A Review Of The Patagonia Topley Jacket – Warm Enough For Winter?

Winter is coming slowly but steadily, and it’s about time you got yourself a new jacket. But with so many options out there, it’s not easy to choose just one. That’s why I recommend the Patagonia Topley – it’s the perfect middle ground.

It’s both warm and weatherproof. It is also breathable, and features plenty of pockets. You can wear it over any other clothing item since it is not too tight, and it is available in some pretty decent colors.

If that sounds like something you are looking for, then awesome! You can find out everything else that might interest you about the Topley in the rest of this review.

Insulation & Warmth

There are a lot of different factors to consider when getting a winter jacket. Its warmth is probably the most important one, especially if you live in a really cold place. But, the warmth of a jacket is impacted by several different things, and I’ll tell you something about each of them.

First, the fill power of down is what ultimately determines how insulated your jackets is. Fill power is represented by a number, and the higher the number the better the insulation. With the Topley jacket, the down used has 700 fill power. That number represents the volume of a single gram of down insulation when completely fluffed. The higher the fill power, the more area a single gram can cover, which is why jackets will really high fill power down are very lightweight.

The 700 fill power of the Topley jacket is right in the middle of the scale, with 500 being the lowest and 900 being the highest. Which leads to the conclusion that this particular Patagonia jacket is a good choice for average winters, but not for extreme cold. But, it also means that your jacket will be pretty lightweight, for such a warm jacket. And at 40 ounces it certainly is.

One more thing to keep in mind is that both duck and goose down are used in this Patagonia jacket. The differences between these two types of insulation are not too meaningful or noticeable. Price is probably the largest difference – goose down has become more difficult to produce, and as a result products that feature purely goose down tend to be pretty pricey. Which is the exact reason why many brands, including Patagonia, have come up with these hybrid down insulations.

Another thing to note is that goose down is chunkier than duck down – meaning higher fill power. So, technically the Topley jacket would be much warmer and lighter if only goose down was used for insulation. However, it would also be a lot more expensive, and not a lot of people could afford it.

So, Patagonia’s hybrid insulation strikes the perfect balance between warmth and affordability.

Shell Materials And Coating

The shell of a jacket plays a huge part in its performance. You could have a jacket filled only with 900 fill power goose down, but you wouldn’t wear it if it had a low-quality shell you would never wear it. What’s the point of light, warm jacket if it’s going to get soaked after a few drops of rain?

The best winter jacket is not just waterproof or windproof. It is weatherproof, meaning that it can protect you from all the different weather conditions you might experience. The Topley strives to be that – but we can’t know for sure until we examine the materials of both the shell and insulation.

The Topley jackets sports something called the 2-layer H2No performance shell. Which is pretty much what it sounds like – a waterproof, windproof and breathable outer shell. The shell uses mesh lining, which allows it to stay breathable, and to keep you from sweating bullets even if you get too hot in your jacket.

In addition to that, it is also coated with DWR (durable water repellant), which is designed to repel light rain and snow. So, how do these two work together? Well, the DWR finish keeps the outer material of the shell from getting too saturated (like water beading on the wax of a car), which gives the mesh lining enough time to do its work and air out the shell. Naturally, this wouldn’t work in really heavy rain – but the Topley doesn’t claim to be raincoat anyway.

The shell itself is made from 6 ounces of 100% recycled polyester, which is a really durable material. You can expect to wear this jacket for years to come, which is exactly what you want if you are looking to get good value for money.

The Patagonia jacket also has certain windproof features that, in addition to the previous features, make it weatherproof. These include the double storm flap that secures with snap closure, similar to what we saw on the Canada Goose Langford parka. The storm flap adds protection in windy weather, and completely keeps the draft out.

Jacket Lining

The Topley is lined, but with different materials in different areas. The collar of the jacket is lined witch microfleece, which I personally really like. It helps keep you warm around the neck, and completely eliminates the need for a scarf or any additional protection. If you have a jacket with this feature, then you know what I’m talking about. If not, you really need one in your life – it’s amazing.

The rest of the jacket is not lined with fleece. In fact, it is lined with 2.2 ounces of 100% recycled polyester ripstop – the same material that the shell is made of. It might not be as fluffy as fleece, but it is coated with a DWR finish, which ensures that your jacket will be as dry on the inside as it is on the outside.

This is important for several reasons; one, if you get really soaked, it will take longer for the water to penetrate the lining of jacket. And two, in case you get too sweaty, the DWR will not retain any sweat or moisture, and will instead allow the jacket to breathe and dry itself. Overall, it is exactly what you should be looking for in a high-end Patagonia jacket.

