“I bought one last year, I regretted not buying two. This is the best fleece on the planet. I'm buying my second one now.”
JJon S. Review of our Defender Polar 1/4 Zip Fleece
Polartec 200 Midweight
No swish, no crackle
Made in Ukraine
Real customer review
★★★★★4.9 · 5,400+ reviews
“I bought one last year, I regretted not buying two. This is the best fleece on the planet. I'm buying my second one now.”
JJon S.✓ Verified buyer Review of our Defender Polar 1/4 Zip Fleece
The silent fleece elite operators choosePolartec 200 MidweightNo swish. No crackle.Designed for very cold winter conditionsTrusted by militaries around the world100% Made in Ukraine4.9 ★ from 5,400+ reviewsThe silent fleece elite operators choosePolartec 200 MidweightNo swish. No crackle.Designed for very cold winter conditionsTrusted by militaries around the world100% Made in Ukraine4.9 ★ from 5,400+ reviews
01 · Chosen by operators
Chosen by the world’s elite operators.
Sometimes clothing can be closer to PPE than fashion, and that’s why soldiers demand Polartec.
We know because we’re building it for them too. We’ve worked closely with teams in Ukraine to build exactly what they asked for, using this same Polartec material.
The fabric they chose is the same Polartec 200 this hoodie is cut from. Not because it looks good. Because it’s warm, and because it’s silent.
People in that line of work don’t pick their gear by accident.
02 · Silent when it matters
Silent when it matters.
Swish.Crackle.Silent.
Most outdoor layers make noise. Shells and softshells swish with every arm swing and crackle when you crouch. Fleece doesn’t. Its soft, brushed face moves quietly.
For the operators who chose it, the reason is obvious. In a tree stand, it’s the difference between a shot and a deer that heard you first. On a dawn walk, it’s a layer you forget you’re wearing.
19791979
Polartec’s mill in Massachusetts makes the first synthetic fleece.
03 · Warm in real cold
Warm in real cold. With the history to prove it.
Polartec 200 Midweight is designed for very cold winter conditions. It holds heat when you stop, breathes while you climb and dries fast. In wind or wet, throw a shell over it.
File 01
The first fleece
Polartec’s mill in Massachusetts made the first synthetic fleece in 1979.
File 02Gen II
In US Army kit
Polartec 200 went into the US Army’s Gen II cold-weather bib overalls.
File 03
Still trusted
It’s still the material trusted by militaries around the world.
File 04Ukraine
Cut and sewn in Ukraine
The fleece is made in the USA. We bring it into Ukraine and cut and sew the Ninja Hoodie there.
Kluane National Park, Yukon
We wore it in the Yukon first.
Before we sold a single one, we wore the Ninja Hoodie for six days and 55 km off-trail through Kluane National Park: no trail, nights down to −12 °C, grizzly country. It wasn’t a photo shoot.
Off-trail
Freezing nights
Mountain passes
Grizzly country
Frozen-lake morningHood up in the glacier windLake shore, KluaneLayered up at camp
0 1 2 3 4.0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
★★★★★5,400+ reviews
“This is the best fleece on the planet.”
JJon S. Review of our Defender Polar 1/4 Zip Fleece
Built like gear
Built to be worn hard.
01 · The panels
Ripstop where packs rub.
Pack straps, hip belts and elbows are what wear out a fleece. So the back of the forearms and the sides under the arms are nylon ripstop, which takes the rubbing the fleece would otherwise take.
Nylon ripstopForearms + sides
★★★★★
“Can tell from the feel it will last forever. Super nice and warm.”
Harrison P. · review of our Defender Polartec 1/4 Zip Fleece
02 · The pockets
Pockets for cold hands.
Two angled zip pockets open into a kangaroo pocket up front. Gloves, phone, a hand warmer: zipped in, not bouncing out.
2 angled zip pocketsKangaroo pocket
★★★★★
“Sizing is spot on. Very warm in winter, and breathable when inside. Pockets are deceiving large and useful. Pocket draw strings are a nice touch. Best mid layer I’ve ever bought.”
Kieran · review of our Defender Polartec 1/4 Zip Fleece
03 · The hem
A hem that seals.
One bungee cord with a cord lock at the side of the hem. Cinch it to keep cold air out, or loosen it to let heat out on the climb.
Bungee hemCord lock at the side
★★★★★
“Very warm fleece. Good sizing and so comfortable. With a windproof shell it is unbeatable.”
Lbashow · review of our Polartec Karpathian Sherpa Full-Zip
04 · And one more thing
And the hood zips into a balaclava.
The half-zip runs up into a fitted hood. Keep zipping and it closes around your face, with an elastic-bound opening for your eyes. YKK zippers that zip quietly, and the pull tucks into a zipper garage, so there’s no cold metal on your chin. Unzip it and it’s a normal hood again.
YKK zipsZipper garageNothing extra to pack
★★★★★
“Love it definitely keeps my head warm especially because I work outside in the cold and its soft definitely recommend this to anyone that works outside”
Todd W. · review of our Power Stretch Balaclava
Side by side
The Ninja Hoodie vs. a shell or an ordinary hoodie
“This is not your typical "polar fleece" … It's not thick, and only very, very slightly more bulky than a typical fleece. But it's dense”
Aj R. · review of our Defender Polar 1/4 Zip Fleece
5-star reviews
People who wore the last ones.
Defender 2026 is brand new, so these are real, unedited reviews of the Saint Javelin fleeces that came before it, each labelled with the one it’s about.
4.9
★★★★★ 5,400+ reviews
Before you buy
Straight answers.
Is it really silent?
The body is Polartec fleece, with a soft, brushed face that doesn’t swish or crackle like nylon. That’s one of the reasons soldiers choose it.
Is it the same fleece soldiers wear?
Same fabric: Polartec 200 Midweight. Military fleeces are built to each unit’s spec. The Ninja Hoodie is our design, with the balaclava hood.
Do I need to be a soldier to wear it?
No. Most people wear it hunting, hiking, on the hill or walking the dog in January. It just happens to be cut from fabric soldiers chose.
How warm is it?
Polartec 200 Midweight is designed for very cold winter conditions. It holds heat when you stop and breathes when you move. We don’t give temperature ratings; in wind or rain, wear a shell over it.
Is it waterproof?
No. It’s fleece. It breathes and dries fast; in rain or wet snow, wear a shell over it.
Can I wear the hood open?
Yes. Unzipped, it’s a normal fitted hood. It’s a half-zip: the zip runs from mid-chest up into the hood. Zip it all the way when the wind picks up.
What colours and sizes are there?
Olive, Midnight Black and Ranger Green, in S to XXL. Relaxed fit, with room for a base layer. The size chart is on the product page.
Where is it made?
100% Made in Ukraine. The Polartec fleece is made in the USA; we bring it into Ukraine and cut and sew the hoodie there.
Ninja Hoodie
Ninja Hoodie
