Types of Jackets: The Complete Guide for Teams and Business

The main types of jackets used for custom business and team apparel are softshell jackets, fleece jackets and vests, quarter-zip pullovers, bomber jackets, varsity jackets, windbreakers, and puffer jackets. Each suits a different climate, budget, and brand feel, and each takes an embroidered or printed logo differently, including the varsity-style pick from our custom jackets range. All seven sit in Arklavo's custom jackets lineup.

Picking the wrong one means a jacket that sits in a cupboard; picking the right one means a layer your team actually reaches for every day, with your logo on it. This guide walks through every common style, what it is built for, how it decorates, what it costs, and which one fits your team, so you can order with confidence instead of guessing.

We decorate every one of these styles every week for teams across the US and worldwide, from single samples to full-team runs, so the comparisons here come from production experience rather than a catalog. If you already know the style you want, the custom jackets collection carries it with your logo applied and no minimum order.

The Main Types of Jackets

Seven jacket styles cover almost every business and team need, and they divide cleanly by warmth and setting. Softshells and quarter-zips are the all-season workhorses, fleece is the indoor layer, windbreakers handle mild outdoor events, puffers own the cold, and bombers and varsity jackets carry brand and team identity. Here is how they compare on the factors that decide a branded order.

Softshell Jackets

A softshell jacket is a flexible, wind-resistant and water-resistant jacket made from bonded stretch fabric, built to be worn as an outer layer across most of the year. It is the most popular choice for corporate and outdoor staff because it looks professional, moves easily, and shrugs off light rain and wind without the bulk of a heavy coat. Think of it as the one jacket that works from a spring morning to a mild winter afternoon.

The fabric is what makes it. A woven face laminated to a soft inner layer gives stretch, wind resistance, and a durable water repellent finish in a single piece, and it holds embroidery cleanly, which is why it is the default for a polished branded uniform.

Softshells sit in the mid-price range and suit almost every setting: reception desks, service crews, trades teams, and field staff. If you want one all-season jacket for a whole mixed team, this is usually the answer.

Fleece Jackets and Vests

A fleece jacket is a soft, insulating layer made from brushed polyester that gives warmth without weight, and a fleece vest is the sleeveless version for core warmth with free arm movement. Fleece is the go-to for cool offices, indoor staff, and layering under a shell in winter, and it feels premium for its price.

Because fleece embroiders cleanly and reads sharp over a branded polo or button-down, it is a favorite for corporate gifting, welcome kits, and front-of-house teams. Custom vests in particular have become a modern corporate staple, worn by sales, real estate, and hospitality teams who want a layer that is not a full jacket.

The one limit worth knowing: fleece has no weather resistance, so it is an indoor or under-layer piece, not an outdoor shell.

Quarter-Zip Pullovers

A quarter-zip is a pullover layer with a zipper that runs about a quarter of the way down the chest, giving a clean, professional look with light adjustable warmth. It has become the modern corporate standard, sitting neatly between a polo and a full jacket, and it is one of the most requested styles for branded team apparel right now.

Quarter-zips suit hospitality, corporate offices, real estate, and sales teams who want a put-together layer that is comfortable for all-day wear. They embroider well on the left chest, layer under a softshell in colder weather, and look intentional in a way a plain sweatshirt does not. For a mixed office where you want everyone to look coordinated without a heavy uniform feel, the quarter-zip is hard to beat.

Bomber Jackets

A bomber jacket is a casual, waist-length jacket with a ribbed collar, cuffs, and hem, originally designed for pilots and now a staple of casual brand and crew apparel. It reads current and relaxed, which makes it popular with breweries, creative studios, retail brands, and staff who want something with personality rather than a corporate look.

Bombers take embroidery or a patch on the chest and larger artwork on the back, and they double well as retail merchandise, not just uniform. They are quicker and cheaper to produce than a varsity jacket, which makes them a strong pick for a fast, budget-friendly branded run.

Varsity Jackets

A varsity jacket, also called a letterman jacket, is a classic team jacket with a wool or fleece body, contrast leather or knit sleeves, and ribbed trim, built for schools, sports teams, and clubs. It is the most tradition-heavy jacket style and the natural pick when team identity and pride matter more than everyday practicality.

Varsity jackets are usually decorated with chenille patches, embroidery, and lettering rather than print, which is central to their classic look. They carry a higher price point and a longer production lead than a softshell, so plan the order earlier for a season or an event. For a school, a club, or a sports program that wants a jacket people keep for years, the varsity is the centerpiece.

Windbreakers

A windbreaker is a lightweight, packable jacket designed to block wind and light rain with little or no insulation, ideal for spring, fall, and outdoor events. It is the lightest jacket most teams will order and the easiest to hand out at scale, which makes it a favorite for event staff and giveaways.

Windbreakers take print well for bold full-color artwork and embroidery for a cleaner logo, so they flex between merch and uniform. They are a strong choice for outdoor crews, race and festival staff, and any team where coverage and visibility matter more than warmth. When the budget is tight and the quantity is high, the windbreaker delivers the most branded coverage per dollar.

Puffer Jackets

A puffer jacket is an insulated jacket filled with down or synthetic fill, quilted into sections, built for genuine cold-weather warmth. It is the warmest style on this list and the most premium-feeling, which makes it a favorite for cold-climate teams and high-end corporate gifting.

