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Patagonia Nano Puff vs Micro Puff: Temp ratings & more

Last updated: September 29, 2023 by

I grabbed the hooded versions of both of these jackets last week in Vienna. They're the most recent revisions currently in the market. 

Summary

Their warmth are comparable. There's pretty much no noticeable difference, although Nano Puff is slightly warmer. 

The face fabric of Nano Puff is burlier which makes it durable and abrasion resistant.

Whereas the face fabric of Micro Puff is smoother, which makes it more comfortable to wear and offers more mobility by stretching easily. 

The difference in this regard is noticeable to me and I pick the Micro Puff over the Nano Puff for casual outgoings. 

Micro Puff is also a little bit more breathable than the Nano Puff. 

In terms of fit and cut, Micro Puff fits slightly looser compared to Nano Puff. It's also a bit more than an inch longer. 

Another difference is that in addition to the two hand warmer pockets, the Micro Puff offers two internal dump pockets whereas the Nano Puff offers an internal zippered chest pocket. 

Packed sizes are the same. But tiny zipper pulls of Nano Puff are a bit less convenient for packing and unpacking with the gloves on. 

Also the Nano Puff is packed into the internal zippered chest pocket, whereas the Micro Puff is packed into the left hand warmer pocket. 

If I were to get only one of them, I'd probably base my ultimate decision 50% on these differences and 50% on the looks.

