Patagonia Houdini Jacket

I was beginning to think that all running jackets where pretty much the same. Sure, they all look a little different and fit a little different but in principal they all claim to have some or all of following features

The lightest-ever fabric
The most breathable fabric
High wind resistance
High water-repellency
Active/Athletic/Performance fit

..Don’t get me wrong, its a good thing, a very good thing. The majority of companies are producing really good products and, especially, really good running jackets. The problem is that I find there to be almost too many and its hard to differentiate or find one that stands out. Quite by accident, or maybe fate, I found one. Hell yeah did I find one.

I bought the Patagonia Houdini jacket on sale at a Patagonia outlet store just after Xmas, more as a back up to my main jacket the Salomon FastWing III which, as it happens, rocks. At the price it was at it was a no-brainer to buy the Houdini and the size small fitted me perfectly, a nice slim fit in the body but with decent sleeve length. The addition of a hood, a first for me on any running jacket I have owned, made it all the more appealing. More on that later.

So going back to my original statement that all running jackets are more or less the same. I now admit they I was wrong- the Houdini jacket is out there on its own. I have worn it running everyday since its premier outing on new years day- that is testament to how damn good it is. So what makes it so much better than other jackets you may be thinking? Well, I have thought long and hard about that question too and this is what I have come with..

There isn’t really one stand-out feature on the Houdini jacket that makes it so good, the material, breathability, water-resistance & windproof ability are comparable to other running jackets- but the subtleties and the attention to detail combine to create, what in my mind is, one hell of a running jacket. Here are some things that I find just right..

The sound, or lack of it, from the material. There are a lot of jackets that don’t have that distracting ‘crunchy’ sound- like someone eating crisps at the cinema- but the Houdini takes it to another level- It has a sound that is actually quite soothing.
The hood has a small cut-out for the chin at the top of the zip. It is such a small feature but the effect is huge. Improves the comfort whether the hood is up or down. Actually, the overall fit of the hood is perfect, Patagonia really nailed it with this one.
The size & weight of the jacket when packed into its chest pocket- about the size of a good juicy spanish orange, about the weight of the peel that is left after eating the aforementioned fruit.