Patagonia Quandary Jacket Review (An Everyday Winner)

Patagonia has hit the nail on the head with their Quandary Jacket. If you’ve been looking for that one rain jacket for your weekends away or daily commute that has your back in all seasons, this is it.

The Patagonia Quandary Jacket isn’t technical by any means, it’s made for everyday use for everyone who’s trying to get from home to anywhere without getting cold and wet en route. Is it the everyday rain jacket you’ve been looking for? Quite possibly.

In this Patagonia Quandary Jacket Review, we’ll take a dive into the details of the jacket looking closely at the materials, build quality, weather performance, breathability, fit, comfort, and more.

Materials & Durability

Materials

The outer shell of the Patagonia Quandary jacket is made from a combination of Nylon (95%) and Spandex (5%) making the jacket both tough and weather resistant.

Nylon has natural water-repellent qualities and is wear-resistant while the spandex gives the outer layer some stretch, keeping you mobile and unrestricted.

Beneath the outer shell is two layers of Patagonia’s waterproof and breathable H2NO membrane that keeps you dry and warm while letting heat out so you don’t overheat on that busy morning commute or bike ride.

The inner layer is a polyester tricot mesh that is not only soft on your skin and any inner layers but moisture-wicking too, taking any sweat and clammy build-up away from your body.

The zippers are high quality, easy to open and close, plus they’re reliable over time. They’re also watertight to ensure no moisture finds its way through.

To top it all off, the Quandary is covered with a DWR (durable water repellent) coating that is the first layer of defense against any rain or snow, and it does a good job of keeping it out.

Eco

From an ethical standpoint, the Quandary stays true to Patagonia’s sustainability mission. 65% of the nylon used is recycled and all the sewing is Fair Trade Certified.

Durability

The Quandary is built to last multiple seasons without any need for repair. The nylon outer shell is thick, tough, and will handle life in the city with ease.

It’s not as tough as technical jackets though, that are made from thicker materials like 75D polyester. You might be tempted to take the Quandary out on the trail but don’t be surprised to suffer the consequences.

Brushes against sharp rocks, branches, and thorns are likely to wear out the nylon/spandex outer layer quite quickly.

The zippers as mentioned above, are also excellent but the only thing that might fade is the DWR, which is normal, and you can recoat the jacket after each season to keep it in action.

Weight & Packability

Weight

At 25.1 ounces (1lb. 9.1 oz.), the Patagonia Quandary jacket is by no means light, especially for an everyday rain jacket. When compared to a winter hardshell like the Patagonia Triolet, it’s a full 6 ounces heavier.

The reason for the extra weight is down to the jacket being made for all weather conditions, including heavy snowfall, combined with the lower-cost materials used.

In order to stay warm, the jacket had to be a little thicker than usual and to keep the costs down, less lightweight technical materials like polyester and Gore-Tex were avoided. Giving you heavy but affordable all-season hardshell jacket for everyday use.

Despite the extra weight, it’s not overly bulky or noticeable when you’re wearing it thanks to the light stretchy spandex feel incorporated within it.

Packability

The Patagonia Quandary jacket will fold up into its hood and you can compress it down to a small enough size to fit into your day pack along with other supplies.

It’s not designed as a space-saving, lightweight performance jacket for gram counters though, and if you compare it to them (which you shouldn’t) it is rather bulky and space-hogging overall.

Weather Performance

Rain & Snow

The combination of nylon, the DWR, and a 2 layer H2NO membrane makes the Patagonia Quandary jacket fully waterproof and able to handle winter snowfall too.

The DWR ensures that the jacket sheds water instead of absorbing it while the nylon naturally repels water, and the membrane blocks it entirely.

The hood provides full coverage in a torrential downpour, and it’s also removable for use on windy days where there is no chance of rain.

No matter what kind of rainfall you find yourself in, you can trust that the Quandary will keep you both warm and dry.

Wind

The Patagonia Quandary is as windproof as it is waterproof. You can rest assured that high winds won’t break through the outer shell and through the H2NO membrane, ensuring you stay warm no matter how windy it gets.

