The Patagonia Nano Air Hoody is a truly amazing jacket. It absolutely blew my mind with how well it performed in a variety of environments. I wanted to take the jacket apart to find out Patagonia’s secret; I am sure it must be fairy dust.
One of my first outings with this jacket was a ski trip on the flank of Mt. Fuji in early December. The temperatures were in the teens, and I ventured onto the slope wearing only a Patagonia Capilene 2 lightweight baselayer and the Nano Air Hoody. I was totally warm, even when riding the lift or bombing down the hill head first into the wind. I couldn’t believe it, as the jacket is so light and feels very thin.
Next up, I wore it out in a rain storm with 30+ mph winds, temps in the low 30s with wind-chill and horizontal rain and sea spray. For a minute or so, the DWR beaded the water off. However, the jacket did eventually soak through, but I still stayed warm and comfortable. It also did a surprisingly good job at stopping the wind (please note that this is not a wind breaker jacket). When I got home I hung up the jacket, and it was totally dry in less than an hour!
I thought it must have been a fluke, so the next day I washed the Nano Air Hoody and let it air dry on a hanger. Indeed, it was dry in about an hour! You’ll still need to bring a rain jacket on your adventures, but it is nice to know that the jacket will still perform when wet.
The Nano Air also breathes very well in higher temperatures. Even when it’s in the 50s or 60s, the jacket does not feel like a swamp. If you’re wearing a good baselayer, I doubt you would ever have to take this jacket off, except in the most anaerobic activities – for example, defending an ancient Edo era castle from invading samurai with a ninja as a sidekick…
My wife loved this jacket so much (and so did I) that for Christmas I got her a Nano Air Hoody of her own. Now I don’t have to hide my jacket from her anymore! We both wear our jackets almost every day of the week. The jacket is oh-so-soft, incredibly light, amazingly warm, beautifully crafted and you can truly wear it in all sorts of conditions and weather.
The hood fits perfectly too, even over or under a climbing helmet. I thought that the fit would be hit-or-miss because it doesn’t have cinch closures, but that was not the case. Kudos to Patagonia for designing such a well-fitting hood. The four pockets (two hand warmer pockets and two chest pockets) are the perfect size and zip securely closed. I can just fit my iPhone 6 Plus into the chest pockets.
The only complaint I have with the jacket is that the Tumble Green color shows stains easily; in fact, there are some stains that just will not wash out. The fabric is not terribly stain resistant as it showed stains after only wearing it for a few hours the same day I washed it. However, I really don’t care how I look in the backcountry, as long as I’m warm, dry and happy. This jacket more than meets those requirements, so I can live with a few errant stains.
Also, I would like to note that it’s pretty cool that Tommy Caldwell climbed the Dawn Wall wearing this very jacket!
Bottom Line:
I’ve barely taken this jacket off since I got it.
Tech Specs:
MSRP: $299
Availability: Available now
Sizes: XS-XXL
Colors: Chartreuse, Black, Forge Grey, Turkish Red
Patagonia Nano Air Hoody
$299
Pros
- Warm
- Soft
- Comfortable
- Perfectly tailored
Cons
- Stains easily
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