Fleece vs. softshell company jackets: choosing a North Face layer

Is softshell or fleece better?

Fleece would be our first sample for an office team, while a softshell is worth a look for people who spend more of their day outside in the wind. Before ordering company jackets, put the actual styles side by side: some softshells have fleece inside, and fleece weights vary quite a bit.

A jacket order gets expensive enough that we'd want someone to try one on. Preferably someone besides the person placing the order. The person who is always cold in the office may love a heavy fleece; the person carrying boxes out to an event may leave it in the car.

That doesn't mean you need a survey of every employee's wardrobe. A couple of samples and a conversation about the workday can get you much further than choosing a jacket because you recognize the brand.

What the North Face product sheets tell us

Here's a pair you could ask about. The Women's Sweater Fleece Jacket, NF0A3LH8, has a sweater-knit exterior and a brushed fleece interior. SanMar describes it as heavyweight. We'd keep that last word in mind if the plan is to wear it inside all afternoon.

The Apex Barrier Soft Shell, NF0A3LGT, has windproof fabric and a water-repellent finish, with brushed fleece on the inside. So yes, you can choose a softshell and still get a fleece lining. The outer face is doing a different job from the sweater-knit exterior on the other jacket.

For an office group, the sweater fleece is where we'd begin. For a team handling outdoor check-in, we'd want to see the softshell. Neither recommendation settles the size list. Try the sample over what people wear to work, zip it up and reach forward. It's easy to miss tight shoulders when all you do is stand in front of a mirror.

These are examples to compare, not a stock promise. The supplier needs the style, color and size breakdown to check availability. We'd do that before sending staff an order form with a picture of their new jacket. Also, a retail page showing one jacket for sale doesn't tell us whether we can get enough for your company order.

A wet event needs a separate conversation

Mammut's softshell guide discusses wind and light-rain protection, along with the need for other layers in colder conditions. We wouldn't turn "water-repellent" on a product sheet into "waterproof" in a quote.

If your crew will be standing out in the rain, say that in the project notes. Walking across a parking lot and staffing a table outside for hours are different uses. The brand name doesn't give either jacket a temperature rating, either. Someone moving around may be comfortable while the person standing at the table wants another layer.

Your logo probably won't go where it goes on a polo

Both North Face styles we've mentioned have a brand mark on the left chest. The Apex puts a pocket there too. That's worth noticing now, while the order is still a discussion.

Its decoration sheet lists left chest as unavailable and shows an area on the right chest. There are qualifications about size, method and equipment on that sheet. We'd check the exact garment before treating the listed area as the size your logo should be.

Write "wearer's right chest" on the proof, with the design width. It saves the left-versus-right conversation later. We'd also want to see the pocket and the existing North Face mark on the proof, rather than a logo floating on a plain jacket outline.

Austin Print Co does embroidery in Cedar Park. We can review the file against the jacket before settling on the stitch layout. If there's a tiny tagline under your logo, that's the bit we'd examine closely on textured fleece. A stitch sample is useful when you're unsure whether that line will read.

For these jackets, we'd talk about embroidery first. A transfer isn't automatically ruled out, but the Apex decoration sheet warns about heat and coated fabric. It also advises care with embroidery when maintaining weather protection. Have that discussion before buying your own box of jackets; the garment and the decoration need to work together.

Get a fleece quote and a softshell quote for the same job

You can send the same artwork and quantity for both. Keep packing and delivery the same as well, so the difference you see is the choice you're trying to make. Comparing a blank jacket price with a decorated price won't help much.

Imagine an order for 30 people, most working indoors and a few doing events. It might make sense to get two styles in similar colors with matching embroidery. Or it might be simpler to pick one sample everybody is happy with. That's a planning example, not a claim about a past customer. We'd price the split before asking employees which one they want.

Sleeve names or another logo location add work. If the price is uncomfortable, those are details to revisit, along with the garment brand. Buying unwanted sizes to reach a quantity break wouldn't be our solution.

Once you've picked the style, save the number with the approved artwork. It makes future apparel orders easier to discuss. We still have to check stock on a reorder, but at least nobody is trying to identify a jacket from a photograph of the collar.

Work back from the day you're handing them out

Tell us when the finished jackets need to be with you. Not just when the event starts. You'll want time to sort sizes, and individual employee shipments need time of their own. The proof and any sample review belong ahead of production, rather than squeezed into the delivery day.

A rush request is something we have to check against the product, quantity, artwork, proof approval, stock and production schedule. Having embroidery nearby doesn't make a missing size arrive sooner. If the date is fixed, let us include an alternative jacket in the quote.

Request a custom quote with your headcount, work setting, preferred style or budget, logo and handoff date. A size breakdown helps if you already have one. We can start with a fleece and a softshell option and see which belongs in this order.

Frequently asked questions

Which is warmer, fleece or soft shell?

It depends on which jackets you're holding: the lining and wind protection matter, and a softshell may already have fleece inside.

Are softshell jackets warm enough for winter?

Possibly for mild conditions, but we wouldn't buy one as the only layer for a crew standing outside in the cold for hours.

What are the disadvantages of fleece?

Ordinary fleece isn't a weatherproof outer layer, and small embroidered text can need some adjustment on a textured surface.

Is fleece too hot for summer?

For an outdoor Austin summer uniform we'd pick something else, though a light fleece may be welcome in a cold office where it can be taken off.