnight marl. Zefira (£ 115) is women’s equivalent. paramo-clothing.com