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Patagonia Men’s Nano Puff Hoody Review

Patagonia is a leader in an expanding group of outdoor gear manufacturers that make it their business to protect the environment and support social outcomes. The company prides itself in:

• Making everything it sells
• Taking responsibility for its impact
• Supporting grass roots activism
• Keeping your gear going through ‘Worn Wear’ a program which enables you to repair, reuse and recycle your Patagonia gear
• Giving ‘profits to the planet’

While Gill opted for the unhooded version of this jacket as she isn’t a fan of jackets with hoods, I chose the Hoody (American spelling). Given its environmental credentials, it’s no surprise the Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody Jacket has a lining and outer shell made from 100% recycled polyester. It also has a very lightweight and highly compressible ‘60-g PrimaLoft® Gold Insulation Eco 100% postconsumer recycled polyester with P.U.R.E.™ (Produced Using Reduced Emissions) technology.’ This Hoody jacket is also made in a Fair Trade Certified™ factory.

While Patagonia has gone out of its way to raise the environmental and ethical standards of outdoor clothing, it has done so by also delivering a jacket that is warm, windproof and water-resistant.

This is a comfortable and stylish jacket that has good length in the sleeves and body including for those in the upper end of the sizing range. The jacket has two good sized external pockets and one internal pocket which doubles as the stow pocket. It now comes in three colours of Black, Utility Blue (light blue) and Basin Green with Tent Green (khaki colour). I purchased a superseded Navy Blue colour because of the price. Size wise this jacket comes in a large range of sizes from XS all the way through to XXXL.

The edges of the Nano Puff sleeves have a fabric binding which seems to be the current trend and which provides an extra level of protection and firmness to the cuff edge. The collar is generous and sits cosily up under your chin.

Now why would you choose this Hoody jacket over any other? First up this jacket in  both the hooded and unhooded versions has been a mainstay of the US long distance hiking fraternity for a number of reasons. In particular the weight of my XL sized jacket comes in at 425 grams which is pretty good for a hooded jacket. This is about as light as it gets for a puffer jacket. Now another good reason for this weight is that the synthetic insulation will keep you warm even when sopping wet but it isn’t aimed as a standalone cold weather jacket. Ideally it needs to be part of your layering system and in that situation, it will perform very well. The other use for this jacket is instead of a jumper for those times when you just need a garment to take the edge off the cold temperatures or cold winds without trying to get you hot.

Comfort wise this jacket feels very nice to wear and very lightweight!

Price wise the Hoody sells for AUD $399.95 RRP which for a high quality, environmentally friendly jacket its great value. For those of you who aren’t fans of hooded jackets, you can purchase the unhooded version and also a vest version as well.

So am I going to use this for my hiking adventures? My preference is to do my longer hikes in the cooler months of the year so this jacket isn’t likely to displace  my favoured The North Face Terra Peak Jacket  but I can see myself wearing this jacket during the warmer times of the year when the weather is in doubt. This is particularly the case in the Australia Alps during summer when temperatures can drop quite quickly from very hot to very cold, often without notice.

Patagonia Men’s Nano Puff Hoody – Black colour

Patagonia Men’s Nano Puff Hoody – Utility Blue colour

Tim in his Patagonia Men’s Nano Puff Hoody – in the discontinued Navy Blue colour. This is an ideal jacket for a range of temperatures; just change the layering underneath

Tim with his Patagonia Men’s Nano Puff Hoody showing rear view

Tim with his Patagonia Men’s Nano Puff Hoody side view

Tim with his Patagonia Men’s Nano Puff Hoody showing a side pocket

Tim with his Patagonia Men’s Nano Puff Men’s Hoody showing the internal stuff pocket and lining

Tim wearing his Patagonia Men’s Nano Puff Hoody showing underarm view

Tim with his Patagonia Men’s Nano Puff Hoody in its self-stuff pocket. A very small size for a large hooded jacket!

We Like

• For a hooded jacket it packs down to a very small package and weighs very little
• Super lightweight, water resistant, insulated jacket will keep you warm in cooler weather
• Body fabric, lining and insulation made from postconsumer recycled materials
• Binding on sleeve cuffs for extra protection
• Generous collar height which adds to the cosy feel
• Exposed centre front zip with an internal draft flap and chin guard
• Internal chest pocket that doubles as the compact stow pocket
• Zips on hand pockets
• Patagonia’s ‘Worn Wear’ program

We Don't Like

• This jacket is suitable for cool as opposed to cold conditions

Buy One

You can purchase the Patagonia Men’s Nano Puff Hoody online from Wild Earth

Best Uses

• Great choice for your layering system
• Good for the ultra-lighters

Investment

AUD $399.95 RRP

Other Versions

• Available in a range of colours
• Patagonia produces a range of jackets in varying weights
• Also available in unhooded and vest versions

Disclaimer

This review was done with product purchased from a retail store by Australian Hiker

Last updated

16 March 2025

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