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Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody Review

With solid insulation, compressibility, and warmth, this iconic jacket will provide decent wind and weather resistance
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patagonia nano puff hoody insulated jacket review
Credit: Patagonia
Price:  $289 List
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Manufacturer:   Patagonia
By James Lucas ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Feb 2, 2023
62
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#8 of 11
  • Warmth - 25% 5.0
  • Weight and Compressibility - 20% 7.0
  • Comfort - 20% 7.0
  • Weather Resistance - 20% 7.0
  • Breathability - 15% 5.0

Our Verdict

The mega-classic, durable, and stylish Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody packs down small, layers well, and offers solid warmth. It stuffs into its chest pocket and features a clip-in loop, allowing you to attach it to your backpack or a climbing harness with a carabiner. The slick fabric makes it great for cold weather layering for backpacking, hiking, and skiing. As an all-around piece, this jacket focuses less on weather resistance and breathability and more on being a layer that can be functional in any environment. If you're curious how the Nano Puff fares against the competition, take a look at our best insulated jacket review.
REASONS TO BUY
Compresses well
Durable
Stylish
Layers well
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive
Excess stitching

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Bottom Line Stylish and durable, this classic offers a solid option for an insulated jacket, though it's far from the highest-performing optionWell-fitting and comfortable, this jacket's ability to stave off weather makes it ideal for outdoor activitiesThis synthetic jacket features all the bells and whistles needed for backcountry adventuresAn ideal outer layer for throwing on when outside during windy and cold daysOur favorite model offers a great blend of function, comfort, and price
Rating Categories Patagonia Nano Puff... Patagonia DAS Light... Mountain Hardwear C... Rab Xenon 2.0 Amazon Essentials L...
Warmth (25%)
5.0
8.0
9.0
7.0
5.0
Weight and Compressibility (20%)
7.0
8.0
5.0
7.0
6.0
Comfort (20%)
7.0
8.0
8.0
7.0
6.0
Weather Resistance (20%)
7.0
9.0
8.0
7.0
5.0
Breathability (15%)
5.0
6.0
5.0
6.0
5.0
Specs Patagonia Nano Puff... Patagonia DAS Light... Mountain Hardwear C... Rab Xenon 2.0 Amazon Essentials L...
Measured Weight 12.95 oz 12.31 oz 16.47 oz 12.56 oz 11.0 oz
Insulation PrimaLoft Gold Eco 100% recycled polyester PlumaFill 85% recycled polyester PrimaLoft Silver 100% polyester
Outer Fabric 100% recycled polyester ripstop Pertex Quantum Pro 15D coated nylon ripstop Pertex Quantum Nylon
Stuffs Into Itself Yes Yes No Yes No
Hood Option Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Number of Pockets 2 zippered hand, 1 internal zippered chest 2 zippered hand, 1 zippered chest 2 zippered hand, 1 zippered chest, 1 internal zip, 1 internal drop-in 2 zippered hand, 1 internal zip 2 zippered hand

Our Analysis and Test Results

The generalist design of the Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody makes it an excellent choice for lightweight travel, backpacking, clipping onto a harness while rock climbing, or just general wear around town. Patagonia made this jacket with 60g of PrimaLoft Gold Eco recycled polyester insulation, focusing on reducing emissions during production. There are two zippered handwarmer pockets for warming fingers during cold weather, and the internal chest pocket acts as a stuff sack. Though this jacket lacks any standout features, it's a great workhorse piece and a classic in the world of synthetic insulation.

Don't Need a Hood? Get the Jacket Version
The slightly lighter, hoodless Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket comes at a lower price. Without the hood, it's easier to layer under other hooded jackets (like a ski jacket) and has a sleeker style for around-town wear. Although people love both models, the hoodless version is one of the best-selling insulated jackets on the market.

Performance Comparison


patagonia nano puff hoody insulated jacket review - a warm, generalist piece, the nano puff offered solid warmth but...
A warm, generalist piece, the Nano Puff offered solid warmth but poor breathability.
Credit: James Lucas

Warmth


Quilted rectangles hold the 60 g/m2 Primaloft Gold Eco insulation, which creates a lot of stitching that air can pass through. This adds to the jacket's breathability; however, it's less ideal for howling winds. Still, the Nano Puff felt cozy and warm considering its weight. Its insulation compresses better than some other types of insulation and will maintain its warmth when damp. An elastic cinch at the hem seals in some warmth, though the looser elasticized wrist cuffs let heat escape. The hood fits tightly around the head, helping fight against the wind.

