Killer Feature: Thumb Holes

By Thomas Lowenthal Ranked #604 - Men's Fleece Jackets November 7, 2008

The killer features on this jacket are the thumb holes: the sleeves are extra long, with holes for your thumbs, enabling you to leave the sleeves over your hands while retaining the fully opposable thumbs separating you from cats, rabbits and gophers. This is great whether you're trying to light a stove in the cold, or curling up with a good book in front of the fire*.

Beyond that, this is a warm, comfortable and durable garment. After I got it, I wore it all the time. The outside is made of a smooth, synthetic wetsuit-like material, and the inside is lined with soft, light, fluffy fleece on the large surfaces, with breathable mesh in some places. This composite is apparently very breathable: even on humid beaches and marshes, I have yet to find it feel over-vapoured on the inside. The zips are easy to use and hard to jam, and the pockets are spacious and useful. The sleeves and waist stretch comfortable without being too tight, and return to their original size without permanent deformation.

One important note I discovered after after sailing with this on stormy days is that the stretchy, wetsuit-like material retains heat very well when wet. However, it gives up water sparingly, making it hard to air-dry quickly. However, if it does get wet, and stays wet, it won't get you wet when you wear it, and will dry much faster if you're exercising while wearing it.

*indoors, obviously

View Details: The North Face Momentum Fleece Jacket - Men's

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