I have the fleece jacket, not the vest, but the thing is killer - even in quite cold weather I can simply wear a t-shirt underneath and I stay warm, while other people have to bundle up and stay layered. The windproof fabric is amazing - you can feel the pressure from gusts of wind, but no chill penetrates the material, keeping you comfortable. The core vents are quite effective, but I prefer the discretness of the classic pit zips, even if core vents circulate things better. The coat even has a clench hem to seal out the elements around the waist, and the high collar works as a built-in scarf. The one issue? The pockets don't seem to keep the hands as warm as the rest of the body for some reason - I wouldn't need gloves if the pockets were more toasty...too bad. Anyways, I highly recommend this fleece. It is breathable but warm, and can be worn to low temperatures until you can simply zip it into a TNF shell. I'd buy another

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Patagonia

I have the jacket and its great. Warm enough, and it keeps the wind out. Front vents are great. You sacrifice the breathability for windproofness, however, so I rarely use this jacket when I'm working hard. Usually wear it around town in winter and around camp.

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REI windhibitor (not windproof). Patagonia R2.

Great to wear over a base layer for those aerobic winter sports, but in moderate to nice weather. Works well under a shell, But, not a lot of fleece insulation. however the windstopper is quite effective at keeping you somewhat warm. A fleece windstopper jacket is more versatile though.

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TNF Ultrawick fleece vest

Great vest. Windstopper is wonderful and adds a lot of warmth. Great over a lightweight fleece. I normally take it in my pack skiing for extra warmth. It is a bit pricy at $155. I would have to say I have not used in as much since I bought a Mountain Hardware Windstopper Tech Jacket. It is the best fleece jacket I have ever seen or worn.

Customer Service

North Face has good service-lifetime warranty

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-Patagonia R1 and R2-Great insulation under a shell or in cool nonwindy conditions, but the wind goes right through.
-Mountain Hardware Windstopper Tech Jacket-Best fleece jacket ever. Great fit, no wind gets in, perfect pockets. $225 is a little much to pay but it is worth it. I got mine for $110
on sale.
Patagoina Retro X(great coat, warmer then the Mountain Hardware, but not as wind proof and others.

I have the vest and the jacket. The cut is great: no excess material or shortages in the sleeves. The powder skirt is nice when your shell dosen't have one. Windstopper (tm) is an excellent addition. Downside: Jacket pills bigtime under arms at waist.

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LL Bean All Conditions fleece.

Lightweight material but it has very good insulating properties and good wind-resistance. Inner lining is slightly rough to the touch. Used alone, it is fairly comfortable down to the 40's F.