Patagonia Down Sweater Question

It changes over the years, as does the baffle stitching design. Pretty hard to compare without knowing the exact year of production. Also the patagonia isn't particularly that warm of a sweater for what it is. Given the concerns you may be better off looking at a different brand like Montbell or even MH which doesn't suffer counterfeiting problems as much.

Yea I've been looking at a couple other ones. One is the arcteryx cerium or thorium, I looked at the MH ghost whisperer but haven't got to see it in person, but some reviews have said that it isn't as warm as slightly heavier jackets. I ran across a Sherpa nangpala earlier that I was really interested in, but I'm sure I would have to buy that one brand new and spending over $200 on a light jacket isn't in the plan right now. I will continue to search

Eric, I'm not sure on the counterfeit answer either, but I'll also suggest an UL jacket: Borah Gear Down Jacket. It has more fill weight than the Patagonia sweaters, and weighs a measly ~5oz. It's cheaper than alternatives, and I think I saw one on WB recently too. Edit: there's also a discontinued Stoic down jacket on the Gear Swap. ~2.3oz fill, ~8oz, $100. http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=108631

Patagonia online has four 50% off sales a year. You just missed the last one and I think the next one comes in Feb. In the meantime, you can call their outlet stores and see what they have available. Sometimes the savings are even more. I've scored good deals from the Freeport, Maine and Ironworks store in Ventura.

Thanks for the suggestions! I will look into both of those.

costco.com still has the Sierra Designs dridown sweater in stock. Its a heavier face material with larger zippers so it weighs a bit more. They also have the Patagucci sweaters and hoodies in stock.

Patagonia has a "style" number on the label that can be Googled to get the model/specs. Of course it doesn't guarantee authenticity. I've seen lots of Mountain Hardwear and North Face knock-offs, but haven't seen a Patagonia copy yet. The Uniqlo down jacket is about the same loft and a little lighter than a Patagonia sweater and $80 for a brand new one. Eddie Bauer has 30% of on their stuff right now, including the clearance items.