The Micro Puff jacket packs a lot of warmth into a small package. So, that’s the science behind the Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody, but does it really deliver on all of its lofty promises? Theoretically, having fewer seams maximizes the efficiency of the insulation, allowing heat to move more freely throughout the jacket, creating a consistent distribution of warmth and preventing the formation of cold spots. Instead, the Micro Puff is quilted with offset blocks of differing sizes. With less shifty insulation, the need for individual baffles was eliminated. The central strand design was employed to keep the insulation from shifting and clumping. Those fluffy offshoots compress like down, but stay warm and lofted when wet.
The insulation, called PlumaFill, looks like a tiny feather boa, and features tufts of heat-trapping ultrafine polyester filament anchored to a single, central strand. The inspiration for its design… what else… goose down. The engineers at Patagonia worked long and hard to create a new kind of synthetic insulation, one they say addresses both the heat and compressibility shortfalls found in many polyester fills. And, as for packability, they don’t compress as well either.Įnter the Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody. But, when it comes to facing truly cold temperatures, jackets with synthetic insulation usually don’t provide as much warmth as down. Often they can provide comfort in a wide range of temperatures, even during active, sweat producing pursuits. Synthetic jackets are also a bit more breathable than down jackets, which adds to their versatility. The hydrophobic polyester fibers maintain their loft and insulating properties, and then also dry more quickly once saturated. Synthetic insulation tolerates getting damp much better than down. While there are “responsible” means of harvesting down (see the Responsible Down Standard or Patagonia’s own stringent Traceable Down Standard), lots of folks just don’t feel comfortable wearing a by-product of somebody else’s death. Down also dries slowly, so once it’s gotten wet, it takes a long time to recover. No loft= significantly reduced heat retention.
It does not repel water, and, when wet, it tends to clump up and lose its ability to loft. Down also compresses amazingly well, which is a critical factor when pack space is at a premium. It’s incredible loftiness traps the heat that our bodies generate. Natural goose down generally provides the highest warmth to weight ratio of any insulator.
Finding the perfect ultralight puffy jacket has always involved some sort of compromise.