Patagonia Tezzeron Review

Best-in-class weather resistance, combined with a supple, recycled-nylon fabric and 50+ UPF protection, you can be certain the Tezzeron will protect you from any and all of the elements on your bike commute. One thing to note is that this jacket feels substantial — a nice change of pace from the sometimes plasticky-feel of other, more lightweight options. We felt just as comfortable wearing it for a walk downtown as we did for evening mountain bike rides.

A heavier-weight option suited for the cooler temperatures of spring and fall, this jacket is not the most breathable nor is it the most packable. But the Tezzeron compensates with functionality, versatility, and style. Built with large pockets — including a headphone-compatible chest pocket — this jacket easily makes up for its extra weight in carrying ability. Layering well underneath with a Patagonia R1 Hoody, or over with a full-rain jacket should the skies really open up, the Tezzeron is suitable for practically any condition.

Performance Comparison

Wind Resistance

The heavyweight champion of our side-by-side wind test, the Tezzeron felt significantly warmer than other lighter-weight options in gusts nearing zero-degree wind chill — it scored only one point below the Ether Hoody, due to that jacket's synthetic insulation.

When the wind kicked up at the top of an early morning ski tour, this jacket kept us protected and comfortable while transitioning, thanks to a fully-cinchable hood and hem. On a fast descent, the weight of the material kept the hood from billowing — compared to the Black Diamond Distance Shell, whose hood sometimes felt like a sail — and the jacket was warm as a single outer layer.

Breathability and Venting

For a much more substantial jacket that kept us warmer than others in cold conditions, the Tezzeron also does a reasonably good job of managing temperature. A mesh lining across the front panels and top of the back helps regulate areas that typically pool heat; the arms and back panel are quick drying, evaporating any moisture that might build up under the weight of a backpack or around your elbows.

Despite the fact that there are no vents built into the jacket, the mesh lining seems to do its job of wicking sweat away from the core of your body. This came in handy for keeping our shirt dry on a 7-mile bike commute to work, and also on long days of farm work out in the sun.

Weight and Packability

The Tezzeron is made with a 4.5 ounce (roughly 70 denier) nylon — compared to the 1.2 ounce (roughly 30 denier) nylon of the Houdini — giving it a weight and feel similar to the OR Ferrosi Hoody. It is easily the heaviest jacket in our review — nearly doubling the weight of the Ether Hoody.

With the heavier-weight fabric, it is no surprise that the Tezzeron also scores low in terms of packability. But to share some perspective, when packed up into its hand-pocket, the jacket is still only the size of a standard Nalgene bottle.

Fit and Functionality

The well-designed fit of this jacket is what makes the Tezzeron worth its weight and so incredibly versatile. On ski tours, it was slender enough to tuck into our bibbs and throw on an outer layer for added protection when conditions called for it. On cool, morning bike-commutes, it easily accommodated a casual sweatshirt or synthetic puffy underneath. And when out on the town, it received more compliments than any other jacket, thanks to its casual stylings.

This jacket has all the appropriate closures to batten down the hatches when the weather turns nasty: full-elastic cuffs, a single drawcord to cinch the waist, and a cinchable hood, with drawcords on the outside and cordlocks protected inside a high collar. The Tezzeron outshines The North Face Fanorak as a commuter option thanks to its carrying capacity: two large hand pockets keep your mitts warm (with one doubling as a stuff sack), and a large, headphone-compatible chest pocket that easily accommodates any size cellphone, sunglasses, or even a small notebook.

As the Tezzeron is purposefully designed in every other capacity to be a go-to for bike-commuting, it is disappointing that the sleeves of the jacket come up short when leaning over to grip a standard bull-style handlebar. This is relatively minor as a principal complaint but is important when considering sizing for proper fit.

Water Resistance

While the Ether Hoody is at the top of the charts in terms of wind resistance but at the bottom of the barrel in terms of water resistance, the Tezzeron earns high marks in both metrics — making it the best jacket in this review in terms of overall weather-resistance. A durable DWR finish forces water to bead and roll off this heavyweight nylon, rather than soaking through single-nylon layers like The North Face Flyweight Hoodie. In fact, at the end of our hose test, the Tezzeron was the only jacket to keep our t-shirt completely dry.

We understand that is slightly unfair to directly compare the water resistance of a 70-denier nylon — used in the construction of the Tezzeron — to the 30-denier nylon of other single-layer options; it is kind of like comparing a wool blanket to a bed sheet. In choosing the best wind jacket for your purposes, one should consider which is of a higher priority: weight, or water resistance.

Best Applications

Our tester likes to think of the Tezzeron as a lightweight softshell, rather than a heavyweight wind jacket. Comfortable, truly weather-resistant, and loaded with pockets, this jacket is perfect for 3-season bike commuting. It is also a great option when you want one jacket to go from an adventure in the mountains to a night on the town.

Value

With a retail value of $129, we believe that the Tezzeron prices well among other softshell jackets, and right alongside the insulated Ether Hoody. It might be more than other options in the wind jacket category, but the higher listing price is fitting of such a versatile jacket.

Conclusion

Much more than just a wind jacket, we believe that the Tezzeron might need to be reclassified — the only reason this jacket received low ratings in this category is because of its comparably heavy weight and larger packed-size. If you want a small, lightweight option to keep stashed in the bottom of your trail pack, maybe consider the Editor's Choice Houdini jacket instead. If you want your new do-everything, grab-and-go jacket, this is one of our top picks.