Patagonia Nano Puff Vest Review

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With vest season upon us, it’s time to break out last year’s vest or better yet, head over to your local outdoors shop or online and check out the Patagonia Nano Puff Vest.  After testing the Nano Puff Vest while hiking, dog walking, skiing, and micro brew testing, I have fallen in love.  Now I must admit, I have the Patagonia Nano Puff Pullover and I think that jacket is pretty bad a$$ as well.  So I came into testing out the Nano Puff Vest with favorable opinions.

An insulated or fleece vest is one of the most versatile pieces of gear that you will ever have.  They work great at keeping your core warm in almost any situation and it doesn’t hurt that they just look cool.  And since I need all the help I can get, a vest is the perfect accessory for me.

The Nano Puff Vest uses Primoloft insulation to help keep your core warm.  Primoloft is nice because not only does it keep you warm, but it is super lightweight and it doesn’t take up a lot of room.  So if you do heat up a little too much in the vest, you can easily take it off and stash it in your pack without taking a lot of room.  For convenience, the Nano Puff Vest can zip into the inner chest pocket. When not stuffing the vest into this pocket, I like to use it to store my cell phone as it doesn’t bounce around too much.  There are two other pockets near the waist in the Patagonia Nano Puff Vest which are big enough for a point and shoot camera, GPS, or any other pocket size item.  They can also be used to keep your hands warm, imagine that!

If the wind starts to whip around or you just want a better fit around the waist, there is a draw cord at the hem of the vest.  The arm holes of the Nano Puff Vest are reinforced with a softer fabric to eliminate irritation and allow for greater durability.  And while this vest packs a punch for warm, it only weighs 8.6 oz.  This is a nice feature for those out there try to keep their weight to a minimum.  Last, the Patagonia Nano Puff Vest has a DWR (durable water repellent) on the nylon outer, allowing water to bead off your vest and not soak into the fabric.

If you have been good this year and have saved your allowance, I highly recommend taking a look at the Patagonia Nano Puff Vest. For more info on the Nano Puff Vest and other Patagonia products, visit www.patagoinia.com or www.rei.com/patagonia.

MSRP $129