Patagonia Triolet Jacket Review

The Patagonia Triolet Jacket is Patagonia’s answer to an outer layer that can do everything from alpine skiing in heavy snowfall to handling high winds and torrential rain. If you’re looking for full protection in every season, the Triolet is a jacket worth considering but hold off on hitting that add-to-cart button before reading our thoughts on it.

In this Patagonia Triolet Jacket Review, we look at everything this jack-of-all-trades jacket has to offer. From materials and durability to weather performance, comfort, and breathability, we un-sew the threads so you can be fully confident as to whether this is the alpine jacket for you.

Materials & Durability

Materials

Being a Patagonia jacket, the Triolet is made to some of the highest sustainability standards with a 100% recycled polyester outer shell and put together with Fair Trade Sewing.

The polyester outer shell is a thick 75 deniers making it both tough and excellent when it comes to heavy weather. Beneath the polyester is a three-layer waterproof Gore-Tex membrane that stops water and wind from coming in but still lets some moisture and warm air out to keep you comfortable on the trail.

The outer shell is covered with a DWR (durable water-repellant coating) that is the first defense against any rainfall. The coating stands up well to moisture and you can rest assured you’ll stay dry

The zippers are tough, smooth, and reliable. You’re not going to find yourself with a half-zipped jacket on the trail and they’re also sealed so no water gets inside the jacket.

Durability

When it comes to durability, the 75D polyester outer shell ensures that the Patagonia Triolet will survive multiple seasons, even if you treat your gear rough.

Polyester is moth tear and scuff resistant, and at 75D it’ll handle the rigors and wear and tear of hard-wearing alpine sports such as skiing and climbing.

The only part of the Patagonia Triolet that you may experience wear on is the DWR coating, but this is normal and is not designed to survive forever, plus you can apply a fresh coat every season.

Weight & Packability

Weight

All season hard shells are always a bit heavy and they need to be in order to keep you warm in harsh, cold conditions.

The Patagonia Triolet weighs in at 19.4 ounces (1lb 3.4 oz) which is not light by any means and is one of the heaviest jackets in its class when compared to similar options such as the Patagonia Refugitive jacket that is 6 ounces lighter but quite a bit more expensive.

The added weight is likely to have come from the extra zippers due to the extra pockets on the Triolet.

You’re not likely to experience the extra weight as a negative when owning the Triolet but if you are looking for the lightest winter hard-shell around, you should look elsewhere.

Packability

Even though the Patagonia Triolet is heavier than most other jackets in its class, it still packs down small and will easily fit into your backpack. You can fold it up into the hood, turning it into a small bundle that’ll squeeze into any empty space you have.

Weather Performance

Rain

The body and materials of the Patagonia Triolet jacket do an excellent job of keeping rainfall out. The DWR combine with the triple layer Gore-Tex membrane make the jacket fully waterproof and will keep you protected in the heaviest of downpours.

The Triolet does have some issues when it comes to rainfall though and these come from its fit and hood. The sizes run a bit small on the Triolets meaning the hem is a little short leaving your back slightly exposed.

The hood design, while having a visor and providing ample coverage, allow water to drip down into the collar, thus letting water inside the jacket and getting you, the user, wet internally in a serious downpour.

The visor is a little bit too small and should be a lot wider to channel the water off to the sides instead of down the collar and into the jacket.

The zippers do as described and are 100% watertight, so anything in your pockets will stay dry and you won’t experience any moisture leaking in from the main zipper either.

Wind

When it comes to heavy winds, the Patagonia Triolet jacket performs well and is 100% windproof. The combined materials work well to stop any cold air from getting inside, ensuring you stay warm even in strong, icy winds.

Breathability & Comfort

Breathability

When it comes to the breathability of the Patagonia Triolet Jacket, we look to the three-layer Gore-Tex breathable membrane that does a good job of letting heat out while keeping you warm in cold conditions.

Being a hard shell for alpine use, you can’t expect the Triolet to dump heat as well as summertime just incase rain jacket, and when being active in the between the months of spring and autumn,  you will most likely overheat. This is a small price to pay for the warmth it’ll give you when you need it.

