Stio Glide Power Stretch Half Zip Review

Initial Impressions

Stio Glide Power Stretch Half Zip is a super soft (inside and outside) fleece midlayer that can function as a layering option for winter sports or can be worn as everyday apparel.

Detailed Review

The Stio Glide Power Stretch Half Zip features Polartec® Power Stretch® and fits true to size.  The fit is just right – not boxy but not too tight.  The weight of the fabric is midweight, making it a great midlayer option for winter activities or as a single layer option when wearing as everyday wear.  The inside is super soft and fleecy – but doesn’t pill or clump together after multiple washings like some fleece fabrics have a tendency to do. The outer finish of the fabric is smooth and soft.

The Stio Glide Power Stretch Half Zip features a half zip in the front with a locking zipper (zipper pull down to lock in place, zipper pull up and it unzips with a gentle tug.)  There’s a side pocket at the right hip that’s spacious enough to fit a cell phone. The garment also features piping at the neck, front zipper, and back bottom hem in a complimentary color for a little design pop.

Testing conditions:

• Everyday wear: Many early mornings of heading out to the pool or needing a warm layer post-workout
• Cold conditions: A Winter Solstice bikepacking trip and a cold + windy ski day

I’ve been wearing the Stio Glide Power Stretch Half Zip for nearly two months on a consistent basis for everyday wear.  It fits really well and is incredibly soft and cozy; I’ve been grabbing this shirt over a hoodie sweatshirt on most days. For daily use, this fleece is really durable.  Stains easily wash out and the fabric is really tough.  The fabric doesn’t pull or get damaged – it’s held up against my cat’s claws and several days of pokey fall yardwork.

I chose the Stio Glide Power Stretch Half Zip as my midlayer for my winter bikepacking trip because it packed down to a decent size and I thought it’d provide the warmth needed to sit by the fire on a cold December night.  This shirt kept me plenty warm (as a midlayer; I was also wearing a baselayer and a down jacket).  As a bonus, the smoke smell from the campfire washed right out.

Skiing is where this garment really shines. I wore this on a cold and windy powder day; air temps were in the teens, windchill was below zero and winds were whipping. I ski pretty hard, preferring fluffy powder bumps over groomers, and I often struggle with overheating as I ski and then freezing on the lift.  I was pretty heavily layered up (2 wool base layers, the Stio Glide Power Stretch Half Zip, and a lightly insulated ski jacket).  My temperature and amount of sweat were well controlled.  I never felt overly hot – or overly cold – and I never felt sweaty. 

Closing Thoughts

The Stio Glide Power Stretch Half Zip has become my go-to garment for wearing everyday and for use in cold-weather activities like skiing or camping.  The fabric is super soft and stays that way after months of use and weekly washings.  This garment is recommended for a wide range of activities, from hanging out at Colorado Avalanche games to winter camping to skiing. It does it all, while keeping you warm and looking good.

Erin Trail

Erin Trail’s hobby is collecting hobbies. She’s a 5th Generation Coloradan and grew up exploring the outdoors on family camping trips and hikes.  Her first backpacking trip was at eight years old to Grizzly Reservoir – she proudly carried all of her own gear those 3 miles from the main parking lot to the Reservoir.

Erin Trail of Engearment.com

Erin is an adult-onset athlete who started as a Masters Swimmer and then developed into a triathlete.  She completed 5 Ironman races and nearly 20 x 70.3 distance Ironman races, including the World Championship in Lahti, Finland, in 2023.  Somewhere along her triathlon journey, she picked up a deep love of cycling.

Cycling encouraged her to see landscapes in a new way, learn new skills and to develop self reliance; now she often goes and does Type 2 rides just to see if she can do it.  She’s got all the bikes: gravel, mountain, fat bike, time trial and road.

She is even known to combine her love of camping and cycling and go off on solo 24 hour overnight bikepacking trips in the mountains of Colorado. In addition to bikes, she teaches yoga, lifts weights, skis, SUPs and has recently purchased a campervan.

Erin is a former Montana park ranger with a degree in environmental engineering.  She loves getting into technical details while putting her gear (and herself) through the paces. She shares her home in Colorado with her husband, Will, and her 3 cats (Zipper, Brewtus, and Simcoe).

When not adventuring, she can be found on a sunny patio somewhere, drinking beers with her husband.