Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody Review: Nearly Weightless Warmth

There's a 95 percent chance Senior Editor Christine Sarkis is thinking about travel right now. Follow her on Instagram @postcartography and Twitter @ChristineSarkis.

Christine Sarkis is an SATW-award-winning journalist and executive editor at SmarterTravel. Her stories have also appeared on USA Today, Conde Nast Traveler, Huffington Post, and Business Insider. Her advice has been featured in dozens of print and online publications including The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and People magazine. She has also shared travel tips on television and radio shows including Good Morning America, Marketplace, and Here & Now. Her work has been published in the anthologies Spain from a Backpack and The Best Women's Travel Writing 2008. She is currently working on a travel memoir.

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Patagonia’s Micro Puff Hoody is the latest and greatest from the outdoor brand, delivering impressive warmth that weighs almost nothing and packs down small. Like, really small.

Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody Review:

Price and Where to Buy: The Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody for men and women is available from $235 on Amazon.

How Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody Rates:

Usefulness: 10/10. The jacket’s PlumaFill insulation and quilting work together to create what Patagonia calls “the best warmth for weight we’ve ever achieved—down or synthetic.” It’s a claim that holds up—it’s both lighter and warmer than any other puffer jacket I’ve tried. It’s particularly great for travel because it’s thin enough to be a layer or a jacket, and it’s so light and compact that it frees up plenty of suitcase space for other cold-weather items.
Value: 8/10. This is an expensive jacket, but it’s a worthwhile investment, particularly for travelers looking to maximize warmth in colder destinations without adding a lot of weight.
Portability: 10/10. The Micro Puff Hoody packs into its own small pocket and can be tossed in a bag when you’re not wearing it.
Durability: 9/10. The material may look thin, but it is surprisingly strong and resists tearing.
Cool Factor: 9/10. To achieve this sort of warmth a decade ago would have meant lugging a jacket four times the weight of the Micro Puff Hoody, so this design is exceptionally cool for travelers looking to travel light. Note that the jacket is shiny, which will either endear it to you or, you know, not.

Final Verdict: The Micro Puff Hoody is the next generation of lightweight warmth, and is a comfortable and versatile travel companion.

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Editor’s Note: Reviews are based on usefulness, portability, durability, value, and “cool factor.” Some review products are sent to us free of charge and with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions, positive and negative, and will never accept compensation to review a product. If you have any questions or comments concerning our reviews, or would like to suggest a product for review, please email us at editor@smartertravel.com.

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