Patagonia Primo Down Jacket

Warmth / Weatherproofing

I wore the Primo Down Jacket in a broad range of temperatures to get a good idea of its comfort zone, and the results aren’t surprising: this is the jacket for the coldest, crappiest, windiest weather.

I generally wore the Primo Down Jacket over either a featherweight base layer, or my Patagonia Capilene 4 crew if it was a little colder. Anything over 20-25 degrees was much too warm for the Primo Down, especially if I was riding much harder than just lapping groomers. The pit zips do a pretty decent job of dumping heat when hiking on cold days, but I had to open the front zipper when hiking out to Juarez at Taos on a sunny, 30° afternoon.

In colder temps, however, I found the Primo Down to be pretty versatile. I felt comfortable on sunny, 15° days, as well as on storm days.

One memorable day at Snowbird, the winds on Hidden Peak were gusting to 60 mph and the wind chill had temps down to about -20° F. I had on a Patagonia Capilene 4 crew and the Primo Down Jacket, and I was pretty comfortable; with the hood up and the powderskirt snapped, the jacket was quite windproof and I felt very protected from the elements.

While the jacket’s pit zips are a welcome feature when hiking, their design was a bit problematic in harsh conditions. On particularly cold, windy days, I could feel cold air seeping through the pit zips. In shell jackets, I wouldn’t notice this cold seeping through because of the layers in between my body and the shell. But in the Primo Down Jacket I was wearing only an expedition-weight baselayer, which didn’t do much to stop my body from getting cold. This could likely be remedied with a down flap similar to the draft collar, or even a traditional storm flap.

It’s important to note that I only noticed this in 40mph+ winds and subzero temperatures, and it wasn’t a big enough problem to make me head for the lodge; I just kept my arms down more than I usually would.

Durability

The Primo Down Jacket is durable, plain and simple. I’ve fought branches, billygoated over rocks, and have generally shown the jacket little love, and it’s held up impressively. I’ve noticed no tears in the fabric, and even the right side under my arm (where my snowboard edge does the most damage) looks totally fine. The DWR is as good now as it was when I started testing the jacket. I have noticed a few feathers coming out, but that’s true of every down jacket I’ve used, and it hasn’t affected the warmth of the jacket at all.

Bottom Line

The Patagonia Primo Down Jacket is the jacket I reach for on the harshest, coldest days. It’s composed of high-end materials, and is tough, light, and stormproof. It’s a very good option for those looking for a jacket that’s both waterproof and very warm.