The Black Diamond Coefficient Hoody Women's is our best women's fleece jacket for layering pick, and we rate it 75 out of 100.
A 252g Polartec Power Grid hoody with no hand pockets, thumb holes and a smooth face, built to live under a harness and a shell.
Same five scores as every fleece we tested: Comfort, Warmth, Breathability, Layering, Weight. Drying came out of a controlled water pour run on every fabric.
Best Women's Fleece Jacket for Layering
Black Diamond Coefficient Hoody Women's
- Weight: 252g
- Fabric: Polartec Power Grid, 51% polyester / 36% nylon / 13% elastane
- Weight class: Lightweight
- Pockets: 1 chest
- Hood: Yes, helmet compatible
- Fit note: Older versions ran tight across the chest, current cut is uniformly trim
Pros
- Lightest jacket in the test
- Best layering piece here
- Thumb holes and no harness-fouling pockets
- Dries fast after a soaking
Cons
- Interior fleece is scratchy
- Holds odour over sustained wear
- One pocket, which is a hard sell for casual buyers
The Verdict on the Black Diamond Coefficient Hoody Women's
The lightest jacket here and the best layering piece in the group, sold as a performance tool rather than a comfort item.
That performance put it at 75 out of 100 and earned it our best women's fleece jacket for layering spot.
Lightest jacket in the test, and that is the whole case for it.
You pay for that somewhere.
Interior fleece is scratchy.
It suits climbers, fast hikers and anyone whose fleece lives under a harness best.
Every pocket on a fleece ends up under my harness or my hip belt, so a jacket that skips them entirely is fine by me. It is not soft and it starts to smell after a few days, but it is the one I keep reaching for on a route.
Annie, Top-Notch test team
Our Analysis, Comparisons, and Test Results
It leads on weight and gives ground on warmth.
Metric by metric, against the same nine panels.
Comfort
7 out of 10, and the interior is functional rather than plush. It is noticeably scratchier than anything from Arc'teryx or The North Face here.
It also holds odour more than anything else we tested over sustained wear, which is fair to raise at this end of the market. Low-bulk cuffs slide into gauntlet gloves cleanly, which matters more than softness on a cold route.
| Comfort | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 9/10 |
| Black Diamond Coefficient Hoody Women's | 7/10 |
| Guide average | 7.1/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 5/10 |
Warmth
6 out of 10, thin by design.
The recessed grid channels trap warm air in the pockets between them while wicking sweat out.
Stop moving and it gives up quickly, so a shell is part of the system rather than an optional extra.
| Warmth | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 9/10 |
| Black Diamond Coefficient Hoody Women's | 6/10 |
| Guide average | 7.1/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 5/10 |
Breathability
8.5 out of 10, joint highest here with the Patagonia R1 Air.
Trail runs and long cold approaches never turned swampy in it.
It also dries fast, which is what makes it the one that goes in the pack for big walls and multi-day trips.
| Breathability | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 8.5/10 |
| Black Diamond Coefficient Hoody Women's | 8.5/10 |
| Guide average | 6.4/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 3/10 |
Layering
8.5 out of 10, the best in this test. No hand pockets is a decision, not a saving: nothing sits under a harness or a hip belt to fight you.
Thumb holes hold the sleeves in place while you drag a shell over the top. The smooth outer face resists snagging on rock better than any brushed fleece here.
| Layering | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 8.5/10 |
| Black Diamond Coefficient Hoody Women's | 8.5/10 |
| Guide average | 6.4/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 5/10 |
Weight
252g, the lightest jacket in this test.
It compresses into a corner of a pack rather than claiming a compartment.
| Weight | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 9.5/10 |
| Black Diamond Coefficient Hoody Women's | 9.5/10 |
| Guide average | 7.9/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 4.5/10 |
Three Alternatives Worth a Look
It will not suit everyone. These three came closest in the same test.
Arc'teryx Kyanite Hoody Women's, our best overall women's fleece jacket. It feels like a worn-in sweatshirt and performs like technical kit, which is a combination nothing else here manages.
Outdoor Research Vigor Grid Quarter Zip Women's, our best quarter-zip women's fleece jacket. The grid fleece that does not compress your forearms, and the one we now point broader builds at first.
Fjallraven Abisko Hooded Fleece Women's, our best women's fleece jacket for summer hiking. The coldest jacket in the test, which stops being a criticism once you understand it is built for summer walking.
Specifications
| Weight | 252g |
| Fabric | Polartec Power Grid, 51% polyester / 36% nylon / 13% elastane |
| Weight class | Lightweight |
| Pockets | 1 chest |
| Hood | Yes, helmet compatible |
| Fit note | Older versions ran tight across the chest, current cut is uniformly trim |
The Bottom Line
After the full round of testing, the Black Diamond Coefficient Hoody Women's holds our best women's fleece jacket for layering spot on 75 out of 100.
Lightest jacket in the test. That is what you are buying.
Interior fleece is scratchy. Decide if that matters for how you camp.
Buy it if that describes you: climbers, fast hikers and anyone whose fleece lives under a harness.
Want the head to head? The full field sits in our 9 Best Women's Fleece Jackets, Tested and Ranked guide.
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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.
