I've got the most recent (Winter 2024) versions of both Nano Air and DAS Light.
They're both fantastic. But they best respond to pretty different use cases. As long as your expectations are in the right place, neither will disappoint.
Patagonia Nano Air vs DAS Light: Summary
Nano Air is updated for 2024. Disregard the reviews put forward pre-September 2023.
- DAS Light is a rather niche item. Although it's meant to be put on when you stop moving (i.e it's a belay jacket), I also wear it casually all the time without any problems.
- Instantly warm and incredibly wind resistant. Horrible breathability and durability. Luckily it comes with a two way zipper (excess heat can be dumped).
- Hem cinch cord and more pockets (preferably internal dump pockets) would be nice additions. Packing on your own is also a bit difficult.
- Alternatives: Arc'teryx Nuclei (aka FL) (Men's - Women's - read review).
- Nano Air is one of the most popular and versatile jackets of all time. High output activities is its best use but it's worn casually when it's not too cold.
- Spectacular balance between breathability and warmth. Insanely comfortable to wear thanks to its stretchy structure that allows for mobility. Less noisy compared to DAS Light. Offers average durability and wind resistance.
- A hood drawcord would be a nice addition. Sleeves are a bit long and cuffs aren't as tight as other alternatives like Arc'teryx's Proton and Atom. This can be less comfy if you have very short arms compared to your size AND if you're planning to wear the Nano Air casually. Unless you're these two at the same time, it shouldn't be that much of a problem.
- Alternatives: Arc'teryx Proton (aka LT) (Men's - Women's - read review) and Atom (aka LT) (Men's - Women's - read review).
Both are packable.
Canberk is 5'11" and 165 pounds, with an athletic build. Size Medium fits him perfectly across almost all brands and product lines.
New Patagonia logo look.
I'll occasionally cover the cousins of these two as well. DAS Parka and Nano Air Light Hybrid.
Quick links:
- https://www.patagonia.com/product/mens-nano-air-insulated-hoody/84367.html
- https://www.patagonia.com/product/womens-nano-air-insulated-hoody/84268.html
- DAS Light Hoody Men's at REI
- DAS Light Hoody Women's at REI
Patagonia Nano Air vs DAS Light: Overview
Best use of DAS Light is rather niche. It's a belay jacket.
You're meant to pull the belay jackets out of the bag, unpack them and put them on when you stop moving. The objective is to maintain your core temp.
That's why DAS Light allows for zero ventilation and provides warmth at an instant. That's why it comes with a stuff sack and fits baggier. So that you wear it on top of all your clothes.
But how does it accomplish this? It features 65 grams of PlumaFill. This is equal to the insulation in Micro Puff.
Read more of our articles on Patagonia and insulation:
The secret lies in its almost stitchless outer fabric structure and a highly developed face fabric (Pertex Quantum vs Pertex Quantum Pro). This doesn't let any wind penetrate into the jacket.
Take a look at the photo of DAS Light above. It's like a rain poncho. If you've ever worn one, you know how it doesn't let any air circulation.
By the way, I wear a size M in every brand (Arc'teryx, Zara, Nike, Adidas, Under Armour). Including Patagonia.
DAS Light fits me perfectly even when I only have a t-shirt underneath. I'm 5'11, 165 lbs, pretty athletic build. DAS Light size M fits me like a glove.
This is why I have zero problems in wearing DAS Light casually. At least when my output is none to very low.
I actually do this with all my belay jackets, including Arc'teryx Nuclei line. Didn't experience any problems so far... other than feeling clammy when I walk more than I planned. In which case I just unzip the bottom half and let some air outside.
One simplified way to look at the DAS Light is to look at it as a down jacket that can perfectly get away with getting wet.
- 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
Arc'teryx Nuclei (aka FL) (Men's - Women's - read review) is a perfect alternative to DAS Light. They're pretty similar.
I have a Nuclei, too. I tend to pick DAS Light over Nuclei when I plan walking a bit longer. Because Nuclei does NOT offer a two way zipper, even though many people are asking for one.
For the record, this generally isn't the primary use of a two way zipper. It's more for comfort reasons, i.e leaving only the upper half zipped when sitting down, driving or cycling.
When I have a bunch of things to carry in my pockets, on the other hand, I pick the Nuclei over DAS Light. Because its roomy internal dump pockets are game changers in this regard.
I also have a Nuclei SV (Men's - Women's - read my review). That translates into and correspond to a much heavier and loftier version of DAS Light, the DAS Parka (Men's - Women's).
