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Home / Gear / Jackets / Insulated Jackets

Patagonia Micro Puff vs Down Sweater

Last updated: December 21, 2021 by Canberk Koksal 13 Comments

Micro Puff is better suited for wet weather due to its synthetic insulation.

The differences between Patagonia's Micro Puff and Down Sweater come down to the difference in their insulation methods: Synthetic vs down. 

This affects almost everything, which is why I recommend you to make your decision based on this difference and their styles to your taste. I'd look at everything else as details. 

In summary, unlike Down Sweater, the Micro Puff won't lose its insulating capability when it gets wet and hence is more suitable for areas with damp winters. For a mostly dry weather use, Down Sweater can be a better choice since both of its 800 FP down and face fabric is more durable than the Micro Puff in the long term. 

  • #A sidenote here: Patagonia.com's Web Specials discounts are GOOOLLLDDD. Highly recommend you to check it out before you buy. 
Also, to most people, Down Sweater looks prettier (especially this Carbon color is liked by many - including me). 

  • Before you buy either one of them...

Check out their rock solid used options at wornwear.patagonia.com: 

  • Micro Puff Hoody at WornWear: Men's - Women's
  • Down Sweater Hoody at WornWear: Men's - Women's

I've also talked to the Patagonia Customer Service about Micro Puff vs Down Sweater, and shared the screenshots here in this post. 

  • Some of the Patagucci products you see in this post might be discontinued, and hence might be unavailable at patagonia.com. 
    • If that's the case, then I'd recommend you to check out this page at REI. You might be able to find them there. manufactures great jackets, but they can be expensive for most of us. 
The motivation behind trying to come up with a brand new insulation technique (which, ended up being synthetic insulation) was to defy the two strong disadvantages of down (used in Down Sweater): 

  • Loss of insulating capability when it's wet/damp out. 
  • Delayed warmth after putting it on. 

Overcoming these disadvantages comes with its own costs and downsides - which eventually made up the disadvantages of synthetic insulation (used in the Micro Puff): 

  • Fragile face fabric (specific to Micro Puff), 
  • Loss of insulating capability after 3-4 years. 

These are the 4 key points to consider. 

  • Related Data Set: Temperature ratings of Patagonia jackets

Find below the lowest temperatures you can wear each jacket without feeling uncomfortably cold.

