NanoPuff vs ThermoBall [2019 UPDATE]: The Battle of the Top Jackets
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Two of the most popular outdoor apparel brands are Patagonia and The North Face (TNF). These companies both produce high-quality clothing and each has their own loyal fan base that believes their choice of brand is the best Patagonia and TNF apparel is often pitted against each other since both companies have their own cult favorites among their customer base.
Two of the most popular jackets of these two brands is Patagonia’s Nano Puff and TNF’s ThermoBall.
Both the Nano Puff and ThermoBall are excellent jackets all on their own – they are incredibly well-made, priced reasonably for the quality, and have hundreds of happy customer testimonials backing them. But if you’re stuck between the Nano Puff and ThermoBall but can only have one, it’s worth it to dive deeper and really see which jacket comes out on top.
Both the Nano Puff and ThermoBall come in various jacket types as well as vests, but for the purposes of an even comparison, this review will focus on the basic full-zip standard Nano Puff and ThermoBall.
Here is how the Nano Puff and ThermoBall jackets stack up against each other.
Bottom Line Up Front: To cut right to the chase, I find the Nano Puff to be a much better fit overall (and from a quick survey of my friends). If you need to make a quick decision, pick up the Nano Puff here as the better choice.
Design and Features of the Nano Puff
Patagonia’s Nano Puff is one of their most popular jackets and has even won an Editor’s Choice award for Climbing Magazine. This is a fairly classic jacket, with an attractive quilted pattern and is available in both men’s and women’s styles. Customer’s love this jacket for its versatility, warmth and overall weather-proofness.
Nano Puff Specs and Features:
- Classic full zip quilted jacket
- Offers wind and water protection
- Insulated with 60G PrimaLoft Gold
- Made of recycled materials
- Fabrics are bluesign approved
- Elastic Cuffs
- Men’s sizing from XS to XXL (10 color options)
- Women’s sizing from XXS to XL (7 color options)
- Regular fit allows for layering
- Retails for $139 to $199 (check here for latest prices, sizes, and colors)
Typically those that spend a significant time outdoors have an even deeper appreciation for brands that strive to use recycled materials that are eco-friendly. Patagonia really did a great job with the Nano Puff in this aspect. The shell and lining of the jacket are 1.4oz of 22D polyester, with 100% of it coming from recycled sources. The shell also has a DWR finish to keep the rain at bay.
Patagonia has been working with bluesign, a Swiss company that specializes in producing materials that are safe for the environment, workers, and customers, since 2000. The Nano Puff is a bluesign approved jacket which means extra effort was spent in ensuring this jacket was created in a way that conserves resources and has the least impact on the environment during the manufacturing process.
One of the most impressive things about the Nano Puff is how lightweight and compact it is compared to how much warmth it offers. Patagonia uses 60Gs of PrimaLoft Gold Eco insulation, which is a synthetic insulation (synthetic jackets) that is as eco-friendly as it is effective. PrimaLoft Gold Eco is made of 55% recycled materials, which is a great addition to the other post-consumer recycled materials used in this jacket. PrimaLoft Gold is extremely thermally efficient and maintains incredible warmth even when wet (approx. 98%). This insulation is water-repellent, hand combined with the water-resistant shell, chances are you’ll never even get a chance to test the effectiveness of it when we
There are no temperature ratings on jackets, which is normal, but it seems as though most consider the Nano Puff to be a good standalone jacket for mild to moderate winter wear. The regular fit of the jacket leaves enough room to easily layer under it. You can also put a parka or heavy shell over the top for really cold excursions. The Nano Puff can easily be folded down and stuff into its own pocket for easy storage when not in use. This is handy for hiking/backpacking trips where the mornings and evenings are cold but the afternoon is too warm.
Design and Features of the ThermoBall
Since the Nano Puff has been around for longer some Patagonia fans believe the ThermoBall was TNFs effort to make their own Nano Puff. There are certainly some similarities but that could be said about any number of popular jackets of this type. Regardless of customer loyalty it is obvious that the ThermoBall is still an excellent choice.
Thermoball Specs and Features:
- Classic full zip jacket with typical fit
- Focuses on protection from cold, wet weather
- Insulated with 33G of ThermoBall PrimaLoft
- Made with bluesign approved materials
- Elastic Cuffs for cinching
- Shell 15D 100% nylon
- Men’s sizing from XS to XXL (15 color options)
- Women’s sizing from XS to XL (15 color options)
- Retails for $199 check this listing for the latest live prices
Right away you’ll notice that two similarities between the Nano Puff and ThermoBall is the insulation and the materials used. The Thermoball jacket uses their own ThermoBall insulation but uses the technology of PrimaLoft. This means this jacket is made with synthetic option that is particular good at maintaining warmth even in wet conditions. It is very lightweight, has great loft but excellent compressibility, and is pretty lightweight. Tests show that the ThermoBall insulation is equivalent to 600 fill goose down in terms of warmth.
The shell and lining of the Thermoball is bluesign approved and made of nylon. The advantages of this jacket being bluesign approved are the same as the Nano Puff. However, one difference between the two if that Nano Puff focuses on more than just bluesign approval but actually using recycled materials, which TNF does not do.
The Thermoball has is available in an incredible color selection and has more of a variety of colors compared to Nano Puff. It is more of an eye-catching jacket that you can get in a neutral color or something as vibrant as gold or bright lime. There are also an equal number of color choices for both men and women, with some overlap for the basic colors.
Overall the Thermoball is a slightly warmer jacket and not too much more expensive than the lower priced Nano Puff jackets. It is comfortable, keeps the cold at bay and can also be packed away into its own pocket.
Should You Buy the Nano Puff or the ThermoBall?
The average person would be happy with either of these synthetic insulated jackets, but when comparing all aspects of design, warmth, and value the Nano Puff comes out on top. Even though the ThermoBall is a bit warmer, the amount of difference in warmth isn’t very noticeable. The Nano Puff is slightly better at providing wind protection which is important for those that plan on skiing, biking or ding some other fast-paced activity with their jacket.
Both jackets have a regular fit but the Nano Puff seems to fit better.
Many customers have found that the ThermoBall jackets is more on the boxy side, which doesn’t look as attractive and can interfere with layering over top. The color selection of the ThermoBall is better but there are still enough colors to choose from with the Nano puff that you’ll find a shade that makes you happy.
Another important factor that gives the Nano Puff the edge is how important the environment is to Patagonia. The company really put in a strong effort to use recycled materials whenever possible which really shows that they care for their customers as well as how the environment is affected during the manufacturing process.
Final Zip – Which to Choose? Thermoball versus Nano Puff?
All in all, unless you have a specific reason for liking the Thermoball over the Nano Puff Jacket, the latter is a better choice.
Bottom Line: I would personally go with the Nano Puff available here because it’s a better fit for most people.
Other Alternatives to Thermoball and Nano Puff
While I clearly prefer the Nano Puff here, there are some other options (like the Micro Puff Hoody) worth checking out if either of the above options isn’t a great fit.
- Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody: Very similar to the Nano, extremely lightweight.
- Arc’teryx Atom LT Jacket: No bevels, if you prefer the smooth appearance.
- Mountain Hardwear Nitrous Review: Similar style, but with a beveled appearance (something different).
- Mountain Hardwear Kevlinator Review: A bit more on the “puffy” side.
Sam Hardy is an outdoor enthusiast with a penchant for survival skills. He writes about the great outdoors and his favorite equipment here.
