
The more matte 20d fabric of the blue Patagonia Nano Puff vs the Micro Puff and its 10-denier face fabric in green
The Patagonia Nano Puff and Micro Puff jackets, hooded jackets and vests have been staples in Patagonia's insulated apparel line for years. And because of their similarities, debating the relative merits of the Nano Puff vs Micro Puff is a common struggle when deciding which is best for you and your needs.
Both are lightweight, windproof, and easily packable layers that offer surprisingly good warmth for their minimalist feel. Plus, their synthetic insulation means they don't lose their insulating properties when wet (unlike down insulation).
So yes, the Nano Puff and Micro Puff have a lot in common. But it's their differences that will determine which is the better purchase for your needs.
We own the recent hooded versions of both jackets as well as the vest versions, and we've worn all of them extensively year-round.
Here's how Patagonia compares the two, and we've included the Nano-Air as well, which is absolutely worth considering for high-output activities. For an in-depth look at the newer Patagonia Nano-Air Ultralight, check out our article here.
Overview: Patagonia Nano Puff vs Micro Puff

We like the closer fit of the Patagonia Nano Puff

The Patagonia Micro Puff has a looser and puffier fit.
- The warmth of the Nano Puff and Micro Puff are very comparable. The Micro Puff is slightly warmer, as measured by Patagonia.
- The 20-denier face fabric of the Nano Puff is burlier, which makes it more durable and abrasion resistant. It's also more matted. The 10-denier face fabric of the Micro Puff is smoother, shinier and slightly less durable.
- Because of its lighter nylon face fabric and Plumafill insulation, the Micro Puff is a bit more breathable than the Nano Puff.
- Both are regular fit and true to size for Patagonia jackets. However, we have found the Micro Puff to fit slightly looser and run about a half-inch longer than the Nano Puff.
- Both jackets have two zippered handwarmer pockets. The Micro Puff also has two internal drop-in pockets; the Nano Puff has a single internal zippered chest pocket.
- Packed sizes are nearly the same.
RELATED: Read our comparison of the Nano Puff vs. Nano Air.
Our bottom line
We like the versatility of the Patagonia Nano Puff. For most people, we recommend saving $40 and going with the Nano Puff over the Micro Puff. For those looking for the lightest technical midlayer, then the Micro Puff is an excellent choice. Ultimately, both offer incredible performance. The matte look, closer fit, and rubberized zipper pulls sway us to the Nano Puff.
Why you should get the Nano Puff
- You want a technical midlayer that also looks great around town.
- You like the additional abrasion resistance and matte look offered by the 20d face fabric of the Nano Puff.
- A zippered internal chest pocket is more important than internal drop-in pockets
- You're not counting weight in grams and prefer the hardware details on the Nano Puff, like the rubberized zipper pulls.
- You like both the Nano Puff and the Micro Puff, but you like the idea of saving $40 even more.
Why you should get the Micro Puff
- You're looking for the lightest technical midlayer with the warmest insulation per ounce. Saving 1.5 ounces is worth the additional cost to you.
- You value the extra space to stash gear and accessories provided by the two internal drop-in pockets
MSRP | $279 | $239 |
Insulation | 65g PlumaFill recycled synthetic insulation | 60g PrimaLoft Gold Eco recycled synthetic insulation |
Warmth value (1-100) | 29 | 26 |
Warm when wet | Yes | Yes |
Weight | 295g (10.4oz) | 337g (11.9oz) |
Outer | 10-denier recycled nylon ripstop | 20-denier recycled polyster ripstop |
Waterproof | No | No |
Windproof | Yes | Yes |
DWR finish | Yes | Yes |
Packable | Yes | Yes |
Pockets | 2 zippered handwarmer pockets (left pocket serves as stuffsack); 2 internal drop-in pockets | 2 zippered handwarmer pockets; 1 internal zippered chest pocket (doubles as stuffsack) |
Hem adjustment | Yes | Yes |
Hooded version | Yes | Yes |
Vest version | Yes | Yes |
Women's version | Yes | Yes |
A |
Patagonia Nano Puff vs Micro Puff: Warmth
Patagonia uses an insulation warmth scale that rates their jackets relative to each other for the same conditions. This measurement is not a temperature rating but rather a way to compare the warmth between models. Based on this rating, the Micro Puff is slightly warmer than the Nano Puff. While we find this to be true in testing, the difference is so slight that it doesn't change the use of these pieces.
We're including the Patagonia Down Sweater and Patagonia Nano Air in this table for comparing warmth ratings.
Product Name | Insulated Warmth Rating (1 -100) |
---|---|
43 | |
31 | |
28 | |
27 |
Patagonia Nano Puff vs Micro Puff: Weather Resistance & Durability
The Patagonia Nano Puff has a 1.4-ounce, 20-denier, 100% recycled polyester ripstop shell.
The Patagonia Micro Puff has a Pertex® Quantum 0.8-ounce, 10-denier, NetPlus® 100% postconsumer recycled nylon ripstop shell made from recycled fishing nets.
Net Plus is very cool. Here is a really interesting page from Patagonia talking about how fishing nets become clothing: https://www.patagonia.com/netplus/
While there is no doubt that the Pertex® Quantum shell on the Patagonia Micro Puff is gorgeous, the Nano Puff has an edge in terms of abrasion resistance (e.g. durability) because of its 20-denier polyester ripstop face fabric.
The jackets are the same in terms of water and wind resistance. Neither is waterproof; both have a PFC-free DWR (durable water repellent) finish to help shed light amounts of moisture. Both the Nano Puff and Micro Puff are considered windproof.
You can feel the difference in the face fabrics just by touching the surfaces of both jackets. The Nano Puff is noticeably burlier.
Patagonia Nano Puff vs Micro Puff: Pockets

The Nano Puff handwarmer pocket has a traditional zipper construction.