These are only approximate values 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 enough wind to cause an umbrella to twist in your hand, 
  • and when it's dry out.
NameEst. Temp (F/C)InsulationInsulatedReviewDiscontinued?M-W
Arc'teryx Alpha Parka (Women's - Men's)-17/-27DownDownNoM
Feathered Friends Khumbu (Men's)-18/-28DownDownNoM
Arc'teryx Ceres SV (Men's - Women's)-15/-26DownDownReviewYesM
Mountain Equipment K7 (Men's)-13/-25DownDownNoM
Rab Positron Pro (Men's - Women's)-13/-25DownDownNoM W
Patagonia Grade VII (Men's)-11/-24DownDownNoM
Arc'teryx Firebee AR (Women's - Men's)-10/-23DownDownReviewYesM W
Mountain Equipment Exo (Men's)-10/-23DownDownNoM
Arc'teryx Thorsen (Men's)-7/-22DownParkaDReviewNoM
Patagonia Frozen Range (Men's - Women's)-6/-21DownParkaDReviewNoM W
Arc'teryx Centrale (Women's)-5/-20DownParkaDReviewNoW
Rab Neutrino Pro (Men's - Women's) -2/-19DownDownNoM W
Arc'teryx Therme (Men's)-2/-19DownParkaDReviewNoM
Arc'teryx Dually Belay (Men's)0/-18SyntheticSyntheticReviewYesM
Arc'teryx Camosun (Men's)0/-18DownParkaDReviewNoM
Arc'teryx Piedmont (Men's)2/-17DownParkaDNoM
Arc'teryx Fission SV (Men's - Women's)3/-16SyntheticSyntheticReviewNoM
Outdoor Research Super Alpine (Men's - Women's)3/-16DownDownNoM W
Patagonia Tres 3-in-1 (Men's - Women's)3/-16DownParkaDReviewNoM W
Arc'teryx Radsten (Men's)3/-16SyntheticParkaSNoM
Patagonia Fitz Roy (Men's - Women's)3/-16DownDownNoM W
Rab Electron Pro (Men's - Women's)5/-15DownDownNoM W
Arc'teryx Macai (Men's - Women's)5/-15DownDownReviewNoM W
Arc'teryx Nuclei SV Parka (Women's - Men's)5/-15SyntheticSyntheticNoM W
Patagonia DAS Parka (Men's - Women's)5/-15SyntheticParkaSNoM W
Arc'teryx Patera (Women's)5/-15DownParkaDReviewNoW
Arc'teryx Cerium SV (Women's - Men's)7/-14DownDownReviewYesM W
Black Diamond Access Down (Men's - Women's)7/-14DownDownNoM W
Arc'teryx Kappa (Men's - Women's)7/-14SyntheticSyntheticReviewYesM
Arc'teryx Prema (Women's)7/-14DownParkaDNoW
Arc'teryx Radsten Insulated Men's)7/-14SyntheticParkaSNoM
Rab Microlight Alpine (Men's - Women's)7/-14DownDownNoM W
Patagonia Macro Puff (Men's - Women's)8/-13SyntheticSyntheticReviewNoM W
Feathered Friends Eos (Men's - Women's)8/-13DownDownNoM W
Arc'teryx Macai LT (Men's)8/-13DownDownNoM
Arc'teryx Seyla (Women's)8/-13DownParkaDNoW
Arc'teryx Koda (Men's)8/-13SyntheticParkaSNoM
Arc'teryx Thorium AR (Women's - Men's)8/-13DownDownReviewNoM W
Arc'teryx Kole (Women's - Men's)10/-12DownParkaDNoW
Patagonia Vosque 3-in-1 (Women's)10/-12SyntheticParkaSReviewNoW
Arc'teryx Alpha IS (Men's - Women's)12/-11SyntheticSyntheticYesM
Patagonia Jackson Glacier (Men's - Women's)12/-11DownParkaDReviewNoM W
Arc'teryx Sensa (Women's)14/-10SyntheticParkaSNoW
Patagonia Hi Loft Down (Men's)14/-10DownDownReviewNoM
REI Magma 850 Hoodie 2.0 (Men's - Women's)14/-10DownDownNoM W
Arc'teryx Atom AR (Women's - Men's)18/-8SyntheticSyntheticReviewNoM W
Patagonia Downdrift (Men's - Women's)18/-8DownDownNoM W
Patagonia Down Sweater (Men's - Women's)19/-7DownDownReviewNoM W
Arc'teryx Magnus (Men's)19/-7SyntheticParkaSNoM
Arc'teryx Agrium (Men's - Women's)21/-6DownDownNoM W
Patagonia AlpLight Down (Men's - Women's)21/-6DownDownNoM W
Patagonia Topley (Men's)23/-5DownDownNoM
Rab Xenon 2.0 (Men's - Women's)23/-5SyntheticSyntheticNoM W
Patagonia Silent Down (Men's - Women's)26/-3DownDownReviewNoM W
Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisp/2 (Men's - Women's)28/-2DownDownNoM W
Arc'teryx Cerium LT (Women's - Men's)28/-2DownDownReviewNoM W
Arc'teryx Nuclei FL (Women's - Men's)32/0SyntheticSyntheticReviewNoM W
Patagonia City Storm Down (Men's)32/0DownParkaDNoM
Arc'teryx Atom LT (Women's - Men's)36/2SyntheticSyntheticReviewNoM W
Patagonia Micro Puff (Men's - Women's)36/2SyntheticSyntheticReviewNoM W
Patagonia Isthmus (Men's)36/2SyntheticParkaSNoM
Arc'teryx Proton LT (Women's - Men's)37/3SyntheticSyntheticReviewNoM W
Patagonia Nano Puff (Men's - Women's)37/3SyntheticSyntheticReviewNoM W
Arc'teryx Norvan SL Ins. (Women's - Men's)39/4SyntheticSyntheticYesM W
Patagonia Nano Air (Men's - Women's)41/5SyntheticSyntheticReviewNoM W
Arc'teryx Cerium SL (Women's - Men's)43/6DownDownReviewNoM W
Arc'teryx Proton FL (Women's - Men's)48/9SyntheticSyntheticReviewNoM W
Arc'teryx Atom SL (Women's - Men's)52/11SyntheticSyntheticReviewYesM W
The North Face Summit Down (Men's - Women's)TestingDownDownNoM W
Mountain Equipment Lightline Echo (Men's)TestingDownDownNoM
Mountain Equipment Kryos (Men's - Women's)TestingDownDownNoM W
Mountain Equipment Xeros (Men's)TestingDownDownNoM
Arc'teryx Andra LT IS (Women's)TestingSyntheticParkaSNoW
Arc'teryx Phoria IS (Women's)TestingSyntheticParkaSNoW
Feathered Friends Helios (Men's)TestingDownDownNoM
Feathered Friends Volant (Men's) TestingDownDownNoM
Rab Axion Pro (Men's - Women's) TestingDownDownNoM W
Feathered Friends Rock & Ice (Men's)TestingDownDownNoM
Rab Valiance (Men's - (Women's)TestingDownDownNoM W
Rab Expedition 8000 (Men's) TestingDownDownNoM
Rab Zero G (Men's) TestingDownDownNoM
Rab Generator Alpine (Men's) TestingSyntheticSyntheticNoM
UBR Regulartor Parka II (Men's)TestingSyntheticParkaSNoM
Helly Hansen LifaLoft (Men's)TestingSyntheticSyntheticNoM
Mammut Eigerjoch (Men's - Women's)TestingSyntheticSyntheticNoM W
Helly Hansen Lumines (Men's)UnknownSyntheticSyntheticNoM
Haglofs V Series Mimic (Men's - Women's)UnknownSyntheticSyntheticNoM W
Black Diamond First Light (Men's - Women's)UnknownSyntheticSyntheticNoM W

