Patagonia Nano Air Hoody

Patagonia Nano Air Hoody

MSRP: $300

Size Tested: Large

Materials / Construction:

Shell Material: 1.3oz 20 denier 100% nylon ripstop w/ DWR (durable water repellent) finish

Lining: 2.0oz, 50 denier 100% nylon plain weave with mechanical stretch

Insulation: 60g FullRange 100% polyester stretch insulation

Features:

• Nano Puff brick quilting in the side panels
• Stretchy hood with elastic binding around brim
• Two zippered handwarmer pockets
• Two zippered chest pockets
• Stretchy elastic at the cuffs
• Adjustable drawcord hem

Stated Weight (likely for a size Medium?): 385 grams

Blister’s Measured Weight (size Large): ~410 grams

Reviewers’ Info:

• WB: 6’2”, 155 lbs. Typically wears a size Large mid layer
• JE: 5’10”, 180 lbs. Typically wears a size Large mid layer

Days Worn (so far): 30+, each reviewer

Test Locations: Christchurch and Canterbury, New Zealand; Taos, NM; Telluride, CO

The catchphrase “Put it on, Leave it on” has been used in much of Patagonia’s marketing copy about their new Nano Air, and the jacket has been billed as a highly-versatile insulating piece that “sets a new standard for technical insulation, merging the comfort and breathability of open fleece with the protection and warmth of a puffy.”

Jonathan Ellsworth and I both have over thirty days each in the Nano Air, and so far, we think Patagonia’s description is pretty much on point.

The Nano Air occupies—very effectively—the middle ground between:

(a) a super-breathable (but not at all windproof) hi-loft “open” fleece jacket, and

(b) a warmer, more water- and wind-resistant (but not very breathable) synthetic puffy

So in this review, we’ll compare the Nano Air to the The North Face Radium Jacket, the Patagonia Nano Puff, and The North Face Thermoball Hoodie to better orient the Nano Air.

Construction & Materials

The Nano Air is made up of a proprietary synthetic insulation material that Patagonia calls “FullRange.” That material is sandwiched between a 100% nylon, 20-denier ripstop shell fabric, and 50-denier lining fabric.

In Patagonia’s words, “FullRange Insulation is a multi-denier synthetic fill insulation made from several different types of polyester fibers…[which is] built in much the same way as traditional fill insulation, but has a proprietary element that gives it added stability against fiber migration, and allows for great stretch and recovery.”

It’s very difficult to distinguish the Nano Air’s insulation material from its shell or liner fabric, as you can on most any down puffy or synthetic puffy like the Nano Puff. The construction feels much more like a continuous layer of material which, along with that stretchy “proprietary element,” gives the Nano Air a ridiculously comfortable fit, and a hand feel that is quite unlike most down or synthetic-fill jackets on the market.

Fit

Patagonia says the Nano Air has a “Slim Fit” while their Nano Puff and Down Sweater have a “Regular Fit.” That seems about right. The Nano Puff and Down Sweater have a slightly boxier fit, with more volume through the torso than the Nano Air. In a size Large, I have enough room to fit the jacket over a couple of base layers or another light midlayer, but the Nano Puff allows me to fit more, bulkier layers beneath it. Same goes for TNF Thermoball Hoodie.

If I didn’t plan to wear much more than a light baselayer under the Nano Air, I might consider checking out a size Medium, though I worry that the jacket might be a bit short in that size, as the Nano Air’s hem length is about perfect for me in a size Large.

(Jonathan: FWIW, At 5’10”, 180 lbs., the size Large Nano Air feels great to me. I don’t ever see layering heavily beneath the Nano Air, but I could. And yet I’ve never felt like I had too much room, either.)

All in all, we’d say that the Nano Air fits true to size, offering a fit that’s far from form fitting, but that is a touch less boxy around the torso as the Patagonia Nano Puff, Down Sweater, or TNF Thermoball Hoodie.

Feel

The Nano Air certainly does have a stretchy feel to it, and it’s great. Even with a slightly slimmer fit than the Nano Puff, the Nano Air doesn’t restrict my range of motion at all, and actually feels a less inhibiting than the Nano Puff. Wrap your arms around yourself (giving yourself a hug) or reach up overhead, and the material through the arms, shoulders, mid and upper back of the Nano Air stretches nicely. I can’t say the same for the Nano Puff, which offers no stretch at all.

Given the Nano Air’s breathability (see below) and its stretchy material, I certainly can see it as a great piece to have for late season rock climbing or ice climbing.

Besides being noticeably stretchy, the Nano Air’s shell and liner fabrics have a soft, very quiet, and super comfy hand feel that is more comfortable than the more plastic-y feeling, polyester shell material of the Nano Puff, Thermoball Hoodie, and most down / synthetic down jackets on the market.

Wearing the Nano Air is a bit like being wrapped in a marshmallow (minus the stickiness), or a stretchy version of a flannel-lined Coleman sleeping bag (a new one, not the one sitting in your attic getting eaten by moths).

The jacket’s cozy factor is seriously high, so besides serving as a layering piece for aerobic, high-output activities in the mountains, the Nano Air may pose a threat to your favorite cotton hoodie, or whatever layer you typically wear around town.

Jonathan and I both wore the jacket on the plane to and from New Zealand for our review trip in August. We wore them while hanging out in the lodge (or staying up crazy late writing reviews) at every Canterbury club field we visited. We slept in them many nights in the club field’s lodges. We wore them on the walk up to Temple Basin, and when hiking around the ridge line at Taos Ski Valley or on hikes around Telluride.

In short, it’s been my all-around, go-to layer as the nights are getting colder in Colorado this fall. “Put it on, leave it on.” It’s been hard not to.

Features

The Nano Air has two small, zippered chest pockets, and two hand pockets.

The chest pockets are useful for anything that’s relatively light and has a slim profile. For example, my phone (HTC One M8) fits perfectly in the pockets, but it’s heavy enough that the pocket’s material is weighed down and distorted bit. That aside, the chest pockets don’t get in the way at all, and pretty much disappear with nothing is in them.

No part of the Nano Air makes it uncomfortable to wear with a pack on, and the chest pockets can still be accessed when wearing a pack. The same goes for the hand pockets, which are fairly large and are a better place to store bulkier items.