With no elastic at the cuffs and no drawstring at the waist, this jacket is a far cry from what you would expect in a piece of "technical" clothing. That being said, the R2 is a very warm jacket, but given the cut, it is better suited for braving the elements of your living room, or for those long treks to the fridge. For a warm (hot) fleece for layering, try the Mountain Hardwear Monkey Man. (See review). I paid $60 on clearance for the R2 and it is worth it, but definitely not worth the over $100 that it typically sells for.

Customer Service

Not necessary

Similar Products Used:

Mountain Hardwear Monkey Man Jacket

OK, the last review of this jacket was a year and a half ago, but I just got one and I like it a lot! I tried the ArcTeryx Delta R which is made of Polartec Thermal Pro just like the R2, and the fit is similar-trim for layering, though the Delta R was shorter in the body with longer sleeves. I thought the construction of the R2 was far superior and the features slightly better. I agree that I wish Patagonia had either a hip drawcord or an elastic, since the jacket does ride up with a pack on sometimes. This jacket is great and very warm with a shell.

Similar Products Used:

ArcTeryx Delta R, TNF, Mt. Hardware, marmot.

after reading some of the previous comments about this fleece, i now have something to say reguarding this jackets wind protection. listen up!! this fleece was never intended to stop any kind of wind. it is a layering piece only. patagonia makes several other fleece pieces that are windproof if you need to wear a fleece as an outer layer. the beauty behind this jacket is that it is SUPER breathable and dries SUPER fast. i have a retro x thats windproof but does a horrible job of transfering moisture compaired to the r2. i recently had a chance to compair a few fleeces under a shell while skiing and the r2 and r3 are far superior layering pieces than the windproof fleeces. once again, this is meant to be a layering piece that has excelent moisture management properties..not outerwear in windy conditions. this info comes straight from the fine folks at patagonia in case you're wondering.

Customer Service

simply the best. my girlfriend bought a thick retro cardigan in october of last year. she bought it thinking it was windproof but soon found out it was not. because she was embarased about her goof, she never said anything about it to me until febuary of this year. i told her to see if she could return it and maybe she could get some kind of store credit for it. she took it back to the patagonia store after wearing it for 4 months and they still gave her a full refund and she did'nt even have the reciept. cant beat that with a stick!

Similar Products Used:

marmot and mountain hardwear (great stuff as well)

I have used the R2 pullover for almost a year now. Great piece fall fall and winter (under a shell). Keeps you warm and packs well. Trim fit, but would like to see it cut longer in tail.

Customer Service

Customer Service was good. Answered questions that I had promptly and ordering was very easy.

Similar Products Used:

LLBean super 200 jacket.

I agree with pretty much all that has been said about this jacket. Incredibly light, warm, comfortable, and pretty expensive if you pay full price. I wouldn't own it if it hadn't been on an incredible sale. Wind cuts through, but otherwise it is very versatile in a range of temps. I love the convenience of the full zip.

Similar Products Used:

Reebok microfleece sweatshirt

This is my favorite fleece jacket, I love it to death. I had my first one for about a year and a half until it was stolen. I soon replaced it with my current one that I purchased for around 85 dollars. The wind resistence is non-existent but thats not what the jacket is meant for of course, just put a shell on it's an oven. One durabulity problem, my first jacket ripped on the side panel, so I so sewed it up with no problem. Other than that no complaints. Wonderful jacket.

Similar Products Used:

None

I purchaced this fleece last December so I would have a good fleece to keep me warm in all conditions(with a shell)It is great. I love to hike, row, rapell, climb, and bike. This fleece has been used for all these tasks and also in the rain! The water dosen't absorb,it beads off. The only flaw is it likes to run up behind my pack and it dosent have any elastic around the waist. Other than that it is great!

Similar Products Used:

None

My new favorite jacket!! This jacket rules. I got it for $65(what a deal) The Regulator fleece is the softest, most comfortable fleece on the market. It packs down to about half the size of my Mountain Hardwear sub zero jacket and is warmer(under a shell) It has almost no wind resistance, so it works best under a shell. It's very breathable, so it is a great outer layer for snowshoeing or any other aerobic activity. I like the stretch panels, but I wish there was a drawcord on the waist-it tends to ride up under a pack. It actually works good in the rain! I hiked for about 3 hours in a drizzle-the outside was wet but the water never made it inside. A few quick shakes will get most of the moisture off. Best light weight(high warmth) fleece jacked out there!!

Similar Products Used:

Mountain Hardwear Sub-Zero Jacket, Patagonia Expedition Weight Capilene

I Like this jacket. It is light, compactible, and warm. The fit, although better than most jackets I have tried, is not a snug as I had hoped. It is a bit looser in the torso than I expected. It is is also fairly useless in any sort of breeze, but this is a fact that Patagonia would readily admit. It is meant to be an insulation layer. I like the jacket, but for the same price, the Arc'Teryx Delta fleeces have (IMHO) a better fit and materials that are as nearly as impressive as Patagonia's, as well as some measure of wind resistance.

Similar Products Used:

Arc'Teryx Delta Fleece, Moonstone, Other Patagonia & Columbia casual fleeces

I've worn this fleece for two weeks straight while dogsledding & skiing with Outward Bound in northern Minnesota. Color me impressed. The R2 is very warm, light, and comfortable, and packs up nice and compact; the exterior has a curious texture that's not unlike Labrador retriever fur. The trim close-fitting cut of the garment makes outer layers a snap to put on. It's also one of the nicer looking fleece jackets on the market -- I wear mine around town all the time.

The only drawback that many others have mentioned is that the jacket completely lacks any wind protection --- even a 10mph breeze had me shivering without a shell.

Customer Service

Haven't had a chance to experience Patagonia's vaunted customer service. The jacket still looks brand new after being subjected to some rather rugged use and several laundry cycles.

Similar Products Used:

Lowe Alpine Aleutian 375
TNF Polartec 200
Helly Hansen Propile