  • Related Data Set: Temperature ratings of Patagonia jackets
NameEst. Temp (F/C)ReviewPit venting?Two way zipper?Stuffs into itself?TypeActivityFitWeight
Arc'teryx Alpha (Men's - Women's)-18/-28ReviewNoYesYesDownClimbingRegular805 g / 1 lb 12.4 oz
Feathered Friends Khumbu-17/-27NoNoYesDownAll RoundRegular960 g / 2 lb 2 oz
Arc'teryx Ceres SV (Men's - Women's)-15/-26ReviewNoYesYesDownAll RoundRegular880 g / 1 lb 15 oz
Mountain Equipment K7 (Men's)-13/-25NoYesYesDownAll RoundRegular820 g / 1 lb 13 oz
Rab Positron Pro (Men's)-13/-25NoYesYesDownAll RoundRegular740 g / 1 lb 10 oz
Arc'teryx Therme SV (Men's)-11/-24ReviewNoYesNoParkaAround TownRegular1.072 kg / 2 lb 5.8 oz
Patagonia Grade VII (Men's)-11/-24NoYesNoDownAround TownRegular743 g / 1 lb 10.1 oz
Arc'teryx Firebee AR (Men's - Women's)-10/-23ReviewNoYesYesDownAll RoundRegular680 g / 1 lb 8 oz
Mountain Equipment Exo (Men's)-10/-23NoYesYesDownAll RoundRegular770 g / 1 lb 11.2 oz
Arc'teryx Thorsen (Men's)-7/-22ReviewNoYesNoParkaAround TownRegular1.1 kg / 2 lb 5.4 oz
Patagonia Frozen Range (Men's - Women's)-6/-21ReviewNoNoNoParkaAround TownRegular1.253 kg / 2 lb 12.2 oz
Mountain Equipment Li. Ec. (Men's - Women's)-5/-20NoYesNoDownAll RoundRegular822 g / 1 lb 13 oz
Arc'teryx Thorium Parka (Women's)-2/-19ReviewNoYesNoParkaAround TownRegular610 g / 1 lb 5.5 oz
Rab Neutrino Pro (Men's - Women's)-2/-19NoYesYesDownAll RoundRegular585 g / 1 lb 8.6 oz
Arc'teryx Patera Long (Women's)0/-18NoYesNoParkaAround TownRegular1.1 kg / 2 lb 6.8 oz
Arc'teryx Beta Down Insulated (Men's)0/-18YesYesNoParkaAll RoundRegular760 g / 1 lb 10.8 oz
Arc'teryx Dually Belay (Men's)0/-18ReviewNoYesYesSyntheticAround TownRegular705 g / 1 lb 9 oz
Arc'teryx Centrale (Women's)0/-18ReviewNoYesNoParkaAround TownRegular885 g / 1 lb 15.2 oz
Arc'teryx Camosun (Men's)0/-18ReviewNoNoNoParkaAround TownTrim960 g / 2 lb 1.9 oz
Arc'teryx Cerium SV (Men's)0/-18ReviewNoNoYesDownAll RoundRegular415 g / 14.6 oz
Arc'teryx Revet (Men's)2/-17NoYesNoParkaAround TownRegular755 g / 1 lb 10.6 oz
Arc'teryx Piedmont (Men's)3/-16NoYesYesParkaAround TownRegular515 g / 1 lb 2.2 oz
Arc'teryx Fission SV (Men's - Women's)3/-16ReviewNoYesNoSyntheticAll RoundRegular890 g / 1 lb 15.4 oz
Arc'teryx Alpha Lightweight (Men's)3/-16NoYesYesDownClimbingRegular540 g / 1 lb 3 oz
Outdoor Research Sup. Alp. (Men's - Women's)3/-16NoYesNoDownAll RoundRegular825 g / 1 lb 13.1 oz
Arc'teryx Alessa Long (Women's)3/-16NoNoNoParkaAround TownRegular1.015 kg / 2 lb 3.8 oz
Patagonia Tres 3-in-1 (Men's - Women's)3/-16ReviewNoNoNoParkaAround TownRegular1.307 kg / 2 lb 14.1 oz
Arc'teryx Radsten Parka (Men's)3/-16NoNoNoParkaAround TownRegular745 g / 1 lb 10.3 oz
Rab Electron Pro (Men's - Women's)5/-15NoYesYesDownAll RoundRegular525 g / 1 lb 2.5 oz
Arc'teryx Therme Parka (Men's)5/-15ReviewNoYesNoParkaAround TownRegular991 g / 2 lb 3 oz
Arc'teryx Macai (Men's)5/-15ReviewYes, zipsNoNoDownSki/SnowboardRegular1 kg / 2 lb 4 oz
Arc'teryx Nuclei SV (Men's)5/-15ReviewNoYesYesSyntheticClimbingRegular600 g / 1 lb 5.2 oz
Patagonia DAS Parka (Men's)5/-15NoYesYesParkaAround TownRegular555 g / 1lb 3.6 oz
Arc'teryx Patera (Women's)5/-15ReviewNoYesNoParkaAround TownTrim867 g / 1 lb 14.6 oz
Black Diamond Access Down (Men's - Women's)7/-14NoYesYesDownAll RoundRegular442 g / 15.6 oz
Arc'teryx Kappa (Men's)7/-14ReviewNoYesNoSyntheticAll RoundRegular755 g / 1 lb 10.6 oz
Arc'teryx Prema Down Coat (Women's)7/-14NoYesNoParkaAround TownRegular794 g / 1 lb 12 oz
Arc'teryx Radsten Insulated (Men's)7/-14NoNoNoParkaAround TownRegular715 g / 1 lb 9.2 oz
Rab Microlight Alpine (Men's - Women's)7/-14NoNoYesDownAll RoundRegular466 g / 1 lb 0.5 oz
Arc'teryx Thorium (Men's - Women's)7/-14ReviewNoYesYesDownAll RoundRegular517 g / 1 lb 2.2 oz
Feathered Friends Eos8/-13NoNoYesDownAll RoundRegular306 g / 10.8 oz
Arc'teryx Thorium AR 2020 (Men's - Women's)8/-13ReviewNoNoYesDownAll RoundRegular490 g / 1 lb 1.3 oz
Patagonia Macro Puff (Men's - Women's)8/-13ReviewNoNoNoSyntheticAll RoundRegular435 g / 15.3 oz
Arc'teryx Macai LT (Men's)8/-13Yes, zipsNoNoDownSki/SnowboardRegular855 g / 1 lb 14.2 oz
