The waffle and
the smoking jacket
Two Polartec fabrics, two nicknames, one cold-weather system the US Army still talks about. Here is the history, why it works, and why we built Defender 2026 on it.
A system, not a jacket
Back in the 2000s the US Army rebuilt how its soldiers dress for the cold. The result was a system of layers called ECWCS Gen III, built so a soldier could add or shed warmth as the work and the weather changed.
Polartec fabrics ran through it. One was Power Grid: the grid fleece Polartec says the US Army’s ECWCS Gen III Level II layer, nicknamed “the waffle”, is made from.
The other was High Loft, a tall, airy fleece for the insulating layer. Soldiers called that jacket “the smoking jacket”.
Why the grid works
Our Power Grid Quarter-Zip is the high-output layer: the one for when you are moving.
- 1The squares hold warmthRaised fleece traps a layer of warm air against you.
- 2The channels let sweat outAir and moisture move through the gaps, so you do not soak through on the climb.
- 3It dries and packs smallLess fabric, less weight, faster drying.
Why the loft works
Our High Loft Fleece Jacket is the warm layer: the one for when you stop.
- 1Tall pile, more trapped airMore warmth for its weight than dense fleece.
- 2Breathes and dries fastWarm on the walk in without trapping sweat.
- 3Compresses smallLives in the pack until you stop.
The High Loft Jacket vs. the warm fleeces you know
Prices and specs from each brand’s own website. Our price is live for your country.
| Fleece JacketSaint Javelin | Retro Pile JacketPatagonia | Kyanite JacketArc'teryx | Peloton 240 Full ZipKUIU | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $195 | US$149* | US$180 | US$149 |
| Fabric | Polartec High Loft | Polartec recycled shearling fleece | Polartec Power Stretch Pro | Toray bonded fleece (not Polartec) |
| Abrasion panels | Shoulders, upper back, forearms, sides | None | None (nylon-faced fabric) | None listed |
| Face cover / hood | Stand collar, two-way zip | Stand collar | Stand collar | Stand collar |
| Pockets | 2 zip hand | 3 zip | 2 zip hand | 2 zip hand |
| Made in | Ukraine | Sri Lanka | El Salvador | Not listed |
Swipe to compare →
Competitor list prices and specs from each brand’s own website, 28 October 2026. * Patagonia prices from US retailers. Shown in your currency; ≈ means converted.
Military-inspired, now made for the outdoors
Saint Javelin started with a sticker of a saint holding a Javelin. We built military-inspired gear first. Defender is where that turned into outdoor gear, and 2026 is the furthest it has gone.
-
February 2022It started with a sticker
Journalist Christian Borys prints a sticker: a saint in green robes holding a Javelin. He hopes to raise a few hundred dollars for Ukraine. Days later Russia launches its full-scale invasion, and the saint goes around the world.
-
2022Made in Ukraine
We stop being a meme and start being a maker. Production moves into Ukraine, and we start learning how to make things that last.
-
November 2023The first Defender
Our first cold-weather collection: a fleece, and the padded work socks people still buy from us today.
-
2024Polartec arrives
Defender moves to Polartec: quarter-zip fleeces, a sherpa hoodie and thermals. Customers start calling them the best fleece they own.
-
2025Into the mountains
The Karpathian Sherpa fleece, shot with Ukrainian veterans hiking the Carpathian mountains. Our first real step into outdoor gear.
-
2026Tested in the Yukon
Defender 2026: Polartec Power Grid, Micro 100, 200 and High Loft, cut and sewn in Ukraine. Before it went on sale we wore it for five days and 55 km off-trail in the Yukon backcountry, with nights down to −10 °C.
Get the High Loft Fleece Jacket
Polartec High Loft Midweight - Fleece Jacket
- Stay warm when you stop moving, on a long sit, a summit or at camp: Polartec High Loft is the warmest fabric in the collection.
- Get it on and off over everything: full-length two-way zip and a stand collar that seals at the neck.
- Carry a pack without wearing it out: stretch nylon on the shoulders, upper back, forearms and lower sides.
- Breathes on the walk in, dries fast, compresses small for its warmth.
- Two zip hand pockets and a bungee hem that seals out the cold.
People who own last year’s Defender fleece
The High Loft Jacket is new for 2026. Here is what customers say about the Defender fleeces before it.
“The polartec fleece is as warm as it can get for a fleece. I am renovating and wanted some cosy and real warm fleece. This one delivers.”
“This is a very well rounded fleece that is good for having a coffee at home or going for a rigourous long hike or multi day outdoor trip.”
“I love the length and how warm it is without being heavy.”
“Very warm fleece. Good sizing and so comfortable. With a windproof shell it is unbeatable.”
“What few mention is how dense it is! … it’s going to hold heat better and resist wind more than any fleece I’ve encountered, ever.”
“Better than any fleece hoodie I have purchased from name brand s in the past.”
Store-wide: 4.89★ from 5,469 reviews (Judge.me, 28 October 2026).
Questions we get
How warm is it?
It is the warmest piece in Defender 2026: the layer you put on when you stop moving. Under a shell in real cold, on its own on dry, still days.
Is it waterproof?
No. It is fleece: it breathes and dries fast, but in rain or wet snow wear it under a shell.
How does it fit?
Cut to go over a base layer and a light mid-layer. Size guide on the product page.
Where is it made?
Cut and sewn in ukraine, by teams who keep working through blackouts.
What is the fabric?
Polartec High Loft (97% polyester, 3% spandex). Abrasion panels are stretch nylon (91% nylon, 9% elastane).
