Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody

Everyone that owns this puffy hoody loves it. The reason is that it looks good, fits good, performs good, and is packable.

Everyone that owns this puffy hoody loves it. The reason is that it looks good, fits good, performs good, and is packable.

It is not quite an athletic fit, rather I'd say it is a casual athletic fit. I'm 6 ft 175lbs and a medium fits me perfect. I can wear it over a base layer or a down vest. I can wear it under a parka. The fit and comfort are excellent.

There's not much adjustability with this jacket. The waist has an adjustable cord.  The cuffs and hood have a fixed elastic. It all seems to work fine for me.

The jacket comes with a DWR finish and it does work. I've tested it out in moderate rain. After some washings and wear the DWR becomes less effective, so you may need to reapply. This jacket has synthetic insulation which is more water resistant than down. I prefer synthetic over down for this reason. I feel that if needed I could wash this jacket in the wilderness. I'd feel less comfortable that I could do this with a down jacket.

For a jacket without pit zips or ventilation pockets, this jacket breaths remarkably well. I've hiked with this jacket during the days in the mountain with temperatures in the 70's and it breathes adequately.

I feel comfortable in the jacket into the 40s, I could survive into the 30's. If it gets much colder, I have a down vest that I wear as additional insulation and I'm good into the 20's. 

To my surprise this jacket is amazingly abrasion resistant. We have lots of prickly plants in Texas and I've accidentally brushed up against some while wearing this jacket. The jacket has yet to show abrasion.

I love the hoody function of this jacket. I never have to worry about carrying a hat or beanie. I'm always covered.

All of the pockets, zippers and cords have held up fine. The only part of the jacket that has shown some wear is the stitching. There are occasionally threads that find there way loose. It seems to be a known issue by Patagonia, but they claim that it is part off the worn wear characteristic of the jacket.

One of my favorite features is that this jacket is relatively light weight and packable. I feel that I can take it anywhere. I've owned this jacket for about three years and have over 100 days in the outdoors. I've used this jacket to hike the John Muir Trail in September and the Camino de Santiago in October. I've used it from about 20 F to 80 F. 

I bought this jacket on sale at $149 and feel that for the price I paid it has provided great value. The normal price is $249.

This piece is one of my favorites, and its versatility is impressive. Light enough to take with me everywhere.

So this is a piece of gear that makes every trip, no matter what the itinerary. I've had mine for only about 2 years now, but it's seen everything, from Widespread Panic concerts (it's warm and extremely durable, and love that I can wash it easily, all of these things make it great for concerts) to winter fly fishing, from walking the dogs to the park down the street from our house in Texas to strolling through Central Park in the fall, from chilly nights on the coast to over 14,300 ft. In Colorado.

This thing fits very true to size, and I like that the hood fits snugly. As another reviewer mentioned, the hood definitely goes under a helmet with ease. The waist cinch is easy and effective even with gloves on. Arms are the perfect length, as is the waist.

It's not as athletically cut as some pieces (see my review for the TNF Thunder Micro), but not boxy either. The two hand warmer pockets are very handy, and the internal chest pocket/stuff sack is great to have as well. Keep a little biner clipped inside of this interior pocket and have found it clipped just about everywhere I can clip it at one point or another.

Water resistance has luckily not been truly tested, as I'm usually with a shell. We did get caught in a hailstorm while descending a 14'er once, and I stayed very warm and dry. Light rain is about the wettest this thing has seen, and it will resist some moisture.

Breathing and temp reg are mainly done manually through the full zip, but I don't mind that. It has been somewhat of a chameleon, keeping me just right in everything from 55 down to 30 degrees. It layers extremely well under shells and slides right in between anything under it and over it.

I have put this through the wringer, and it just keeps taking whatever I throw at it. Someday I'll have to replace it, no doubt, but I've already gotten my money's worth out of this guy. I'm a

I got my wife the plum-colored pullover. She loves it too.

A great non-down insulated piece that won't weigh you down. From backpacking in the Cascades to climbing in the Sierras my Nano Puff is always with me. It has all the features I need and none that I don't.

Does the thought of geese being force-fed to fatten up their livers make you sad? But you still need a great insulated piece that is lightweight like down? AND you expect it to last a long time despite it being prone to abuse from the activities you need it for? Look no further.

The synthetic fill is super lightweight, insulates in a downpour and doesn't add any extra bulk. I like a snugger fit so I can layer this under a shell, thus I wear a size small on my 5'11"/165 lbs frame. There is the perfect amount of features with the two hand warmer and one napoleon pocket that doubles as a stuff pocket for the entire jacket, which has a bungie drawcord that cinches around the waist. The hood is more of an alpine style hood, so it runs very snug and high up on the face, which I happen to like because it fits great under a helmet and keeps my face warm.