The Triolet does have standard pit zips though which will help you cool down quickly when you need to. They are normal pit zips though and are not full-length to the hem.

Something to note is that the Triolet does not feature Gore-Tex’s new C-knit backer which is said to increase breathability by up to 15% and we’re not sure why.

Comfort

From a materials standpoint, the Triolet is comfortable against your skin but when it comes to mobility and fit, the Triolet is a little restrictive.

There’s a lot of talk about the cut and fit of this jacket with most people thinking that the hem is a little short and it’s tight-fitting, especially with layers when doing activities like climbing.

You’re likely to find that your mobility is quite reduced the using the Triolet in far-reaching sports but when worn for hiking it’s pretty adequate.

Features

Hood

The hood on the Patagonia Triolet Jacket offers excellent overall protection from the elements, bar the issue with water running down into the collar that we mentioned above.

The hood features three adjustment cords, one on each side and one at the back to give you your preferred fit. It does take two hands to adjust them perfectly though.

Hem, Cuffs, & Pockets

The Triolet has excellent pockets that are especially useful when skiing and climbing. You’ll find an internal mesh pocket for storing extras like gloves and hats, plus handwarmer pockets to keep the chill away from your digits.

You’ll also find double chest pockets for even more storage and all the pockets are sealed with watertight zippers to keep your valuables safe and dry.

The hem has two drawcords so you can ensure it sits tightly against your body, plus an internal button-flap so that you can attach it to pants so it doesn’t ride up, ideal for skiing.

The velcro cuffs tighten down nicely and have adequate space for thick gloves and strap down tight enough onto a bare wrist too.

Recco Reflector

Built into the Patagonia Triolet Jacket is a Recco reflector that enhances radio signals for search and rescue. This is a feature not found in most hard shells and is a true sign that the Triolet is made for heavy alpine use.

The Recco reflector makes it much easier for search and rescue teams to find you if, god forbid, you find yourself lost, covered in an avalanche, or worse.

It’s an incredibly useful feature to have for those of you who love pushing the limits and going off-piste all the time. Plus it’s likely to give your loved ones at home peace of mind as well.

Patagonia Triolet Vs Torrentshell

When comparing the Triolet to Patagonia’s Torrentshell, you should bear in mind that these jackets are made for different conditions.

The Torrentshell is a lightweight rain jacket that offers excellent weather resistance for use between late spring and fall. It’s the perfect rain jacket for day hikes or week-long rainy adventures in the warmer months of the year.

It’s durable, breathable, lightweight, affordable, and provides excellent wind and rain protection but it’s not made for the snow like the Triolet.

The Triolet is burlier, warmer, and will hold up far better and keep you much more comfortable when the weather gets serious. It is made for skiing and all-weather use, which the Torrentshell is not.

Value for Money

The Patagonia Triolet jacket retails for $399 which is a pretty standard price for a jacket of the caliber, meaning it’s certainly not batting above its weight when it comes to value. And if you want a higher performing jacket you might have to spend up to $650.

That being said, you can also find similar hardshell jackets in the same price range that are lighter, fit better but don’t have quite as good features as the Triolet.

So is the Triolet good value for money? Overall yes but it might be worth shopping around a bit first.

Rating

With a score of 76, the Patagonia Triolet jacket has done OK in our rating system.

You could forgive the extra weight for sake of being warm but the additional hood, fit, and mobility issues really bring the jacket down.

It’ll still serve you well as a winter hardshell for hiking in snow and outside of torrential rain, but when it comes to skiing and climbing, its restiveness is an issue.

Verdict

Overall, the Patagonia Triolet Jacket is a solid hardshell that will give you the protection and warmth you need when heading out on winter adventures, which is what it was made to do.

It consists of excellent materials with a quality build that will stand the test of time and rugged mountain use, again and again.

The Triolet, as discussed, does have its issues though but it would still suit winter hikers and anyone in need of a well-priced, fully protective,  durable hard shell.