Patagonia R1 Pullover

The Patagonia R1 is the ultimate mountain shirt. It is great as an insulating piece in cold weather and a great stand-alone fleece in cool weather. It can be used for almost any cold weather activity. I personally used it mostly for backpacking and hiking, but I have also seen many climbers wearing R1 Pullovers and hoodies.

The Patagonia R1 is a staple in my backcountry gear. It goes on every trip with me. I love it so much that I bought two! I wear it as a stand-alone fleece from 45-59 degrees. I could wear it while hiking/running at 20-40 degrees. I wear it as a baselayer (under a puffy) when the temperature drops into the 30's.

It is a very minimalist piece that has no pockets, hood or adjustablilty, but it only weighs 9.7 oz. If you are interested in a hood, try the R1 Hoody. If you are interested in pockets and would like a little more room, try the R1 Full Zip Jacket.

My husband and I both sporting our R1 Pullovers

Fit & Comfort:

The fit of the R1 Pullover is "slim fit." I think that it is a flattering cut. It is snug, but it also has room to layer a shirt underneath. I wear a size Medium in this shirt, as I do with most other Patagonia products. I feel that there could be more room in the chest, but it may fit you just fine. I found the sleeve length and the overall length to be appropriate for my 5'4" frame.

The R1 Pullover is very comfortable! I wear it every opportunity that I have. It is very soft. It is made of a stretchy 93% polyester (41% recycled) / 7% spandex blend, so when you move, the R1 moves right along with you. It is not restrictive at all. The inside of the R1 is made of Polartec Powerdry high/low grid fleece that trap heat. The micro-grid squares also promote air flow and quick drying times.

The seams are strategically placed for wearing a pack comfortably.

Breathability:

The R1 is very breathable because of the fabric and because of the deep venting zipper. It does get hot (due to the heat trapping micro-grids) if you are engaging in heavy activity, such as running or hiking. It has to be cold for me to wear it when active.

Moisture:

The R1 wicks moisture very well. It also dries very quickly.

Warmth:

The R1 is incredibly warm for its weight. I cannot tell you how clutch this has been for me. Being warm is crucial to my enjoyment of the outdoors, so I always bring my R1 with me. I left it at home once and was too cold. I swore I'd never do it again. I feel it is warmest under a shell because it does not block wind very much and the nylon would also continue to trap heat, instead of letting it escape. 

Layering:

The R1 is a great layering piece. You can layer over or under it. Layers really do well gliding over it because the outside fabric is smooth. It is relatively thin, so it doesn't add extra bulk when layering it under another layer. When I layer under it, I usually wear a breathable t-shirt or long sleeved shirt. You wouldn't want to wear too much under it because it will get too hot.

My favorite way to wear the R1 Pullover is with my Patagonia Down Sweater Vest over top of it.

Durability:

I have worn my two R1's year 'round for the past four years and I have never had any issues with them whatsoever. They have stood up very well in the wash. I bought two of them for color coordinating outfits, not due to any durability issues. They are both in fantastic shape.

Conclusion:

I highly recommend this shirt. It is so versatile! It is honestly one piece of gear that I can not go without. I rated it 4.5 stars only because it does not have any pockets at all. I would love for this to have a chest pocket, like the men's one does. Other than that, I would say that it is perfect.

I recently purchased my third R1 pullover in about 20 years. it is a great light/mid insulating layer or works as a warm base layer. very versatile, very comfortable, and extremely durable. if i were on a limited budget for a layering system, this would be one of the first pieces on my list because it is performs so well in so many different situations.

INTRODUCTION

A little history lesson. I bought my first R1 pullover around 2001. It was a different shirt - the weave wasn't as robust, it didn't have the air-trapping grid it does today, and the fit was loose/stretchy. My 21 year old son took it over a number of years ago and still likes it today.

I picked up my 2d R1 pullover around 2008. I wore it a lot.  The fit was a bit boxy, the fabric was more robust than the earlier version. It might have been my favorite shirt to wear in cooler to cold weather, either as a mid-layer or base layer.  Note - the hem was a fair bit shorter on the second shirt than the first or the third. Unlike the first one, the 2d one developed odor issues after 8 or 9 years. The shirt was perfectly functional, but the smell led me to get rid of it a year ago. 

