This jacket is exactly what I hoped it would be. I purchased one large in North Sea, and I could not be happier. I am very confident that wearing this jacket as an alternative to my bulky winter jackets will be a breath of fresh air. I was skeptical about the venting pockets after I made the purchase, but honestly, I don't mind. They are the style where once you open them, you can pretty much feel inside the jacket from near the top of your chest to just about where normal pockets would rest. Even though the exterior of the pockets are a little higher up and in on the face of the jacket, I will still use them for car keys and a cell phone when I need to do so. I'll also take advantage of them to keep my hands warm if I'm running from my house to the car or vice versa. If you're purchasing Patagonia, you expect quality; that's what I received. I have read a number of other reviews on many of their similar products, and I am very confident that my purchase was the best decision for me. I live in Southern IL, but our family is from the Twin Cities, so we definitely know what cold weather is, and I plan to use this jacket as my regular primary jacket on any day that is not raining during the cold winter months.

I purchased a medium in Natural for my wife, and I was very confident that I was going to give this jacket five stars. It's every bit impressive as the men's version, and it's the same level of quality in every way, save one small issue. The drawstring at the waste of the jacket has a cincher, which has been placed in the lower back part of the jacket, on the inside (if you look at picture 8 of the detail view, you can see what I'm talking about). The problem is that when my wife has rested up against something that isn't soft, under certain circumstances, she has felt the plastic cincher, and has expressed minor discomfort. Her jacket is not too small either. She has only felt it a couple of times, so it shouldn't be a major deterant, but buyers should be aware of the placement. And truth be told, the location of the drawstring and cincher is far better than having it hang outside of the jacket, but I personally like how the men's jacket has it running along the side of the interior of the jacket. Other than that, she feels very comfortable and very warm in this jacket. She has said that she would highly recommend it to others, and since I would highly recommend the men's R4 to others, I would second her opinion. This jacket is perfect for breezy to near freezing weather as an exterior shell if it is not raining heavily outside.