Arc'teryx Seyla (Women's)8/-13NoYesNoParkaAround TownRegular507 g / 1 lb. 1.9 oz.
Patagonia Fitz Roy (Men's - Women's)8/-13NoNoYesDownAll RoundRegular632 g / 1lb 6.3 oz
Arc'teryx Koda (Men's)8/-13NoNoNoParkaAround TownRegular720 g / 1 lb 9.4 oz
Patagonia Vosque 3-in-1 (Women's)10/-12ReviewNoNoNoParkaAround TownRegular1.360 kg / 3 lb
Patagonia City Storm Down (Men's - Women's)12/-11NoNoYesParkaAll RoundRegular468 g / 16.5 oz
Patagonia Jackson Glacier (Men's - Women's)12/-11ReviewNoYesNoParkaAround TownRegular880 g / 1 lb 15 oz
Arc'teryx Sensa (Women's)14/-10NoYesNoParkaAround TownRelaxed785 g / 1 lb 11.7 oz
Patagonia Hi Loft Down (Men's - Women's)14/-10ReviewNoNoYesDownAll RoundRegular540 g / 1 lb 3 oz
REI Magma 850 Hoodie 2.0 (Men's - Women's)14/-10NoNoYesDownAll RoundRegular340 g / 13.75 oz
Arc'teryx Beta Insulated Coat (Women's)16/-9ReviewNoYesNoSyntheticAround TownRegular600 g / 1 lb 5.2 oz
Arc'teryx Atom Hw. (aka AR) (Men's - Women's)18/-8ReviewYes, meshNoNoSyntheticAll RoundRegular475 g / 1 lb
Patagonia Downdrift (Men's - Women's)18/-8NoNoNoDownAround TownRegular1.014 kg / 2 lb 3.8 oz
Arc'teryx Magnus (Men's)19/-7NoNoNoParkaAround TownRegular690 g / 1 lb 8.3 oz
Arc'teryx Proton Hw. (Men's - Women's)21/-6ReviewNoNoNoSyntheticClimbingRegular540 g / 1 lb 3 oz
Arc'teryx Agrium (Men's - Women's)21/-6NoNoYesDownAll RoundRegular365 g / 12.9 oz
Patagonia AlpLight Down (Men's - Women's)21/-6NoNoYesDownAll RoundSlim270 g / 9.5 oz
Arc'teryx Beta Insulated (Men's - Women's)21/-6ReviewYes, zipsYesNoSyntheticAll RoundRegular680 g / 1 lb 8 oz
Patagonia Topley (Men's)23/-5NoYesNoDownAll RoundRegular1.133 kg / 2 lb 8 oz
Arc'teryx Alpha IS (Men's)23/-5NoYesYesSyntheticClimbingRegular610 g / 1 lb 5.5 oz
Rab Xenon 2.0 (Men's - Women's)23/-5NoYesYesSyntheticAll RoundRegular385 g / 13.6 oz
Patagonia Down Sweater (Men's - Women's)23/-5ReviewNoNoYesDownAll RoundRegular428 g / 15.1 oz
Arc'teryx Ralle Parka (Men's)25/-4NoYesNoParkaAround TownRegular735 g / 1 lb 9.9 oz
Patagonia Silent Down (Men's - Women's)26/-3ReviewNoNoNoDownAround TownRegular585 g / 1 lb 4.7 oz
Arc'teryx Therme Insulated (Men's)26/-3ReviewNoNoNoSyntheticAround TownRegular960 g / 2 lb 1.9 oz
Arc'teryx Cerium (aka LT) (Men's - Women's)26/-3NoNoYesDownAll RoundTrim335 g / 11.8 oz
Mountain Hardwear GW/2 (Men's - Women's)28/-2NoNoYesDownAll RoundTrim250 g / 8.8 oz
Arc'teryx Cerium LT 2020 (Men's - Women's)28/-2ReviewNoNoYesDownAll RoundTrim305 g / 10.8 oz
Arc'teryx Nuclei (aka FL) (Men's - Women's)32/0ReviewNoNoYesSyntheticClimbingTrim325 g / 11.5 oz
Patagonia DAS Light (Men's - Women's)34/1NoYesYesSyntheticClimbingRegular320 g / 11.3 oz
Patagonia Isthmus (Men's)36/2NoNoNoParkaAround TownRegular895 g / 1 lb 15.6 oz
Arc'teryx Proton (aka LT) (Men's - Women's)37/3ReviewNoNoNoSyntheticClimbingTrim375 g / 13.2 oz
Patagonia Nano Puff (Men's - Women's)37/3ReviewNoNoYesSyntheticAll RoundRegular363 g / 12.8 oz
Arc'teryx Norvan SL Ins. (Men's - Women's)39/4NoNoYesSyntheticRunningTrim270 g / 9.5 oz
Patagonia Micro Puff (Men's - Women's)41/5ReviewNoNoYesSyntheticAll RoundRegular298 g / 10.5 oz
Patagonia Nano Air (Men's - Women's)41/5ReviewNoNoNoSyntheticAll RoundTrim318 g / 11.2 oz
Arc'teryx Atom (aka LT) (Men's - Women's)43/6ReviewYes, meshNoNoSyntheticAll RoundTrim375 g / 13.2 oz
Arc'teryx Cerium Lw. (aka SL) (Men's - Women's)43/6ReviewNoNoYesDownAll RoundTrim215 g / 7.6 oz
Arc'teryx Cerium Hybrid (Men's)44/7NoNoYesDownAll RoundTrim260 g / 9.2 oz
Arc'teryx Proton Hybrid (Men's - Women's)46/8ReviewNoNoNoSyntheticAll RoundTrim365 g / 12.9 oz
Arc'teryx Proton Lw. (aka FL) (Men's - Women's)48/9ReviewNoNoNoSyntheticClimbingTrim343 g / 12.1 oz
Arc'teryx Atom Lw. (aka SL) (Men's - Women's)52/11ReviewYes, meshNoNoSyntheticAll RoundTrim270 g / 9.5 oz
REI Stormhenge Hybrid (Men's - Women's)TestingYes, zipsNoNoDownAll RoundRegular900 g / 1 lb 15.75 oz
Arc'teryx Coelle Parka (Women's)TestingNoYesNoParkaAround TownRegular460 g / 1 lb 0.2 oz
Sabre Insulated (Men's)TestingYes, zipsYesNoSyntheticFortius Air 50Regular535g / 1 lb 2.9 oz


