Will Renwick gives his take on the Patagonia Adze


This Patagonia jacket is made up of a number of different fabrics and layers, designed to balance weather protection and breathability.

The material on the outside of the arms and on the front and back is Polartec Windbloc: a three-layer system comprising of typical softshell outer fabric, an inner membrane for weather protection and a soft micro-fibre fleece lining. Elsewhere – on the inside of the arm and on the side panels – is a thinner softshell material. I found the Windbloc membrane performed well against the elements, but the other material, although only used in the less exposed areas, was far less dependable.

The stretchy cuffs fitted well and were comfortable when pulled up the arms. It’s useful that the handwarmer pockets are long enough to allow access when wearing a hipbelt and I like that they have hem adjusters inside them.

Although it wasn’t the closest-fitting of the jackets tested, it was the least accommodating to the fleece I wore underneath.

Reviewed: April 2016