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Flashlight Enthusiast
I have owned my Patagonia R3 Jacket for over a year now, and I wanted to share my opinions and experience of this excellent jacket.
The fleece is part of what Patagonia calls its "Regulator" system and is made by Polartec. They claim that it is more advanced than any other fleece, and one review I read on this stuff had the title "The end of fleece?" implying that this stuff was going to be replacing all the old type fleece, because it is lighter, thinner, warmer, and better at controlling moisture.
And I believe it. Before it got stolen in college, I owned one of the older Patagonia fleece pullovers, which was heavier, thicker, and not as warm as my R3 jacket. Also, I sometimes felt a bit clammy when wearing it. The regulator fleece, on the other hand, is just marvellous. It has become my favorite jacket, and that's saying a lot because I used to be a die-hard wool fan, specifically Filson products, and wore my Filson Double Mac for 10 winters in a row. Yet the R3 is almost as warm as the Filson (and warmer than it in windy conditions) and is only a fraction of its bulk and weight and breathes at least as well as the Filson, and probably better.
The fit and finish and detail work of the jacket are impeccable and it has stood up to a great deal of use. I even use it as a sweater in the house if it is cold inside (our heat is somewhat erratic). Unlike the fleece I have owned in the past, this material is still looking good after a year. There is some pilling, but it is not objectionable and is hardly noticeable. The jacket can be easily machine washed and dried and has not lost any performance over time.
I have only two very minor issues with the jacket, one of which I only had at the beginning. The collar when zipped up all the way will push against the bottom of your chin and/or neck when you look down. Either I got used to this and it no longer bothers me, or the collar softened up or both. And the stretch cord rig-up for cinching the bottom of the jacket around your waist is designed to be done by a single pull from inside the right front pocket. It works, but every now and then it gets in the way a little bit from the cord which travells from the pocket to the bottom of the jacket.
I bought this jacket to go along with my R2 vest (which is every bit as impressive) and my Patagonia and Marmot baselayers. When I wear my Patagonia baselayer, the R2 vest, the R3 jacket, and my Marmot hard shell, I am set for the most nasty bitter cold stormy weather imaginable, and the total weight and bulk is about the same as my Filson Double Mac. For a long while, I claimed that synthetics still had not surpassed wool, but I think that is no longer true. (Even so, I still love wool, and I still use my Double Mac from time to time, if I have to do some heavy, dirty, or rough work in the woods or outside, such as chopping, carrying and stacking wood, or heavy bush whacking in the forest. I never worry about thorns and twigs harming my Filson.)
Overall, I can't recommend this jacket highly enough. For most of the year, I pretty much live in it. The only times it is not sufficient is when a cold wind is blowing hard; being a fleece, it will not stop the wind very well. But during these times, I simply add on my hard shell, and that combination alone has been adequate for any but long term exposure. At around a $130 I think it is a great bargain and I just wanted to let people know about it.
The fleece is part of what Patagonia calls its "Regulator" system and is made by Polartec. They claim that it is more advanced than any other fleece, and one review I read on this stuff had the title "The end of fleece?" implying that this stuff was going to be replacing all the old type fleece, because it is lighter, thinner, warmer, and better at controlling moisture.
And I believe it. Before it got stolen in college, I owned one of the older Patagonia fleece pullovers, which was heavier, thicker, and not as warm as my R3 jacket. Also, I sometimes felt a bit clammy when wearing it. The regulator fleece, on the other hand, is just marvellous. It has become my favorite jacket, and that's saying a lot because I used to be a die-hard wool fan, specifically Filson products, and wore my Filson Double Mac for 10 winters in a row. Yet the R3 is almost as warm as the Filson (and warmer than it in windy conditions) and is only a fraction of its bulk and weight and breathes at least as well as the Filson, and probably better.
The fit and finish and detail work of the jacket are impeccable and it has stood up to a great deal of use. I even use it as a sweater in the house if it is cold inside (our heat is somewhat erratic). Unlike the fleece I have owned in the past, this material is still looking good after a year. There is some pilling, but it is not objectionable and is hardly noticeable. The jacket can be easily machine washed and dried and has not lost any performance over time.
I have only two very minor issues with the jacket, one of which I only had at the beginning. The collar when zipped up all the way will push against the bottom of your chin and/or neck when you look down. Either I got used to this and it no longer bothers me, or the collar softened up or both. And the stretch cord rig-up for cinching the bottom of the jacket around your waist is designed to be done by a single pull from inside the right front pocket. It works, but every now and then it gets in the way a little bit from the cord which travells from the pocket to the bottom of the jacket.
I bought this jacket to go along with my R2 vest (which is every bit as impressive) and my Patagonia and Marmot baselayers. When I wear my Patagonia baselayer, the R2 vest, the R3 jacket, and my Marmot hard shell, I am set for the most nasty bitter cold stormy weather imaginable, and the total weight and bulk is about the same as my Filson Double Mac. For a long while, I claimed that synthetics still had not surpassed wool, but I think that is no longer true. (Even so, I still love wool, and I still use my Double Mac from time to time, if I have to do some heavy, dirty, or rough work in the woods or outside, such as chopping, carrying and stacking wood, or heavy bush whacking in the forest. I never worry about thorns and twigs harming my Filson.)
Overall, I can't recommend this jacket highly enough. For most of the year, I pretty much live in it. The only times it is not sufficient is when a cold wind is blowing hard; being a fleece, it will not stop the wind very well. But during these times, I simply add on my hard shell, and that combination alone has been adequate for any but long term exposure. At around a $130 I think it is a great bargain and I just wanted to let people know about it.