These are the approximate lowest temperatures you can wear each jacket without feeling uncomfortably cold, assuming: 

  • you only have a shirt under and no shell over,
  • during daily use (strolls, power walks etc at most - no high output activities), 
  • with just a little bit wind, 
  • and in dry weather. 

Read more about this chart here in my Insulated Outerwear Temperature Ratings Guide. Also my Best Patagonia Jackets post. 

If you think you run warmer or colder than the average person, then shift temperature ranges accordingly. 

Lastly - make sure to check out Patagonia.com Web Specials before you buy. 

 

Links: 

Overview

Here's how these differences play out in practice: 

  • If you're not planning to perform any high output activities whatsoever with these jackets... 

Then I'd get the Micro Puff. If you're almost always going to be using the jacket in dry areas, then maybe also consider the Down Sweater, which I also own (Men's - Women's - read how it compares to Nano Puff - read how it compares to Micro Puff). For reference, I recommend down jackets without hoods. 

  • If you're planning to perform high output activities less than, say, once every two weeks with these jackets... 

Then you can get either one. If abrasion resistance is more important to you (lots of bouldering, climbing, backpacking, etc), get the Nano Puff. Otherwise consider getting the Micro Puff. 

Both of these jackets offer mediocre breathability. But once every two weeks shouldn't be that much of a problem. 

  • If you're planning to perform high output activities more than, say, once every two weeks with these jackets... 

Then forget about them because neither would cut it. Both offer mediocre breathability. Consider getting a DAS Light Hoody (Men's - Women's) or a Nano Air (Men's - Women's) instead. 

Links: 

Warmth

Take-away: Their warmth are comparable. 65 grams of PlumaFill of Micro Puff and 60 grams of PrimaLoft Gold of Nano Puff roughly add up to same range. 

The warmth of the insulators of these jackets (PlumaFill and PrimaLoft Gold) provide is measured by a parameter called CLO. Check out the CLO values of PlumaFill and PrimaLoft Gold Insulation Eco in this article. 

Pound for pound, it's approximately equivalent to 0.85 and 0.92, respectively. Or in other words, 550 FP down and 600 FP down. 

Although the Nano Puff comes with a higher CLO value, it's equipped with less insulation (65 vs 60 grams). Which is another primary factor that determines the ultimate warmth of a garment. 

As I explained in this Working Principles of Insulated Jackets guide, the warmth the insulation will provide is estimated by multiplying the corresponding FP with the amount. 

  • Nano Puff: 60 x 600 = 36,000
  • Micro Puff: 65 x 550: 35,750

The difference is less than 0.7%. Literally non-existent. This means that besides the insulation itself, other factors that impact the end warmth of a jacket such as center back length, seams and face fabrics are decisive. 

