The Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody is like the minivan of down jackets: highly functional, reliable, totally lovable, and it accommodates the whole family. No joke, they have it in baby sizes (it's even reversible, for those on-the-road spit-up emergencies). The Down Sweater Hoody remains a tried-and-true standby in an outdoor lover's wardrobe. It does not stand out in any one category; rather, it balances performance across all of our rating metrics. This is a solid and reliable jacket to take on your next rock climbing or camping road trip, and a cozy and stylish casual jacket for around town in cool weather. Add in Patagonia's ongoing commitment to ethics and high-quality products, and we feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Editor's Note: We updated this article on August 31, 2022, with information about the latest version of the Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody.Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody - Women's Review
A comfortable, warm down jacket with many applications
Credit: Patagonia
Price: $329 List | $329.00 at REI
Pros: Great generalist jacket, ethically harvested down, very cozy
Cons: Fabric gets dirty easily, truly excels in no category
Manufacturer: Patagonia
Cons: Fabric gets dirty easily, truly excels in no category
Manufacturer: Patagonia
By Lyra Pierotti ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ Aug 31, 2022
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RELATED: Best Down Jacket for Women of 2022
Our Verdict
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody - Women's | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  | |  | | |
| Price | $329 List $329.00 at REI | $288.75 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $409 List $409.00 at Feathered Friends | $280 List $209.99 at REI | $100 List $99.95 at REI |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Great generalist jacket, ethically harvested down, very cozy | Warm, lightweight, comfortable, length adds warmth | Very warm for the weight, highly compressible, durable, versatile, comfortable | Durable, weather resistant, athletic cut, good movement, versatile | Inexpensive, lightweight |
| Cons | Fabric gets dirty easily, truly excels in no category | Expensive, not likely your single-quiver down jacket | Less stylish, harder to layer underneath a hardshell jacket | Narrower baffles compress down; slightly lower quality (recycled) 700 fill down | Less warm, lower quality down |
| Bottom Line | A comfortable, warm down jacket with many applications | An impressively warm option that offers top of the line performance, particularly for alpine adventures | Rose quickly to the top for its incredible warmth-to-weight and remarkable comfort | A durable, versatile, and very comfortable jacket that can handle many activities, from mountain to town | This is a very light, entry-level down jacket for moderate temperatures |
| Rating Categories | Patagonia Sweater H... | Rab Neutrino Pro -... | Feathered Friends Eos | Rab Microlight Alpine | REI Co-op 650 2.0 |
| Warmth (30%) | |||||
| Weight (20%) | |||||
| Compressibility (20%) | |||||
| Features (15%) | |||||
| Durability (10%) | |||||
| Water Resistance (5%) | |||||
| Specs | Patagonia Sweater H... | Rab Neutrino Pro -... | Feathered Friends Eos | Rab Microlight Alpine | REI Co-op 650 2.0 |
| Down Fill | 800 fill power Advanced Global Traceable goose down | 800FP European Goose Down, hydrophobic | 900+ fill goose down | Recycled 700 fill-power down | 650 fill goose down |
| Main Fabric | 20x30D 100% recycled polyester ripstop with a DWR finish | 20D recycled Pertex® Quantum Pro | Pertex® Quantum | Recycled 30D nylon Pertex® Quantum ripstop | Recycled nylon taffeta |
| Measured Weight | 13 oz | 18.5 oz | 9.5 oz | 13.5 oz | 9.5 oz |
| Pockets | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Hood | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Stowing option | Packs into internal chest pocket | Stuff sack | Stuff sack | Stuff sack | Packs into hand pocket |
Show full specification detailsHide full specification details
Our Analysis and Test Results
Patagonia unrolled a new, more sustainable version of their classic Down Sweater. This updated model utilizes a new NetPlus material for the shell fabric, which is a 100% recycled material made from fishing nets. The pockets are also hidden and the styling of the jacket has changed slightly. In the photos above, the grey model is the one we tested for this review, followed by the updated Down Sweater in hemlock green.
The Patagonia Down Sweater is like an old friend; always reliable, in a variety of situations. This jacket is not optimized for any specific use, making it a decent all-rounder or general-purpose insulating jacket.