The Patagonia Micro Puff features hidden zippers on the handwarmer pockets.
External Pockets
Both jackets have external handwarmer pockets. As you can see in the pictures above, the Patagonia Nano Puff has a traditional zipper while the Micro Puff uses hidden zips. The hidden zippers give the Micro Puff a clean look, but we find the zippers on the Nano Puff easier to use, especially with gloves on. The pockets have identical dimensions in both jackets: 10.6 in (27 cm) x 6.7 in (or 17 cm).
Internal Pockets

The Nano Puff has an internal zippered chest pocket.

The Patagonia Micro Puff has two internal drop-in pockets.
The Micro Puff offers two internal dump pockets (referred to as "drop-in" pockets by Patagonia) that measure 11 in (28 cm) x 6.3 in (16 cm). The Nano Puff offers an internal zippered chest pocket that measures 10 in (25 cm) x 7 in (18 cm).
The benefit of the dump pockets is you get more storage. We love the dump pockets on the Arc'teryx Nuclei SV (read review) and Proton Heavyweight (read review). That said, we find that we use a zippered chest pocket more frequently, primarily to carry wallets and phones.
Patagonia Nano Puff vs Micro Puff: Packability

The Nano Puff on the left is ever-so-slightly bulkier when packed, but the difference is negligible.
The Nano Puff stuffs into its interior chest pocket. The Micro Puff stuffs into its left handwarmer pocket. The Micro Puff is slightly harder to stuff due to the hidden zipper construction of the handwarmer pocket. Unfortunately, the zipper is prone to snagging when using it as a stuff sack.
Patagonia Nano Puff vs Micro Puff: Hardware

The Patagonia Nano Puff has rubberized zipper pulls on all external zips, while the Micro Puff uses just shock cord.
The Patagonia Nano Puff features slightly larger (and thus easier to use) hardware. The Nano Puff uses a YKK #5 main zipper and has rubberized pulls on all exterior pockets. We're not sure why they chose not to use anything on the internal chest pocket, but that's a miss. The Patagonia Micro Puff uses a YKK #4.5 main zipper with narrow-gauge shock cord on all zipper pulls.
The other hardware difference is the waist adjustment barrel. The barrel and elastic cord are slightly larger on the Patagonia Nano Puff vs Micro Puff. There is hardly a functional difference, but you may find yourself searching for the adjuster on the Micro Puff with gloves on. Just like the hidden zippers, however, the end result is a cleaner look for the Micro Puff.

The Patagonia Nano Puff (left) uses a slightly larger barrel and elastic cord for the waist adjustment. The Micro Puff has a cleaner execution with by hiding most of the thinner cord and adjuster.
Links:
- Nano Puff:
- Men's Hoody on patagonia.com
- Men's Hoody on rei.com
- Women's Hoody on patagonia.com
- Women's Hoody on rei.com
- Men's Jacket on patagonia.com
- Men's Jacket on rei.com
- Women's Jacket on patagonia.com
- Women's Jacket on rei.com
- Micro Puff:
- Men's Hoody on patagonia.com
- Men's Hoody on backcountry.com
- Men's Jacket on patagonia.com
- Men's Jacket on backcountry.com
- Women's Hoody on patagonia.com
- Women's Jacket on patagonia.com
Read more of our articles on Patagonia and insulation:
- Poll results: Giant Arc'teryx & Patagoina survey (Gore-Tex, pockets, hoods, fit, & more) [1000+ participated]
- Pics from outrageous discounts I ran into at Arc'teryx Parndorf Outlet
- I bought Gamma Lightweight (aka SL), Gamma (aka LT) and Gamma MX
- Patera Parka (one year update): Ain't worth the price...
- Alpha vs Beta: I bought all 4 Beta's and both Alpha's. Settling this for good
- Proton Hybrid: A "hidden" way to stuff it in itself!?
- Best Insulated Jackets: A hands-on Arc'teryx & Patagonia face-off
- 2024 Nano Air is in! Bought it immediately...
- I bought all 7 of Winter '24 Atom and Proton jackets
- Best Arc'teryx Ski Jackets: Rush is ideal, Sabre SV is overkill
- Arc’teryx colors: Most and least liked (poll results)
- Took my Nuclei SV to the Alps near Pfander, Austria
- Arc'teryx Alpha Parka Review: The most impressive jacket of all time
- Arc'teryx ReGEAR: OutdoorCrunch exclusive promo code!
- Beta Insulated Jacket is in: Pit zips AND two way zipper
- DropHood vs StormHood: Pros/cons and best uses
- 7 things all Arc'teryx newbies should know
Check out our other content on jackets:
Guide: Insulated & Shell Jackets
Start here:
Also see: