Patagonia continues to diversify the R1 line with the fantastic R1 Fleece Pullover. Stretchable, breathable, and Adaptable. This pullover is a great piece to add to any mid-layer collection for all four seasons. As long as you like pullovers that is.
Overview
- Material: 6.9-oz Polartec® Power Grid® 93% recycled polyester/7% spandex with HeiQ® Pure odor control
- Sizes Tested: XL
- Weight: 312 grams
- Stuff: Fair Trade Certified Sewn
- Country of Origin: Columbia
What is the Patagonia R1 Pullover?
The Patagonia R1 Pullover is a technical fleece designed to be worn in start/stop activities in winter. I found it to be a flexible anorak that has excelled as a mid-layer on cold winter days ski touring and kept me warm on cool mountain passes in the summer.
The R1 Pullover Design
Simply put, the R1 Fleece Pullover is an anorak. It has all the hallmarks, a hood, half zip and long cut. It’s how those parts come together that make the R1 Pullover the great piece it is.
Polartec Power Grid
The Polartec Power Grid used in the R1 Pullover is fantastic. It stretches really well and breathes when moving fast while keeping me warm when needed. It’s soft to the touch and sits next to the skin really comfortably. It’s stood up to a lot of days on the trail and still looks good as new despite having more than one round of food dropped on it. Spot cleaning has worked really well. Even the sleeves look clean after using some black pole handles that made my hands quite dark and definitely rubbed off on the hoody.
It is treated with HeiQ, a silver-salt-based odor-control additive, to combat odor from repeated days of wear. Unfortunately, the most I can get out of the R1 Fleece Pullover is three days before the funk starts kicking in.
Polartec Power Grid “light”
Just below the zipper is a flatlock seam that runs around the pullover. Above the seam is the standard R1 weight Polartec Powergrid. Below is a much thinner version of Polartec. Patagonia uses a smaller, lower profile, Polartec Powergrid here because it will likely be sitting under a backpack waist strap or under a climbing harness. The lighter-weight Powergrid is intended to not bunch up under waist straps or climbing harnesses. It gets the job done and does not bunch up. As an unintended aside I am sure it also helps keep the weight of this anorak down.
The Hood + Zipper
The Patagonia R1 Fleece Pullover has what Patagonia calls a Balaclava Hood. Patagonia designed the hood to fit under a helmet and indeed, it does. When fully zipped the hood covers a good portion of your chin right up under your nose nearly working like a balaclava What I like most about the snug fit of the balaclava hood is it helps keep a hat firmly placed on my head when the wind kicks up.
The zipper, when pulled all the way up, tucks nicely into a small garage which Patagonia calls a soft kissing-welt zipper garage, and does not catch stray beard hairs. I appreciate that. The hood is made of the lighter-weight Polartec Powergrid that the lower third of the Hoody is made of.
The Zipper runs about ⅔ of the way down the front of the pullover. This allows for some great venting possibilities if you are moving fast and can’t be bothered to remove the pullover.
Seams
With the exception of the seams that attach the hood to the pullover, they are all flatlock seams. The R1 pullover has Offset Shoulder Seams that sit comfortably under pack straps because they don’t actually sit underneath your backpack straps. The flatlock seam around the waist sits unnoticed below a waist strap on a backpack or climbing harness.
Around the hood, at the end of the sleeves, thumb loops and the at them is stretch elastic. This elastic has survived really well. On hot days I tend to push my sleeves up near my elbows and the elastic continues to return to shape after doing so.
Pockets
You want pockets? Well, you get one. There’s no kangaroo pocket on this Anorak. There’s a single pocket on the left side of the chest. It’s just big enough for a pair of GoPro batteries or a smaller cell phone. Bear in mind that this is a stretchy shirt so the more weight you put in this pocket, the more it will sway and pull the shirt around. I’d stick to batteries to keep them warm or perhaps a small wallet.
Overview
I’ve really enjoyed having the R1 Fleece Pullover in my mid-layer arsenal. It’s warm when needed and breathes really well while moving fast. It’s stood up to a lot of wear and shows little sign that it has done so. It does not pack down very small and so when I bring it, I make sure it is a day I am going to need it.
On one of the three Tour du Mont Blancs, I guided last summer one of the guests had a matching Patagonia R1 Fleece Pullover. It was great. Not only did Tim look good but I was able to get direct feedback from another wearer of the pullover. Also, we somehow always managed to dress in reverse matching color shirts. Tim was just as impressed with the Pullover as I was.
My only disappointment was with the HeiQ® Pure odor control. It is no match for a few days of sweat. You’ll have to hand wash this pullover on longer trips and therein lies the bonus of its breathability as every morning this anorak was dry as a bone.
Who is the Patagonia R1 Pullover for?
Anyone headed out into cooler climbs looking for a warm stretchable mid-layer.
Who is the Patagonia R1 Pullover not for?
People who use smaller bags as this Anorak’s stuff size is a little on the big size. Folks who don’t use deodorant.
If you are interested in picking up a Patagonia R1 Pullover head on over to Patagonia and pick one up. Looking for more Patagonia Reviews? Smash this link HERE.
…
Black Sheep Adventure sports was provided with a free sample of the Patagonia R1 Pullover. This in no way affected our opinion and review of the pullover.