Performance Comparison
Checking out the latest model Down Sweater Hoody from Patagonia.
Credit: Lyra Pierotti
Warmth
The Down Sweater is toasty warm. It's roomier than our award-winning jackets, which translates to a bit more airspace. The higher loft and larger baffles, however, make up for this, and it boasts an exceptional amount of warmth for its size and weight.
Zipped up and cozy in the Down Sweater!
Credit: Lyra Pierotti
The outer fabric is windproof, which helps keep cold gusts from giving you the chills. The hood is well designed and fuzzy fleece, where the jacket meets your face, adds significant warmth. We ordered a size small for our lead tester and found that this model is sized bigger than other brands, which allows us to comfortably add layers underneath.
Love Patagonia's Down Sweater, Not the Hood?
Patagonia's got you covered if you love the Down Sweater but are looking for something without a hood. The Women's Patagonia Down Sweater Jacket still has everything you love about the Down Sweater, without the bulk of a hood.
Patagonia's got you covered if you love the Down Sweater but are looking for something without a hood. The Women's Patagonia Down Sweater Jacket still has everything you love about the Down Sweater, without the bulk of a hood.
Weight
The Down Sweater weighs 13 ounces; this is a bit on the heavy side, having increased in weight in recent years. As such, this is not our technical go-to for backcountry trips, where every ounce counts, but rather a more casual, comfortable jacket well suited to daily wear and camping trips.
Compressibility
The Down Sweater is made of 800 fill power Advanced Global Traceable goose down, which is highly compressible. It stuffs into an internal chest pocket and has a loop that can be clipped to the back of a harness.
Patagonia's Down Sweater is highly compressible due to the high quality 800 fill down.
Credit: Lyra Pierotti
It is not the smallest in this review, but is undoubtedly a decent choice for backpackers, hikers, rock climbers, and mountaineers who want a good, durable, warm jacket that is light and compressible enough to stuff into a pack or clip out of the way to the back of your harness. The Down Sweater is highly compressible for its size and weight due to the high quality down.
Features
First, we appreciate how Patagonia has led the charge in setting a new standard for the ethical use of down in outdoor jackets. Several years ago, Patagonia was the only manufacturer advertising their ethical sourcing practices—now, more and more of the jackets we researched boast responsible sourcing. (That's awesome.) Patagonia was competitive with its simple features on the Down Sweater, which include an adjustable hood, internal zippered chest pocket, an adjustable hem, and two handwarmer pockets.
Internal chest pockets are one of our favorite features.
Credit: Lyra Pierotti
Durability
Boasting 20D and 30D recycled polyester ripstop fabric, the Down Sweater is durable. Not only that, but it is inspiring in this metric, and we had no qualms about scuffing it up against rocks here and there. This is a jacket meant to be used, abused, and well-loved. And don't worry, that patched down jacket look? It's totally in vogue: Heart-shaped contrasting patches desirable.
Water Resistance
Like most jackets in this review, the Down Sweater features a durable water repellent (DWR) finish, which helps prevent the down from wetting out when you get unexpectedly caught out in a storm. This will buy you some time while you scramble to get your shell jacket on over your down jacket, but ultimately you will want to be sure you have a shell over this jacket in rainy weather or otherwise wet conditions.
Value
Patagonia is never the cheapest option out there, but as we know, you often get what you pay for. With Patagonia, you also can feel good about your purchase because the company consistently paves the way to new ethical standards, raising the bar for other outdoor manufacturers to follow, and that's awesome. That said, this jacket is still a great deal for the high-quality craftsmanship and durable design, as well as the versatility. It may not have gotten an award this time, but we're sure you'll love it for a long time to come.
Conclusion
Patagonia's Down Sweater never disappoints. It is a comfortable, warm, versatile jacket with many applications, but it is not the highest scorer in any one particular category. It's a great layer for cold-weather rock climbing, and an exceptional choice for mountaineering and ski touring in milder climates - when used in conjunction with a heavier fleece or other insulating layers. The Down Sweater is highly adaptable and always comfortable. And due to the street credibility of Patagonia, we think you'll look pretty cool sporting this jacket around town, too.
Enjoying the wilds in our Down Sweater hoody.
Credit: Lyra Pierotti
— Lyra Pierotti
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