Patagonia R1 vs. R1 Air vs. R1 TechFace vs. R1 Daily: Differences and Reviews 2024

Patagonia R1 vs. R1 Air vs. R1 TechFace vs. R1 Daily: Overview

1. Patagonia R1 Regulator Fleece

Official Price: $139

Colors: Lagom Blue, Burl Red, Night Plum, Black, Nouveau Green, Cosmic Gold, Obsidian Plum, Forge Grey

Material:  6.9-oz Polartec® Power Grid® 93% recycled polyester/7% spandex grid fleece with HeiQ® Pure odor control

Reviews: The Patagonia R1 Regulator Fleece is a versatile, technical midlayer fleece for stop-start activities in cold conditions. Made from a blend of 93% recycled polyester and 7% spandex, and constructed in a classic grid pattern to trap heat and wick moisture. Lightweight, breathable and quick-drying, the Patagonia R1 Regulator Fleece are made for high-exertion activities in cold weather. They also use recycled materials, and many are Fair Trade Certified™ sewn.

Features:

• Light and breathable Polartec® Power Grid® fabric with HeiQ® Pure odor control has outstanding stretch and durability;

• Off-shoulder seams sit comfortably under pack straps;

• Pullover silhouette has a deep center-front zipper with a soft kissing-welt zipper garage at the chin for next-to-skin comfort;

• Slim-zip, left-chest pocket with a zipper garage and a mesh pocket bag;

• Cuffs and hem are finished with ultrasoft binding to seal in warmth.
  

2. Patagonia R1 Air

Official Price: $99-$179

Colors: Lagom Blue, Obsidian Plum, Black, Oar Tan, Cosmic Gold, Nouveau Green, Passage Blue, Burl Red

Material:  5.7-oz 100% recycled polyester jacquard fleece with hollow-core yarns

Reviews: The R1 Air is a lightweight, breathable and quick-drying technical fleece for high-exertion activities in cold conditions. The 100% recycled polyester fabric is structured for comfort during movement. This technical fleece vents heat during high-exertion activities like skinning or trail running. The zigzag structure balances warmth and breathability without adding weight.

Features:

• 100% recycled polyester jacquard fleece with hollow-core yarns features a unique zigzag texture that wicks moisture, dries fast and is highly breathable for high-output activities;

• Off-shoulder seams sit comfortably under pack straps;

• Left-chest pocket for easy stashing of small items;

• Minimal bulk makes for a great layering piece;

• Quick-drying woven binding at the back hem and cuffs for added stretch and an improved fit.

3. Patagonia R1 TechFace 

Official Price: $169-$189

Colors: Lagom Blue, Basin Green, Black, Obsidian Plum, Cosmic Gold, Light Plume Grey, Wax Red

Material:  5.2-oz 92% polyester (69% recycled)/8% spandex breathable stretch double weave with a DWR (durable water repellent) finish

Reviews: Warm, stretchy and breathable like Patagonia's Regulator fleece, but with the added benefits of abrasion and weather resistance. Designed for cool-weather versatility, the Patagonia R1 TechFace  is warm, stretchy and breathable. Added benefits include abrasion resistance, a DWR (durable water repellent) finish and technical details for any surprise a day on the water can bring.

Features:

• Lightweight double-weave fabric is soft and warm next to skin but doesn’t trap heat;
  

• Face is durable and treated with a DWR (durable water repellent) finish to shed moisture;

• Articulated pattern allows for a wide range of movement;

• Adjustable, under-the-helmet hood with laminated visor provides coverage and visibility;

• Two secure, high handwarmer pockets with ventilating mesh backer and internal zippered left-chest pocket;

• Sleek, low-bulk, snag-resistant cuffs with stretch knit provide versatile coverage and comfort;

• Dual-adjust cord-lock system at hem seals in warmth.

4. Patagonia  R1 Daily

Official Price: $129-$149

Colors: Lagom Blue - Tidepool Blue X-Dye, Noble Grey - Salt Grey X-Dye, Ink Black - Black X-Dye, Nouveau Green - Northern Green X-Dye

Material: 6.3-oz 94% recycled polyester/6% spandex flat-faced fleece with miDori™ bioSoft for added wicking and softness, and HeiQ® Pure odor control

Reviews: Designed to keep you warm and comfortable in cold conditions. This stretchy, smooth-faced technical layer for everyday activities or warming up before the action starts is made with a soft 94% recycled polyester fabric and feels like traditional fleece next to the skin.

Features:

• Soft, smooth outer fabric and a brushed fleece backing with stretch keep you warm and comfortable; with HeiQ® Pure odor control;

• Off-shoulder seams sit comfortably under pack straps;

• Collar and back of neck are paneled with Capilene® Cool Lightweight fabric for additional next-to-skin comfort and wicking in high sweat zones;

• Capilene® Cool Lightweight binding at the hem for added stretch and improved fit.
  

Where to Buy Patagonia R1, R1 Air, R1 TechFace and R1 Daily?

