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Patagonia DAS Light Hoody Review

This versatile and lightweight insulated jacket offers impressive weather resistance and warmth
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Patagonia DAS Light Hoody Review
Credit: Travis Reddinger
Price:  $349 List
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Manufacturer:   Patagonia
By James Lucas and Travis Reddinger  ⋅  Apr 10, 2024
78
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#1 of 9
  • Warmth - 25% 7.5
  • Comfort - 25% 8.0
  • Weather Resistance - 20% 9.0
  • Portability - 15% 8.0
  • Breathability - 15% 6.0

Our Verdict

The Patagonia DAS Light Hoody is one of the best synthetic insulated jacket on the market. Its PlumaFill insulation acts much like down, trapping heat well and remaining lightweight while retaining impressive water resistance. Patagonia treated the recycled nylon ripstop face fabric with a water-resistant coating to further fight the elements, and water slides right off the exterior. Though a bit bulkier than some of the lowest-profile jackets tested, the DAS Light stuffs into its own pocket and has a solid feature set that makes it a go-to for ski touring, cold-weather climbing, and stormy evenings heading into town. To compare it to the competition, check out our article on the best insulated jackets.
REASONS TO BUY
Lightweight
Weather-resistant
Warm
Durable
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive
Hard to stow in pocket
No internal pockets
Less breathable
Fabric is crinkly sounding

Compare to Similar Products

 
Awards Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall Insulated Jacket
Top Pick Award
Most Versatile Layer
Top Pick Award
Most Comfortable
 Best Buy Award
Best on A Tight Budget
Price $349 List
$329.00 at Backcountry
$300.00 at REI
Compare at 2 sellers
Check Price at REI
Compare at 2 sellers
$74.83 at REI$40 List
$39.10 at Amazon
Overall Score Sort Icon
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76
55
54
Star Rating
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Bottom Line Well-fitting and comfortable, this jacket's ability to stave off weather makes it ideal for outdoor activitiesThis well-fitting mid-layer jacket offers comfort and breathability for active useA feature rich insulation layer that is great for hiking, snow sports, and climbingLight and with decent warmth, this is the perfect piece to throw on for an evening stroll or morning walk to the coffee shopOur favorite model offers a great blend of function, comfort, and price
Rating Categories Patagonia DAS Light... Arc'teryx Atom Hoody Rab Xenair Alpine Cotopaxi Teca Calid... Amazon Essentials L...
Warmth (25%)
7.5
7.0
8.0
4.0
5.0
Comfort (25%)
8.0
8.5
9.0
6.0
6.0
Weather Resistance (20%)
9.0
7.0
7.0
5.0
5.0
Portability (15%)
8.0
7.0
6.0
8.0
6.0
Breathability (15%)
6.0
8.5
7.0
5.0
5.0
Specs Patagonia DAS Light... Arc'teryx Atom Hoody Rab Xenair Alpine Cotopaxi Teca Calid... Amazon Essentials L...
Measured Weight (size M) 12.31 oz 12.70 oz 18.30 oz 12.45 oz 11.00 oz
Number of Pockets 2 zippered hand, 1 zippered chest 2 zippered hand, 1 zippered chest 2 zippered hand, 2 zippered chest 2 zippered hand, 1 internal zip chest pocket, 2 drop-in internal patch pockets 2 zippered hand
Hem Type Lightly elasticized Dual adjustment Dual adjustment Elastic Elastic
Fit Relaxed Fitted/trim fit. Regular fit Regular but tighter Relaxed/slim
Insulation PlumaFill 100% recycled polyester Coreloft 100% recycled polyester PrimaLoft Gold Insulation Active+ 100% recycled polyester 100% polyester
Outer Fabric 10D Pertex Quantum Pro 100% recycled nylon ripstop Tyono 20D shell with FC0 DWR treatment - 100% nylon 20D Pertex Quantum Air with fluorocarbon-free DWR Repurposed polyester taffeta with DWR finish 100% polyester
Lining 10D Pertex Quantum 100% recycled nylon ripstop Dope Permeair 20D - 100% nylon 20D Recycled Nylon Repurposed polyester taffeta with DWR finish 100% polyester
Hood Option Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Built-In Stow Pocket Yes; left hand pocket No No Yes; chest No; included stuff sack
Cuff Construction Lightly elasticized Stretch-knit Elastic with velcro adjustment Elastic cuff Elastic cuff

