REI Co-op Trailmade Fleece - Women's Review

The REI Co-op Trailmade is a low-cost midweight fleece with a nice balance of warmth, breathability, and comfort. It is versatile, offering functionality during high-output activities in cold weather, while the soft fleece material feels marvelous against the skin. It does well through all the seasons.

Performance Comparison

Warmth

As a midweight fleece, this jacket offers an average amount of warmth. Built with 94% polyester and 6% spandex, it generates heat with movement and offers complete coverage of arms and torso to keep you toasty in cold weather. Wind can move through the fabric as a standalone jacket, so it's best to wear it with a base layer in cooler weather. It's a perfect midweight layer in a layered system, doing well in our testing on the downhill ski slopes and while hiking through wintery forest landscapes.

During our wind tests, we wore this jacket on a particularly windy day. Donning only a sports bra and this jacket, we braved the wind, immediately feeling it through the fabric. While not the most windproof, it still offered some protection, earning just an average score overall.

While we like the full zip design and the protective zipper barrier on the chin, we do wish it had an adjustable hem. While the hem is elastic and does hug the hips, you can't cinch it down to protect from the wind. Overall, this jacket is relatively warm as a standalone and layered piece, but it's far from the warmest in our lineup.

Comfort

The Trailmade has a lightweight feel with midweight warmth, making it an especially comfortable piece. The super-soft fabrics feel nice against the skin, while the flat seam construction doesn't chafe or cause discomfort. The fabric's stretch flows with the body, leaving you without any restriction. While this has a relaxed fit, it does fit a bit large, so if you're on the fence between sizes, we recommend sizing down. Given these features, it scores above average in this category.

Another feature that any human can appreciate is functional pockets. This fleece has huge hand-warming pockets that will fit a large wallet or Smartphone, and it also has a couple of interior pockets that we could use for more oversized items like a letter or a small water bottle.

The fit is a little large. The size small felt a bit big on our size six tester, who usually sits between a small and medium. There is also plenty of space in the shoulders with additional stretch in the fabric to accommodate most body types. The arms felt long enough, and they didn't slip too far down when they reached overhead. Overall, it has a nice, relaxed fit, adding to its comfort level.

Breathability

Constructed of mainly polyester, it has an average level of breathability. While the materials allow wind to pass through easily, heat and moisture can get trapped in the fabric. This is due to its midweight construction — so it's not our go-to for super sweaty adventures. It functions well for medium to low-output activities like hiking on cooler days. Its ventilation primarily comes from its large pockets, the full zip design, and through the fabric itself.

During our tests, we wore the Trailmade while jogging in cool weather and hiking in winter. During our hiking tests, we realized this fleece is truly made for the trail. It ventilated perfectly for that output level and kept our skin dry, making us warm and comfortable.

While this fleece is nice for hiking, it's not great for other activities in cool weather, like running. During our running tests, we had to remove it after 15 minutes. Given this performance, it's not the top fleece we recommend for challenging high-output missions where you might build up a lot of sweat. However, it's excellent for medium-output activities like hiking on less strenuous terrain.

Layering Ability

Earning another “about average” score, the Trailmade layers easily under and over other layers. Since the material is polyester without slick nylon or tech fabrics, it can catch on other soft layers. The cuffs are elastic without thumb holes but long enough to grasp the wrist material while pulling layers on and off.

When testing for layering ability, we tried this fleece over all types of base layers: short sleeves, tank tops, polyester long sleeves, and more. We also tried it with super plump insulated jackets, shells, and thinner tight jackets. Through these tests, we learned that this fleece slides easily over most layers. There is also enough room to add another light mid-layer if you wish. As for layering over, most jackets worked well except for the tight and thin ones due to a bit of bunching in the arms. Overall, it works well with most layered systems.

Weight

While this fleece is midweight, it feels lightweight, and the scales support this observation. A size small only weighs 10.10 ounces, making it very light. It also packs to a relatively small size, making it easy to throw into a pack or suitcase. Given its lightweight construction, it scores relatively high in this category.

Should You Buy the REI Co-op Trailmade?

This traditional fleece scores average in almost every category, making it a pretty traditional fleece jacket. It is cozy and comfortable, with functionality on and off the trail. While it's not our go-to for high-output sports, it is undoubtedly a gem if you're seeking a more traditional, thinner fleece at a good price.

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