Best men’s waterproof walking trousers UK 2022: hiking trousers from Craghoppers, Berghaus, Montane, Salomon

Best down jackets for men UK 2022: insulated coats from Columbia, Patagonia, Arcteryx and Black Diamond

Autumn is nipping in the air - time to add a light fleece layer to your outdoor wardrobe to help keep you cosy while hiking or adventuring

Best men’s light fleeces - hiking tops from Fjallraven, Montane, EDZ

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A good light fleece is a great option for the UK’s ever-present ‘in between’ weather.

When it’s not warm enough to take off the layers but not cold enough to add outerwear like down jackets or thicker overcoats, a good mid-layer is one of the most important pieces of kit in your outdoor wardrobe. Fleece is a great material for this, as it’s light, warming and often quick to wash and dry as well as being impressively packable.

In this article, we’ll be looking at the best light fleeces for outdoor wear - assessing a number of options from well known outdoor brands that combine affordability, comfort and warmth - as well as the all-important ability to carry it around easily when not in use.

We’ll be looking at things like versatility, amount of pockets and comfort as well as outright warmth.

Our favourite fleeces will combine all impressively, offering a good amount of protection from the elements in terms of material performance, as well as providing good lightweight packing options for stuffing into the rucksack when not in use.

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 - though we’ve included a wool option.

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.

For the best fleece fit, we’d recommend a slightly larger sizing for extra movement and versatility.

Zippered pockets are always recommended, especially if you’re going to be doing plenty of activities and movement, and with the advancement of fabric technologies we’d also suggest looking for bluesign approved or fully recycled fleece fabrics.

Bear in mind that to get the most amount of efficiency from your fleece, you’ll probably want to use it as a mid layer, which means it needs to be thin and light enough to be comfortable under a jacket or piece of outerwear.

The best men’s walking shoes are rounded-up here, and you can keep yourself dry with the best men’s waterproof jackets, or the highest rated waterproof trousers.

We have detailed guides to the best backpacking tents for your adventures here. Want to steady your stride? These are the best walking poles for hiking.

Keep it comfy with the best camping folding chairs, and sleep on the best air beds around, as listed here. And keep things illuminated with a great camping head torch.

We’d expect a good fleece and impressive performance from Fjallraven, one of the best and most respected outdoor clothing manufacturers in the business.

The Vardag Lite fleece lives up to expectations, and was one of the most comfortable and lightweight fleeces we tested.

The large pouch at the front can be accessed from two zippered pockets on either side and there’s a nice drawcord adjustment on the hem, too.

This mid-layer fleece is designed with tougher climates in mind - especially mountain use in colder conditions.

A double-weave fleece is meshed together with a stretchy fabric that allows for greater movement when in challenging conditions - it also helps with regulating temperature and acts as an excellent windbreaker, too.

A slightly more affordable option that nonetheless provides excellent performance in tougher environments, the Rannoch is a durable fleece that uses POLARTEC® Thermal Pro® fabric, providing warmth whilst minimising weight as much as possible.

The soft-touch feel to the fabric also means this was one of the most comfortable fleeces to wear day-to-day, too.

This is a hooded, full length zipper option from Columbia that’s slightly thinner than some of the others on the list.

The reason is that it’s probably the one we’d trust the most in rainy conditions - it features a wicking technology that dries easily, meaning it’s a great option to pull over you when you get caught in those ever-present rain showers.

We like the fact it’s got zippered chest and hand pockets, and is made out of a recycled polyester material.

If outright performance is what you’re after, then this high-quality, albeit expensive option from technical expects ThruDark might be the fleece for you.

It features PolarTec fabric, meaning it’s rated to very cold conditions, trapping heat in thermal air pockets constructed from precision knit, napped and sheared polyester.

The brand is a premium outfit, with their products developed by former Special Forces operatives, rated to perform in some of the world’s more extreme conditions.

One of Finisterre’s original products nearly 20 years ago was a fleece, so this new 1/4 zip Hegen option is likely to be popular, made with new GRS certified recycled wool and recycled polyester.

It feels sturdy, durable and like it could easily withstand a range of conditions and situations - it’s also one of the warmest fleeces we tested and comes in two earthy, attractive colourways too.

A basic, everyday, easy to wear fleece that’s made of 100% wool, with a 1/4 zip that suits a range of activities and uses.

At only 260g, its weight means that it can easily be used as a midlayer without compromising on warmth and comfort - we found that it was just as happy when used as an outer layer too, so we appreciated the versatility and the relatively low initial cost for a quality fleece.

On the website it’s available in blue, but it would have been nice to see a few more colour options!