Which is warmer? The Patagonia R4, The North Face Denali, or The North Face Denali Wind Pro?

...personally i wouldn't consider the north face denali to be considered an outdoor functional jacket..it's purely designed for casual purposes only. patagonia is definitely the competition to beat when it comes to their layer products. this can actually be used in the elements and functions the way a layer should. i've owned the denali, and it's deceitfully popular for the wrong reasons..most people just get it because it looks good and is the staple north face product. patagonia in my opinion is just in a totally different realm of gear.

Forget the regular Denali, but don't overlook the Denali Wind Pro version. The R4 is only warmer while the side "venting pockets" are zipped up. You have to realize that the pockets on the R4 are really misplaced pit-zips, they won't warm your hands and opening them outside means "dumping heat". I think Patagonia tried to kill two birds with one stone, with high placed side pockets that can hold gloves and water bottles while doubling as heat dumping vents. In addition, the R4 is as heavy as a thick cotton jacket, whereas the Wind Pro is as light as one would expect a fleece jacket to be. So if you plan on wearing gloves anyway then go for the R4 no questions asked, it is still the king of fleeces. For a more functional "casual" jacket with useful "hand warming pockets" go with the Wind Pro. Overall, I find that layering a light fleece (like a wind resistant microfleece) under the Wind Pro keeps me just as warm as the R4. It's a tough call, just comes down to preference.

Blair, go for this one hands down. It'll be warmer and a better product overall.