Bundle Up with Patagonia and I/O Bio
Long sleeve weather has set in for most people, in grand fashion for some as we’ve heard rumors of early snow for many of the northern states. Those of us a bit further towards the equator aren’t dealing with snow just yet, but certainly are having our fair share of rain and colder temperatures. It’s time to pack away the sandals and shorts until next year, and say hello to our sweaters and snow boots. Whether your cold weather activities include crampons and ice picks, or if you are more of the snow man and hot cocoa variety, we want you to be warm- and as always we want you looking good.
Women’s cold-weather gear often sacrifices style for functionality or vice-versa, so we’re always on the lookout for cute jackets and coats. Patagonia didn’t disappoint with the new Kitlope Jacket, which is made almost entirely out of recycled materials. The shell and lining are both constructed out of soda bottles, unusable second-quality fabrics and worn out garments and coated with a durable water repellent finish. The insulation, 150-g Thermogreen, is made out of 90% recycled materials, and the whole jacket is recyclable through the Common Threads Recycling Program. Technical stuff aside, this jacket is cute! It has a slim profile, and nice long sleeves. We love the two-tone color schemes, which are available in gray, rose and turquoise. There is not a ton of room in the jacket, so wearing it over a bulky shirt isn’t a great option, though it can be done. We stayed nice and toasty warm, and found the jacket to be quite water resistant, which is nice in damp cities like San Francisco. The Kitlope is available from Patagonia for $150, as well as most online retailers and sporting goods stores.
We don’t want our guys to feel left out, so we also tried out the Men’s Nano Puff Pullover. The shell is made out of the same recycled material that the Kitlope is, and the insulation is 60-gram PrimaLoft®, which is also 90% recycled. The big difference between the Kitlope and the Nano Puff is that the Nano Puff is designed specifically to be ultra-light, and compressible, without sacrificing warmth or protection from wind or water. There are no front pockets, perhaps unfortunately, and the zipper doesn’t run the full length of the jacket. It’s made to fold into it’s own internal pocket, a very small pouch that can be attached to your climbing gear.
So cool! It makes us want to find a tall mountain to climb, just to justify having such a neat jacket. Fortunately for us all of that functionality works well in the city as well. The Nano Puff kept our reviewers pleasantly warm, was super-soft and light enough that it felt almost like not wearing a jacket at all. Ours was a fetching shade of blue, but it’s also available in black, orange, yellow and gray. It isn’t sexy, really, but offers a great degree of warmth for the weight. Also $150 from Patagonia.
The I/O Bio Women’s Signature Hoody was a big hit with our group. It’s so light that it packs almost as easily as a long sleeve shirt. But it’s flexible enough that it fits comfortably over two long-sleeved shirts. The hoody is made with especially long sleeves and an especially long torso, which is necessary for real warmth and makes it a much more serious jacket. But the design just makes it so damn cute, with a slimming look and a cute blue-patterned liner inside the hood that also extends to the inside of the zippable pockets. By all means, unzip the pockets and show some blue. It’s a fashion statement.
The I/O Bio boasts their Merino wool , which they quality control from raw fiber to thin and soft hoody or crew. The odor prevention they boast of seemed at least somewhat accurate (in my case especially), though on certain days it seemed to create more odor than ordinary fabrics, since it more effectively kept in the heat. Having worn the hoody in the rain, I would say it holds up mildly better than the average jacket and the company boasts it absorbs 30% of its weight in water. For everyday use, I still prefer a thicker all-cotton hoody, but the I/O Bio Women’s Signature Hoody is ideal for layering, great for traveling, and perfect for outdoor sports in autumn. A nice addition to anyone’s wardrobe, even if you’re not a serious back-trails hiker.
The I/O Bio Women’s Signature Hoody is available in brown and black for $100 through Amazon.
The I/O Bio Men’s Universal LS Crew shows off the Merino fabric just a bit better than the Women’s Signature Hoody. It doesn’t quite approach the comfortable and stained 5-year-old t-shirt in the closet, but close. The fabric is even thinner and in the end this is a high-tech long sleeve shirt. It is incredibly warm, especially against the foggy chills that approach us in the San Francisco hills.
In the end, I can’t believe it’s wool. It’s the most comfortable wool we’ve ever worn: didn’t itch, didn’t scratch. It boasts that they make “low-torque” yarn to make their clothes, and that it is acid-resistant, soil-resistant, UV-resistant and burn-resistant. Whatever complicated process they boast to have gone through to make it, it worked. It is very warm and quite comfy. And for a top-quality solid long sleeve shirt, $70 on Amazon is just a bit more than a normal price.
I/O Bio has a variety of men’s and women’s hoodies, shirts and pants for an active lifestyle.
