Patagonia Ultralight Down Jacket

The Patagonia Ultralight Down Jacket is a great three-season jacket made of 800 fill down and 10 denier ripstop nylon. It is impressively warm for its 7.7 oz weight. It also blocks wind quite well. I generally use it from 60-45 degrees. It can be used in colder temperatures, but I do not recommend pushing that range unless you wear something substantial underneath it.

The Patagonia Ultralight Down Jacket is a very versatile, packable, ultralight jacket. I wear it in the car to the trailhead, then I toss it in the top of my pack and wear it during breaks on chilly days and then put it back on at camp. I also take it on dayhikes when I know it is going to be windy or chilly. It packs down so small that it easily fits in most daypacks.

I wear it as a stand alone jacket spring, summer, and fall. I also use it as a layering piece in the winter. I have had it for about a year now and I wear it as a casual jacket around town, to the trailhead, and have primarily worn it in the spring and fall.  This winter was pretty mild, so I was able to wear it on the mild days. I really love wearing it to concerts, restaurants, and bars, etc. because I can be warm outside and then I can stuff it in my pocketbook when I need to go inside. That is super convenient.

Fit:

The cut of this jacket claims to be "slim fit", however I find it to have plenty of room for layers. I wear a medium (my normal size) and comfortably layer a long sleeved top and a Patagonia R1 Pullover underneath it. I personally found the fit to be more slim in the chest/upper back/rib area, but roomy in the stomach/waist. The sleeve length is slightly long for my arms, but not too long. The overall length is a little bit longer, as is covers about half of my rear end. I think that is the perfect length for my 5'4" frame.

This accurately displays the room in the jacket. In the previous photo, it was cinched tight at the waist.

Features:

It is a full zip ultralight jacket with two handwarmer pockets, a chest pocket, adjustable hem, elastic cuffs, and it comes with a stuff sack. It is also treated with DWR.

Adjustablitly:

The jacket has two adjustable hem cords (located in the bottom front). The cuffs are elastic. They stay in place and do not allow drafts to blow up the sleeves.

Elastic sleeve cuff

Chest pocket

When stuffed, it is comparable in size to a Jetboil stove.

Warmth:

The Ultralight Down Jacket is very warm for its weight. I had a Down Sweater (and I currently own a Down Sweater Vest) and I can say that the warmth is comparable to the Down Sweater, but it weighs about 4 ounces less. I would put it at a comfort rating of 45 degrees, but I do not produce a whole lot of body heat. If you wear more layers under it (especially if sitting near a fire), you could probably take it down into the 30's. It does regulate temperature well. I rarely overheat in it. If I do, I just unzip it as needed.

Water resistance:

The DWR is effective in repelling light drizzle, but it is not waterproof.

Fabric strength and function:

The 10 denier ripstop nylon is very thin, but is also very tensile. I am impressed with its durability for its thinness. It also blocks wind a lot better than I expected it would. I also have a Patagonia Nano Puff and I found the Ultralight Down to be more warm and be equally as wind resistant. All of the zippers do work well, no issues with them getting stuck. One issue that should always be addressed when reviewing a down product is leakage of feathers. This does leak occasional feathers, but I have not noticed it to be any more than average. It also retains its loft very well after being stuffed. 

Overall, I'd say that it is a very functional and ultralight three-season jacket. As long as you don't have expectations for it to be a winter coat, you should be happy with your purchase. I was able to find mine for $165. It is definitely worth that price. I can't say I would spend the $279 retail price for it.