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. 

The second point of Micro Puff is typically looked at as a disadvantage of sleeping bags and quilts with synthetic insulation, and often not so much of the clothing since (1) most of us tend to renew our casual wear wardrobe much more often than our outdoor gear and (2) the wearing out occurs each time the jacket is stuffed into its own sack - rather than occurring simply as the time passes. 

That's why, if you're planning to use your Micro Puff or Down Sweater mostly casually when it's cold out in the neighborhood (which is what they are mostly designed for anyway), then I'd recommend you to forget about the second disadvantage of Micro Puff. 

For a mostly dry weather use, Down Sweater can be a better choice since its down insulation will last years longer than the Micro Puff.  

If, on the other hand, you're planning to wear them when skiing, traveling, hiking and/or camping for a fair amount of time, then I'd recommend you to keep this disadvantage in your minds as you read on since packability can't be completely overlooked in your case. 

Warmth

For folks who are unaware of the basic working principle of Down Sweater's down insulation, here's a two sentence introduction first (this is important). 

Down provides warmth by heating and holding on to the air cluster trapped within its vacant spots. Synthetic insulation in the Micro Puff basically tries and mimics this exact process of down - but via artificial, man-made equipment (65 grams of PlumaFill). 

So, the higher the total volume of these empty spots inside the down, the more the air is going to be heated, and hence the provided warmth will be higher. Because the down's ability to loft gets lost as it gets wet, so does its ability to trap/heat more air. 

Ultimately, its warmth will be impacted negatively. 

This working principle is also why the fully extended volume of (dry) down is a crucial metric (referred to as FP) and determines the down's quality, warmth potential, durability and price tag. 

800 FP down of our Down Sweater will feel much warmer, prove solid performance for more years and hence also be a more expensive pick than a 700 FP down.

To my knowledge, FP numbers start from 450 and goes up to 850. This makes the 800 FP down of Down Sweater one of the highest quality fills in today's world. 

This doesn't mean that it's impossible to manufacture a clothing piece using a rather low quality (say, 500 FP down) and make it quite warm. You perfectly can - but you'd just have to stuff a bunch of it - quite a bit more than the amount it would take if you had used a 800 FP down instead. 

Which brings me to my next point... 

Down Sweater is NOT filled up with a lot of 800 FP down. It doesn't fall short by any means either, but it just isn't filled up to a point where it's impossible for a synthetic insulator to mimic this warmth without ending up being ridiculously heavy. 

In the end, Micro Puff provides the same warmth the Down Sweater does. 

In fact, technically speaking, it even EXCEEDS it; but you likely won't notice a difference in practice. 

Results

I'd say, generally speaking, when it's dry out, with only a long sleeved shirt under and without a shell on top, with a mild wind and a very low to no activity level... 

The approximate lowest temperatures where an average person can wear these jackets without feeling cold can be listed as: 

19 deg F (-7 deg C) for Down Sweater and 36 deg F -2 deg C) for Micro Puff. 

As you see, in dry weather, the difference is minimal and I'm pretty sure none of you will notice a difference in practice (maybe just a little tiny bit). 

When it's wet out, though; keep in mind that the warmth of Down Sweater will suffer and drop significantly. 

If you think you run hotter or colder than the average person, mentally shift these temperatures accordingly. 

Delayed warmth

As grueling as it sounds, this entire process of the down heating and holding on to the air cluster... takes time. Longer than the synthetic insulation. 

