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The Patagonia Better Sweater

Let the layering begin! We’ve entered the seasonal roller coaster of warm days and cool nights. If you want to be comfortable no matter the weather or the time of day, dress in layers. Shed a layer as the day heats up and wrap up again when the sun goes down. An excellent transition piece for this time of year is Patagonia’s Better Sweater jacket. It looks like a sweater and warms like a fleece. 

Made for both men, women and kids, the Better Sweater combines a sweater knit exterior with a moisture-wicking fleece interior for warmth. Its clean lines and functionality make it work-worthy and also ready for the trail. Wear it over a shirt or tee for cool mornings or under a shell on cold rainy days in town or in the backcountry.  The jacket has deep, zippered front pockets with interior drop in access to stow your essentials. The men’s version has an additional zippered chest pocket; the women’s version’s additional zippered pocket is on the left arm. Raglan sleeves give added comfort and freedom of movement, and the standup collar has a zipper garage to protect your neck from zipper bite. 

In fact, everything in the Patagonia Better Sweater is recycled, except the teeth. The knitted exterior, the fleece interior and the jersey trim are all made of 100% recycled polyester fleece. Back in 1993, Patagonia was the first outdoor manufacturer to begin making recycled polyester from plastic soda bottles. Today, Patagonia uses soda bottles, unusable manufacturing waste and worn out garments to produce polyester fibers for their baselayers, shell jackets, board shorts and fleece.

Patagonia is a partner in the bluesign system which looks at the textile supply chain as a whole and works to reduce its impact on people and the environment. The focus is on sustainable raw materials and low-impact chemicals and processes that use minimal water and energy.  Compared to conventional dyeing, Patagonia’s supplier Kingwhale uses a dyeing technology that saves eight gallons of water per Better Sweater and requires 15% less dyestuffs. And not only is the Better Sweater made with the Earth in mind, it is also Fair Trade Certified, which means that the people who made it earned a premium for their labor. 

Like the idea of the Better Sweater but you’re not sure a jacket is what you need? Consider the Better Sweater vest. You have the same quality materials and construction minus the sleeves. It keeps your core warm with even more freedom of movement. The men’s vest has the zippered chest pocket, but there’s no extra pocket on the women’s vest. 

Cooler weather is here. The Better Sweater jacket and Better Sweater vest can keep you comfortable indoors and out as the year moves on toward winter.