litterbug
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
This isn't as much of a review as my compulsion to share about an incredible customer service experience for an already-excellent product.
In 2011 I picked up a traffic-cone-orange Nano Puff Hoody jacket at REI on clearance for $133. Bright orange was never a color I liked, but I was still mysteriously drawn to it, and it quickly became my favorite winter garment.
Like a lot of Patagonia jackets it was snug at the hips, but it was eerily warm, far warmer than it had any business being considering how thin it was. I was suspicious of its claims of being warm while wet so one day I completely soaked one of its arms in the sink (which took a little time because of the very water resistant fabric), lightly wrung it out, and stuck my arm in, it immediately warmed up. Today it still performs like it did when it was new: after a warm day that turned frigid once the sun went down, I only discovered that all my layers were drenched in sweat until I went inside to shed layers before driving to town, and when I spilled coffee on it in a typical klutzy moment, it rolled right off.
There was just one flaw: the thread for the fine diamond-pattern quilting on the arms was flimsy and started to fray from the first time I wore it, and soon whole sections of stitching were missing and loose threads became the norm. The insulation stayed in place, but it seemed a little odd for the manufacturer of a shell that looks almost new after four years of use to use such flimsy thread in a lighter jacket. The folks at the outlet store urged me to bring it into see if Patagonia would repair it, but I felt so possessive that I never got around to it, and got used to trimming loose threads when they started to annoy me.
So yesterday was the big day. I thought at best they'd charge some nominal amount to repair the stitching, but they quickly decided the stitching couldn't be repaired because it only goes through the insulation, not the material lining the sleeves. I was already reaching for the jacket when the girl helping me said they could replace it instead, and while I was stammering with surprise she pointed out that this year's colors even include a slightly darker orange. The manager agreed that it was worth a go, and before I had time to feel guilty about getting a brand new replacement for a perfectly fine old one, the salesgirl was on the phone getting a gift card authorization to cover the price of the new jacket. Soon I was saying farewell to my trusty old standby, and the new one will arrive by next Wednesday.
So there it is: another company that stands by its products to an perfectly ridiculous extent. Don't get me wrong: I'll still moan about Patagonia's ever-morphing fit and sizing, and complaint that they offer so few technical shells, especially pants, for women, but so long as they offer excellent base and mid layers and a few jackets that fit me, yesterday's experience has cemented my loyalty to Patagonia's products.
In 2011 I picked up a traffic-cone-orange Nano Puff Hoody jacket at REI on clearance for $133. Bright orange was never a color I liked, but I was still mysteriously drawn to it, and it quickly became my favorite winter garment.
Like a lot of Patagonia jackets it was snug at the hips, but it was eerily warm, far warmer than it had any business being considering how thin it was. I was suspicious of its claims of being warm while wet so one day I completely soaked one of its arms in the sink (which took a little time because of the very water resistant fabric), lightly wrung it out, and stuck my arm in, it immediately warmed up. Today it still performs like it did when it was new: after a warm day that turned frigid once the sun went down, I only discovered that all my layers were drenched in sweat until I went inside to shed layers before driving to town, and when I spilled coffee on it in a typical klutzy moment, it rolled right off.
There was just one flaw: the thread for the fine diamond-pattern quilting on the arms was flimsy and started to fray from the first time I wore it, and soon whole sections of stitching were missing and loose threads became the norm. The insulation stayed in place, but it seemed a little odd for the manufacturer of a shell that looks almost new after four years of use to use such flimsy thread in a lighter jacket. The folks at the outlet store urged me to bring it into see if Patagonia would repair it, but I felt so possessive that I never got around to it, and got used to trimming loose threads when they started to annoy me.
So yesterday was the big day. I thought at best they'd charge some nominal amount to repair the stitching, but they quickly decided the stitching couldn't be repaired because it only goes through the insulation, not the material lining the sleeves. I was already reaching for the jacket when the girl helping me said they could replace it instead, and while I was stammering with surprise she pointed out that this year's colors even include a slightly darker orange. The manager agreed that it was worth a go, and before I had time to feel guilty about getting a brand new replacement for a perfectly fine old one, the salesgirl was on the phone getting a gift card authorization to cover the price of the new jacket. Soon I was saying farewell to my trusty old standby, and the new one will arrive by next Wednesday.
So there it is: another company that stands by its products to an perfectly ridiculous extent. Don't get me wrong: I'll still moan about Patagonia's ever-morphing fit and sizing, and complaint that they offer so few technical shells, especially pants, for women, but so long as they offer excellent base and mid layers and a few jackets that fit me, yesterday's experience has cemented my loyalty to Patagonia's products.
