Used this jacket during a two week paddle in glacier bay - EXCELLENT jacket- very light - Held up well during heavy rain - never got sweaty in it - good hood -

Customer Service

haven't used it yet

Similar Products Used:

Sierra design -

BEWARE: PATAGONIA'S CATALOG WEIGHTS ARE GROSSLY INCORRECT!!!

I originally bought a Direct X which was supposed to be 469 grams (16.5 oz) but actually weighed 649 (23 oz). Exchanged it for an Ether, which the catalog says weighs 13 oz (369 grams) but actually weighs 18.9 oz (530 grams).
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I have not used this jacket extensively in the field. Hence, this is not a review (the stars rating simply doesn't apply here). I simply want to give others useful information about the weight difference. Gear is expensive. Make the right choice, or, if you can, make your own.

Customer Service

Patagonia customer service knows about the weight discrepancy. At first they tried to claim they only found out just recently, but others have been telling them for at least a year or more. Their attitude seems to be that their money back guarantee justifies whatever.

It is dishonest for companies that earn a profit on gear to grossly overstate the weights of their products. We take confidence from our gear when we are out in the backcountry, so it is important to trust the manufacturers that make it. Patagonia doesn't seem to really care.

Similar Products Used:

Two suggestions for comparison: Arc'Teryx Beta AR (www.arcteryx.com), a similarly priced, lightweight hip length jacket, and the MEC Cabrio (www.mec.ca), much more reasonably priced at US$185--an excellent choice if price/performance ratio is the top priority.

The Beta weighs less in real life than the manufacturer claims. On the same scale used to weigh the Ether, a new Beta AR weighed out to be 550 grams (19.5 ounces, men's medium). The Ether comnpresses a tad better. The Beta has a form-fitting shape; the Ether is boxy. The Ether gives a bit more coverage down to the waist, and in the unlikely event of zipper failure, the Ether's dual front zip flaps with velcro would allow you to seal out the elements anyway.

My preference, summed up in Haiku fashion:

The cool bird
flies
over the ridgeline.

In plain English, that means: get the Arc'Teryx!

If price/performance ratio is the main consideration, go for the no-nonsense Cabrio 2 (25 ounces).

Clearly, Canadian companies have more responsive, user-friendly customer service.