Latest in baffle insulation tech keeps your torso warm Durable water-repellent softshell fleece upper Zippered handwarmer pockets Stretch elastic wrist and hem keep out the cold The ultimate ...

Montane Khamsin Hooded Softshell Jacket: ... I’ve found the Octa fleece inner to be exceptionally warm (almost too warm at times, but I’m sure I will appreciate this more as winter kicks in).

At £159.99/$220 it’s an investment, but that price compares favourably with other fleece jackets, such as Gorewear’s own £179.99 C5 Windstopper Thermo Jacket and Castelli’s £225/$249.99 ...

Insulation, such as fleece lining, beefs up warmth while a DWR (durable water repellant) coating, the water-resistance treatment found on most softshells, handles moisture. Plus, softshells tend to be ...

The Serendipity ($250) is indeed one of the new-generation “soft-shell” jackets, as is the Salomon STL-551 ($279). The Gamma, however, is essentially a fleece jacket with reinforcements.

Ozark Trail Softshell Jacket, $12 (was $30) at Walmart. Courtesy of Walmart. This machine-washable jacket is made of 100% polyester and is a great mid-weight coat for spring or fall.

And this is where the jacket starts to get really interesting, because the fill material used under the nylon shell is 88% wool (over half of which is recycled), with the rest being polyester.

On the soft shell front, Mountain Hardwear s Women s Synchro ($185; mountainhardwear.com) comes with waterproof-breathable laminate bonded to a fleece liner. Plus it s really quite nice-looking.

Tommy Hilfiger Active Soft Shell Windbreaker Jacket. $60 at Amazon. $150 $52 at Macy's. Pros. ... Columbia Steens Mountain 2.0 Full Zip Fleece Jacket. Now 26% Off. $46 $34 at Amazon. $114 $55 at ...