Why We Chose The Patagonia Recycled Better Sweater: Comfortable, warm, eco-friendly
Price: £100
Weight: 638g
More info: eu.patagonia.com
If you spend much time in climbing gyms, outdoor shops or the Outdoors Magic office, you’ll probably have seen someone wandering around in a Patagonia Better Sweater. It’s been in the product range for years, and by now it seems almost every outdoorsy type has got one of these in one form or another.
Though it’s not a particularly technical layer, the reasons for its popularity are simple really – it’s super-soft, very comfortable, warm and stylish. The regular fit looks good on almost anyone, and no matter how many times it goes through the wash, it continues to look respectable, save for the odd bit of pilling (which, as Patagonia point out, is easy to remedy).
“It’s super-soft, very comfortable, warm and stylish”
We also like the hip length cut, stand-up collar and zipped pockets – one on the chest, plus two hand pockets if you go for the full-zip version. The cuffs and hem are trimmed to help them keep their shape and resist abrasion, which stops them from going baggy. Flat-seam construction also improves comfort, as do the raglan sleeves, which means there’s no annoying shoulder seam right where a pack strap would sit.
So how on earth do you improve such a popular product? Well, Patagonia’s approach has been to look at the entire production process with an eye on sustainability. As a result, the only part of the latest Better Sweater that isn’t made from recycled materials is the zipper teeth (and, we’re told, Patagonia are working on that, too).
