New Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody

Starts to make more sense with the picture of the insulation itself, in fact I have seen knitting yarn of a very similar construction made into some very warm and lightweight jumpers. I am wondering how they will get a double layer construction tho because there will be a call for something winter suitable very quickly from all the ice climbers.

Hopefully pants will follow quickly to replace the useless Nanopuff pull-ons

This is a pretty nice jacket by the looks of it. The high price tag is only going to last for so long IMO, this is the “have a new 2018 jacket in 2017” price. By next june you might be able to get it on sale for 99 dollars less than now. I’d wait a year or so and buy it myself if Patagonia didn’t use DWR with PFC, because the company has a great warranty and service and makes cool stuff like this. I was really sad to learn that a lot of cool technology out there is bad for you because of certain coatings and treatments and possibly even bright colored dyes. Not to preach to anyone, hike your own hike.

if (if) it actually lives up to the hype, I could see myself getting one

I’m still really impressed with Apex as a lightweight, warm for weight garment

n/m

I haven’t really looked into this jacket, but if PlumaFill is really as good as down, why don’t they give a fill power for it? Or some measure of insulation? Also, how well does it work when wet? And does the insulation degrade fairly quickly like most synthetics? For me, the longevity of down is one of it’s best attributes right alongside it’s warmth:weight.

In the absence of numbers, it’s hard not to be skeptical since nearly even new synthetic insulation make similar claims of being better than down.

Regarding the warmth:weight ratio, this jacket also uses the lightest fabric Patagonia has ever used (10D Pertex Quantum GL), so a warmth:weight comparison is not really apples to apples, and it’s kind of suspect that Patagonia is using this metric, rather than giving some specific numbers for the insulation. The 65g of PlumaFill is only ~20% of the garment weight, so the fabric and features likely have a larger influence on this ratio than the insulation.

It could be good stuff, but there’s been so many synthetics over the years that have claimed to be better than down that some hard data is needed. With that said, Patagonia has more credibility with me than most companies.

Maybe we can find an early adopter who would be willing to loan theirs to Richard Nisley for actual testing?

Concerning the weight comparison with their down sweater hoody, the 15oz down sweater hoody could hardly be thought of as an ultralight jacket by “our standards”.  Fabric weight is a dominate factor in total weight of lightly insulated garments unless there is a huge difference in insulation weights.  The sweater is made with 1.4-oz 20×30-denier 100% recycled polyester fabric vs the micro puff’s 0.7-oz 10-denier 100% nylon ripstop.

Jim, Exactly what I was hoping. BPL could also purchase the item and send to Richard and then sell at a discount, raffle off, etc. I’m hoping this synthetic is different than many previous attempts, but not optimistic.

Once in a while I’m pleasantly surprised when reality matches the hype, as in the case of the pre-2012 Houdini Hoody breathability and the crazy warmth of the Polartec HE used in the Patagonia Thermal Hoody under a wind layer (at least in dry conditions).

you know damn well Ryan has one in the mail :)

JIM: I think the comparison was with Patagonia’s Ultralight Down Hoody (not their regular down hoody). This jacket does use a 10D fabric, but not as light as this new 10D. I think that jacket is about 9.5oz.

A warmer jacket would also be nice. IN super thin versions, the insulation is such a small part of the weight that a slightly heavier material is not a huge deal. But once we are talking about midnight jackets, with 5 oz of down,, that’s were a synthetic with close warmth to weight ratio would really be awesome

Following….

Since the reviews seem to be quite good (except for the shell) – does anyone know how Plumafill compares to Primaloft?

If one is really looking for the greatest warmth to weight ratio…this is for you.

9.3oz?! That’s crazy.

Lightest puffy I own currently is the Black Diamond Access at 11.6oz. And I thought that was pretty light.

