Patagonia  Better Sweater Fleece Jacket - Men's

I wanted one of these for a long time and finally got one about a year ago, but I have a very strong love/hate relationship with this jacket. It fits and feels great, but I cannot stand how much piling comes with ownership. I can take a sweater piling removal tool (the one that runs on a battery) to this thing for hours and wear it the next day and most of the piling is right back. If it wasn't for the cost I'd throw this thing in the recycle clothes bag a long time ago. Plus, I got the dark forest green and it shows every piece of lint. I love most Patagonia products but this one is not anything I'd ever buy or recommend again.

I bought this in blue with red accents. I love Patagonia products. The product materials and quality of construction are wonderful as I have come to expect from this company. The only problem I have is fit. I'm 5'8" 190lbs. My chest measurements are 44" and I have a 30" waist. The large fits great in the chest and arms. It is about 5" too long past the natural waist line, which is ok, but is not flattering for my figure. I like the zipper pockets, and it is very comfortable. I would have liked thumb hole loops, but hey, it's nice. It would be good for layering, and I wear it for lounging around the house on a cool weekend.

Warm and good pockets. The fabric pills horribly after less than a year.

I have wanted one of these fleeces for years- it's the perfect travel garment. It's a compromise between dressy and functional. I love that it looks like a sweater and wears like a fleece. It's soft and comfy. My only criticism is that, compared to other Patagonia offerings, the body is a bit long. I hope that this will pill less than my 2 year old better sweater vest.

I misplaced my North Face Khumbu 2 fleece on a recent trip and decided to "upgrade" to this fleece jacket. I like the way the shoulders are cut and the look and feel of the material, but the torso could be pulled in a bit for a less "baggy" look. My major issue with this item is that it easily lets the wind penetrate. Compared to the much cheaper North Face Khumbu, which had much better insulating properties. I could walk out in 40-50F weather in the Khumbu and a t-shirt underneath and not feel the cold. With this jacket, you will feel the cold on your arms if you walk outside with a t-shirt underneath. The knit allows the cold air to easily penetrate the material so its performance is sub-par if you plan on using it as a primary jacket in mild weather. It's great if you are layering it with long sleeves underneath or if you primarily plan on wearing it indoors. However, it's priced like it's a piece of performance outerwear but I find it sorely lacking in that department.

Most Patagonia products are spot on with fit and quality. Not this one. I normally fit a size small in Patagonia with a 39" chest, 30" waist, 32" sleeves, and 14.5" neck. I am 5'7" tall. The size "small" in this item had a bottom hem that ended below my crotch, and sleeves that extended beyond my fingertips. It was as if they sized this article for skinny giants, not small people. If this is the size of "small", then "medium must fit skinny people taller than 6'2", and "large" must fit skinny people taller than 6'4". Very strange sizing!!

Size Small: on-going issues with several Patagonia M's jackets that are "not technical." Issue: extremely narrow forearms to the point of cutting circulation if you fold your arms. Length of arms: designed for apes - almost cover my entire hands. Major issue: elastic cuffs ( nice and soft cuffs ) are purely decorative unless your wrists are the size of biceps. 5 stars on construction and quality and zippersa and "overall" fit of this fleece.

I bought this as a zip-up hoody of sorts (without the hood obviously) so I wasn't planning on wearing it for hyper technical or backpacking adventures. I wanted something I could go from the couch to exploring the City to a campfire without much hassle. This fits the bill for that perfectly and can easily layer under a heavier jacket during winters back home in the midwest. It doesn't block wind very well but that hasn't bothered me, if I see that it is very windy I pick my windstopper jacket. The only issue I have, as some others have noted, is the fit. I bought a size large because I have a barrel chest (as my old man would say) and it fits well up top around the shoulders but it is too long. This feels like it's made for someone who is 6'+ and skinny, not your "average" American. That being said, I still like it and I would still recommend it if the fit works for you.

I bought this jacket 5 years ago. I really liked it, so I decided to get another color. There are some subtle changes like the zipper, quality (thickness) of the fleece, and the soft material in the pockets/around the neck that have been changed for a lower quality options. It really changes this jacket from a high quality garment to just something you could buy anywhere, except the price hasn't been reduced. Even though I bought the new one at a reduced price, I still returned it.

Love it! Usually fleeces don't fit me right, (I'm 6'3", 220 and bought the Large) with the sides being too big, etc, ('m not wide around the waist) but this one fits me excellent and keeps me warm with just a t-shirt or long sleeve shirt under it. Perfect for wearing to work or just around town.