Pat. Figure 4 vs. French Roast Jkt

[paborden]

Stopped into the Patagonia store yesterday, trying to find a versatile, hood-less, light softshell for ice, rock, running, pretty much whatever I'm in the mood for, though climbing takes priority.

 

As usual, the patagonia fits were all over the charts (I still can't figure out if there's any rhyme or reason) and the salespeople were largely clueless. The height of absurdity was the Grade VI jacket which seemed to be cut for the f*cking michelin man...

 

Anyway, both the figure 4 and french roast jackets seemed to be, more or less, what I'm looking for. Problem is, the salespeople kept insisting that the french roast jacket isn't primarily geared towards ice and rock. They kept telling me the figure 4 is cut more for the alpinist (this coming from those who were more hipsters than climbers). I don't know what the f*ck they're talking about: whereas the fig. 4 felt somewhat sloppy, the french roast felt nice, athletic and trim (in marketing speak), with layers.

 

So, my question is: is there something I'm missing? Is there any reason the french roast wouldn't work as well as the figure 4? I know, I know, the $20 cheaper price tag means it will shred at first contact with rock and the non-CSS seams will mean immediate failure on my next route. Anyway, what gives? Will one be obviously warmer than the other?

 

A quick recap of specs:

Fig. 4:

5.5-oz. double-weave stretch woven polyester with Deluge® DWR finish 425 g. (15 oz.)

French Roast:

4.5-oz. 94% nylon, 6% spandex stretch woven; Deluge® DWR finish 383 g. (13.5 oz.)

[DCH]

Hi,

 

I had similar questions when I first saw or read about these particular jackets a couple of months ago. I was also curious about the Ready Mix which I haven't actually seen in the men's version (REI has the women's in the Seattle store) since Pata is apparently out of stock. Anyway, I emailed Pata with questions several weeks ago and received the following information:

 

Sorry it's taking a little longer than expected, but I finally have all the

information.

 

1) The Ready Mix is the lightest, so with that comes some sacrifice of

durability. We've used a heavier fabric (same as the Figure 4) in high

abrasion areas like the shoulders and hip. The Figure 4 should prove to be

the most durable over time because there's more substance to the fabric than

the Ready Mix and the CSS seams resist abrasion better than the traditional

sewn seams of the French Roast. The Ready Mix and Figure 4 will resist water

better than the French Roast. I haven't tested these jackets, but have used

many items with these fabric. If I were needing the most breathable item on

a dry day for highly aerobic activity, I would choose the French Roast for

the best breathability.

 

2) These fabrics are proprietary or custom fabrics, developed to our

performance specifications in concert with the similar fabric mills as those

that produce name brand fabrics such as Pertex. The difference is, we've

done our own exhaustive lab and field testing to ensure that these fabrics

are up to the high standards of durability, breathability and weather

protection that our own fabric developers dream up and our field testers

demand. These are our custom fabrics, built to our specs versus the

factories' off-the-shelf versions. While we strive to improve our fabric

performance every season, we believe that our garments benefit from the most

advanced fabric development process out there. These fabrics simply and

consistently out-perform everything else on the market.

 

3) Comparison of men's fit: The Ready Mix and Figure 4 are sized like our

shells to accommodate base and insulation layers, whereas the French Roast

is cut smaller to accommodate fewer layers. Here's a good real-life

comparison. I took a size Medium Figure 4 and laid it flat on top of a size

Large French roast, or the Large on top of the Medium and they are almost

exactly the same.

 

I hope this helps. Another consideration in deciding which one to pick

should also be what activity or activities you will use it for.

 

If you have more questions, let me know.

 

Alli

Patagonia.com Customer Service

 

Pata Customer Service has always been helpful with providing tech info when I've emailed and will give you details such as measurements on different sizes of garments if you ask.

 

The end result of my inquiry was that I bought a size medium "Bonfire Orange" Figure 4 jacket. I agree about the Pata sizing; it's all over the place depending on the piece. I usually think of myself as a large in jackets but the medium Figure 4 had a trimmer, better torso fit and the sleeves (surprisingly) were long enough. As for user feedback, none yet - I just got it and haven't even used the jacket so have no input on how it performs. I already have a more aerobic-oriented softshell and thought the French Roast would just duplicate it. Plus, that orange color grabbed me. Hope that helps.

 

Dane