Gear Review: Montane Bear Jacket Fleece

Montane Bear Jacket Fleece 9/10
What is it about heavy-duty fleeces that they end up with animal names? Maybe it's because they make you look like a furry animal? Anyway, this jacket certainly acts like a fur layer, constructed from Polartec Thermal Pro in long brushed fibres (outside and inside) to trap warm air throughout keeping you very snug and cosy.  It weighs in at 450g which is a whole 64g less than Mountain Hardwear's Monkey Man Fleece.  After wearing both I can safely say that they are both excellent fleeces. The Bear Jacket's warmth: weight ratio is better (though if you're going ultralight I'd skip it and go for something like the Crux Halo Down Jacket or a bit of Primaloft like the Montane Prism).  It wicks moisture impressively as well, in my opinion, but with the Monkey Man you get powerstretch in the underarm area which increases its breathablity. High void fabrics like the Bear Jacket are lightweight and compress well, and is a good piece of kit to have in the bottom of your pack to put on at basecamp (if you have the room!) for comfiness however I'd definitely pip for the Monkey Man, hands down. They both retail at exactly the same price (£100) so basically you're deciding on whether your priorities lie with weight (60g less- Bear) or breathability (powerstretched-Monkey Man).
SPEC:
Lightweight, high void POLARTEC® fleece jacket:  450g

The Bear Jacket is an extremely efficient way to trap warm air when insulation is required in a layering system. POLARTEC® Thermal Pro® fabric has long brushed fibres on both sides to trap air allowing the body to keep warm in much the same way as many wild animals that live in cold climates do. With minimal features, the Bear Jacket is designed purely for insulation, it works best when teamed with an eVent® hardshell for extreme winter conditions or with a PERTEX® windproof shell in spring and autumn. High void fabrics, are by their nature lightweight and compress to a very small size, this ensures the Bear Jacket is an ideal warm layer and is likely not to be noticed whether worn or packed away for emergency use.
Full length front zip with anti-snag baffle
Two zipped hand-warmer pockets

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