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Patagonia Macro Puff Insulated Jacket | First Look

We've had the Micro Puff (and we loved it). Now there's a Macro on the way...

I was recently out with the Outdoors Magic team in Munich for the massive outdoor gear expo that is ISPO, and among the abundance of interesting new releases we saw there, there was one thing in particular that stood out to us.

That was the Patagonia Macro Puff, probably the U.S. brand’s biggest launch for 2019 (we’ll have to wait until autumn before it’s on the market). It’s a follow on from the extremely popular Nano Puff and Micro Puff, both of which have made it into our previous Outdoor 100 product guides.

Seeing it at the Patagonia stand, it was instantly noticeable just how much loftier, thicker and just generally burlier this insulated jacket is to the past two. The baffles look bigger and the fill loftier, and the outer shell appears to have a tougher weave.

Patagonia Macro Puff: Technical Details

So what about the actual specs then? Well, the PlumaFill synthetic insulation used for the Micro stays but is used in much bigger quantities with this. There’s 135g of it in the body and 90g in the sides and arms making for a total jacket weight of 420g. By comparison, the Micro Puff weighs 264g.

PlumaFill is a form of synthetic fibre that’s designed to mimic down, trapping air in thousands of tiny pockets to create a lofty and warm feel. If you’re already familiar with PrimaLoft, it’s a lot like that.

And this synthetic fibre, like most of the others versions available, has a big advantage when it comes to wet weather, because unlike standard down, it’s able to provide warmth even when it gets damp. It’s what makes jackets like this so popular for UK climbers and hillwalkers who are used to venturing out in some pretty rough stuff.

Interestingly, the fill is formed into baffles that snake around the jacket’s panels, so there’s essentially just a single continuous chamber used on each arm, on each side on the front of the jacket and across the back. This, we imagine, is an effort to reduce stitching, in turn reducing the risk of heat escaping.

The men's Macro Puff will come in black, grey, blue and red.

The women's Macro Puff will be available in black, navy, light blue and 'balsamic'.

The idea is clearly to offer a jacket for those venturing high up. It’s not just shown by the extra amount of fill this has compared to the Nano and Micro, but also the smaller details. Like the slightly longer cut of the hem and the drawcords that have been added to it. Other differences when comparing this to the Nano and Micro are the addition of a two-way main zip to make it more harness compatible, and a more helmet friendly hood.

As with the Micro Puff, the whole jacket will stow away into its own handwarmer pocket, making for a compact little bundle.

The Patagonia Nano Puff displayed some excellent efforts towards sustainable production, however, we’re a bit short on the information regarding that side of things with the Patagonia Macro Puff. The outer fabric is made from a recycled ripstop nylon but the polyester used for the fill (PlumaFill) isn’t recycled – by the sound of it anyway.

Patagonia Macro Puff Price

As was the case with both the Micro and the Nano, the Macro Puff will be available with or without a hood. We can only get retail prices for each of them in dollars at the moment, and as things stand, it’s $349 without the hood and $399 with.

Related: ISPO’s Best In Show 2019

So, at probably around the £300 price mark that’s a fairly expensive jacket. But if it’s anything like the Micro Puff, which launched at £250, it could still be a good investment if you’re looking for a serious jacket.

We’ll have to wait and see though. With its release set for Autumn/Winter 2019 hopefully we can provide a full review around about August. Stay tuned.