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Patagonia DAS Light Hoody stands above the rest as an embodiment of what synthetic jackets should be. Light, water resistant, warm, and packable, we love this jacket as a piece to bring into the backcountry when the weather looks less than ideal. The jacket features an external chest pocket and two handwarmer pockets, and it stuffs into the left hand pocket. There is a back hood pull-cord adjustment and stretch adjustability at the front of the hood. The nylon ripstop Pertex Quantum Pro material features a DWR finish that kept our lead tester dry during a wet rappel in a Rocky Mountain National Park thunderstorm. That, along with the 65-gram PlumaFill 100% polyester, kept us warm even while wet. While other jackets in this review have more filling and some are warmer, this jacket's helmet-compatible hood, practical adjustability, and great features make it a near-perfect synthetic option.

Performance Comparison


patagonia das light hoody - it may cost a little more, but patagonia's high quality pays off...
It may cost a little more, but Patagonia's high quality pays off with years of use.
Credit: Travis Reddinger

Warmth


65g of recycled PlumaFill insulation fills the DAS Light Hoody, making it a decently warm layer. Many jackets only use 60g of insulation, so this jacket is a tad bit thicker and heavier, but it still lacks the level of warmth of the thicker and heavier models in this review. Still, its lightweight, high-quality insulation packs a punch for warmth.


The recycled nylon ripstop Pertex Quantum Pro face fabric with DWR finish provides significant wind resistance compared to some of the more breathable and permeable synthetic layers. The ability to cut wind out helped significantly with the jacket's weight-to-warmth ratio. This jacket's sleek design, the low-profile, lightly elasticized cuffs and hem, as well as the adjustable hood further help seal in warmth.

patagonia das light hoody - the das light hoody is perfect to throw on for those cooler days...
The DAS Light Hoody is perfect to throw on for those cooler days when you are heading out exploring. The outer fabric keeps you protected from wind and rain that may unexpectedly come your way.
Credit: Travis Reddinger

Comfort


Designed as an outer layer, this jacket fits a bit large and loose, which makes it seem big, spacious, and baggy, especially if there's only a light layer underneath. It also fits over other jackets well, making it perfect as a last line of defense against the elements.


patagonia das light hoody - the two-way front zipper helps when wearing a climbing harness, as...
The two-way front zipper helps when wearing a climbing harness, as it makes it easier to access the belay loop. The zipper also allows for ventilation from the bottom if you get hot.
Credit: James Lucas

While moving, this jacket performed well. Our testers skied, hiked, climbed, snowboarded, and walked around mountain towns in it. It offers great range of motion for overhead arm motions thanks to ample room in the shoulders and back. The long hem prevented the jacket from riding up, and the fabric itself felt smooth against the skin. A few testers noted that the fabric could be rather loud and crinkly, which was a bit bothersome. If you're engaging in a sport that requires a helmet, the hood will fit over one, though the collar and neck tend to be tighter with a helmet. The back of the hood has a single adjustment point that cinches the helmet down well.

The helmet-compatible hood can be tightened with a single drawcord...
The helmet-compatible hood can be tightened with a single drawcord on the back of the head. While a helmet fits under the hood well, it also tightens up the fit in the collar and neck a bit.
The DAS Light Hoody comfortably fits a ski helmet inside its hood.
The DAS Light Hoody comfortably fits a ski helmet inside its hood.
The hood of the DAS Light has elastic to keep it close to your skin...
The hood of the DAS Light has elastic to keep it close to your skin, and a separate bill above to help block sun and rain.
The helmet friendly hood features a single drawcord in the back, a high collar, and elastic to stay close to your face .