Puffers embroider well on the chest, though the quilted sections mean placement matters, so a free digital proof before production is worth it. They carry the highest price of the everyday styles, so they suit outdoor winter roles and executive gifting more than large uniform runs. For a team that works through real winters, or a year-end gift that feels considered, the puffer is the upgrade.

Which Jacket Type Fits Your Team?

Choose by climate and setting first: softshell or quarter-zip for all-season corporate, fleece for cool indoor, windbreaker for mild outdoor events, puffer for cold climates, and bomber or varsity when brand personality or team identity matters most. The table below turns that into a quick decision.

With no minimum order, the smartest move is to sample one jacket with your actual logo before committing a team run. A single sample tells you more about fit, color, and stitch quality than any chart.

How Jackets Are Decorated

Most jackets are best decorated with embroidery, which reads as the premium finish and lasts for years, while windbreakers and casual styles also take print well for full-color artwork. Varsity jackets are the exception, traditionally finished with chenille patches and lettering. The right method depends on your artwork and the fabric.

A few production notes that apply across styles: keep logo text above roughly a quarter inch of stitch height so it embroiders cleanly, use the left chest as the standard placement with the back available for larger marks, and always approve a proof before production.

We digitize your artwork at no charge and send a free digital proof before we make anything, so sizing problems get caught before production, not after. Embroidered jackets pair naturally with the rest of a branded program, so many teams match them to their custom embroidered hats, and you can compare suppliers in our best custom jacket companies ranking.

What Branded Jackets Cost

Custom embroidered jackets at Arklavo start around $47.99 each with the logo, digitizing, and a free proof included, with no minimum order and no setup fees. Price moves with the blank style and decoration, not with hidden fees, and quantity discounts apply automatically as an order grows. Premium brands like Columbia, Champion, and adidas sit at the higher end, while lighter styles sit lower.

Two things keep the real cost honest: there are no setup or digitizing fees, and there is no minimum, so a single sample jacket carries no penalty. New customers can also apply code FIRST15 for 15% off a first order. Shipping applies globally, and orders over $150 ship free, which most team-size jacket orders clear easily.

Jacket Brands We Carry

We decorate name-brand jacket blanks from Columbia, Champion, adidas, SOL'S, and Threadfast, so your logo sits on apparel your team recognizes and trusts. The brand matters more than buyers expect: a recognizable label raises perceived value, improves fit consistency, and signals that the jacket is worth keeping rather than a throwaway promo piece.

Columbia is the pick for outdoor and technical softshells and fleece, with weather-ready fabrics and a reputation for durability. Champion and adidas bring a sportier, brand-forward feel that suits younger teams, gyms, and clubs. SOL'S and Threadfast cover value-focused embroidered jackets where you want a clean, professional layer at a lower price point.

Across all of them, the decoration is the same embroidery and print, so the choice comes down to the fabric feel, the brand your team responds to, and the budget. If you are unsure, order a sample from two brands and let the team compare in hand.

Colors, Fit, and Sizing

Custom jackets run in standard apparel sizes, usually XS to 4XL depending on the brand and style, with unisex and gendered cuts available across most ranges. Getting the size run right matters more on jackets than on tees, because a jacket is a layer worn over other clothing, so a slightly roomier fit usually reads better on a mixed team.

On color, most branded jacket programs stay in a small, professional palette: black, navy, charcoal, and gray carry a logo cleanly and suit almost any brand, while a single accent color can tie the jacket to your identity. Embroidery shows best on solid, mid-to-dark colors, so a deep ground with a contrasting thread is the safest, sharpest combination.

We can sort a full mixed-size run on a single order, and we always recommend collecting sizes before a team run rather than guessing. If you want a relaxed, layerable fit, size up one from the wearer's usual shirt size.

Caring for a Custom Jacket

Most custom jackets last for years with simple care: wash cold and inside out, then hang or tumble dry low to protect both the fabric and the embroidery. The decoration is set to survive normal use, so it will not crack, peel, or fade with sensible washing, but heat is the one thing to avoid on technical fabrics and quilted puffers.

Softshells and windbreakers keep their water repellency longer if you wash them rarely and reproof occasionally. Fleece resists pilling best on a gentle cycle. Puffers should be dried thoroughly, ideally with dryer balls to redistribute the fill, so the insulation stays even. Embroidered logos outlast the garment itself, which is part of why embroidery is the default for staff jackets that get worn hard. Treat the jacket as real apparel, not a disposable promo item, and it will keep your brand looking sharp for years.

How We Make Your Jackets

Every jacket is decorated, digitized, and checked by hand before it ships. I built Arklavo around one promise: real embroidery and print, no minimums, and a free proof before anything is made, so a team of five gets the same standard as a team of five hundred.

The process is simple on your side. You upload your logo or send it to us, we turn it into a clean stitch file at no charge, and we send a digital proof of your exact jacket before we run the order. Once you approve it, we embroider or print it, check each piece, and ship with tracking, usually in a couple of business days on most orders.

Because your logo stays on file, reorders for new hires are a five-minute task with no new fees. That combination, real decoration plus no minimum plus a proof you sign off, is the whole reason teams switch to us from promo shops and online marketplaces.

Jackets are one layer of a wider custom apparel program. Once the style and quantity are settled, request a quote for the delivered total.

Arklavo spokesperson. Branded apparel figures cited from Grand View Research (decorated apparel market) and ASI Research, 2024.