This makes up one of the two disadvantages of the Down Sweater laid out above. You don't get to feel the cozy warmth the moment you put on your Down Sweater. 

With the Micro Puff, though; it doesn't take that much until the maximum potential warmth is achieved. The difference is noticeable. 

Durability

And this, is the disadvantage of Micro Puff. 

I know I've kept saying that the insulating power of Down Sweater can last for decades (much shorter for the Micro Puff), and that's true; but there's one more parameter there: 

  • How often are you going to be stuffing them into their own sacks? 

The quicker loss of Micro Puff's insulation capability doesn't occur when these jackets are simply at rest. 

Instead, it occurs each time you stuff the Micro Puff into its own sack and then release it back. The more you do this cycle, the quicker it'll get old. 

For the Down Sweater, on the other hand, it doesn't really matter, since its insulation is very durable. So you can stop worrying about it and instead use the stuff sack freely (which you'll also do with the Micro Puff anyway... so it'll get older quicker). 

Regardless of the insulation, face fabric of Micro Puff is also fairly fragile. 

Weather Resistance

Weather resistances of Down Sweater and Micro Puff are comparable - but the difference is reflected to their warmth. 

They're both coated with DWR, which helps with the rain. 

  • What is DWR by the way?

DWR is a coating. 

It's basically sprayed on to the surface of these jackets as a finish. It stands for Durable Water Repellent - which means that water will be repelled under wet conditions instead of soaking into the fabric. 

DWR also decreases dry time. 

It's a good thing these jackets are coated in DWR, but pay attention to the fact that DWR is a coating - meaning that it will wear off over time. 

Which is why you might want to invest in a DWR spray such as this one for after treatment. 

As you see, there's a strong correlation between FP x FW and temperature ratings, but not more than, say, 80%. I explained why this happens here in this post of mine. 

Yes, the DWR does help with preventing the rain drops from getting soaked into the internal surface of the Down Sweater, but doesn't help so much with its warmth. 

Again, once the fill gets wet - its warmth will drop significantly. 

Breathability

Face fabric of Micro Puff (0.7-oz 10-denier for both shell and lining) breathes slightly better than the Down Sweater (1.4-oz 20x30-denier in shell and 1.4-oz 20-denier in lining), although neither of these jackets are designed to breathe and hence are terrible in this department. 

They're not equipped with pit zips either - so I'd recommend you to forget about getting these jackets if breathability is one of your expectations. 

Stuff Sack 

Down Sweater is stuffed into its own sack just a little larger than the Micro Puff - but the difference is minimal: 

Style

To most people, Down Sweater looks prettier (especially this Carbon color is liked by many - including me). 

Micro Puff... I don't know. Looks overly wrinkled and pretty bad. At least to me. 

Weight

Micro Puff weighs almost half of Down Sweater {9.3 ounces (264 grams) vs 15.1 ounces (428 grams)}. This is a HUGE difference.

Micro Puff offers an exceptional level of warmth to weight ratio. 

My discussion with the Patagonia Rep

Here are the screenshots I took. Reps can sometimes provide inaccurate information or even flat out incorrect "facts" every now and then - so take the info in this conversation with a grain of salt.

I don't agree with him (or her?) here and there.

What about the alternatives?

I'd recommend the Nano Puff as the alternative to the Micro Puff. Here you can check out my post about their comparison. As some of you know, these two hoodies take part in my top Arc'teryx & Patagonia synthetic insulation picks, although they're the last two.

If you're looking for an alternative to the Down Sweater, I'd recommend you to check out my posts about Arc'teryx's Cerium LT and Thorium AR. 

Conclusion

  • If you'll be using them as outer layers (standalone pieces): 

Micro Puff (synthetic insulation) is more suitable for areas with damp winters. For a mostly dry weather use, Down Sweater can be a better choice since its down insulation is likely to last years longer than the Micro Puff.

  • If you'll be using them as mid-layers:

Down sweater would probably be a better choice for most of you. Keep in mind that Micro Puff also provides exceptional warmth to weight ratio.