Weather Resistance


The DAS Light Hoody performed very well with weather resistance, making it one of the best insulating layers for walking through the snow or skiing. Patagonia sewed the Pertex Quantum Pro nylon ripstop face fabric in large sheets with a minimum amount of exposed stitching. This keeps the jacket sleek and helps cut the wind from getting through the seams, making the piece seem like a heavily insulated wind shell. It lacks hem drawcords to seal out wind, which came as a minor annoyance but also kept the jacket a bit lighter.

patagonia das light hoody - the das light offers dual zipper, elastic cuffs, and a...
The DAS Light offers dual zipper, elastic cuffs, and a non-adjustable hem.
Credit: Travis Reddinger


The Pertex Quantum Pro face fabric has a polyurethane dry coating and a DWR coating finish. When we sprayed the shell with a garden hose for over a minute, the water beaded up on the shell and slid right off. This proved crucial when one tester got caught in a late summer hail storm at 12,000 feet in Rocky Mountain National Park. While rappelling through a waterfall, our tester stayed dry and warm. We would like to note that the pocket zippers lack have a protective flap like some other jackets. So, when water was directed over the pocket area it did seep through to the inner lining.

When wet, the Patagonia DAS Light Hoody causes the water to bead up...
When wet, the Patagonia DAS Light Hoody causes the water to bead up and roll off.
In the field, this jacket performed great, keeping our tester dry...
In the field, this jacket performed great, keeping our tester dry while rappelling through a virtual waterfall.
The inside of the jacket stayed dry for the most part, except for...
The inside of the jacket stayed dry for the most part, except for over the pocket areas.
Water beads up and rolls right off the DWR-coated Pertex Quantum Pro material, but can get through the pocket zippers.

Portability


Our size medium test jacket weighed in on our independent scale at 12.31 ounces, making it one of the lightest jackets in this review. It also won praise for its ability to be brought anywhere without feeling like dead weight. It ended up being our go-to piece for heading into the mountains or on a stroll with our dogs.


When it comes to compressibility, despite its lightness, this jacket needed help. Though it stuffs into its left front pocket for greater portability, the actual stuffing process became a huge bear as we wrestled to fit this jacket into the stow pocket. It would fit most of the way in but stuffing the last bits and then zipping the closure felt nearly impossible. Further, stuffing a synthetic jacket repeatedly will break down the inner fibers making it lose warmth and become less functional. This feature turns out to be a bit of a wash, but it can still be stuffed into your pack quite nicely.

patagonia das light hoody - the ability to stuff into the front pocket is a nice feature in...
The ability to stuff into the front pocket is a nice feature in theory, but it's a tight squeeze and difficult to achieve.
Credit: James Lucas

Breathability


With excellent wind resistance comes a lack of breathability when we're working hard. With vigorous uphill hiking in the sun, we tested how each jacket handled airflow and moisture management. The DAS Light breathed poorly, which isn't surprising. Our testers sweated as they marched up the steep trails around Colorado. The dual zipper helped a bit with breathability, allowing us to unzip the top or the bottom for additional airflow, but ultimately we had to take the jacket off.


Patagonia made this jacket more as an exterior layer for fighting the elements than as a breathable mid-layer, so bearing this in mind, it's understandable that it didn't breathe as well. Instead, it's a better piece to ward off the cold and weather once we finished running uphill or hiking hard. The jacket's lightweight nature makes it easy to throw in a pack to carry and do just that.

patagonia das light hoody - while not intended as a piece for heavy running, this jacket works...
While not intended as a piece for heavy running, this jacket works great to throw in the pack and wear between climbs.
Credit: James Lucas

Should You Buy the Patagonia Das Light Hoody?


The Patagonia DAS Light Hoody works well for almost all mountain adventuring, or for strolling around town on the coldest days. It also holds its own as an around-town piece that will keep you toasty while running errands. Impressively warm for its weight, it feels comfortable and offers significant protection from the elements. Though it comes with a high cost, the high quality and incredible versatility of this piece make it worth the extra expense, and it's one of our favorite insulated jackets from testing.

What Other Insulated Jackets Should You Consider?


The Patagonia Das Light Hoody performed exceptionally well in most of our metrics. If you want a warmer version of this jacket, try the Rab Nebula Pro or if you want something a bit more breathable, then check out the Arc'teryx Atom Hoody. These pieces match the Das Light's technical approach to insulated jackets.

James Lucas and Travis Reddinger