To tuck in with it: what Patagonia promises and how to keep it.
Giving it as a gift? It's on these gift lists: For momOutdoors
Where the 81 comes from
Warranty27/30
The Ironclad Guarantee: if it doesn't perform to your satisfaction, return it for a repair, replacement or refund, with no stated time limit. Wear and tear is repaired for a reasonable charge.
Build20/30
10-oz fleece knit from recycled polyester with flat-seam construction, made in a Fair Trade Certified factory.
Track record17/20
Patagonia has sold clothing under that name since 1973.
Repairable17/20
Patagonia repairs gear by mail or in its stores and publishes more than 100 repair guides with iFixit.
One short email when something new makes the list: an album to play, a game to buy, a film to watch, a book to read, tech worth buying, a thing that lasts. Nothing else.
How the score works
Things
Warranty, 30. What the company will actually fix or replace, read from their own policy.
Build, 30. Materials and construction, and whether there's anything to wear out.
Track record, 20. How long the maker has been making this well.
Repairable, 20. Whether you can get it fixed instead of replacing it.
A Keeper is our bet on what lasts. Some releases show it right away: the reviews, the players and the people behind them all point the same way, the way they did for Elden Ring. For albums, games, films, shows and books, 85 or above is a Keeper and 75 to 84 is worth your time. Things and tech need 80. We score everything again as time goes by, and a Keeper that fades loses the label. Nobody pays to be here or pays for a score. Every score links to where its numbers came from. Each one has a link to find it on Amazon, and as an Amazon Associate, Keepers earns from qualifying purchases.