Patagonia Nano Air Vest Review – Insulated Vest for Outdoor Lovers

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When it comes to insulation that keeps you warm, Patagonia has always been one of the key players in the outdoor industry to provide you with proven apparel. My experience with Patagonia insulated jackets dates back to my first Synchilla fleece pullover about 20 years ago and having tested dozens of Patagonia jackets since I am a firm believer that the company has the jacket thing down. In this review, I’ll be covering the Patagonia Nano Air Vest which uses the new Nano Air insulation technology that is extremely light, provides plenty of warmth, and breaths once the heart rate goes up.

After the success of the Nano Jacket by Patagonia, it was only natural for the brand to come out with a vest. Our testers tested out the Patagonia Nano Air Jacket and to not much surprise, there were only rave reviews and comments. Having been on the ski hill out in the backcountry talking to others who have the jacket, I can tell you the response has been the same from everyone, two thumbs up!  So, what do you do with a jacket that everyone loves? Well, yes, you keep it in your product line, offer more colors, and hell, why not cut the sleeves and make a vest?!

While outdoor vest have gone in and out of style over the years, the general functionality has remained the same. Keep the core warm when you need to and let the rest of the upper body breath. Living in Colorado, temperatures can range from one extreme to another, all in a days work. The Patagonia Nano Air Vest has been one of the most versatile pieces for me while backcountry skiing, spring skiing at the resort, mildly cool hiking, and around town activities.

Patagonia Nano Air Vest Fabric

The Patagonia Nano Air Vest uses a unique outer shell fabric that stretches and meets the demands of the body during activity. It has a matte finish that is a little toned down from the popular Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket and Vest that we have all come to love. This material on the Nano Air Vest is used both on the inside and the outside of the jacket.

To keep the Nano Air Vest from getting saturated with water in the event of a light rain or snow, the designers added a DWR coating which helps keep the material from getting saturated with water, sometimes known as wetting out. While this works well with light rain, the inside of the jacket was able to get saturated with sweat on the back during a longer ski tour, but this is typically to be expected.

Patagonia Nano Air Vest Fit

Compared to the Patagonia Nano Puff Vest in which we’ve reviewed, the style and fit is a little different. In the Nano Puff Vest, you get a boxier or more traditional cut that caters to the majority of people out there. In the Patagonia Nano Air Vest, you get a slimmer and more athletic cut. For some people this might make you feel a little claustrophobic in that when it’s zipped up, it fits pretty snug. I am 6’0 tall and hover between 167-172 lbs and found the size medium to fit me perfectly. I wouldn’t consider myself overweight, but I’m not a beanpole either to give you a frame of reference.

Nano Air Insulation

The insulation used in the Nano Air vest is a 60 gram synthetic insulation that has a little more loft than your traditional synthetic jacket or vest while keeping the weight down at the same time.

Basic Features

The Patagonia Nano Air has all the basic features that you come to find in most outdoor vests. The Nano Air Vest has a chest pocket and two side pockets to fit anything from your cell phone to energy bars to a set of sunglasses. The side pockets have good size to them which is good for stuffing your hands into on a cold day. To keep cold air from getting in on the more frigid days, there is a cinch cord at the bottom which keeps warmth in and cold out. There’s a soft fabric layer near the chin on the zipper to keep your chin from rubbing raw when you need to have the vest zipped all the way up. Like I said, basic features in the Patagonia Nano Air Vest, but the features you want in a vest.

Final Thoughts on the Patagonia Nano Air Vest

All in all, the Patagonia Nano Air Vest will surely become a staple in your outdoor gear closet if you’re a vest kind of person. This vest isn’t the cheapest on the market, but you’ll be sure to get your money’s worth. For more information on the Patagonia Nano Air Vest, please visit Patagonia.com.