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It used to be simple - Polartec fleece came in three weights, 100, 200, and 300, with 100 being the lightest. For some years I have strenuously resisted my partners attempts to throw away my early 2000s Lowe Alpine 100 fleece, but eventually I'm going to lose. What is a modern alternative?
Berghaus Hartsop fleece is a lightweight garment, I have found mine to be hard wearing.
I have the same dilemma. I have 2 cannondale polartec 100 fleece tops, bought about 25 years ago, and getting a bit thin now
I wish I'd bought 10.
Tight fitting, 3 rear pockets, zipped neck.
Can pretty well wear all year round.
Polartec power grid would be pretty close I reckon.
They still sell the 100 weight stuff don't they? Might be called soething else but it's pretty ubiquitous (and very cheap) in e.g Go Outdoors. Probably under a cheapy name like regatta though.
Looking on the Polartec website the Jack Wolfskin Gecko is made from 100 fabric but few others
Polartec was pretty bombproof, the modern equivalents seem pretty delicate. I have a couple of mid layers and a cycling top that have waffle pattern on the inside which work well but the outer surface pills up so easily when rubbed by rucksack straps which is disappointing considering the cost of these items.
100wt is just basic fleece, available everywhere for much cheapness or more expensive based on cut and make
mountain warehouse and decathlon for cheap, other brands for more
Pretty much anything dubbed 'microfleece' is going to be in the Polartec 100 ballpark tbh. Patagonia calls it R1. What you'll find is that most modern microfleeces are grid-backed to give a better warmth to weight ratio, but essentially they do pretty much the same thing.
I empathise btw. My favourite Mountain Equipment microfleece top was nicked out of my car while I was out running, despite being absolutely hammered and essentially valueless 🙁
I've a Berghaus Polartec 300 that I bought in 1997 in Inverness and it's still my go to for cold weather. However i'm fairly sure the zipper is getting close to failure so i'm on the lookout for something to replace it.
Isn't synthetic fleece an environmental nasty now? Is there anything better, or is there a type of fleece that is less bad?
Anything 'microfleece', anything 'grid' fleece.
Mrs_oab is sporting a lush, fluffy Polartec Alpha fleece which is similar weight, more warmth under a windproof layer.
Isn’t synthetic fleece an environmental nasty now? Is there anything better, or is there a type of fleece that is less bad?
Because bits of it get into our water supply every time we wash it?
I'd be interested to understand the pros and cons, as I'd have thought the potential to make fleece from recycled plastic bottles (or whatever) would be a pro compared to cotton production's environmental cost.
And I've half-remembered that cheap fleeces are worse for shedding their fibres, no idea if that's actually true though.
Because bits of it get into our water supply every time we wash it?
yes. It’s noticeable on both my 100 and 300… the 100 is almost worn through in places. The dies are nasty too apparently.
Polartec are very proud of their recycled content.
Patagonia do fair trade polyester(!)
And you can buy a special bag to wash fleece in to catch the fibres… how you get them out to dispose of them I don’t know.
yes. It’s noticeable on both my 100 and 300… the 100 is almost worn through in places.
Is that from washing though? I have thin sections in old fleeces but it's cuffs and elbows, that's surely abrasive wear in use rather than haemorrhaging fibres in the wash. I don't doubt it loses a few fibres from time to time, but if it were as bad it would be like wearing a mesh shirt within a few years. I find they lose their elasticity long before losing loft.
I think it’s washing personally because the whole items get thinner not just points that are rubbing.
first hit on search about environmental impact of fleece gave this:
https://www.oceancleanwash.org/2019/10/should-you-throw-away-your-polyester-fleece/
some potentially good ideas like a micro fibre filter for the washing machine
You can still buy polartec 100, I picked up a Berghaus fleece from Tiso the other day that has polartec 100.
Whether its the same stuff as the original polartec 100 I don't know. I'd imagine the material has changed a bit.
Remember Javlin fleeces, man those were the daddy.
I suspect it's a bit of both, for fleeces losing fibres in the wash and going thin at contact points like backpack straps.
Anyone know why cheap fleeces are worse for shedding fibres, and how to tell where the cut off between cheap/okay is?
Just bought a cheap-ish workwear fleece shacket for WFH and it's lovely and toasty, but I'm feeling a touch guilty now.
Interesting info in the above, suggests the majority of release is in the first washes; loose fibres from manufacture of cheaper items.
@cha****ng just never wash it 👌
I'd trust branded fleece manufacturers like Polartec, or proprietary fleeces from Patagonia (or one of the European Blue Sign/Green Shape accredited companies like Vaude) much more than your random bargain bucket £6 fleece from Tesco
They've got years of experience of making it and their guilty conscience and ESG principles mean that new products should be as good as they can be in terms of not killing the planet.
Isn’t synthetic fleece an environmental nasty now? Is there anything better, or is there a type of fleece that is less bad?
Polartec actually developed a fleece called Power Air that's designed to reduce shedding by encapsulating an internal grid structure within a knitted structure, or something like that. Unfortunately it's expensive, quite heavy and not warm for the weight. I've used a couple of them, one from adidas, one from Houdini and while they're okay, they don't really work like traditional fleece. This stuff:
https://www.polartec.com/news/polartec-introduces-polartec-power-air
I think you can reduce shedding a little by using a quick wash program, so less abrasive action and washing your fleece only when absolutely necessary. Also, Polartec Alpha, while working really well, seems massively prone to this. I have a very well-used OR Alpha Direct jacket that now feels more like a shelled microfleece. A new one is massively more fluffy and significantly warmer. My suspicion is that the fluffier and looser knit the fleece, the more it'll shed during washing, but that's just a semi-educated guess.
Merino would be one alternative, but again, not comparable warmth to weight. Ditto non-merino wool, though again not as fast drying and heavier for the warmth. Unfortunately plastic works well for making that sort of stuff 🙁
@cha****ng just never wash it
I actually have a 1990s Karrimor fleece jacket in primo condition, because it's only had about 3 washes.
Considering most of my clothes need washing because I've got food on them, I should probably introduce a "no fleece while eating" policy.
Isn't that just emergency rations?
I avoid fleece shedding by hardly ever washing them. They don’t really show the dirt very much, they don’t get very smelly, some of mine get worn a few times at a particular time of year, then don’t get worn again for months.
My most worn fleeces are a couple of Animal ones, one red, one black, very simple pullover type with a short neck zip and cuffs with no elastic, possibly something like Polartec 100. I like the lack of elastic aged cuffs, I can just shove the sleeves up my arms and they don’t go loose and baggy. Mine are years old and an essential go-to.
Wish they still did them, I’d like a couple more in different colours.