Fleece, hoodies and sweaters

No matter the time of year, there’s not much that can beat the comfort of an ultra-soft sweater, fleece or hoodie. Wear one for warmth early in the morning or around the campfire in the evening. In wet or windy weather, a fleece is a nice mid-layer to wear under a shell jacket, as it insulates without feeling bulky or heavy. They’re also light enough to bring hiking and camping and are a welcome addition to your travel wardrobe. See best-sellers from Patagonia, Arc’teryx and Fjallraven.

Fleece for outdoor sports and casual wear

Technical fleece jackets and sweaters are lightweight, durable and soft against your skin. Worn over a T-shirt or moisture-wicking base layer, they offer great protection against the cold. Layers designed for hiking, climbing or skiing may have durable water repellent coatings to help shed light rain, or antimicrobial properties to keep the fabric fresh. Reflective details add visibility in low light if you wear your fleece for running or walking after dark.

For rest days and leisure time, casual hoodies and sweaters let you bundle up, get cozy on the couch or wander around town. Look for deep hand pockets, plush extra-soft sherpa fleece and shaped hoods made from 3 panels of fabric — unless you prefer the 2-panel, “Jedi” peak.

Get extra cozy in fleece bottoms and sweatpants and find kids’ fleece hoodies and sweaters at MEC too.

How to wash and dry fleece

To maintain the softness, colour and fluffy warmth of fleece garments, machine wash on a gentle cycle and use cold water. (It’s best to check the care instructions of your garment first.) Do up the zippers and close any Velcro tabs, as rough surfaces can cause fleece to pill while washing. Use mild detergent and skip the fabric softener.

Read the care label for your specific garments, but air-drying is usually recommended. If you use a dryer, opt for a low-heat setting to prevent scorching or melting the fleece fabric.

How to prevent fleece from pilling

High-quality fleece isn’t prone to pilling, but to keep it at its best, follow the care instructions carefully when you wash and dry it. If you do spot some pilling, you can remove it with a fabric shaver or pumice stone like you would a wool sweater.

Recycled fleece at MEC

Using recycled fibres for synthetic fleece jackets has a big impact on a garment’s environmental footprint. MEC started using recycled fleece way back in 1994. We offer recycled content because there’s no compromise with performance, and it helps create demand for recycled content, which leads to better recycling infrastructure, and makes it easier and more cost-effective for other brands to start using recycled content as well.