Patagonia Triolet Waterproof Jacket – Reviewed & Tested

Explorer Tom has been lucky enough to line up a review of the Patagonia Triolet Jacket with a very wet Sydney winter. Unluckily for his friends, he’s dragged them out on the rainiest weekends and made them take pictures of how warm and dry he is.

The Patagonia Triolet Jacket is a three-season rain jacket, designed to thrive in most conditions including cold, snowy weather. It has a three-layer construction, consisting of a waterproof, breathable, and windproof Gore-Tex fabric with a 100% recycled polyester outer and a DWR (durable water repellent) finish made without PFCs (perfluorinated chemicals).

A wild steeze appears

With plenty of opportunities to test it out over a particularly wet couple of months in Sydney, it’s safe to say I’m impressed. Not only is it waterproof, windproof, and comfortable, it’s sustainably made and looks super cool.

Read more: Your Rain Jacket is Probably Harming The Planet – Here’s How That’s Changing

Why am I the right person to do this review?

I’ve actually never owned a proper rain jacket, which means I’ve had to beg, borrow, and (for legal purposes) not steal them from friends and family.

This has allowed me to try out an extensive range, from ultralight Gore-Tex right through to the kind that makes you sweat so much you may as well be getting wet. I’ve had to figure out what’s good, and more importantly, dry, in the hood – or under, as the case may be.

Staunch rain avoider

Quick Specifications

Weight: 510g
Fabric: Three-layer construction consisting of a waterproof, breathable, and windproof Gore-Tex fabric with a 100% recycled polyester outer and a DWR (durable water repellent) finish made without PFCs (perfluorinated chemicals)
Pockets: four external, one internal
Features: Pit-zips, helmet-compatible hood, RECCO® reflector
Colourways: Black, Touring Red
RRP: $699.95

Performance

While this is advertised as a three-season jacket, I’d suggest that, at least in NSW, those three seasons are autumn, winter, and spring. At 510g, this is a mid-weight jacket – ultralight adventurers can stop reading here.

Without spending lots of time in the snow, it’s about as heavy-duty as I would use in Australia’s relatively mild conditions, but when you put it on, it feels like a much lighter jacket.

I’m 180cm and tested a medium, which was definitely slightly larger than expected. While I would fit comfortably in a small, the medium allows plenty of space to layer up underneath – super useful if like me, you plan on using this in all conditions and across a range of activities.

It also cinched in nicely, thanks to elastic toggles around the hood and waist, and a velcro cuff that seals up nicely on the arms.

The hood is – and I don’t use this word lightly – huge.

It’s designed to fit a helmet, which it does comfortably and without causing any visibility issues. It also does a great job staying in place without one, thanks to the elastic drawstring at the back, in tandem with the solid peak. It also includes a concealed RECCO® reflector making it searchable by rescue crews.

I had to research this and found that it’s a feature more applicable to skiers than most other outdoor activities, but given it’s not a compromise in any way and could just be a lifesaver, this is definitely a nice to have.

With two hand pockets, two large chest pockets (big enough for a full-size map) as well as a sneaky mesh internal pocket, it doesn’t leave you wanting for storage.

Patagonia’s Triolet Jacket > Mary Poppins’ bag

The large pit-zips are one of my favourite features given the generally mild conditions around Sydney. They also feel much less noticeable here than on other jackets I’ve used.

Word of warning: proceed with caution around anyone who refers to these as tickle holes.

Durability

While I haven’t had the jacket long enough to truly test its durability, this is the kind of jacket that was made to last a long time. With good care, I imagine I’ll still be wearing it in 5-10 years. Even though it doesn’t feel like it when you wear it, the 100% recycled polyester is thick and feels tough. The zips are made by YKK, meaning they are tried, tested, and unlikely to fail.

Comfort

Every time I put this jacket on I’m reminded just how well thought out the design is. The massive pit-zips are probably my favourite feature of the jacket as I often end up overheating and sweating inside when I’m moving. The hand pockets are in an intuitive spot and work well, and the hood sits really comfortably with or without a helmet.

Design

Patagonia doesn’t mess around when it comes to design. Having been around for more than 50 years as a well-respected outdoor brand for that whole period, it’s rare that they get things wrong.

The zips are watertight with zipper garages meaning there’s no risk of water coming through. It doesn’t have a two-way zip, which some will be frustrated by, but given I won’t be doing any activities that this would be particularly convenient for, that’s fine with me.

This is a cool-looking jacket – it’s all black and looks sleek. I’m not even slightly embarrassed to say I’ve been caught out at various restaurants and bars in Sydney wearing it.

However, this does have its negatives.

As someone who will take this on a multi-day bikepacking trip, it’s not visible at all, and the same goes for taking it out on the ski slopes. Good luck being found by your friends.

The red colourway might be a better option if you want to be seen.

Read more: How (and Why) to Wash Your Waterproof Jacket

Sustainability

As a B-Corp, Patagonia are well known to be an industry leader when it comes to sustainability. They put a huge emphasis on using recycled materials and creating products that last. So much so that they recently released a film about the impact of over-consumerism.

This jacket is no different, boasting recycled materials where possible and using market-leading technology elsewhere to ensure the jacket is built to last as long as possible. This jacket also has a Fair Trade Certified™ factory guarantee.

This jacket will see plenty more rainy days

Patagonia are also leading the way when it comes to avoiding PFCs. I won’t go into details because we’ve written an in-depth article about the issues with these ‘forever chemicals’, but basically they have been found all over the natural environment and waterproof outdoor clothing is a major contributor to this.

The DWR finish on this jacket does a very similar job without leaking out into the environment.

Price

The Patagonia Triolet Jacket retails for $699.95 in Australia, making it an undeniably expensive jacket. Having said that, for the materials and technology that have gone into making it, including top-of-the-line Gore-Tex, PFC-free coating, and great design that lets you focus on the task at hand, this isn’t outrageous compared to its competitors.

If you’re someone who takes pride in your gear and looks after it, this is a worthwhile investment.

Cost per wear will keep going down, while waterfalls per wear can only go up

Final Thoughts

The main reason I’ve never bitten the bullet and bought a proper rain jacket myself is that I’ve been overwhelmed by choice. There are so many different jackets, each of which is the best at something but isn’t right for something else. The Patagonia Triolet Jacket is pretty close to the perfect all-rounder and now fills a lot of roles in my outdoor gear wardrobe.

Yay for the Triolet

Whether it’s worth the hefty price tag is up to you, but if you’re looking for a do-it-all jacket and don’t want to be reading reviews every few years when you inevitably need to replace the cheap option you went for previously, this may well be the one for you.

Photos thanks to @aperol_aus

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