The Cotopaxi Abrazo Full-Zip Women's is our best casual warmth pick, and we rate it 70 out of 100.
A 340g recycled polyester full-zip with colour-blocked woven chest panels, built for cool-weather wear rather than output.
Five metrics carry the score here: Comfort, Warmth, Breathability, Layering and Weight.
Best Casual Warmth
Cotopaxi Abrazo Full-Zip Women's
- Weight: 340g
- Fabric: 100% recycled polyester
- Weight class: Midweight
- Pockets: 2 hand, 1 zip chest
- Hem: No elastic, no drawcord
- Hood: No
Pros
- Real standalone warmth for cool weather
- Zip chest pocket
- Recycled polyester throughout
- Looks like a jacket rather than gear
Cons
- Soft face is on the outside, waffle knit against your skin
- No hem elastic or drawcord, so wind gets in underneath
- Mats and pills after ordinary washing
Our Verdict: Cotopaxi Abrazo Full-Zip Women's
A plush lifestyle fleece with real standalone warmth, and one design decision we still cannot explain.
It scored 70 out of 100 across our five scored metrics, and it took the best casual warmth award.
Real standalone warmth for cool weather is what earns it that spot.
Soft face is on the outside, waffle knit against your skin is the trade-off, and for this buyer it is the right trade.
We would hand this one to cool-weather casual wear and easy trail miles.
Lovely to look at and lovely to touch, right up until you put it on and the soft side is facing out. Then you stand in a breeze and feel it coming up under the hem.
Emma, Top-Notch test team
Performance, Metric by Metric
Strongest on weight, weakest on layering.
Here is how it did on every metric, with the rest of the field for comparison.
Comfort
7 out of 10, and the reason is odd. The soft fabric is on the outside.
The exterior is lovely and the interior is a waffle pattern that is noticeably less pleasant against skin. The cut is boxy with a little stretch, and it is bulky with it.
| Comfort | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 9/10 |
| Cotopaxi Abrazo Full-Zip Women's | 7/10 |
| Guide average | 7.1/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 5/10 |
Warmth
7.5 out of 10 from thickness alone. The hem has no elastic and no drawcord, so cold air comes in from underneath.
That, not the fabric, is why it underperforms in wind. A thin synthetic base layer underneath fixes most of it.
| Warmth | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 9/10 |
| Cotopaxi Abrazo Full-Zip Women's | 7.5/10 |
| Guide average | 7.1/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 5/10 |
Breathability
6.5 out of 10, and the full zip is your only venting.
Walking pace is fine.
A working heart rate is not.
| Breathability | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 8.5/10 |
| Cotopaxi Abrazo Full-Zip Women's | 6.5/10 |
| Guide average | 6.4/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 3/10 |
Layering
6 out of 10, held back by bulk rather than cut.
The zip chest pocket is a genuinely good detail on an otherwise feature-free jacket.
| Layering | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 8.5/10 |
| Cotopaxi Abrazo Full-Zip Women's | 6/10 |
| Guide average | 6.4/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 5/10 |
Weight
340g, mid-pack.
Surface matting and pilling turn up after routine home wash cycles rather than hard use.
| Weight | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 9.5/10 |
| Cotopaxi Abrazo Full-Zip Women's | 8.3/10 |
| Guide average | 7.9/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 4.5/10 |
Should You Buy the Cotopaxi Abrazo Full-Zip Women's?
It is best suited to cool-weather casual wear and easy trail miles.
What you are paying for: Real standalone warmth for cool weather.
What you give up: Soft face is on the outside, waffle knit against your skin.
Close Rivals We Also Rated
If this is not the fit, these earned awards of their own.
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.
The North Face Retro Denali Women's, our warmest for standing still. The only true heavyweight here, and far more technical than the heritage styling suggests.
Arc'teryx Covert Cardigan Women's, our warmest fabric here. The warmest fabric in the test wrapped around a jacket that pills early and does nothing else well.
Specifications
| Weight | 340g |
| Fabric | 100% recycled polyester |
| Weight class | Midweight |
| Pockets | 2 hand, 1 zip chest |
| Hem | No elastic, no drawcord |
| Hood | No |
Conclusion: Cotopaxi Abrazo Full-Zip Women's
Tested against every other women's fleece jacket on this list, the Cotopaxi Abrazo Full-Zip Women's came out as our best casual warmth pick at 70 out of 100.
Real standalone warmth for cool weather is the reason it wins.
You do give something up. Soft face is on the outside, waffle knit against your skin is the catch.
This one is for cool-weather casual wear and easy trail miles.
Still weighing it up? See how it stacks against the full field in our 9 Best Women's Fleece Jackets, Tested and Ranked guide.
