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It’s easy to forget, amongst the huge array of clothing they offer, just how innovative Patagonia is. We should always remember that the original concept was to offer high-quality, high-performance clothing for alpine mountaineers. They were ahead of the curve with their offer of high ethical standards and have been undisputed leaders of the pack ever since.
The Nano-Air range is a case in point; a lightweight, highly breathable mid-layer insulation was a revelation when we first featured one in 2018, and other brands began to scramble to catch up. There are now several competing offers, including the Xen Air from Rab and the Atom from Arc’teryx. We’ve featured several of them, but I feel the Patagonia Nano-Air still has an edge for both performance and features.
I reviewed a Patagonia Nano-Air Light Hybrid back in 2018. I loved that vest and wore it constantly until it got stolen. The new Nano-Air Light Vest is the latest iteration of this series and is a great update on a classic. The insulation is still 40g FullRange and provides ample warmth when the temperature takes a dip. It has proved indispensable this summer for those summit stops, and with our amazing summer, I haven’t needed a full-sleeved layer as the Nano-Air Light Vest has been enough. It’s still compact enough to fit under a shell or soft-shell without feeling bulky. I’ve been using it with my Patagonia R1 Techface Hoody; that has proved to be a great combination and one I recommend.
The face fabric is made from 100% recycled polyester and is a highly durable ripstop fabric. It has proved to be very robust for climbing and hiking, although I don’t think I’ll be risking thrutching up a chimney crack in it! For general use and stuffing in a pack, it has been fine; no marks or pulls after a couple of months of constant use, including long days in a harness. It has a nice, matt finish and no exterior baffle stitching (this is on the inside of the jacket). The DWR is PFAS-free and worked well enough in a light shower, but it did begin to wet through after about 10-15 minutes. You should remember it is a highly breathable fabric, so it will leak moisture.
That breathability, however, is very good, and it’s hard to see how Patagonia have managed that as the face fabric looks a tight weave. It is very breathable, though, and has proved to be the most breathable vest I’ve used for a long time. The insulation also helps here, as it is quite flat and compact, which helps when wearing it with a climbing harness or running vest.
In terms of style, Patagonia states that the jacket is a slim fit, and I would agree with this. I have always been a Medium in Patagonia jackets, so I tested that size. I’m quite stocky (I like to think muscular through those many years of steep sport climbing 🤣) and a 39” chest, and the Nano-Air Light Vest is what I would call a performance fit. Perfectly fitting as a mid-layer over a T-shirt or thin base layer, but not over a jacket or fleece. So I’ve been using it as an extra layer for sport climbing and hiking on warm days when the breeze is blowing.
I haven’t felt so comfortable using it casually as it is just a little too tight across the armpits. I’ve measured the pit to pit at 21”, which is perplexing as that would normally be fine. It must be the tailored finish on the torso, which makes it a slim fit. So if you are at the limit of a size, like me, and you want to wear the vest casually over a sweater or work shirt, you may want to consider sizing up.
The Nano-Air Light Vest has plenty of excellent features, including: low-profile and zipped hand warmer pockets, a zipped chest pocket big enough for most phones or a printed map/route description. The chest pocket has a two-way zip and acts as a stow with a bar-tacked hanging loop for clipping to a harness — the bar-tacking is testament to Patagonia’s knowledge of climbers and is often missing on other brands. The chest pocket also has a storm flap on it to stop ingress through the zip. All zips are YKK and finished with lightweight zip pulls, and the neck is funnelled and has a comfortable zip garage at the chin for the YKK Vislon zip.
At 215g you’re not getting any unnecessary faff like a hem cinch, hanging loops, elasticated pits or tricot-lined pockets, but then as I said, they are unnecessary and detract from the lightweight feel of the vest.
In conclusion, the Patagonia Nano-Air Light Vest is a fantastic addition to your light and fast adventures. Super light and compact, you will be able to find space for it in the smallest of packs, and as it’s amazingly breathable, you can wear it all day in confidence. And you re unfortunate enough to accidently trash it dont forget the excellent WornWear service. It’s also easy to forget that all Patagonia kit is made using Fair Trade suppliers so you can be sure that your purchase isn’t exploiting people in the supply chain.
The Patagonia Nano-Air Light Vest comes in two colour options and sizes XS-XXL for men and XXS to XXL for women (who can enjoy 5 colour options). The SRP is £160 and it can be purchased directly from Patagonia EU and specialist retailers.
Disclosure – CGR reviewers and writers are never paid to provide a review and the website does not take advertising or link to affiliate sales. We are a bunch of keen climbers and travellers who accept sample products and offer an honest and independent review of the item.
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