The Arc'teryx Kyanite Hoody is our best fleece jacket for winter hiking pick, and we rate it 72 out of 100.
A 420g Polartec Power Stretch Pro hoody with four-way stretch, warm enough to stand around in and too bulky to be the layer you pack light with.
Our testers reached different conclusions about what this jacket is for, and both views are reported below, along with the five scores: Breathability, Warmth, Layering and Fit, Weight, Value for Money.
Best Fleece Jacket for Winter Hiking
Arc'teryx Kyanite Hoody
- Weight: 420g (men's M)
- Fabric: Polartec Power Stretch Pro, 53% polyester / 38% nylon / 9% elastane
- Weight class: Midweight
- Pockets: 2 hand
- Hood: Yes
Pros
- Warmest stretch fleece on test
- Four-way stretch comfort
- Breathes better than the thickness suggests
- Holds heat at rest breaks
Cons
- Pilling after one season under pack straps
- Pockets useless under a harness or hip belt
- Bulky under a shell
Arc'teryx Kyanite Hoody: Our Call
The warmest stretch fleece here and the most comfortable thing on test, held back by pack-strap pilling that should not happen at this money.
We ended up scoring it 72 out of 100, our best fleece jacket for winter hiking of the group.
Warmest stretch fleece on test is the reason it beat the rest.
The flip side: pilling after one season under pack straps.
If you are shopping as cold camps and daily wear rather than pack-space-limited trips, start here.
Nothing on test felt better to put on, and it was the only fleece I was warm in standing at a windy col. One season of carrying a pack and the shoulders had fuzzed up. At premium money that stung.
Ryan, Top-Notch test team
Where the Arc'teryx Kyanite Hoody Scored, and Where It Slipped
Best score: breathability. Worst: value for money.
Where it gained ground and where it lost it:
Breathability
It breathes far better than its thickness suggests, and our testers stayed dry hiking in it.
Our testers split on it: Ryan rated it a breathable do-it-all, James classed it as a static warmth piece for camp.
Both readings held up, and which one you get depends on how hard you are working.
| Breathability | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 8.5/10 |
| Arc'teryx Kyanite Hoody | 8/10 |
| Guide average | 7/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 5.6/10 |
Warmth
8 out of 10 for warmth, the highest of any stretch fleece in this ranking.
It holds heat at rest breaks where the grid fleeces give up immediately.
That warmth is why it earns the cold camp award rather than a place at the top of the hiking list.
| Warmth | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 9/10 |
| Arc'teryx Kyanite Hoody | 8/10 |
| Guide average | 7.1/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 6/10 |
Layering and Fit
The lowest layering score in this ranking at 6 out of 10. Fit is roomy rather than athletic, and the bulk fights a shell going over the top.
Both hand pockets go dead under a harness or a hip belt, and there is no chest pocket to fall back on. Four-way stretch comfort is genuinely exceptional, which both sets of notes agreed on.
| Layering and Fit | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 8/10 |
| Arc'teryx Kyanite Hoody | 6/10 |
| Guide average | 6.7/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 5.5/10 |
Weight
420g, which is heavy for a jacket you are carrying rather than wearing.
Sizes above a medium add noticeably more, so check the listing weight for the size you order.
Either way it takes real pack space, so it suits trips where you drive to the trailhead.
| Weight | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 9.1/10 |
| Arc'teryx Kyanite Hoody | 7.2/10 |
| Guide average | 7.2/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 3/10 |
Value for Money
Every tester who carried a pack in it found the same pilling, which makes it the jacket's flaw rather than a bad sample.
Face pilling and fuzzing showed after a single season of pack-strap friction.
It is cosmetic and it does not stop the jacket working, but at this money it drags the value score to 6.
| Value for Money | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 9.5/10 |
| Arc'teryx Kyanite Hoody | 6/10 |
| Guide average | 7.5/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 5.5/10 |
The Case For and Against It
It is best suited to cold camps and daily wear rather than pack-space-limited trips.
The big win: Warmest stretch fleece on test.
The main compromise: Pilling after one season under pack straps.
Also from this test: the Rab Ascendor Light Hoody, our best overall fleece jacket for hiking pick, if you want the best venting we measured.
Specifications
| Weight | 420g (men's M) |
| Fabric | Polartec Power Stretch Pro, 53% polyester / 38% nylon / 9% elastane |
| Weight class | Midweight |
| Pockets | 2 hand |
| Hood | Yes |
Other Picks From the Same Test
Three more from the lineup, each better at something this one is not.
Black Diamond CoEfficient Hoody, our best fleece jacket for layering. The quickest drying fleece we tested, which is the reason to pick it over the more famous grid hoodies.
Cotopaxi Abrazo Half-Zip, our best fleece jacket for walking. A warm, likeable camp and trail-walk fleece that gets restrictive the moment the ground steepens.
The North Face Retro Denali, our best fleece jacket for cold weather. The warmest jacket on test and the only one that works alone in real cold, at more than double the weight of anything else here.
Our Take
Put against nine rivals, the Arc'teryx Kyanite Hoody earned our best fleece jacket for winter hiking award on 72 out of 100.
Warmest stretch fleece on test, and nothing else here matches it.
The one caveat is pilling after one season under pack straps.
Right buyer: cold camps and daily wear rather than pack-space-limited trips.
The rest of the lineup, ranked, is in our 10 Best Fleece Jackets for Hiking, Tested and Ranked guide.
Check Latest Prices See Customer Reviews & Feedback
Editor's Note, 20 October 2026: Renamed this pick's award to say what it is best for, to match our updated buying guide. Scores and rankings are unchanged.
