Patagonia Women’s Nano-Air Hoody Review
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If you are in the market for a “do it all” kind of jacket, look no further than Patagonia’s latest offering, the Nano-Air Hoody. The Nano-Air is available for men and women, with and without a hood. I’ve had my hands on the Patagonia Women’s Nano-Air Hoody for the past several months and have found it to be the most breathable, comfortable, and versatile jacket that I have tested to date.
Patagonia Nano-Air Hoody Features
The Patagonia Nano-Air Hoody utilizes Patagonia’s very own 60-g FullRange Insulation paired between a light-weight 100% nylon ripstop shell and 100% nylon plain weave liner. The Nano-Air Hoody offers up excellent stretch to move with you, no matter the activity, while also providing extreme breathability (40CFM). To give you a sense of comparison, the breathability rating for most fleeces are in the mid teens.
In addition to providing breathability, the jacket also features a DWR finish to help repel the elements and keep you dry and warm. The Patagonia Nano-Air Hoody features two hand stash pockets that are backpack and harness compatible. There are also two zippered chest pockets for key items and can fit even the updated and enlarged smartphones.
Uses
Patagonia touts this as a “start to stop” jacket for outdoor adventures. Simply put, the jacket is designed to stay on even when you heat up and continues to keep you warm when you need it most, such as on a descent or waiting for your turn to climb. The Patagonia Nano-Air Hoody serves as a replacement for a traditional layering system, such as a base layer, mid-layer, fleece, and outer shell, which requires that you take on/off various layers throughout your endeavor. Rather, this jacket allows you to simplify. I typically paired the Nano-Air Hoody with a base layer, long or short sleeved for cold weather running, back-country skinning, and cross country skiing. I was able to leave the jacket on for the entire outing, which included high intensity exercising. I never saturated the jacket with my sweat or became chilled!
For alpine skiing, I simply added a waterproof and windproof shell and was toasty on the lift in temperatures down to the single digits. The jacket insulates like a dream, despite it’s low loft and lack of bulk. The Patagonia Nano-Air Hoody is not only ready for the outdoors, it doesn’t look overly techie or flashy and was by go to for around town use. Unlike a down jacket or even a Patagonia Nano Puff, I have yet to endure any snags or tears despite using the jacket just about everyday.
Fit
The Patagonia Nano-Air Hoody is stretchy and moves with you better than any jacket that I have tested. This is due to the 60-G FullRange Insulation, discussed above. The Women’s Nano-Air Hoody, features a slim fit that runs true to size. One major upgrade from the original Patagonia Women’s Nano-Puff (my former favorite jackets), is that the Nano-Air Hoody features a longer center back length and feels less boxy and more fitted. The jacket is available in XS to XL.
There are two adjustable pulls at the lower hem to help seal in heat. The jacket also features stretchy fabric at the cuffs and along the hood that are super soft and not overly binding. The one thing that is less than perfect with this jacket is that the cuffs have started to pill and look pretty dirty due to the light contrast fabric utilized. I tested the jacket in Tobago Blue, therefore the cuffs are a light mint green. The hood is pretty bomber too; on super chilly days I can slip the hood underneath my ski helmet for added warmth. It is also very stretchy and can fit over a climbing helmet. At the chin area, their is a soft zipper guard, which helps to keep your chin and underside of your nose from getting rubbed raw.
The Patagonia Nano-Air Hoody feels like your favorite hooded sweatshirt, but offers up amazing breathability in an uber light weight package (12.4 ounces for a women’s medium). Adding this jacket to your closet will help minimize your on the trail layer changes and keep you warm and protected. For more information, please visit Patagonia.com