I have used this as an outer piece in the warmer seasons and a layering piece when the temps drop. I've even slept in it as a sort of half sleeping bag while on longer trail runs. Surprising to me is its ability to go days on end draped over my non-bathed, sweaty body with out really stinking too bad, a major bonus if your looking for a little romance out on the trail.

All in all I love this piece and haven't found a situation that it doesn't seem to excel in. Oh, except for really cold wind. Cold wind will whip though the seams of this jacket and chill you to the bone if you let it. But you wont because you'll be smart and wear a base- and outer-layer in those conditions.

The last bit of praise I'll toss on the heap is for this jacket's durability. Many times I've scraped my body on branches or granite expecting a tear, rip or at least a thinned out sport of material, but have been amazed to find the jacket looking like it just popped out of the Chinese factory it was made in. I've had for a few seasons now it and it still looks brand spanking new.

P.S. Did I mention the cruelty-free aspect? Look up foie gras production and down fill if you want to know more about that, but be warned it can be pretty sad if you're an animal lover like me.

This jacket has been a great layer over t-shirts in the cool spring evenings, under a shell in the fall, or skiing on blue bird days when a ski jacket is just too much. I've had my Nano Puff for three years now and it's held up great! From climbing all around the PNW, to backpacking in Europe, to cold nights after surfing. Definitely recommend!

Fits true to size: I'm a fairly small guy, 5'9", 150 lbs, lean climber body, and the small is just right. The shoulders can be a bit tight so going a size up might not be a bad idea, especially if you want to layer under it. I usually layer over the Nano with a rain shell so I like that it's more snug than baggy. 

It has little to no water resistance, but drys quickly.

Keeps me plenty warm, but is not a good wind blocker.

Handles abrasion well, I've climbed all over dragging it across rocks and trees, and crashed my bike a few times with no tears yet, though the threads that create the quilting pattern do snag. 

It's a super light layer, and packs down really small. I can get it stuffed into one of its pockets. 

I've had this jacket for about rhee years, and looks dang good still.  

The one downside—everyone has this jacket. There is a picture from college sailing nationals a few years ago and almost every person in the picture is wearing this jacket in either black, dark grey, or light grey. 

Overrated? Obsolete?

So I'm not bashing the Nano Puff. A lot of people have one and love them, much as you would have loved a good Irish fisher's jumper (sweater) or a peacoat fifty or a hundred years ago. There's nothing wrong with those things per se, it's just that there are garments that outperform them.

For examples by Patagonia, there's the Nano-Air, Hyper Puff, and R1 TechFace. All are either more insulating, more packable, more breathable, durable and weather-resistant. With any stitch-through construction you have the needle holes, including as some have pointed out, even on the inner lining, at least on the more recent iterations. Do they allow the hoody to vent better? Probably. But generally having holes in your jacket compromises some performance.

At 12.6 ounces it's fairly light, but look at its competitors. I'm kind of a hoody freak, and I have a bunch, including the Arc'teryx Atom LT and Proton LT and Proton AR, Mountain Hardwear Quasar and Schematic hoody, the Nano-Air, and others all of which compete directly with the Nano Puff.

To be honest, I have not worn my Nano Puff in a few years because there are so many jackets like the Nano-Air and Arc'teryx Protons that outperform the Nano Puff. In fact the ones I just mentioned cost about the same as the Nano-Air but spank the living hell out of it in terms of comfort (both thermal and tactile), stretch, and durability. For example I have the first Nano-Air, and even with the 20D shell it still looks and performs perfectly even though it's broken in, and it feels warm and soft to the touch, and is slightly stretchy, which I can feel when reaching up or forward, vs. Nano Puff's "Pertex-like" slick, non-stretch non-air-permeable shell fabric—and the Nano-Air is probably my least favorite synthetic mid layer.

I hope this is useful info...

My wife loves this jacket!

So in my review of the Mountain Hardwear Zonal Jacket, I mentioned that my wife was allergic to down, but I will mention it again just in case. My wife can't wear down, so I can't either. And this for her, amongst all the alternative jackets we tried, was the best.

Great fit, fantastic hood! And still very warm and packable. The only quarrel I have with it is the elastic cuffs, but she doesn't mind. Great layered under a soft-shell, but it is still tough enough to stand alone. I really like that (unlike the men's version) it is form fitting! It makes her hourglass shape still look great! Despite layering up like the Marshmallow man from Ghostbusters.

As a stand alone, my wife said she can get down to around 30°F, which is good for her because she is a wuss.

This is one great hoody! Good alone till mid 30's, or even colder for active use!

I am a Patagonia gear nut, and this is one nice piece. Lightweight, warm, and my go-to winter coat in Ohio.

When it's really cold out, I wear it over a Better Sweater coat. I love it, great for fall fly fishing trips!