When Patagonia introduced the Nano Puff last year at the 2009 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, everyone was talking about it. This summer they’ll be expanding the Nano Puff jacket into a line with a few more styles (full zip, full zip hoody, and shelled version). We had a chance to test the current style, the half-zip pullover on a few recent excursions. Read more for our full review.
On first glance the Nano Puff may seem a little too lightweight to provide adequate insulation. Using a combination of lightweight 60-gram PrimaLoft One to provide insulation and ultralight ripstop face fabric, the Nano Puff provides warmth and some security from the elements (the face fabric is treated for water repellancy). The best feature though is the weight–the women’s style tested weighs only 8.7 ounces–so light you hardly notice it’s there. In addition to our regular testing, I brought this jacket along as insulation on our 23-hour day trip to the Olympics. Sandwiched between only a baselayer and a lightweight hard shell jacket, the Nano Puff kept me warm in sub-freezing temperatures for hours as we watched the qualifying runs for men’s luge at the Whistler Sliding Centre.
But where the Nano Puff really shines is as backup insulation for backpacking trips. In the past, I’ve always thrown a fleece in my pack (even in August) for those nights at camp after the sun goes down. However, fleeces can be bulky and take up precious space in your pack. But the Nano Puff packs down to the size of a softball in it’s own stuff sack (integrated into the chest pocket). The synthetic fill doesn’t lose insulating power being stuffed down like a down jacket might. Another plus for nights at camp–the elastic at the cuffs and waist keep drafts out.
The only downside of the Nano Puff that arose during testing was that you had to really commit to it as a layer, as removing it was a bit more of a process of removing a pack and hard shell before you could take it off. However, that was by no means a deal breaker–and with the new styles being released later this year, you’ll have the option of choosing full zip version.
The Nano Puff is currently available in the half-zip anorak style for both men and women and retails for $150. This fall the additional styles will be available with prices ranging from $150-300.
Product sample provided by the manufacturer for review purposes.
Thanks a lot for this review…this thing has been getting awesome reviews all around!
I just did an interview with Fly Fisherman and SafetySuit drummer, Tate Cunningham. We talked about living simply and gear that helps him do that. He had good stuff to say about three pieces of Patagonia gear, one of them being the Nano Puff. You can read the interview at http://www.one-backpack.com.
I love my Nano Puff and especially the silver color. I snowshoe in the Rockies, hike and use my jacket for general everyday use. The DOWNSIDE is the threads on the outside of the jacket are poorly sewn and within a 2 month period, I have strings hanging from the sleeves. Not the usual quality for Patagonia of which I own several of their products and none have been anything but perfect.