I like being warm when it’s cold outside—you probably do too—and nothing kills a fun day faster than shivering. Which is why we have fleece: Technical fleeces wick away moisture so you don’t get chilled when you sweat, and nontechnical fleeces are soft and toasty. A great fleece will keep you comfortable during a range of situations in cool and cold temps, from slow ski lifts to multi-pitch sport climbs. For this article, I spent two months researching and testing fleeces, taking them climbing, ski touring, running, and walking around town. My favorite was Patagonia’s R1 hoodie. It’s a technical layer—more on the differences between technical and casual fleeces below—that worked well in every activity I used it for. If you spend a lot of time outdoors, it might be worth adding an R1 to your layering system.