www.planetfear.com 8/18/08 Power Stretch Half Zip

According to Marmot’s press release, this garment promises to be “the most versatile base, mid and outer-layer fleece you’ll ever wear”. Although that statement might exaggerate the extent to which it (or indeed any) item of clothing could realistically fit into all three of those categories, the Power Stretch Half Zip is certainly one of the most impressive technical fleece products currently on the market.

The first thing you’ll notice when you put it on is the fit, particularly in the sleeves. Marmot have given this product an extremely athletic cut, and as soon as you wear it you’ll likely be thinking ‘this could be just the thing for cold days out climbing/biking/running’. The elasticity in the cuffs makes it particularly suited to mountain biking and climbing, or any activity where a mid-layer with sleeves that don’t ride up your arms is crucial.

The only gripe with this product is that the front chest pocket isn’t quite big enough to get a climbing guidebook or OS map in, but that’s a small issue in an otherwise superb piece of kit. It retails for a fairly competitive £60 for the men’s and £55 for the women’s versions. If you’re looking for a high quality, do-it-all technical fleece this is certainly one of the best currently on the market.