Check out the best price options for Micro Puff Hoody below:

Micro Puff Hoody Men's:

See on Patagonia.com
See on Amazon
See on Backcountry.com

Micro Puff Hoody Women's:

See on Patagonia.com
See on Amazon
See on Backcountry.com

Check out the best price options for Down Sweater Hoody below:

Down Sweater Hoody Men's:

See on Patagonia.com
See on Amazon
See on Backcountry.com

Down Sweater Hoody Women's:

See on Patagonia.com
See on Amazon
See on Backcountry.com

Here's a good review of Micro Puff:

Of the Down Sweater:


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:

  • Best Arc'teryx Jackets: My Top Picks
  • Best Patagonia Jackets: My Top Picks
  • Best Down Jackets: My Top Picks
  • Best Synthetic Insulated Jackets: My Top Picks
  • Temperature Ratings of Best Insulated Jackets
  • Arc'teryx Wiki: Complete Data Set

Complete list:

  • All Arc'teryx Shell Jackets sorted by performance
  • All Arc'teryx Ski Jackets sorted by performance
  • All Patagonia Ski Jackets sorted by performance
  • All Patagonia Winter Jackets compared
  • All Patagonia Fleeces compared
  • All Patagonia Rain Jackets compared
  • All Patagonia Down Jackets compared

Synthetic Insulated Jackets

  • Arc'teryx Proton LT
  • Patagonia Nano Air
  • Arc'teryx Atom LT
  • Arc'teryx Atom AR
  • Patagonia Nano Puff
  • Patagonia Micro Puff
  • Arc'teryx Atom SL
  • Arc'teryx Proton FL
  • Arc'teryx Fission SV
  • Arc'teryx Dually Belay Parka
  • Arc'teryx Atom SL Anorak
  • Arc'teryx Kappa

Down Jackets

  • Arc'teryx Cerium LT
  • Arc'teryx Cerium SV
  • Arc'teryx Cerium SL
  • Arc'teryx Thorium AR
  • Patagonia Down Sweater
  • Arc'teryx Firebee AR
  • Arc'teryx Ceres SV

Parkas

  • Arc'teryx Thorsen
  • Arc'teryx Therme
  • Arc'teryx Camosun
  • Arc'teryx Patera
  • Arc'teryx Centrale
  • Patagonia Tres
  • Patagonia Vosque

Shell Jackets

  • Arc'teryx Beta SV
  • Arc'teryx Beta FL
  • Arc'teryx Beta AR
  • Arc'teryx Alpha AR
  • Arc'teryx Alpha SV
  • Arc'teryx Gamma MX
  • Arc'teryx Gamma LT
  • Arc'teryx Gamma SL

Ski Jackets

  • Arc'teryx Rush
  • Arc'teryx Rush IS
  • Arc'teryx Sabre LT
  • Arc'teryx Sabre AR
  • Arc'teryx Cassiar
  • Arc'teryx Sidewinder
  • Arc'teryx Macai

Fleece Jackets

  • Patagonia R1
  • Patagonia R2
  • Patagonia Synchilla
  • Patagonia Better Sweater

Wind Jackets

  • Arc'teryx Solano
  • Arc'teryx Nuclei FL
  • Patagonia Houdini
  • Patagonia Houdini Air
  • Arc'teryx Squamish
  • Arc'teryx Incendo
  • Arc'teryx Norvan SL
  • Arc'teryx Trino SL

Rain Jackets

  • Patagonia Torrentshell
  • Patagonia Torrentshell Insulated
  • Arc'teryx Beta SL Hybrid
  • Arc'teryx Zeta FL

Also see:

  • Arc'teryx vs Patagonia
  • List of Manufacturing Facilities of all Arc'teryx Jackets

Thank you for reading!

Filed Under: Insulated Jackets Tagged With: jackets, patagonia, Patagonia insulated jackets

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Benoit says

    April 19, 2020 at 11:28 am

    Would you take the atom ar over the micro puff when you consider: style, fit, durability, weight to warmth and packability?

    Reply
    • Canberk says

      April 19, 2020 at 3:36 pm

      Thank you for your comment Benoit!

      When warmth to weight ratio and packability are a concern, it’s hard to beat the Micro Puff.

      Reply
      • Benoit says

        April 19, 2020 at 6:45 pm

        I have a micro puff. But after a couple of months i am not happy with the fit ( to wide on the chest) and i cant get over the shiny fabric. I am worried about the durability over the years aswel. For now i use it for casual walks outer layer and as a midlayer when cold and wet. Or as a throw over jacket at camp for warmth.

        I am willing to let it go and get the atom AR instead, warmer and better fit i think. Okay its not as packable but i saw arcteryx promo film on how to pack it in the sleeve. I climb mount meru and kili in september and would use it as back up and to throw on at rest stops. For me its not weight thats an issue its the size of the ‘package’ .
        Does it ressemble?

        Reply

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Hey, what's up? Canberk here. Arc'teryx addict, gym rat, and Tame Impala fan of the OutdoorCrunch Team. Here's more about me.

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