Peter Storm Helvellyn Fleece.

Millets, who are also part of the Blacks Leisure group plc, very kindly sent me a fleece to review.

First of all i would like to point out that i am not in any way, part of the Millets or Blacks organisation and i have sole control of my reviews.
This is a free and  independent review, there are no constraints put on my words by the company other than to say which company has provided the “Kit” to review.

As the title says it is the Peter Storm Helvellyn Fleece.

The Helvellyn is a cost effective fleece at under £20 and is ideal for anything from Duke of Edinburgh award hikes, general use or for longer backpacking trips.

I have used this fleece most days since the end of march and most recently on a 3 day Scottish borders walk of 38 miles.

The fleece material is 100% Polyester and it has some 2 way stretch. 

I ordered a large fleece and i was pleased to find that the fit was not designed for the most athletic of us. The length for me was perfect and although the sleeves were slightly long, i didn’t mind this as i could pull the cuffs over my hands when they got a bit chilly.

The cuffs themselves, like the hem do not have elastic, this suited me because it made rolling up the sleeves very easy. Elasticated cuffs can be a problem to roll up.

The weight of this Large size fleece is 331gr. or 11.6oz. 

For a fleece that i would put in the mid weight and warmth class it is light enough to take anywhere.

The collar depth is 7.0 cm and double material, it was a perfect fit for my 16” neck and is very comfortable. Although there is no zip guard on the collar i didn’t find it was a problem.

The 2 zips are not great, at first i thought the main zip might fail and so i worked it a good 20 times but the zip was fine although it is still very notchy and i don’t like them at all. Although the main zip is 250mm i would prefer a longer one to increase venting when required.

The chest pocket is a reasonable size, measuring 170mm x 130mm but the zip length is only 125mm and for me this limited what i could get in it. ie my glasses case would not fit but my mobile phone would. The pocket is not mesh and therefore cannot be used as a vent.

Although the shoulder seams are raglan in style and reasonably flat stitching the pressure on the seam against my shoulder blade, caused by my backpacking rucksack, resulted in some discomfort. 

The 2 tone colours both use the same material and are cosmetic not functional. The material has not pilled in any way even with the rucksack straps rubbing.

Washing instructions say 40 degrees, reshape whilst damp and hang to dry. 

I have washed it at 30 degrees along with my normal wash load. I didn’t reshape it but just hung it on the line. It dried very quickly and stayed in shape too, so that was a plus point.

Conclusion.

I have enjoyed reviewing this fleece and found it a good warm companion for those chilly early mornings and evenings. For a fleece in this price bracket it is good value for money.

Zips need improving and venting could be better but for the money there is little to detract.