In today's review, I will take a closer look at the fleece jacket Patriot from the manufacturer Helikon-Tex. I reviewed and compared many brands of fleece jackets, but after considering all the parameters, this one caught my eye. First of all, I cared about practical use. Secondly, I wanted the jacket to have the highest possible weight, a hood and plenty of storage pockets. Every time I found an interesting piece of jacket, it was missing a hood or didn't have enough usable pockets. And what was most important? Guess... The use of the fleece jacket, not only now in winter, but also in autumn or spring weather.
Advantages of the fleece jacket
As I mentioned above, this fleece jacket is suitable for winter weather, of course as a mid layer, but it handles a few degrees below zero easily and without problems. Even during sub-zero temperatures, I wore it as an outer layer. In combination with a hoodie, I felt comfortable, and I didn't feel cold even during minor activities or breaks. Or in combination with a quality fleece hoodie, it can handle much more than it seems. It is also suitable as an outer layer for transitional weather, for everyday civilian wear, as well as for outdoor use, the shooting range, training, or as a duty jacket.
The material of this jacket is made of "double Superfine fleece", 100% polyester. But in plain terms, it is made of a double fleece material with a fabric weight of up to 390g/m2, meaning it is made of double fleece, which excellently retains body heat. An important point is that despite the thick material, it is highly breathable. It lets moisture escape outward, which guarantees a high sense of comfort even during strenuous activity, when our body is put to the test. An inseparable main part of the jacket is also the closure - a zipper, from the brand YKK.
YKK zippers are part of the entire fleece jacket. From the bottom of the jacket all the way to the top of the collar, which ends with a chin guard. The collar nicely covers the entire neck area up to the chin. YKK zippers are also located in the underarm area, which contribute to greater comfort during exertion and regulate ventilation during more intense activity. The same applies to both sleeve pockets, which also feature velcro panels. On these, you can attach, for example, unit affiliation, division insignia, specializations or interesting patches with hook-and-loop fastening. You can order patches in interesting combinations and designs on the website /.
There is also one pocket on the left forearm. It can fit, for example, a lighter, a knife or an ID card. The two chest pockets located on the front are also an interesting combination, as they are divided by an organizer. The larger part of the pocket, which is divided into a smaller section, for example for a phone, personal documents, has openings for headphone cables. One back pocket on the waist area, which has two zippers, can easily fit a topographic map. As for the YKK closures, they are easy to operate even in winter or tactical gloves. Closing works with one pull, I never experienced the zipper getting stuck, or being unable to quickly open it, or close the pocket.
An interesting addition to the fleece jacket is the longer back bottom cut, which also includes a drawstring at the waist and reliably covers the lower back area. This applies even when kneeling, crouching, or sitting on the ground or in a car. In winter, thanks to this clever cut, you will not feel cold on your back. The sleeves feature adjustable straps with hook-and-loop fastening and the HELIKON-TEX logo, which allow you to adjust the width for tactical gloves, winter gloves, or just for your hand. The drawstring system also includes a hood with a soft peak, which will certainly come in handy during snowfall or rain. As for color variants, there are three color variants available – black, coyote, jungle green. The jacket is available in sizes from XS up to 3XL.
Care of the fleece material
Fleece materials are durable and breathable, so they do not need to be washed too often. Therefore, I recommend washing the jackets only in case of visible stains or a noticeable odor. Maintenance of fleece jackets is fairly simple; they can be washed using standard synthetic fabric programs, at lower temperatures, with regular liquid detergents. Above all, do not use fabric softener or conditioner. Before washing, I recommend turning the jacket inside out and tucking the sleeves in, which will better protect the jacket during washing. As a precaution, check the pockets carefully, as any pieces of paper are very difficult to remove from a fleece jacket. Fleece jackets can be dried in a dryer at lower temperatures.
I do not recommend ironing the fleece material - this could damage its insulating properties. If it is necessary to iron the jacket, you can iron it with a steam iron through a towel or a piece of fabric without pressing down. When caring for fleece jackets, however, you should primarily follow the label on the product, which provides detailed instructions on maintenance, cleaning, and drying, since the instructions may vary slightly between individual products.
I definitely include the Helikon Patriot fleece jacket in my wardrobe, as I wore it mostly during winter days and had the opportunity to discover and verify its advantages. I can rate it very positively, as it is truly very warm and comfortable to wear. It truly met my expectations. One small piece of advice in conclusion: if you are ordering your size, order one size smaller. The cut is wider than usual sizes.
The Helikon-tex brand
I already wrote about the history and beginnings of the manufacturer Helikon-Tex in my previous review, but you might be interested to know that in 2013 Helikon-Tex started a collaboration with the Hyde Definition brand. A company that designs camouflage solutions, providing access to the PenCott: GreenZone, Badlands, SandStorm, and Snowdrift patterns.
The Helikon-Tex brand was included in the Business Powers 2015 list, i.e., companies in Poland with the fastest growing market value during the previous year. In the same year, it was also included in the Effective Company 2015 ranking and the Worldwide Company 2015 ranking. In 2016, Helikon-Tex was the winner of the Gazele Biznesu 2016 ranking.
In 2017, in addition to existing wholesale channels, the company also launched its own retail sales channel, through its own online store.
The Helikon-Tex brand is an active participant in industry trade fairs, e.g. MSPO in Kielce, NTOA in Phoenix (Arizona, USA), SHOT Show in Las Vegas (Nevada, USA), and IWA in Nuremberg (Germany).