The shirt pictured here was on sale at REI when my wife and I went looking to replace her down jacket. Though I had liked the shirt a lot, I have the hoody version and wore that a lot, and I couldn't justify spending $139 or more on it. At 30% off, OK.  

BASIC DETAILS

The fit is moderate athletic. I'm not a small person, and the current version can accommodate a light long sleeve base layer underneath. The grid pattern shown above is the same throughout the shirt, that's the inner-facing layer.

The sleeves and hem are on the long side. I like that if the shirt is tucked in, it doesn't pull out. 

The front zipper is about a half-zip, so it does a great job venting heat if you're working hard. The chest pocket is medium to small; keep in mind that if you are venting a lot of moisture, anything in that little pocket will get damp, as the pocket is backed by light/perforated mesh. both zipper pulls are very easy to use with gloves. (the earliest version didn't have a zipper pull, it had a small plastic tab formed to extend the small metal zipper 'handle').

The way the shirt is put together, no seams where your shoulders would bear weight while wearing a backpack. Though that may look a tad odd if you're wearing this to the local hardware store, it's nice to know there aren't any seams to chafe at a key point.

The top of the zipper used to have a small flap between the zipper and your skin; no longer. I liked the flap. Frankly, I think Patagonia traded off comfort for convenience here, because that flap occasionally interfered with zipping and unzipping.  

Relatively low bulk, so easy to stuff into a backpack.  

Construction, stitching, durability of the fabric is absolutely outstanding. Between 3 versions of this over 17 years, the only part that broke was a plastic end of the quarter zip on the oldest version, and the small metal zipper still works fine. 

Price - wow. The first one cost about 80 bucks in 2001. That has ballooned to $139 full freight today. Find it on sale!

BEST USES

Cooler to cold weather, but the range is very wide. Alone, it takes the chill out of a fall or spring hike, and i'll wear it on cooler summer nights. i use it over a thin base layer on cooler days.  it's an ideal mid-layer for winter hiking alone or under a shell, and it's one of the first layers i'll think about when the bottom drops out of the thermometer.

the inside of the r1 fabric is fuzzy little squares in a grid pattern, the outside surface is smooth. the grids trap a good amount of air to keep you warm, and the fabric does a really good job drawing moisture out to the surface.  this is not by any means windproof.  while it is reasonably warm in still air, a solid breeze goes right through it.  like many fleece products, it will insulate very well even if it gets wet.  shake or wring out the moisture, and it 'wears dry' better than most shirts.   

I have worn the new shirt on a number of walks and hikes over the last six weeks, mostly on its own or with a light wool or synthetic t-shirt underneath. couldn't be happier with it.  

TAKEAWAYS

Having gone without this after wearing one or another version of it for nearly two decades, I can see why l like it and wear it so much. P.S. Much better color this time around! Highly recommended, especially if you can find it on sale.

Background

I have owned a version of this, with a one year gap, since 2001. I have owned the current version for about six weeks. I have hiked in this shirt countless times over the years, worn it as a summer light fleece in evenings in the Northeast, cleared snow off my parents' driveway with it, and have worn it on every winter trip I have taken since I was 35 years old.

The most perfect piece of outdoor clothing I've ever owned. Summer or winter I take it on every trip. I can hike in it in temps in the high 60s. Breathes very well and the deep front zip vents excess heat very well.

Found an old one of these at a thrift store for $3 and got it for my ex wife. She wore it constantly for years. So I finally went and got a new one for myself.

It's great for cool summer nights after setting up camp and early morning starts. The inner face is a grid fleece that lets excess heat out and the front zip is super deep for when it gets really warm on long steep uphill climbs. But when you get to the top and it's time for a rest, just zip it up and you don't get chilled.

The smooth outer face makes it slide under any kind of shell or puffy. Would also be a great super cold weather base layer if you sized it right.

Good, with certain limitations.

I bought a 2017 model R1 Pullover because I liked the color and was intrigued by the awesome reviews. It's attractive and I get compliments every time I wear it. I know that means nothing to gearheads.

Functionally, its ratio of warmth-to-weight is great; but as many people say, it does not stop wind. The 2017 sleeves are tighter than previous years, making it almost impossible to wear anything more than a "compression" shirt underneath. I find a sleeveless underlayer works perfectly, FWIW.