Cold weather clothing, Help. It’s that time of year again when the warehouse staff are being issued with their “cold weather” jackets and once again I am getting complaints that the fleece jackets that they are being issued are too thin to keep out the cold (or keep in the heat) . I have explained that as far as I am aware, the performance of these fabrics is not dependent on the thickness indeed it was a selling point that it is less bulky while being just as warm. My question is how are these fabrics rated, this fleece is marked as 330gramme but that gives no indication as to how well it will perform in a cold environment, can anyone point me to any guidance that may be available? Any help would be appreciated. Jomo

Thanks for your input Wizzpete. What I was wondering is whether there is some straightforward rating system, rather like the TOG rating found on duvets, that would allow me to show that the garment is every bit as efficient whilst being thinner and thereby allowing greater freedom of movement. Jomo

If the fleeces are marked as being 330grammes - they are Heavyweight. 300g seems to be about the norm for 'good' fleeces

Jomo The thing to bear in mind is that most fleeces are not wind / draft proof - they may be an excellent insulator in an area with no breeze but out in the wind it will whistle right through and provide little insulation value. I've had students out who are puzzled as to why my fleece is warmer than thiers - the reason being mine is a 'windproof' fleece, Polartec do the windbloc or windpro fleeces that have either a membrane or a much more tightly woven outer or face layer that stops the wind getting through. My general rule of thumb has been either wear a 'windproof' fleece or a fleece and outer weather layer.

Thanks to everyone for your replies. It was my impression looking at the data supplied with the garments that they are of good quality, showerproof and breathable. However the problem seems to be one of perception, if it is not thick and snuggly it can’t be warm and, regardless of explanation about the properties of “high tech” fabrics, that seems to be that. We have asked everyone to give them a chance, wear them for a few weeks to see how they get on and after giving the garments a fair trial, they may well find that they are as good as the manufacturer claims. Of course as Ken pointed out, feeling the cold is a very subjective thing and it may be that we can never please everyone. Thanks again for taking the time to reply, Jomo

I have to agree with Bob regarding the whole body. When i was working on construction sites during the winter i would always wear thermal leggings that i bought from a hiking shop. I couldnt quite bring myself to wear my old military ones but they were just as efective. Once the other guys on site got used to the idea that i'd wear them regardless of any mickey taking, one by one they all invested in a pair and it just became the norm on any cold day.

Jomo, why not issue thermal undergarments, where I work it is impossible to consistently heat the factory to any minimum guidance value, roller doors opening & closing all day are also a major problem, we issue undergarments, which were sneered at initially but now the shopfloor employees actually look forward to their issue, definitely layers, layers & more layers where required! Best of Luck Nick