The North Face Progressor Power Grid Fleece Hoodie – Lightweight Hoodie for Your Next Adventure

The North Face Progressor Power Grid Hoodie is a lightweight, stretchy hoodie that serves as a great layering piece for hiking, training and everyday use.  The hoodie is very breathable thanks to the Polartec Power Grid 100 weight and FlashDry materials.

A fleece for active users

The Progressor fleece hoodie has reinforced shoulders and arms for protection on climbing and backpacking.  The stretchy overlays are also coated with a DWR (Durable Water Repellent) to keep mild rain showers at bay.  Its athletic fit is best suited for active users looking for a functional fleece. This is not a thick and cozy fleece, this is a performance fleece made for training, hiking, climbing, and any other activity were mobility, breathability and protection are needed.

Comfortable and breathable

The Polartec Power Grid material is soft against the skin and is a pleasure to wear.  There is a significant amount of stretch as well.  The 100 weight fleece is very thin too.  In fact, you can see almost see through it when held up to the light. This thin fleece breathes very well thanks to the FlashDry XD materials.

Surprisingly wind resistant

Though the fleece is thin, it is surprisingly wind resistant.  Most fleece clothes let the wind go right through them.  This one did not.  This was much appreciated when I was out hiking above tree-line and winds can be very strong.  By no means is it windproof, but it is very wind resistant, especially for a fleece.

Functional design

Even though this is a lightweight (14 oz) piece, The North Face did not skip on functional elements.  There are two sizable, zippered hand pockets and a zippered Napoleon pocket.  The hand pockets sit a bit low and serve casual use very well.  They did not play well with backpack hip straps though.  The hood is tight fitting and useful.  No adjusters for it and none really needed.

How the Progressor Power Grid was tested

I used the fleece as a training hoodie at the gym for several sessions.  The athletic fit was perfect for my body.  Size XL was a great fit for me.  For reference, I am 6ft 200lb 45″ chest and 33″ waist.  Often I have a hard time finding tops that fit without them being too baggy in the gut.  The slim fit of this fleece was very nice.  On day hikes in the Colorado mountains, the Progressor performed very well.  Dumping heat as I hiked and shedding off light rain showers and wind.  I really appreciated how breathable the back was when wearing a backpack.  Smart of North Face to not put the softshell like material on the back, allowing it to breathe very well.

If you are looking for an athletic fitting, performance fleece for hiking, backpacking, training, and casual use, the Progressor would make a good choice.  It can be a mid layer or outer layer and is comfortable in a variety of situations.  Available in Men’s  and Women’s MSRP $179

See also –

Patagonia R1 TechFace Hoody Fleece – Better than R1?

Your New Favorite Hoody? The Canyonlands from The North Face