The Amazon Essentials Full Zip Polar Fleece Women's is our cheapest way in pick, and we rate it 55 out of 100.
A 354g plush polar fleece with two hand pockets, no features and the lowest asking price in this guide.
Scored on the same five metrics as jackets costing many times more: Comfort, Warmth, Breathability, Layering, Weight.
Table of Contents
- Cheapest Way In
- Our Verdict: Amazon Essentials Full Zip Polar Fleece Women's
- Where the Amazon Essentials Full Zip Polar Fleece Women's Scored, and Where It Slipped
- Should You Buy the Amazon Essentials Full Zip Polar Fleece Women's?
- Other Picks From the Same Test
- Specifications
- Conclusion: Amazon Essentials Full Zip Polar Fleece Women's
Cheapest Way In
Amazon Essentials Full Zip Polar Fleece Women's
- Weight: 354g
- Fabric: 100% recycled polyester
- Weight class: Midweight
- Pockets: 2 hand
- Hood: No
- Care: Shrinkage reported after machine washing
Pros
- Cheapest jacket in this guide
- Plush materials and a wide colour range
- Handled the water-pour test better than expected
- Slick enough for a shell to slide over
Cons
- Worst breathability in the test
- Inconsistent sizing, tight armholes and a loose body
- Shrinks in the wash and the zip coil warps
Our Verdict: Amazon Essentials Full Zip Polar Fleece Women's
Last place, and honest about what it is.
A warm layer for around the house and nothing beyond that.
It scored 55 out of 100 across our five scored metrics, and it took the cheapest way in award.
Cheapest jacket in this guide is what earns it that spot.
Worst breathability in the test is the trade-off, and for this buyer it is the right trade.
We would hand this one to lounging at home and standing about in the cold, nothing more.
It is warm and it is cheap and that is the entire review. Do anything active in it and you are soaked from the inside.
Annie, Top-Notch test team
Where the Amazon Essentials Full Zip Polar Fleece Women's Scored, and Where It Slipped
Strongest on weight, weakest on breathability.
Here is how it did on every metric, with the rest of the field for comparison.
Comfort
5 out of 10, the lowest in the test. The materials are plush but it does not feel nice on.
Sizing is inconsistent, with tight sleeve armholes paired with an excessively loose body. Loose threads and weak seam stitching turn up at the armpits and pocket edges.
| Comfort | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 9/10 |
| Amazon Essentials Full Zip Polar Fleece Women's | 5/10 |
| Guide average | 7.1/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 5/10 |
Warmth
6 out of 10, which is enough for standing about in the cold.
It also held up better than expected in our water-pour test, so a light shower will not go straight through it.
| Warmth | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 9/10 |
| Amazon Essentials Full Zip Polar Fleece Women's | 6/10 |
| Guide average | 7.1/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 5/10 |
Breathability
3 out of 10, the worst score anywhere in this test by a clear margin.
Wear it while doing anything and you will cook in it.
| Breathability | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 8.5/10 |
| Amazon Essentials Full Zip Polar Fleece Women's | 3/10 |
| Guide average | 6.4/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 3/10 |
Layering
7 out of 10, which flatters it.
The face is slick enough for a shell to slide over.
There is not much reason to layer it in the first place.
| Layering | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 8.5/10 |
| Amazon Essentials Full Zip Polar Fleece Women's | 7/10 |
| Guide average | 6.4/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 5/10 |
Weight
354g, mid-pack.
Durability is the real question.
Shrinkage after washing and a warped main zipper coil both turn up in owner reports.
| Weight | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 9.5/10 |
| Amazon Essentials Full Zip Polar Fleece Women's | 8.1/10 |
| Guide average | 7.9/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 4.5/10 |
Should You Buy the Amazon Essentials Full Zip Polar Fleece Women's?
It is best suited to lounging at home and standing about in the cold, nothing more.
The standout: Cheapest jacket in this guide.
The catch: Worst breathability in the test.
Other Picks From the Same Test
Three more from the lineup, each better at something this one is not.
Columbia Benton Springs Full Zip Women's, our best budget buy. The warmest jacket you can buy at the budget end, as long as the proportions suit you.
Cotopaxi Abrazo Full-Zip Women's, our best casual warmth. A plush lifestyle fleece with real standalone warmth, and one design decision we still cannot explain.
Outdoor Research Vigor Grid Quarter Zip Women's, our best for broader builds. The grid fleece that does not compress your forearms, and the one we now point broader builds at first.
Specifications
| Weight | 354g |
| Fabric | 100% recycled polyester |
| Weight class | Midweight |
| Pockets | 2 hand |
| Hood | No |
| Care | Shrinkage reported after machine washing |
Conclusion: Amazon Essentials Full Zip Polar Fleece Women's
Tested against every other women's fleece jacket on this list, the Amazon Essentials Full Zip Polar Fleece Women's came out as our cheapest way in pick at 55 out of 100.
Cheapest jacket in this guide is the reason it wins.
You do give something up. Worst breathability in the test is the catch.
This one is for lounging at home and standing about in the cold, nothing more.
Still weighing it up? See how it stacks against the full field in our 9 Best Women's Fleece Jackets, Tested and Ranked guide.
