The Patagonia R1 Air Full-Zip Hoody is lightweight, highly breathable and quick-drying technical fleece, designed for active days in cool conditions. The full-zip construction makes it easy to throw on or take off, while offering extra ventilation when your pace or the temperature shifts. Made from 100% recycled polyester, the fabric feels comfortable during high-output movement without sacrificing technical performance.

I tested this Patagonia hoody on a familiar loop close to home: cycling from Haarlem along the Spaarne, then wandering through the Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen with its open dunes and pine forests. The day wrapped up with a windswept stretch toward the beach in Bloemendaal, where the fleece showed how reliably comfortable it stays when the wind picks up.

Patagonia in context

Patagonia has never just been about selling jackets. They’ve been banging the sustainability drum long before it was trendy, and the R1 Air Fleece Full-Zip Hoody fits right into that narrative. It’s made entirely from recycled polyester, stitched in a Fair Trade Certified™ factory, and still manages to look like something you could wear straight from the dunes to a café terrace in Haarlem. But green credentials are one thing. How does it actually hold up when you take it outside, in the real Dutch autumn, where drizzle and sea winds are practically omnipresent?

Fit & Comfort

First off, Patagonia calls it “slim fit,” and it is while still allowing a lot of movement. I have a particular dislike of clothes that are too tight to the skin but this one walks the line very well and is closer to a regular fit. Mind you, this isn’t the sort of fleece you throw over a chunky sweater: it’s trim, athletic, and feels more like a second skin than a baggy midlayer. At 343 grams, it is very light but doesn’t come across as fragile, more like a piece you’d forget you were wearing until you unzip it.

The hood is close-fitting (it fits under a climbing helmet without looking ridiculous), and the offset shoulder seams are great if you’re carrying a pack. The fabric feels very soft and airy, almost springy, with that zigzag texture you’ll either love for its quirkiness or side-eye as “too techy.” I found it extremely soft and comfortable to wear.

Features without the marketing fluff

• 100% recycled polyester jacquard fleece
• Weight: mine weighed 343.2g for size M
• Slim fit, full zip, snug hood
• One zippered chest pocket, two hand pockets that are cleverly sown in to also provide 2
• Dump pockets on the inside
• Made in Sri Lanka, Fair Trade Certified™ (meaning the workers earn a premium), bluesign® approved, meaning the hoodie’s production complies with strict chemical safety standards and reduces its environmental impact.

Sounds straightforward, and it is. The one design flourish worth noting as I mentioned earlier is that zigzag-knit fabric. It’s not just for looks; it channels air in and out, keeping things breathable without sacrificing warmth.

Haarlem field fest

The morning ride out of the city was damp, about 10°C, with that unmistakable North Sea bite in the air. Normally I’d start sweating into a fleece within ten minutes of pedaling, but the Patagonia R1 Air Full-Zip breathed so well I didn’t feel like I’d strapped myself into a sauna. A quick halfway unzip when I hit the forest’s edge, and I was good to go.

In the dunes, things got interesting. On the forested trails, it was spot-on: warm but not stifling, quick to dry after a sweaty push up the sandy hills. Once I hit the open ridges, though, the fleece’s kryptonite revealed itself: wind. A stiff breeze cut through like butter. This isn’t a flaw, Patagonia doesn’t claim it’s windproof, but if you’re venturing into exposed spots, pack a shell.

By the time I rolled back into Haarlem and parked at a café along the Spaarne, the hoody passed its final test: looking normal enough for city life. No one gave me the “just came from a hike” side-eye. It’s the kind of piece that works equally well on the trail and on a terrace.

Small gripes? I have to dig very deep to find one but I guess the hand pockets can’t hold much. Good for warming your hands up, but less so if you’re carrying snacks or gloves. Mind you, you can easily store them in the inner pockets they have creatively made by placing a high pocket inner-seam so it’s more of a non-problem than anything else.

At €160, the Patagonia R1 Air Full-Zip Hoody can definitely be seen as an investment. It it worthwhile? Well all I know is that I absolutely love this fleece, and it has become become my go-to option for outdoor activities.