Weight & Compressibility


At 12.95 ounces for a size medium, this jacket sits right in line with many of the lightweight midlayers we tested. The Nano Puff Hoody offers excellent compressibility, stuffing into its interior chest pocket in a small package. We were able to pack it into its pocket and test its clip-in loop while climbing through Yosemite chimneys and getting high up on the Red Garden Wall in Eldorado Canyon. Even if you choose not to stuff it into its stow pocket, it condenses small enough to cram into your daypack without taking up much space.

patagonia nano puff hoody insulated jacket review - the compressibility of the jacket made it a nice feature. it fit...
The compressibility of the jacket made it a nice feature. It fit well into the interior chest pocket.
Credit: James Lucas

Comfort


This jacket's minimalist, lightweight, and functional features make it fairly comfortable. The slippery fabric layered well but felt sticky when our testers started to hike heavily and sweat. The short hem length tends to ride up when raising your arms. Patagonia uses a snug-fitting, non-adjustable hood design that fits well under a climbing helmet.

patagonia nano puff hoody insulated jacket review - with slicker fabric, the jacket fits well under other layers and out...
With slicker fabric, the jacket fits well under other layers and out tester liked wearing it while out bouldering.
Credit: James Lucas

Comfortable microfleece patches form a "zipper garage," which feels nice against the face with a fully zipped-up jacket. Two deep, zippered hand pockets lined with slippery nylon and an internal zippered pocket on the left chest provide ample storage. The jacket stuffs into the chest pocket, while the main zipper and the hand pockets have easy-to-grab zipper pulls. The simple and straightforward wrist cuffs include some elastic to make them snug. However, they still have too much space and wind can sneak through them. The hem cinch has one cord lock located on the right side, which can help keep the jacket down.

patagonia nano puff hoody insulated jacket review - the zipper features microfleece near the top and feels comfortable...
The zipper features microfleece near the top and feels comfortable against the chin.
Credit: James Lucas

Weather Resistance


This jacket comes in at a fairly weather-resistant level. While the sewn-through outer shell helps fight some wind, the interior nylon liner blocks wind that penetrates the seams. Patagonia treated the Nano Puff's outer fabric with a DWR that repels water well, but the vast amount of stitching on the jacket provides places for water to sit and soak through. Jackets with continuous outer fabric perform better when rain and wind come. If the weather report calls for significant precipitation, bringing a hardshell rain jacket would be very beneficial.

patagonia nano puff hoody insulated jacket review - the pfc-free dwr finish works well on this jacket, though during...
The PFC-free DWR finish works well on this jacket, though during prolonged exposure, water can soak in through the seams.
Credit: James Lucas

Breathability


Unfortunately, the Nano Puff performs poorly during strenous activity. Both the outer shell fabric and interior liner fight weather, but they also block airflow. While hiking in the Flatirons of Colorado and climbing in the nearby boulders, our testers quickly overheated. However, the jacket provided warmth while stationary, making it a better choice as a lightweight belay jacket than one to climb in.

patagonia nano puff hoody insulated jacket review - during vigorous exercise, the nano puff has poor breathability, as...
During vigorous exercise, the Nano Puff has poor breathability, as its outer shell and inner liner tend to trap air.
Credit: James Lucas

Should You Buy the Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody?


The classic Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody works best as a generalist piece. It compresses into a size that can easily be clipped onto a harness, stuffed into a bag, or carried along. If you like its sleek look, this is a great spring and fall jacket to throw on for chilly days around town, but we prefer more breathable options or more weather-resistant ones for high-energy use.

patagonia nano puff hoody insulated jacket review - the jacket comes at a decent value because of its environmental...
The jacket comes at a decent value because of its environmental production and Patagonia guarantee.
Credit: James Lucas

What Other Insulated Jackets Should You Consider?


The Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody has classic status, but other jackets in the review performed better. The Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody has a similar look and feel to the Nano Puff but is lighter and fits better. The Arc'teryx Atom LT Hoody is warmer and more comfortable. For a more weather-resistant jacket, check out the Patagonia DAS Light Hoody.

patagonia nano puff hoody insulated jacket review - this generalist piece can be great as an all-purpose work horse...
This generalist piece can be great as an all-purpose work horse jacket.
Credit: James Lucas

James Lucas