Review of the Patagonia Torrentshell 3L Rain Jacket

Why is Patagonia a worthy brand to buy from?

Growing up in an ‘outdoors’ family, I was always familiar with the Patagonia and associated them with quality outdoor clothing. What I didn’t realise was just how awesome this company really is.

I have plans to read the founder’s book, Let My People Go Surfing. Yvon Chouinard’s goal was to bring ‘doing good’ to the heart of his business. His book tells the story of his road to success, but more than this it’s about ‘challenging conventional wisdom, leading a simpler and more examined life, and making a living without losing your soul’. Nice.

Today, Patagonia’s message is that they appreciate that all life on earth is under threat of extinction. Their aim is to use their resources to do something about it. Hell yeah. I love that the four main menu items on their global website are Shop, Sports, Stories, and Activism.

So what does that mean for this jacket?

1. It’s made with a recycled nylon made from post-industrial waste fiber and discards from waving mills and postconsumer fishing nets.
2. It’s Fair Trade Certified sewn, ensuring a living wage for workers in Patagonia’s supply chain.
3. The dyes and chemicals in its manufacture are under the bluesign program, i.e. safe for the environment.
4. It’s part of the ‘1% For The Planet’ program, with 1% of all sales going to the preservation and restoration of the natural environment.

On top of this, Patagonia’s products are covered by their Ironclad Guarantee. I’ve been told that – at any point of the clothing item’s life and without the need of a receipt – you can walk into a Patagonia stockist with your damaged gear and they will repair or replace it free of charge. If the item’s been damaged due to your own misuse or simply due to wear and tear, they’ll arrange a repair at a reasonable price.

My colleague experienced this with her own jacket, walking into a store with no receipt to show them a damaged hood. They asked her to choose another from the shelf and she left with a brand new jacket.

What makes the Torrentshell 3L different to the 2.5L?

During my research, I learnt that the 2.5L is an excellent jacket. It’s one real downside was that it could feel clammy against the skin. So on a warm-but-rainy-day, if you’re wearing a t-shirt under your jacket the inner lining can feel like it’s sticking to your skin a little. The 3L appears to have been developed to address this.

2.5L refers to the two material layers of the jacket plus one layer of waterproofing treatment. While both the 2.5L and the 3L use Patagonia’s ‘H2No’ material, the 3L refers to a full three material layers that make-up this new version of the Torrentshell.

The ‘3L’ consists of “a water-repellent shell fabric, a waterproof/breathable membrane bonded with an ultralight knit backer” while the 2.5L consists of “a water-repellent shell fabric with a waterproof/breathable membrane and protective top coat barrier“.

Despite the extra layer, what I’ve read of the 3L suggests that it’s actually more breathable than its predecessor.

How’s the fit?

I’m 6ft 2 and of medium build for my height. My clothing tends to vary from medium to XL depending on who makes it. My old Marmot PreCip jacket was a medium and used to be a touch on the short side, so when it came to the Torrentshell 3L I very nearly ordered it online as a large.

Luckily I visited a store to try one on before making my decision. The large size is very roomy, and the sleeves on all variants are surprisingly long. I changed down to the medium and the size was perfect. For what it’s worth, the Patagonia NZ website calls the fit ‘regular’ while the US website officially calls the fit ‘Kinda large’.

The magic of this jacket is that it’s a great fit with just a t-shirt or a jersey underneath, and I then added my Icebreaker Merinoloft jacket as an under-layer to the Torrentshell 3L and it was still a great fit. This is perfect for me as I can wear my non-waterproof Icebreaker on a walk on a cool day and then throw my Torrentshell 3L over the top if it starts to rain. Cozy and dry. And yet the jacket still looks like a great fit if worn over just a t-shirt.