Softshell or fleece? It's one of the most common questions when a business kits out a team for the cooler months. They look similar on a product page, they're both comfortable, and they both carry an embroidered logo well. The difference is in what they protect against — and that's what should decide it.
Fleece: warmth, first and foremost
A fleece is a soft, knitted insulating layer. Its whole job is to trap warm air close to the body, and it does that very well for the weight.
Good for
- Indoor and sheltered work — warehouses, workshops, chilled stores and offices.
- A warm mid-layer worn under a coat or hi-vis jacket in colder conditions.
- Comfort and easy movement, with a soft feel that people happily wear all day.
Worth knowing
- Little to no wind or water resistance on its own — a breeze cuts straight through.
- Best thought of as insulation rather than an outer shell.
Softshell: weather resistance with some warmth
A softshell is a bonded outer layer, usually with a wind-resistant and water-repellent face and a soft, slightly warm backing. It's built to be the outer jacket, not just insulation.
Good for
- Outdoor and mixed work — site visits, deliveries, groundwork, van-based trades.
- Blustery, showery days where you want wind resistance and to shrug off light rain.
- A smart, structured look that suits customer-facing and corporate teams.
Worth knowing
- Water-repellent, not fully waterproof — heavy or sustained rain will get through.
- A little less soft-and-cosy than a pure fleece, as it's doing more than just insulating.
Why not both?
Plenty of teams layer up: a fleece for warmth under a softshell or waterproof for the weather. Because there's no minimum order, you can mix a fleece and a softshell into the same branded kit and let people grab what suits the day. A gilet (body-warmer) is a useful third option where core warmth matters but full sleeves get in the way.
Whichever you pick, brand it well
Softshells and fleeces both take embroidery cleanly, and a stitched logo won't crack or peel through washing and wear — which is exactly what you want on a jacket that lives on someone's back all winter. If you're weighing your decoration options, our embroidery vs print guide lays it out.
Ready to sort your team's winter layers? See our corporate & office uniforms and winter workwear pages, or workwear for business for a full setup.
