Patagonia Buyers Guide

Patagonia has been in the market of suiting you up for the outdoors for over 30 years, and with all of that experience, it's no surprise they're now household names when it comes to everything from heavy-duty shells for ice climbers, to cozy fleece for city dwellers. With their unique and innovative designs and colors, boundary-pushing take on business and environmentalism, and painstaking attention to performance and detail, Patagonia has carved out a tradition of excellence in the world of outerwear that can be found in every piece they produce.

What makes Patagonia different from other outerwear companies?

Patagonia's Mission Statement reads, "Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire, and implement solutions to the environmental crisis."

Not your ordinary brand, eh? And what's more, they actually practice what they preach! The core of Patagonia's mission remains to deliver useful, simple products to outdoor adventurers. This means that every feature put into a Patagonia product serves a purpose, valuing substance over style. But in addition to creating comfortable, stylish, and performance-oriented outerwear, Patagonia strives to do it all with as little harm to the environment as possible. That means reducing their carbon footprint, reusing and recycling materials, and ensuring that from conception to sale, every phase of a product's life is as lean and green as possible.

They've done this by using recycled polyester in many of their products, and using organic cotton, as opposed to pesticide-intensive cotton. Even more impressive, Patagonia is a founding member of the revolutionary Sustainable Apparel Coalition, aimed at developing a massive database of the entire environmental impact of every manufacturer, component, and process in apparel production. Launched in early 2011, this initiative hopes to have a major and transformative impact on the garment industry, bringing the entire process into line with best environmental practices.

Never settling on their green initiatives, Patagonia aims to help reverse the dangerous downward spiral of our planet's environment by donating at least 1% of their total sales to grassroots environmental groups all over the world.

Innovative, inspiring, ambitious, and accessible, Patagonia as a company and as apparel is something to take note of.

What conditions are Patagonia jackets, fleece, and apparel designed for?

Patagonia creates outerwear for almost every condition and activity on Earth. Aimed at outdoor enthusiasts, climbers, hikers, skiers, snowboarders, and adventurers, but just as at home in the city, the lodge, or around town, Patagonia outerwear works in every situation, and every climate.

Which piece of Patagonia outerwear is right for me?

That depends entirely on your personal needs:

• What's your style?
• What do you need the piece for?
• What's your budget?
• What temperatures are you going to be wearing it in?

Let's take a look in Patagonia's closet and see if we can find the perfect jacket to fit your answers!

Patagonia Insulated Jackets

Designed for exceptional warmth in low temperatures, with a lightweight, packable design, Patagonia's down and synthetically insulated jackets are the perfect choices for winter or cold-weather adventures. Great when trying to save space on your next road trip, hike, or climb, these jackets bring the heat without the weight and bulk of traditional marshmallowy insulated jackets.

Patagonia Down Sweater

• Insulated jacket designed to fit and feel like your favorite old sweater
• 800 fill-power premium European goose down for an exceptional warmth-to-weight ratio
  
• Highly compressible insulation makes it very packable and well suited for travel and outdoor activities (can even pack into its own included stuff sack)
• Quilted build keeps the down insulation exactly where it needs to be, for evenly distributed heat
• Ripstop, tear-resistant shell is windproof, and treated with a Durable Water-Resistant (DWR) finish
• All recycled polyester shell material

Comfortable, lightweight, packable, durable, and incredibly warm, the Down Sweater is perfect on its own in cold, active conditions, and great as an insulating mid-layer in extremely bitter and harsh weather. Designed for skiing, snowboarding, hiking, travelling, climbing, mountaineering, and casual use.

Comes in men's, women's, girl's, and boy's versions. Also available as a hooded jacket for men and women.

Patagonia Nano Puff

• Versatile insulated winter jacket works on its own in cold, winter conditions, or as an insulating mid-layer on the slopes
• Lightweight, low-profile 60g PrimaLoft One polyester insulation delivers lightweight, packable heat
• Synthetic insulation dries quickly, and retains insulating properties even when wet, making it perfect for cold and wet weather
• Highly compressible design allows it to pack into its own pocket for easy travel and storage
• Quilted pattern keeps insulation in place for evenly distributed heat
• Wind-resistant shell treated with DWR finish
• All recycled polyester shell material

Patagonia Fleece Jackets

Patagonia's fleece jackets are impressively versatile and incredibly comfortable, designed in a wide variety of styles and weights to meet almost any need out there. From the lightweight warmth and softness of casual fleece jackets, to the heavier, wind-proof construction of high-performance fleece, Patagonia has something for everyone, and every condition.

Regulator Fleece insulation pieces are Patagonia's most popular lines of outerwear, and are broken down into 4 weights and categories, each specialized to meet different needs and thrive in different conditions:

Patagonia Womens Re-Tool Fleece

• Slim-fitting technical fleece jacket for everything from your morning run to late nights out in the city
• Polartec Thermal Pro polyester fleece with high-pile, extra-long fibers retains heat with a soft, comfortable feel
• Double fleece collar for added warmth and comfort
  
• Moisture-wicking, quick-drying fabric
  
• Comes in a variety of colors and styles, including full-zip, pullover, and hoodie

Patagonia Mens Synchilla Snap-T Fleece

• Signature Patagonia style with versatile warmth for casual or performance wear
• Works on its own on chilly days, or as a mid-layer on the mountain
• Durable, mid-weight recycled polyester fleece construction
• Stylish snaps and chest pocket for a unique look

Patagonia Better Sweater

• Incredibly soft fleece jacket designed to mimic a sweater knit, with all of the warmth, comfort, and performance of fleece
• 100% polyester fleece construction for breathability, insulation, and moisture management
• Sweater-knit face for impressive comfort and softness
• Available in men's and women's full zip, quarter zip, hoodie, and vest styles

Patagonia Retro-X Fleece

• Fully-featured, high-loft, windproof fleece jacket for solid warmth and protection from the elements
• 1/4" recycled polyester fleece pile exterior
• Breathable/windproof membrane sandwiched between the exterior fleece and interior lining
• Moisture wicking, brushed-polyester mesh lining interior keeps you cool and comfortable
• Designed for everything from the city to the slopes
• Available in men's and women's full zip jacket and vest styles