Check out my Nuclei SV review if you'd like to read more about it. I visited Pfander, Alps near Bregenz, Austria with it. I don't own a DAS.
Anyways, in addition to all these pros, DAS Light also offers spectacular wind resistance. You feel zero wind penetrating inside the jacket.
The hood is spectacular as well. It fits tight around your forehead, not letting wind blow it over your head. Even when the wind is powerful and blowing from straight ahead. It offers a hidden drawstring at the top as well. So you can cinch it even further.
But the instant warmth and superior wind resistance come at a cost. DAS Light offers HORRIBLE breathability.
This is why you should not even THINK about putting a DAS Light on when anything more than a low output activity is the goal.
The Nano Air, on the other hand, is absolutely perfect for high output activities.
There's nothing you can't do with it. It's one of the most versatile jackets in the market. It's closer to what we would call "a standard synthetic jacket anatomy", if that were to exist.
Its breathable insulation, the FullRange, is only used in Nano Air (60 grams of it) & Nano Air Light Hybrid (40 grams of it) in Patagonia's entire line-up.
FullRange isn't widely available and offers a bunch of ventilation. I love how that makes me feel special, lol.
One of my main gripes with Nano Air is the hood. It feels more like a standard hood. If this was a down jacket, I wouldn't bother with the hoods and would grab a hoodless model instead.
But the the whole point of synthetic insulated jackets is weather resistance and breathability. So I like the hoods. I wish it had a hood drawcord. Maybe they'll bring it in the future, who knows.
Another downside of this jacket is the sleeves. They're a bit too long. Additionally, the cuffs aren't as tight as other alternatives like Arc'teryx's Proton and Atom.
This is something to consider if you have shorter arms compared to your size AND if you're planning to wear the Nano Air casually. You might wish different cuffs or shorter sleeves in that case.
But if you, or more elaborately, your arms are mostly going to be active in this jacket, then this can even be a pro. Because in that case, longer sleeves can generally adjust to movement better and come more comfy.
The most obvious alternatives are Arc'teryx Proton (aka LT) (Men's - Women's - read review) and Atom (aka LT) (Men's - Women's - read review). Nano Air's breathability would be more than the former and less than the latter.
This comparison, actually, is popular. I have a post completely dedicated to Proton (aka LT) & Atom (aka LT) vs Nano Air, so check that out if you'd like.
Nano Air's cousin, Nano Air Light Hybrid, would be more directly comparable to the Arc'teryx Atom SL (soon to be called Atom Lightweight) (Men's - Women's - read review).
Quick links:
- https://www.patagonia.com/product/mens-nano-air-insulated-hoody/84367.html
- https://www.patagonia.com/product/womens-nano-air-insulated-hoody/84268.html
- DAS Light Hoody Men's at REI
- DAS Light Hoody Women's at REI
Pocket dimensions
In addition to two hand warmers, Nano Air offers two external zippered chest pockets, whereas the DAS light offers one of them.
Pocket dimensions:
- DAS Light:
- Hand warmers: 6.7 in (or 17 cm) x 9.1 in (or 23 cm)
- External zippered chest pocket: 7.5 in (or 19 cm) x 7.9 in (or 20 cm)
- Nano Air:
- Hand warmers: 7.1 in (or 18 cm) x 11 in (or 28 cm)
- External zippered chest pockets: 7.9 in (or 20 cm) x 9.9 in (or 25 cm)
Nano Air wins.
Packability
Nano Air is packed into the external chest pocket and DAS Light into the left hand warmer.
Zipper pulls of each are pretty big. Packing and unpacking with the gloves is easy.
In the end, DAS Light is packed surprisingly smaller.
13" Macbook and sunglasses for scale.
Packed sizes:
- DAS Light: 7.3 in (or 18.5 cm) x 6.5 in (or 16.5 cm) x 4.3 in (or 11 cm)
- Nano Air: 7.5 in (or 19 cm) x 7.5 in (or 19 cm) x 4 in (or 10 cm)
A smaller packed size, however, can be a mixed blessing in this case. Size savings are of course always a plus. But packing the DAS Light is a bit difficult.
Stuffing the jacket into its sack (e.g the left hand warmer) is easy. The hard thing is to zip it without letting the jacket overflow and get in the way.
One way to do this on your own is to stick the sack between your legs to prevent it from overflowing. It's zipped rather easy that way.
Another factor to pay attention to here is after the zipping is complete. It feels like the jacket inside applies too much pressure to the sack.