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Patagonia R1 vs. R1 Air vs. R1 TechFace vs. R1 Daily: Differences

Material

The Patagonia R1 is made with 6.9-oz Polartec® Power Grid® 93% recycled polyester and 7% spandex grid fleece with HeiQ® Pure odor control. It is a slim-fitting grid fleece that can stretch over a long-sleeve base layer. It uses two types of grid fleece: a larger grid pattern that covers your core and a thinner, more breathable grid-patterned material is used in the armpits, hood, and along the bottom of the garment. The thinner grid-patterned material has less fleece to it, so it’s less hot and breathes better where your body generates the most heat. 

The Patagonia R1 Air is made with 5.7-oz 100% recycled polyester jacquard fleece with hollow-core yarns. This fleece has a zigzag texture with a unique look and feel you love. The material is softer than any other fleece you have tried and is more comfortable than your favorite cotton hoody. 

The Patagonia R1 Techface is made with 5.2-oz 92% polyester (69% recycled) and 8% spandex breathable stretch double weave. The snag-free synthetic material is treated with durable water repellent (DWR), allowing precipitation to drip off while being air-permeable yet capable of barricading a breeze.

The Patagonia R1 Daily is  made with 6.3-oz 94% recycled polyester and 6% spandex flat-faced fleece with miDori™ bioSoft for added wicking and softness, and HeiQ® Pure odor control. It has a flat faced exterior and a fuzzy, brushed face interior.  The interior is pleasantly soft.

Durability

The Patagonia R1 Original is more durable than the Patagonia  R1 Air. Because it has a flat faced exterior compared to the R1 Air’s fuzzy fleece exterior. The flat face is less likely to snag or scrape on sharp/abrasive surfaces. 

The fuzzy exterior of the Patagonia R1 Air is more likely to stick to small twigs and pine needles, and pulling them off, or rubbing on abrasive surfaces, usually drags a few strands of fuzz with it. Over time, this will degrade the lofted zig zags and damage the garment. I found that the R1 Air accrued holes and tears easier than the TechFace during extended use.

The outside of Patagonia R1 TechFace resembles a traditional jacket, while the inside is a soft-grid fleece. It is the most durable of the R1 fleeces I  tested, and more durable than a traditional fleece as well. 

The Patagonia R1 Daily looks more classic and less sporty, and you won’t spot any outlines of grid fleece texture on the outer face. While not the most durable, you can still wear it for several years.

Warmth

When you wore the Patagonia R1 Original  over a baselayer, it was warm. This fleece is very fitted and is tight enough to use as a base layer in cold weather or a standalone layer when it isn't as cold.

The Patagonia R1 Air to be warmer than the original R1. When the weekend mission calls for chilly weather, this will be the first layer I grab.

When I first got the R1 TechFace Hoody, I thought it was way too thin and wouldn’t be nearly warm enough. And in non-windy conditions (or when layered under a shell), the R1 TechFace is definitely not as warm as the Patagonia  R1 original. But because it blocks so much wind, the Patagonia R1 TechFace is a bit warmer than its light fabric might suggest. 

The the warmth to ratio of Patagonia R1 Daily is a bit better than R1 or R1 Air.  It can be seen that th

Breathability

The Patagonia R1 is a lightweight, incredibly warm fleece pullover. Because the grid of the R1 Original is encased in an exterior flat-faced knit, it receives a natural degree of wind resistance that R1 Air does not. Of course,  it is also breathable enough to wear as a base layer. 

The Patagonia R1 Air features telling zig-zag pattern woven into its fabric. That pattern is actually vital to how the R1 Air differentiates itself — the structure, along with the characteristics of the hollow-core yarn it’s made of, make this new fleece significantly more breathable than the Patagonia R1 Original.

The Patagonia R1 Techface has a tighter, more wind-resistant weave, which reduces its overall breathability.

Unlike the other R1s, the Patagonia R1 Daily is not a grid fleece, and is significantly less breathable and more basic.

Conclusion

Patagonia R1 vs. R1 Air vs. R1 TechFace vs. R1 Daily: Which One Should You Choose?

The Patagonia R1, R1 Air, R1 TechFace  and R1 Daily are all excellent fleeces, each with relative pros and cons compared to the other. Which is right for you depends on how you will be using it.

The Patagonia R1 fits tightly enough to layer over, is stretchy enough to fit over a base layer. It also features superior durability, stretch, and wind resistance.  So I suggest you choose Patagonia R1 if durability and stretch are critical, and you need a fleece for use in windy climates.

The Patagonia R1 Air offers even greater breathability and mobility given its unique zig-zag pattern of hollow fiber yarns. Its unique construction also makes it remarkably cozier than the original R1. So the Patagonia R1 Air is more suitable for all-purpose outdoor use.

The R1 TechFace and R1 Daily are less versatile, more niche, and/or offer worse all-purpose performance than R1 and R1 Air. The R1 Daily is the most basic fleece in the R1 family for everyday use. I don’t recommend this fleece very strongly as it is technical looking without the technical performance.

The Patagonia R1 TechFace is warm enough which excels as an integral, lightweight part of your layering system on high-output adventures in the mountains. It can be seen pretty much anywhere serious mountain athletes are getting after it. But because of the added durability and wind resistance, the Patagonia R1 TechFace is the least breathable member of the R1 family, and also the heaviest, and as such it is not good as a daily driver or for all-purpose outdoor use.

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