In the end, Nano Puff generally feels a bit warmer than Micro Puff because of its burlier face fabric. 

Weather & Abrasion Resistance

Nano Puff is slightly superior to Micro Puff in terms of abrasion resistance (e.g durability). They're the same in terms of water and wind resistance. 

You can feel the difference even just by touching the surfaces of both jackets. Nano Puff is noticeably burlier. 

That might be a double edged sword though, because it's generally less comfortable and fun to wear compared to Micro Puff. 

Pocket dimensions

In addition to the two hand warmer pockets (identical dimensions in both jackets: 10.6 in (or 27 cm) x 6.7 in (or 17 cm) for each pocket), the Micro Puff offers two internal dump pockets (11 in (or 28 cm) height x 6.3 in (or 16 cm) width) and the Nano Puff offers an internal zippered chest pocket (9.9 in (or 25 cm) x 7.1 in (or 18 cm)). 

Micro Puff vs Nano Puff: Packed size comparison

Packed sizes. 

If you're like me and don't have anything against dump pockets (e.g you don't necessarily need zippers in your internal pockets), then this is a plus. You get more storage. I love the dump pockets in my Arc'teryx Nuclei SV (read review) and Proton Heavyweight (read review). 

One thing I particularly find helpful with dump pockets is that when you have too many things to bring with you, there are no zippers limiting you. 

Packability

A quick recap here: If you don't know how or where to pack a Patagonia Puff, look for pockets with zippers on each side (see image). That's the pocket the jacket is stuffed into.

The zipper in the inside (the "hidden" zipper) is the zipper that is pulled when the stuffing is complete.

Patagonia Nano Puff vs Micro Puff double zipper pulls for stuff sack

Nano Puff's smaller zipper pulls are a bit inconvenient when you have your gloves on. 

When packed they both offer a reinforced loop (see packed sizes image). 

Links: 

Historical revisions

For Fall 2022 - Winter 2023 season, the Micro Puff was updated. 

The main highlight was in the number of internal drop-in pockets, which has been increased from 1 to 2. 

Chat screenshots

These kinda got old but can still be helpful. 

Click on image to enlarge. Click here for full [PDF] conversation if it's still too small for you to read.

I hope this post was helpful for you to learn more about the jacket(s) in your mind.


Feel free to ask me any questions or provide feedback and I'll be happy to respond in the comment section below.


Guide: Insulated & Shell Jackets

Start here:

Complete list:

Synthetic Insulated Jackets

Down Jackets

Parkas

Shell Jackets

Ski Jackets

Fleece Jackets

Wind Jackets

Rain Jackets

Also see:

Thank you for reading!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Karrington E Mohr says

    This was an incredibly helpful article that thoroughly answered every single one of my questions. Thank you so much for this!

  2. Phil says

    Best comparison of two similar clothing products I have seen. Great job! Just found your page and bookmarked it for future use. Thanks for all the work.

    • Canberk says

      Thanks a lot for the kind words, and glad you found it helpful Phil!

      I’d really appreciate if you could spread the word when you have the chance 🙂

  3. Peter says

    Hi, very good article. I am very interested on the topic of long term insulation durability which I believe you didn’t cover. Do you have any idea/understanding which of the two jackets, basically which of the two insulations, can be compressed and decompressed more times while retaining a given level of warmth? My experience with the Nano puff regarding this aspect has been terrible. Is the Plumafill better on this than Primaloft Gold Insulation Eco? Thanks!

  4. Danny says

    I don’t know. Style wise, I kinda like the Micro a little bit more. Looks more rugged or something like that. Just my taste I guess. They’re both good looking.

  5. Steve says

    There is one other metric where the Nano outperforms the Micro: breathability or MVTR. From my lab measurements, vapor transmission is 39% better for the Nano. This is a good reason to prefer the Nano over the Micro. I agree with everything else you have written. The clo or thermal resistance of the two is so close one will never notice the difference but the Micro is slightly warmer (10%). Air permeability for the Nano is 1.2 CFM/ft2, compared with 2.7 CFM/Ft2 for the Micro. Again, insignificant.

  6. Nick says

    I have a question. I notice you don’t put the Jackson glacier parka only the jacket, which would you recommend the City Storm parka or the Jackson Glacier parka for warmth