After loving the Patagonia Nano Puff Pullover, I was stoked last year when I heard about the new Nano Storm Jacket. An ultralight, insulating jacket with enough gumption to withstand the elements too? The entire package is highly-polished and performs like a champ both on and off piste.
Patagonia Nano Storm Features:
- Exterior fabric: 2.5-layer nylon ripstop with a waterproof/breathable H2No® barrier and Deluge® DWR
- Lightweight 60-g PrimaLoft® One polyester insulation
- Quilted pattern to maintain insulation consistency
- Helmet-compatible, fully-adjustable hood with laminated visor
- Watertight zippers
- Pockets: two handwarmers, one left chest; one internal zippered pocket, one drop-in
- Velcro sleeve cuffs
- Dual-adjust drawcord hem
- Weight: 652 g (1 lb 7 oz)
- Colors: Fog (tested), Black, Ball Blue
- MSRP: $299
Patagonia Nano Storm Jacket Review
As I’ve grown wiser in my days, I’ve come to appreciate some of the finer things in life. I’ve found that I love wearing lightweight natural or synthetic insulation, but I also dig wearing lightweight, breathable shells. Most of the time, I appreciate having them separate so I can layer at will, but every so often, it is nice to have an insulating, bombproof jacket for ultra-cold days on the slopes or around town.
With the Patagonia Nano Storm, you get Primaloft One insulation, all stuffed into a waterproof/breathable jacket with all the goodies you’d expect from Patagonia. While many insulated jackets can tend to feel bulky, awkward and heavy, the Nano Storm is none of that. Next to natural down insulation, Primaloft One is as good as it gets. It’s ultralight, packable and warm.
The Nano Storm is a simple jacket, but the combination of insulation and weatherproof exterior makes for a solid one-two punch that makes this jacket stand out. I especially appreciated the insulation on a single-digit ski day at Solitude Mountain Resort. The body of the jacket maintained excellent warmth all day, but in those cold temps, the sleeves did get a little chilly. Keep that in mind… you may want to still wear a little thicker mid layer when the temps drop into the singles.
Some of the nice touches of the Nano Storm stand out during use. Stuff like the extra threaded ports for the hood drawstrings, soft-lined handwarmer pockets and waterproof zippers all add up to make this jacket a winner. I love the feel of the insulation as it really feels natural and non bulky in use. Other insulated jackets I’ve worn tend to feel heavy or cumbersome — not so with this one.
Patagonia’s H2No and Deluge DWR exterior proved to provide excellent protection from the elements as it simply sheds moisture. As with many insulated jackets, it doesn’t breathe as well as a straight shell does, but it does breathe as well as I’d expect it to and will stay warm even when wet.
I really dig the attached hood for its insulated comfort and overall design. The rear drawstring keeps everything properly situated on your head and the visor brim kept its shape well and provided extra face protection from the elements without hindering visibility.
The two major complaints I’ve got with the Nano Storm are that the sleeves could be articulated a little better and a powder skirt or grippy hem would be nice additions to this jacket. On the sleeves, I found the cuffs and forearm areas to bunch up instead of sit flat with my natural arm and wrist movements. An anatomically-cut cuff would likely reduce this while improving the fit when wearing gloves. And, while skiing, I found I had to re-adjust the hem every so often as it would ride up. Some grippy material or a removable powder skirt would mitigate that issue.
Good Nano Storm
- Ultralight insulation
- Very compressible
- Waterproof H2No fabric sheds weather well
- Comfy handwarmer pockets are like a refuge for your hands
- Waterproof zippers reduce bulk and weight
- Glove-friendly zipper pulls
- Hood fits well and adjusts with a single pull
Bad Nano Storm
- Could use a removable powder skirt or grippy hem to keep it in place
- Sleeves could be more articulated for an improved anatomical fit
- Sleeve insulation can be lacking when temps drop to single digits
Bottom Line: Patagonia Nano Storm Jacket
The Patagonia Nano franchise is in good hands now with the Nano Storm Jacket. The Primaloft One insulation is ultralight, packable and warm down to single digits. I dig this jacket for the slopes and around town and appreciate all the goodies it has to offer. This is a great jacket with lots of features at a reasonable price.
Buy Now: Patagonia Nano Storm Jacket