Adjustability And Fit

The Patagonia Topley is a regular fit jacket. So, you can wear it over thicker clothing, and it won’t feel too tight on your body. Plus, it tends to run true to size, so you can get it in the size that you normally wear. It is also a hip-length jacket, so it will keep your entire torso warm. But, keep in mind that, for now, the Topley is available in the standard S, M, L and XL sizes. So if you really wat to get it, hurry up before those sell out as well!

Generally, I prefer regular to slim fit in the winter, as I tend to wear some thicker sweaters and hoodies. There’s more room inside the jacket, and you won’t feel as if though the Topley is suffocating you. This also means that you will have more freedom of movement when you are wearing the jacket, which actually makes it suitable even for sports and outdoor activities like trekking and backpacking.

The hem of the jacket is dually adjustable with drawcord, and it can completely seal out the weather. Of course, this feature is also useful in making the jacket fit you well – in case you wear a shirt or a thinner sweater on top, you will want to tighten that drawcord to keep the draft out.

What About The Pockets?

Regardless of whether you plan to wear this jacket to the office or into the mountains, you will need some pockets. And the good news is that the ones on the Patagonia Topley are just in the right places! There are overall six pockets on this jacket, and I’ll tell you about each one.

First, you get the must-have hand warmer pockets. They are lined with brushed jersey on the knuckle side, but they are not fully lined with microfleece on the inside. Which is a bummer – sure they are warm, but not as warm as they could have been. These pockets are actually just behind the two large top-entry pockets you see on the bottom half of the Topley .

Those two are pretty wide, and actually large enough to fit your wallet, phone, gloves and pretty much whatever you need. They feature snap closure, so they are pretty easy to access. And also pretty safe, since the snaps are pretty loud and you would definitely notice if someone other than you tried to open them.

There are two more pockets on the upper half of the jacket. There is the waterproof zip-pocket that you can see on the left breast, as well as an internal one on the right side. The really cool thing about the left pocket is that is compatible with headphones, so it’s perfect for your phone. Well, if you still own a phone with a headphone jack that is – otherwise, you won’t really be able to make use of that feature.

The internal pocket, on the other hand, is perfect for all of your most valuable items. It is cleverly hidden, and no one will know it’s there other than you. Overall, you get more than enough pocket, including the hand-warmer ones, as well a few more secure ones.

Jacket Hood

To be honest, this is my least favorite feature. I tend to wear beanies, and so I almost always remove the hood of my jacket. But sadly, the one of the Topley is not removable and you are stuck with it at all times.

So it better be a damn good one, right? Luckily it is. It is fully insulated and coated with DWR, just like the rest of the jacket. Plus, I really like that it actually like that it hangs pretty low, since it will protect the most of your face when exposed to some really strong winds. And the drawcord at the end allows you tighten it as much as you need, so that you can completely seal out the weather.

One last thing to note about the hood is that it also features a laminated visor. This improves your visibility in really bad weather conditions, and just generally helps protect you even more.

Environmentally Responsible

Patagonia is famous for their traceable and recycled down. They only use down from trusted suppliers, and they can pretty much tell where the insulation in each of their jackets came from. This is pretty important, because Patagonia’s suppliers are environmentally responsible, which helps give you some peace of mind of who you are giving your money to.

I personally always look for environmentally responsible brands wherever possible. At least I can then sleep at night knowing that the person who made my jacket is paid fairly, and that I am not encouraging hazardous working practices with my purchase. If that is something you also look for in high-end brands, then Patagonia is the right choice for you.

Patagonia Topley Jacket: To Grab Or Not To Grab?

Well, now that you know every little detail about the Topley jacket, it will be much easier to decide whether or not it is worth the money.

As for me, I personally think it is. But only if you don’t live somewhere where it is extremely cold, or where it rains heavily all the time. It is not the perfect jacket for those climates, as it’s neither a raincoat nor a super heavy jacket.

It’s insulated with 700 fill power down, which means that it will keep you warm almost always. Keep in mind that only jackets for extreme weather use down with higher fill power, so 700 is perfect for the average winter. Plus, since this is hybrid (goose and duck) down, the Topley is pretty lightweight for its size.

It is also weatherproof and breathable, so you’ll be fine in some light rain. Overall, it is definitely one of the best men’s jacket from Patagonia, and it even looks pretty good. I especially like that it is not shiny, but rather pretty matte, due to the polyester shell.

If you decide to get this jacket, I advise you do to it quickly, since it’s selling out pretty fast. Head over to Amazon to see the exact prices of the Topley, as well as all the color options that are currently available.