Bottom Line
The Marmot AirFleece Performance Full-Zip Hoody (men’s / women’s) is a competitively priced, highly comfortable midweight fleece that balances impressive active warmth with excellent breathability. Its relaxed fit and skin-friendly flatlock seams make it easy to wear under a heavy backpack, while the durable jacquard grid fabric seamlessly survives abrasive bushwhacking without snagging.
The loose-fitting hood requires being zipped to the chin to stay secure in high winds. And the breathable knit naturally sacrifices wind resistance. But this 10.2-ounce layer is a feature-rich choice for hikers seeking reliable shoulder-season insulation that transitions beautifully from the trail to town.
To compare to other top-performing fleece jackets, check out our full gear guide to the best fleece jackets gear guide.
Quick Specs
Marmot AirFleece Performance Full-Zip Hoody
Best Fully-Featured Technical Fleece
CleverHiker Rating: 4.4/5.0
Price: $155
Measured Weight: 10.2 oz.(Men’s M)
Pros
- Flatlock seams prevent chafing under a pack, regardless of whether the base layer is short or long-s
- Durable fabric resists threads pulling out or any structural integrity issues while bushwhacking
- Excellent heat retention while maintaining breathability
Cons
- Zippered hand pockets unusable under a hip belt
- Hood blows off easily if the jacket isn’t completely zipped up
Warmth
The insulation in this jacket comes entirely from its 100% recycled-polyester jacquard-grid fabric. Unlike a puffy jacket that relies on a loose internal filling, such as down or synthetic fibers stuffed into chambers, this jacket’s insulation is built directly into the knit.
The polyester jersey fabric is woven into a unique checkerboard grid pattern. And the raised plush squares trap radiating body heat. Simultaneously, the tiny channels running between these squares allow excess heat to escape, balancing the active warmth you want from a fleece with the breathability you need to stay comfortable.
We found the insulation to work quite well. Because the cut is a bit less fitted than competitors, it naturally creates a slightly larger pocket of trapped dead air against your body. When standing still, we found this resulted in greater stationary warmth, especially around the chest and torso.
The channels in the fabric work well to stay breathable. We found ourselves very happy with how much excess heat was dumped while moving uphill quickly. However, this did come with a tradeoff: warmth in wind. Because the checkerboard weave is heavily focused on airflow, we found that a strong breeze could cut through the material and dissipate some of the accumulated warmth.
During springtime in Pennsylvania, we found this quite refreshing. However, it would cause us to hesitate to reach for this jacket in truly freezing conditions without a windproof layer on top.
Comfort
Comfort is where the AirFleece truly shines as an active layering piece. The slightly relaxed, un-fitted silhouette means you don’t get that constrictive feeling that’s common in some technical athletic wear.
It is very soft to the touch. It felt so good against bare skin that we frequently wore it directly over a short-sleeved T-shirt without needing a long-sleeved base layer underneath.
Marmot has used flatlock seams across the shoulders and torso of the jacket, and we noticed this once we loaded up a backpack on top of the fleece. Flatlock seams are a type of stitching where two pieces of fabric are joined edge-to-edge with no overlap. This creates a seam that lies completely flat on both sides, thereby eliminating any chafing, friction, or hot-spot potential from the rubbing of a backpack’s shoulder straps.
Durability
Given the visible holes in its high-airflow jacquard pattern, you might expect the AirFleece to be fragile. But its resilience in the field is impressive. We put this jacket through some light backcountry bushwhacking through dense, thorny bushes in Central Pennsylvania, and it held up just fine.
While the looser knit of the fabric is inherently prone to catching trail debris, which left us with several embedded pine needles by the end of the trip, the jacket’s fabric was never damaged. We inspected the jacket after the hike and found no pulled threads or annoying loop snags.
Weight
Weighing in at a modest 10.2 ounces, this hoody sits comfortably in the midweight performance category. It splits the difference perfectly between ultralight grid and bulky camp sweaters.
Because its warmth comes from the use of textured grid grooves rather than thick, heavy masses of solid fabric, it provides a lot of insulation without ever feeling heavy or weighing down your layering system.
Features
This jacket comes with a hood, thumbholes, two zippered pockets at the hips, and a zippered pocket at the chest. Additionally, the jacket has a full zipper that runs the length of the body.
We found most of these features to work quite well. We love a jacket with thumbholes, and the fleece fabric was durable enough that we didn’t have to worry about the material over the palm getting damaged during a scramble. Zippered pockets are always a plus. We love the ability to stash things like phones, wallets, or keys away in a spot we can be sure won’t let them fall out.
The only complaint we had was with the hood. While it is roomy and comfortable, it fits very loosely unless we zip the jacket all the way up to our chins. In gusty situations, we found the hood was prone to blowing off our heads.
Should You Buy The Marmot AirFleece Performance Full-Zip Hoody?
The AirFleece blends technical ability, comfort, packability, and heat retention pretty well, while still delivering a durable jacket that would blend into an outfit off a trail. At just over $150, this jacket is very reasonably priced compared to similar picks. And the plethora of well-designed features make the jacket easy to use and comfortable to wear.
What Other Fleeces Should You Consider?
If the Marmot AirFleece Performance Full-Zip Hoody is not quite what you are looking for in a fleece jacket, we have many other recommendations to consider. You can head over to our full best fleece jackets gear guide for more of our top picks. Also take a look below for some ideas.
Patagonia R1 Air Review: The R1 also features a breathable, grid fabric designed to quickly dump excess heat when moving uphill. However, choose the R1 for a more streamlined, athletic fit that layers more compactly underneath a technical outer hardshell.
Outdoor Research Vigor Review: The Vigor also includes lightweight grid fabrics tailored to minimize bulk while still providing ample insulation for active outdoor sports. The Vigor maximizes this breathability while also reducing the price tag, making it perfect for high-output, sweat-inducing activities on a budget.
REI Trailmade Fleece Review: The Trailmade Fleece also features a comfortable, unrestricted, full-zip design that performs well in outdoor settings and casual environments. The Trailmade may be a better choice if you are looking for a budget option, as it provides a lightweight layer without costing a premium.
