Patagonia Has Been Perfecting the Fleece for Decades. This Might Be Its Best Yet

Inching ever-closer to perfection, the famed outdoor brand’s seemingly incremental improvements make a big difference. Here’s why.

By Sean Tirman

Published 18 hours ago

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Patagonia’s first fleece was released in 1979 — for those keeping score, that’s 46 years ago. Yet, to this day, the outdoor giant is still trying to innovate this timeless garment (and all its iterations).

And it has done a brilliant job, setting the industry standard across dozens of styles and just as many redesigns. But the brand’s latest, the upcoming Patagonia R1 Air 2025 redesign, might be the best one yet. Here’s why:

Patagonia R1 Air Fleece 2025 side by side — Along with the redesign tweaks, the R1 Air fleece is getting some new color combinations.

The golden fleece

The R1 Air isn’t your granddaddy’s fleece. This thing is highly technical. Instead of just a plain old high-pile plush jacket, this one is brilliantly, carefully engineered.

Like the previous edition, this new version has a 100 percent recycled polyester exterior fabric, granting it sustainability (something Patagonia has spearheaded for years). However, its superpower is its yarn and weave.

[The R1 Air is] designed to be warm in the cold and cool in the heat, making it a serious dual-threat.

The R1 Air combines hollow-core yarn and a unique zig-zag weave that serves a dual purpose. For starters, it’s incredibly lightweight and thin, making it as perfect as a solo garment as it is for layering.

Second, the structure was carefully designed to capture warmth when needed. Better still, it’s breathable when you need to cool off, and it’s quick-drying.

In short, it’s not just a hot box; it’s designed to be warm in the cold and cool in the heat, making it a serious dual-threat.

Patagonia R1 Air Fleece 2025 on model — The fit has been improved in several ways, helping inch the R1 Air closer to perfection.

In pursuit of perfection

Now that you know what makes the R1 Air such a groundbreaking evolution of the fleece, you might wonder what’s different about this upcoming version. Much of what makes it remarkable remains — which is a very good thing.

However, in pursuit of making it the best it can be, Patagonia has made some seemingly incremental tweaks. But that doesn’t mean they’re small; these adjustments help inch it ever closer to being perfect.

For instance, the sleeve circumference has been altered to offer better overall mobility. Similarly, the waist shape has been changed to create a straighter fit. And finally, the collar construction has been updated.

These changes, where applicable, have been implemented across all of the R1 Air’s styles, including the zip-neck, full-zip hoodie and vest.

Patagonia R1 Air Fleece 2025 hoodie and vest on model — The adjustments apply across all of the R1 Air’s styles, where applicable.

Coming soon

The 2025 Patagonia R1 Air Fleece redesign won’t be released until sometime after August 1. However, the remaining outgoing styles are heavily discounted, meaning you can score them for much less than usual.