The Patagonia Better Sweater is one of the most comfortable fleece jackets I’ve owned. Made entirely from polyester fleece, the material is woven to be moisture-wicking in the interior and thermally insulating on the exterior. In addition to a great outdoors-y look, the knitted, heathered surface is also very resistant to wear-and-tear. Despite regularly wearing the sweater for over a year, I have not noticed any pilling or loose threads. For comfort, the sweater’s sleeves are sewn using a raglan pattern, which improves mobility and evokes athletic ability as raglan patterns are usually associated with baseball. Finally, the sweater is advertised as environmentally friendly. According to the product website, the sweater is made using a process which uses less dye, water, and energy than conventional sweaters and is Fair-Trade Certified. While I am unsure how much this actually improves the environmental impact of the sweater (compared with using an organic material over polyester threads), the appeal to the green movement also fits in with the outdoors explorer theme that Patagonia tries to push with the sweater. For its texture, durability, and environmental friendliness, Patagonia’s Better Sweater is what I’ve got for comfortable outerwear.