Not sure what happens if it gets in contact with a sharp object, or if it gets stuck under larger, heavier objects (likely to happen when traveling).
I didn't experience any "burst" problems so far, but I don't have 100% peace of my mind yet. Will update if anything happens.
Another negative downside is after years of repeated packing and unpacking. When the compression stress is too high, a jacket might experience too much of a loss in insulation capability. This is normal after, say, 5 years of use, but when the stress is too much, it might be quicker.
After unpacking, however, the DAS Light restores to its original look quicker than Nano Air. Just shake it and you're ready to go. Nano Air is closer to a more standard outer fabric, so it looks a bit more crinkly.
Quick links:
- https://www.patagonia.com/product/mens-nano-air-insulated-hoody/84367.html
- https://www.patagonia.com/product/womens-nano-air-insulated-hoody/84268.html
- DAS Light Hoody Men's at REI
- DAS Light Hoody Women's at REI
Cuffs
Cuff designs are the same.
Hoods
DAS Light is better in this regard.
See DAS Light's drawcord design (left: hidden, right: exposed).
DAS Light hood's tight fit.
Nano Air doesn't allow for hood adjustment. It's a much simpler, standard hood.
Hem cinch cords
Strangely, DAS Light doesn't have a drawcord at the hem. Nano Air does.
Interiors
History of Nano Air revisions
Changes for Fall 2019
Fall 2019 Nano Air.
Here's the summary of what I found:
- Hemcord got replaced with a non-adjustable elastic. You could use the drawcord to adjust a more a snug fit to the hips when required - which now you can't do.
- Durability and abrasion resistances seem to have improved.
- It used to have 2 chest (not hand) pockets, now it has only 1.
- Surface material is now smoother and feels somehow more pleasant in your hands.
- The design changed: Horizontal lines through the front bottom are removed. It also looks more homogeneous now. We think it looks much better now and hence increased the style rating of the Nano Air as you can see in this post.
Here's what the representative told me first:
- Fabric is now 87% recycled.
- 3-D texture which improves the next to skin feel and piling resistance.
- FullRange Insulation is now 40% recycled.
- Fabric is now Bluesign certified and Fair Trade certified.
- Overall it is 10% lighter and more pack-able.
And how would one experience these technical differences when using? In terms of, for example; durability, warmth, weather resistance, breathability, comfort etc?
Here's what the rep told me about this:
"I think you'll definitely notice that this model is more durable - one of the things we get asked about all the time is the piling of our items. Piling comes with trying new recycled fabrics, so the fact this is 87% recycled and we're seeing reduced piling is really cool. The Nano Air Hoody also has 60 grams of insulation to keep you warm. It's very breathable, which makes it nice so you don't have to keep putting it on and off on days where the temperature is always changing or you're occasionally physically active.
I used to work at a grocery store, which was very labor intensive. One of my coworkers would wear his Nano Air Hoody everyday. He loved how warm it kept him in the morning but also cool enough to wear it all day even when he was doing heavy labor jobs (breathability). I'd ask him about it all the time because I'd be changing layers throughout the day, and was jealous that he never needed to do that. He had the light blue and even with the job he was doing, I didn't see any damage, or stains on the jacket. I believe that he had the 2017 season jacket but seeing it first hand how much even an older Nano Air could handle, I can only imagine how durable the 2019 season can be."
Obviously there's also at least a little bit of a marketing here - but I agree with everything she says except the durability part. Yes, durability did improve, but Nano Air is still a fragile, highly technical piece that wouldn't be able to handle a lot of damage.
If you'd like to look at something a little less breathable but with significantly more abrasion resistance and durability, I'd recommend checking out the Proton (aka LT).
Back to my convo with the rep...
She then told me that the hemcord got replaced with a non-adjustable elastic (after I asked her so... lol), and also the number of chest pockets got decreased from 2 to 1 of them (you can see this conversation in the screenshot below).
In the end...
These are the changes (same list in the introduction):
- Hemcord got replaced with a non-adjustable elastic. You could use the drawcord to adjust a more a snug fit to the hips when required - which now you can't do.
- Durability and abrasion resistances seem to have improved.
- It used to have 2 chest (not hand) pockets, now it has only 1.
- Surface material is now smoother and feels somehow more pleasant in your hands.
- The design changed: Horizontal lines through the front bottom are removed. It also looks more homogeneous now. We think it looks much better now and hence increased the style rating of the Nano Air as you can see in this post.
DWR stays the same.
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 at arcteryx.com 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.
Screenshot proof
