REVIEW: Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody

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 UKC/UKH Gear 17 Apr 2018
Cold mornings at the Buttermilks, Bishop CA, 4 kbPatagonia have something of a reputation when it comes to creating cult classics, and the Nano Puff is one of them. So how does its lighter cousin fare in comparison?

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 Dell 17 Apr 2018
In reply to UKC/UKH Gear:

Why do the more expensive down jackets have less insulation than the cheaper ones, shouldn't it be the other way round? 

 nathan79 17 Apr 2018
In reply to Dell:

Higher quality of fill means you need less for the equivalent warmth. With down this means a higher down to feather ratio.

1
 overdrawnboy 17 Apr 2018
In reply to UKC/UKH Gear:

My last Patagonia hoody lasted a year before all the zips failed, 3 pocket zips and the main central one all broke. It will be my last Patagonia purchase after many years of being a fan.

 Arms Cliff 17 Apr 2018
In reply to overdrawnboy:

I assume you made use of their very good guarantee and got it repaired or replaced for free?

 benp1 17 Apr 2018
In reply to UKC/UKH Gear:

It's a real shame that Patagonia gear is cut so badly for UK folks, if you're tubby they're great, if you're not then they're really boxy

Plus the pricing is spicey isn't it?!

1
 yorkshireman 17 Apr 2018
In reply to benp1:

> It's a real shame that Patagonia gear is cut so badly for UK folks, if you're tubby they're great, if you're not then they're really boxy

I've got this exact jacket and it fits perfectly - I'm pretty lean but I guess if you're just a bit bigger and need the next size up it might seem roomy.

> Plus the pricing is spicey isn't it?!

Yes, but then they're not made in sweatshops by 10 year olds and as gear manufacturers go they try to be as ethical as possible with an accountable and transparent supply chain. I'm happy to support that kind of stance if it means buying a few less Quecha jackets from Decathlon that only last a year or two.

The repair service they offer is something that can't be cheap to run either. I'll be taking advantage of that since I'm starting to get some of the filling appear at the seams on the back.

 Dell 17 Apr 2018
In reply to nathan79:

> Higher quality of fill means you need less for the equivalent warmth. With down this means a higher down to feather ratio

I did know that, and now realise that it's irrelevant in this case as it's synthetic. 

 

Same question though. Why is a less warm jacket more expensive. IMO the price/performance ratio of this jacket doesn't stack up Vs the Nano Puff, all for the sake of 100g 

In reply to yorkshireman:

> I've got this exact jacket and it fits perfectly - I'm pretty lean but I guess if you're just a bit bigger and need the next size up it might seem roomy.

As you'll see from the pics I'm not exactly broad chested. Size-wise it fitted perfectly around the body and the next size up would have been far too big. That said, it's good to hear it fit someone, but like others have reported above I often find Patagonia's fit a little on the boxy side.

I agree with all your other points regarding their exemplary track record for ethical sourcing and manufacture, plus the repair service they run (which I've used on a couple of occasions).

 yorkshireman 18 Apr 2018
In reply to Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing:

> As you'll see from the pics I'm not exactly broad chested. Size-wise it fitted perfectly around the body and the next size up would have been far too big. That said, it's good to hear it fit someone, but like others have reported above I often find Patagonia's fit a little on the boxy side.

Apologies, mine is actually the nano puff - might be sized differently. 

 

 Luke90 18 Apr 2018
In reply to UKC/UKH Gear:

Micro Puff seems like a strange follow on from Nano Puff to me, especially as it's lighter.

Will they follow this with the Milli Puff and then the plain old Puff?

 galpinos 18 Apr 2018
In reply to Dell:

I would imagine its not just about the cost of fill but in this case the cost of the face fabric and the cost of stitching/fabrication. Complicated patterns and more stitching means more time and maybe wasted off cuts so costs go up.

 galpinos 18 Apr 2018
In reply to Luke90:

I have the original Micro Puff, it was a range before the nano puff come out. The Micro Puff is warmer than the nano so I guess they stuck with it.

 galpinos 18 Apr 2018
In reply to Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing:

The portrait of you in the jacket and cap looks like a proper "yank climber" Instagram post cliche, bravo!

In reply to galpinos:

I'm glad somebody appreciated it

In reply to yorkshireman:

Funnily enough I popped by Outside in Hathersage  to try on a Nano Puff after reading your message, as I was genuinely intrigued as to what the difference was.

The reality is that they are actually very, very similar when it comes to cut; however, the ruffling effect which appears just above the chest is significantly more noticeable on the Micro Puff. I didn't have a great deal of time to go into further analysis as to exactly why this was, but hopefully that provides some insight into the Micro Puff vs. Nano Puff fit mystery.

 DanielJ 18 Apr 2018
In reply to benp1: the key for both Patagonia and Arcteryx is their active/athletic fit. Their regular fit, esp Patagonia, is ridiculously boxy. 

 

In reply to galpinos:

'You can tell he's a Brit because he's wearing his baseball cap the wrong way round'

 yodadave 19 Apr 2018
In reply to Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing:

why did you have to test it in Bishop!!!

those photos bring back so many good memories and also make me incredibly jealous. Hope it was a great trip, worthy of a trip report?

In reply to yodadave:

I promise my next review will be photographed somewhere vastly inferior

On the note of Bishop, I'm hoping to get a destination article written, but things have been a bit busy since my return (who'd have thought ignoring your inbox for three weeks would make a difference to your workload?!?). In the meanwhile there's a few pics/words on my blog: https://robgreenwoodclimbing.com/2018/04/16/bishop/

warning: if you thought the pics in the review induced jealousy the blog will probably do something far, far worse...

Post edited at 12:50
 Ramon Marin 19 Apr 2018
In reply to UKC/UKH Gear:

a decidedly american look there Rob


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