I’m sure it’s a top notch product. Patagonia isn’t known for making junk.

to Armand C: Enlightened Equipment’s Torrid Apex is lighter, has more fill weight, and is almost half the price… so to me it is the clear winner and it is what I ordered. I almost bought the Patagonia until i researched more and found out about this jacket. Sure it’s not the fancy new polyester, but be warned the polyester we call crappy today was marketed at one point as the awesome new polyester …so Id be skeptical , and certainly wouldn’t pay almost double for a less warm and heavier jacket and take the risk that this isnt the same old marketing spin we’ve seen before time and again. Not worth it to me

Not what I was hoping for:

“Our initial impressions of the Patagonia Micro Puff were very strong, but we were a little less enthused once it came to cold weather testing. Wearing it back-to-back with a range of jackets, including the new The North Face Ventrix, Patagonia’s Nano-Air and Nano Puff, and a host of lightweight down pieces, the Micro Puff offered decidedly less insulation. The 65-gram PlumaFill synthetic has the puffy feel of premium goose down or duck clusters, but you just don’t get nearly the same cozy warmth. We rank the jacket’s overall warmth at a little less than the Patagonia Nano Puff, which features 60-gram PrimaLoft. It is important to note that the Micro Puff is 4.3 ounces lighter than the Nano, so this is a notable accomplishment. But held up to the standards of down jackets like the Arc’teryx Cerium LT or Patagonia Ultralight, the Micro Puff comes up well short.”

“It’s always difficult to assign a temperature range for an insulated piece, but we found the Micro Puff kept us reasonably comfortable into approximately the mid 40s Fahrenheit with a thin baselayer underneath. This makes it a suitable option for use around camp on lower elevation summer backpacking….”

“We love insulated layers that can be worn every day of the week, and the decision to go with such a paper-thin shell does have an impact on usability. The rest of the jacket fits the bill for wearing around town—plenty of storage, high quality and smooth operating zippers, good Patagonia looks and comfort, and a nice fit—but the limited durability means this expensive jacket likely will be kept on a hanger in between backcountry trips.”

See entire review at https://www.switchbacktravel.com/reviews/patagonia-micro-puff-hoody

Just seeing if anyone has more info?  I think the blistergear review above got updated (same link), and the only dissatisfaction I can find on Patagonia’s website is stitching.

Tried it, it’s a nicely done piece of kit. But, it’s not as warm as the classic montbell exlite jacket. Significantly colder. Because of that a solid no for me.

of similar genre that might work even better?

https://bedrockandparadox.com/2017/09/22/patagonia-nano-air-light-hoody-the-fleece-killer/

Just doesn’t seem to be much loft in it. Wonder if they pushed too hard for the low weight.

I’m also waiting for real numbers, but from handling I would be hard pressed to believe the hype. Certainly just the weight of the insulation seems to have an odd amount of overlap with the nanopuff, the old 100g micropuff garments were far closer to what I want then the 60g NP.

I have repaired a few of the new micropuffs, and as thin as the shell is I think repair shops will be seeing quite a few more. Also the insulation leaks a bit like down, not enough to effect performance but enough to worry people I’m sure.

Following on after three years I am still confused about the claims made for the new insulation. However today I saw a product that may have use for some people. Patagonias answer to the back country blanket.
https://www.patagonia.com/product/macro-puff-outdoor-quilt/22110.html?dwvar_22110_color=BBCY&cgid=root
Has Patagonia lost the plot and really become just another fashion brand like TNF ??

Has Patagonia lost the plot and really become just another fashion brand like TNF ?

I thought the answer to that was obvious… it’s been so for many years.

Guessed that was the case when they deleted the extra large helmet hood from the DAS parka and they replaced the Fitzroy parka with a wannabe for the cafe latte crowd.

They were dead to me when they dropped the 5” inseam on the stand-up shorts… if you can’t even be true to the one that brung you, screw you.

they still make some decent stuff, but they have a terrible habit of taking something very good and discontinuing it; to name just a few

Rock Guide soft shell pants

Alpine Guide pants (a heavier, soft shell winter pant)

Nano Light Air hoody- easily the best active layer I’ve used (and I’ve used a ton)

Capilene 1 (Light) tops and bottoms

Merino 1 tops

DAS parka