Gear Review – Patagonia Houdini Air Wind Jacket
Patagonia Houdini Air Wind Jacket
APRIL, 2022
I’m often asked what my favorite gear item is. I typically answer… “it depends.” If I find myself in a freezing rainstorm in the Rockies, it would likely be my Zpacks Vertice rain gear… on a frigidly cold night in Glacier National Park, it would probably be a killer 20degF down sleeping bag and X-therm pad. But for overall versatility and most uses trip-after-trip, my favorite piece of gear is my Patagonia Houdini Air Wind Jacket.
Patagonia Houdini Air in Action, Peninsula Trail, Deam Wilderness (Indiana) – October 2020
Overview of Houdini Air
The Patagonia Houdini Air Wind Jacket is a lightweight, extremely breathable jacket. It has proven to be an indispensable part of my gear kit. And the Houdini Air nicely complements my existing rain gear. It gives me a more comfortable option when I want to add some additional warmth. The Houdini Air does that without trapping extra heat and moisture inside as a rain jacket will certainly do. Even the most breathable rain gear is going to trap heat and humidity. I tend to ‘run hot’ and sweat a great deal in all conditions, so breathability is my primary consideration. This applies to both rain gear and wind jackets. My Zpacks Vertice rain gear is likely the most breathable rain gear available today. But the Patagonia Houdini Air is an order of magnitude more breathable than even the Vertice.
Background on purchase of Houdini Air
A little background on my purchase of the Patagonia Houdini Air. I had always used the Patagonia Airshed pullover and loved it. When the zipper broke on my Airshed, I planned to order a replacement. But I learned that Patagonia no longer makes the original Airshed. The latest Airshed version (2022) now uses different materials for the sleeves and body, and Patagonia does not offer a hoodless version. In my opinion, the new version of the Airshed is inferior to the version I had. I learned of the Houdini Air while searching for a suitable Airshed replacement. The Houdini Air is slightly heavier than the Airshed and has a hood. Having used the Houdini Air for multiple seasons, I’ve grown to love it. Perhaps even more than my beloved original Airshed.
Sizing
In terms of sizing, I am a ‘grande’ individual. I’m 6’4″ tall and weigh in at 250 pounds. My body style is ‘beefy’, opposite of a slim fit. I like my clothes, and especially my outer layer when backpacking, to be a generous fit so that I am comfortable when wearing any number of layers. I bought the Patagonia Houdini Air in XL and it fits me perfectly.
Weight
According to my scale, the Houdini Air weighs 133 grams (4.69 ounces). The Patagonia specifications state that it weighs 4.1 ounces. It was raining slightly when I weighed the jacket which likely accounts for the discrepancy. That does bring up a point worth mentioning – the Houdini Air is NOT a rain jacket. It ‘wets out’ quickly in the rain.
Houdini Air Features
In terms of features, the Houdini Air has a small, vertical zipper pocket in the upper right chest area. The pocket is a bit ‘flimsy’ but is suitable for storing car keys, a smaller cell phone, or a wallet. One handy aspect of the pocket is that you can fold the jacket into the pocket, giving you a nifty self-storage ‘bag.’
The sleeves are generous in length, perfect for my relatively long arms. They do not have any sort of a ‘cinch’ feature at the end of the sleeve to keep the rain, wind, and cold out. Instead, the jacket uses a sewn-in elastic band. I would have preferred to have a beefier cinch-type system. This is a non-issue for me but I wanted to point it out.
Hood and cinch system
The hood does have a cinch system, which allows you to customize where the front of the hood comes down on your face. This works well and is handy as well as necessary. There is no rigid band on the front, so without any adjustment the hood can flop around in/on your face in heavy wind. From experience, that can be a bit annoying.
There is also a cinch cord at the bottom waist of the jacket. This allows you to tighten the jacket around your waist to better protect against the wind and cold blowing in from the bottom of the jacket. For my own needs, I have found the jacket fit at the bottom to be perfect without any cinch adjustment, but if you are slimmer, it could be handy.
Construction materials
From a material standpoint, the Houdini Air is made from 90% nylon and 10% polyester. That’s typical for lightweight wind jackets. The Houdini is manufactured in Vietnam, which is where my Airshed was made as well. The Houdini Air can be washed in cold water with a mild laundry soap. It is recommended that you hang the jacket to dry.
One minor complaint – the tiny zipper
The one minor ‘gripe’ I have about the jacket is that the zipper is very small. I mean tiny! And the movable part of the zipper tends to ‘mate’ with the body of the zipper making it hard to grip. I typically have to spend more effort and concentration than desired to zip it up, especially if my hands are cold. A string would solve it, but I don’t want to do that.
Conclusion – Patagonia Houdini Air Wind Jacket
Regarding durability, I have been delighted with The Patagonia Houdini Air Wind Jacket. I’ve used it for two seasons now, underneath a backpack, and the jacket still looks and performs like it is brand new—no holes, tears, cuts, or discolorations of any kind. For a jacket that is as lightweight as the Houdini Air, I find that quite remarkable (I’m not easy on my gear!). It costs $169 at Patagonia or REI, but if you’re patient, you can wait for REI to send out their 20% off coupon. I paid full price – I’m not patient! I have been delighted with the Patagonia Houdini Air, and I highly recommend it.
