The best women's fleece jackets

Designed to mate with The North Face shells, this abrasion-resistant fleece can be part of a three-in-one jacket system, or you can wear it on its own. If you carry a pack or purse, abrasion-resistant chest and shoulder panels keep the fleece under your straps from showing wear. Those panels also provide extra protection from wind and weather. Two zippered pockets hold a wallet, snacks, or other essentials, and they also keep your hands warm on chilly days. When it's cold, a hem cinch seals out the wind, and the full zip comes up high to keep your neck warm. The Denali has a more relaxed fit, which means there's plenty of room to add extra layers underneath.

A fleece you can throw on after yoga, before a dog walk, or on your way to run errands, Marmot's Norhiem will be the layer you reach for daily. It's a layer you can wear all year round, on spring outings, cool summer evenings, or under a shell jacket in fall and winter. Pull up the hood for extra warmth, and use the slash pockets to warm your hands. A little Lycra in the cuffs helps keep out the breeze. Made from sweater-knit fleece, it's styled to look good with almost any outfit. And you don't have to worry about getting it dirty or smelly — unlike most sweaters, it's easily machine washable. The Norhiem is cut just below the hips, not too roomy but not too tight.

Trim-cut and sewn from high loft fleece that looks more like shiny faux fur, Helly Hansen's Precious seamlessly blends fashion and function. The Precious is just as warm as other fleece jackets, but the deliciously silky eye-catching polyester fabric makes it easy to dress it up. If you own a CIS compatible Helly Hansen shell, this can be zipped in. And if you don't, just layer it. The full YKK coil zip is reliable and smooth-operating. Flatlock seams help this jacket look good and feel good.