It is expensive, but the performance is unmatched.

By khillyard Ranked #3517 - Men's Fleece Jackets January 2, 2007

I ordered this jacket after ordering one of the better Marmot jackets for about $65 less. The Marmot was definitely high quality but did not fit right, and above all, the sleeves were way too long and were not wind proof. So there was nothing else worthy in the this price range, so I dished out the extra money, lots more money, and tried the Patagonia R4. I always felt that Patagonia was hyped. But I have to say, this is a great jacket. I wore it out at Boston's First Night into the wee hours, and was extremely comfortable. After taking off my sweater that is. The temperature was about 33-34 degrees. I had a t-shirt, cotton dress shirt, sweater, and the R4 fleece. That was too much. So I stripped off the sweater, and was comfortable all evening. The quality and features are very good. The fleece is thin for something that is so warm. This fleece has a 3-layer composite design which makes it light but high performing. I was a little hesitant at first because it was not thick and plush like you would expect a 300+ weight fleece to be. So I felt like the price was inflated due to the name. So it sat for a few days before I decided to try it out. The fit was very good, except I notice there is a trend toward longer sleeves. The sleeves on this jacket was a bit longer than I expected but not ludicrously long like the Marmot fleece. And it is indeed wind proof due to the materials and design. Bottom line, it is expensive, but it performs as good or better than advertised.

View Details: Patagonia R4 Fleece Jacket - Men's DO NOT USE

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