Breathability & Comfort

Breathability

For an all-season jacket, the Patagonia Quandary does quite a good job of keeping you cool up to about 50 or 60 degrees, but when the temperatures hit the 70s, you’re likely to start sweating.

The breathable H2NO membrane is pretty good at letting heat out while the polyester tricot liner wicks moisture. But since the Patagonia Quandary is designed to be warm in winter, these features can only do so much to keep you cool in the warmer months.

You will find you start to sweat and the inside will get clammy quickly when the temperatures go up. This doesn’t apply to the summer months either, just going from the sidewalk to a subway will require you to unzip or take the jacket off to avoid sweating.

Being a non-technical jacket, the Quandary is missing features like pit zips that allow you to dump heat quickly when overheating which is perhaps an oversight from Patagonia.

Comfort

The inner polyester lining is soft as silk on your skin, making the Quandary a jacket you can wear with something as simple as a t-shirt underneath and still be comfortable.

It’s true to size, has a good fit, and provides excellent mobility. The arms are fully articulated and give you 100% unrestricted movement, making it perfect for bike rides, skateboarding, and any other weekend activities you might like to enjoy.

The Qunadary’s mobility is all thanks to the inclusion of spandex into the design which gives the jacket its stretchy, unrestrictive feel.

You’ll also find micro-fleece around the collar which not only keeps your neck and face warm but ensures your skin isn’t irritated by scratch zips and waterproof nylon.

Features

Hood

The hood on the Patagonia Quandary offers excellent coverage in heavy rain while retaining your field of vision so you can navigate busy streets with ease.

It’s a fully removable hood so you can leave it behind on cold sunny days, and it’s fully adjustable too, letting you find the perfect fit when you need it.

There is no visor on the hood to stop rain dripping on your face, and again this is due to it being a non-technical jacket. So in heavy rain, you might want to put a cap on to stop rain from hitting your face and falling inside the jacket.

Hem, Cuffs & Pockets

The hem on the Quandary is the hip length for adequate coverage and weather protection and features two drawcords, one on each side. You can cinch it down quickly and easily to ensure no cold air of moisture works its way inside but you’ll need to use two hands to do it. Not ideal when carrying a bag or cycling for example

The velcro cuffs are also tough and durable. You can adjust them to be tight on bare wrists or loosen them enough to fit gloves underneath in winter. They do a good job of stopping water from coming in when it’s raining and blocking the wind too.

There are 4 pockets on the Patagonia Quandary, two hand warmers, an external chest pocket, and an internal security pocket for any valuables.

All the pockets feature water-tight zippers ensuring your gear stays safe and the handwarmer pockets stay dry. There is more than enough space for your phone and some extra gloves.

But, since this is an ‘urban non-technical jacket’ it would have been nice if Patagonia had included a headphone port so you can listen to some tunes without a messy cable hanging around.

Value for Money

Retailing at $199, the Patagonia Quandary jacket is definitely on the expensive side of the non-technical jacket price range. But it is an all-season hard shell, which would retail at around $399 if it was technical.

Considering that it’s an all-season hardshell with exceptional build quality, durability, and weather protection, we think that $199 is a fair price.

If you’re looking for something more affordable that’s great for late spring to autumn, but want to keep things Patagonia, we’d recommend going for the Torrentshell which retails for $100-150.

Rating

With a score of 78, we might have been a little harsh on the Patagonia Quandary thinking of it as a non-technical jacket. But since it hits the technical price range, we think that Patagonia could have gone the extra mile to make it a bit lighter and include helpful features like pit zips, for the same price.

The jacket lost most of its points due to its high weight, and that there is no way to dump heat quickly without fully opening it, exposing yourself to the elements.

Verdict

Overall, the Patagonia Quandary jacket is awesome when used for what it’s designed for – a go-to jacket for everyday use that’s guaranteed to keep you warm and dry.

It’s certainly not an all-rounder that you’d take on the trail, but you could sneak it along on the odd day hike without any worries.

You are going to overheat in this jacket though, so if you live somewhere warm where temps are in the ’60s or above most of the year-round, this jacket is going to be overkill and get uncomfortably warm to the point you won’t use it.

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