User Review: Patagonia Apastron Hoody

Summary

If you want to stay warm, look no further.

So I was looking for a single outer layer with hood that I could wear over my work clothes and keep me warm while I'm waiting 10 minutes at my bus stop completely exposed to the elements in below freezing weather with strong wind gusts. However, I didn't want a big, heavy, ugly and bulky down filled jacket, so synthetic insulation was key. This jacket fit the bill perfectly.

First I have to mention my size. I'm about 5'11", 180 lbs and a large is a great fit. The sleeves are a bit long (I wear 32/33 in dress size shirts for comparison), with the sleeves coming up in between the base of my fingers and the first knuckle, but not something I can't deal with. I also tried on the medium in the store but it was way too tight. The jacket itself is very light and very comfortable to wear. It is so ridiculously warm that you really don't need to layer much at all with it. I simply throw it on over my work clothes and I never feel cold.

As expected, you definitely get Patagonia quality with this jacket. This jacket has Windstopper, and it definitely works great. I don't feel a thing in strong wind gusts. The outer material is not completely water-proof, but it's still pretty water-resistant. Light precipitation is easily wiped off as it beads on the surface.

As far as adjustability, there are velcro hand cuffs, drawstring for the hood, and drawstring at the bottom of the jacket to tighten the fit around your torso/waist. The jacket comes with two hand pockets, two chest pockets, and one small inside pocket on the left for an mp3 player or phone sized device.

I've mainly used this jacket while doing little to no physical activity, so I can't really comment on how it would perform if you used it actively. The lack of pit zips or other obvious ventilation methods seems to suggest that this jacket wouldn't be too good for active pursuits.

Now for some nitpicking... The hood is insulated and mostly fits my big head (size 7 7/8 hat size for reference), but I wish it was a little longer on the sides to provide more protection for my cheeks at the expense of some range of vision. The hood has a nice laminated brim that will wick away precipitation which I like.

Another drawback is that the hand pockets are not insulated. They are in front of the Primaloft insulation material so you really only have the outer material and inside lining keeping your hands warm. I usually wear gloves so it's not a huge deal but if you're not a glove person it might be a bit annoying.

I was comparing this jacket with the Arc'teryx Kappa Hoody/Fission SL/Fission SV but I went with the Apastron because I couldn't justify the price difference on my current budget.