Helly Hansen vs Patagonia

We’re excited to compare Patagonia vs Helly Hansen in this outdoor gear review article. Having used both brands for years now we put some of their best products side by side to see which one comes out on top.

If you’re into adventure and the great outdoors then you’ve no doubt heard of both of these brands. They make similar products, cover similar sports, and sell clothing in a similar price range. This can make it tricky to decide which brand to opt for when making a purchase decision.

Join us as we break down the pros and cons, exploring the features, performance, and that all-important factor – style. Whether you’re into rugged functionality or eco-friendly chic, we’ll find out which brand deserves a spot in your adventure arsenal.

So here we go – Helly Hansen vs. Patagonia. Which brand is going to win?!

A Little About Helly Hansen And Patagonia

Let’s start by looking at how these different brands started out and what they’re offering today to give a better idea of what sets them apart.

Starting off with Helly Hansen, a Norwegian-born brand that has become synonymous with high-performance outdoor gear. Established in 1877, Helly Hansen has undergone a transformative journey, evolving from its maritime roots into a global leader in the realm of outdoor apparel.

As Helly Hansen started off making some of the best sailing gear out there we’ve got years of experience using their products, but we’re thrilled they branched out into making outdoor gear in general because their clothing is top-tier.

These days it’s renowned for its commitment to functionality and durability. The brand has consistently pushed the boundaries of design and technology.

A standout feature in Helly Hansen’s arsenal is its three-layer system – a pioneering approach that encompasses a base layer for moisture management, an insulating layer for warmth, and an outer shell for protection against the elements. This system, a cornerstone of the brand’s offerings, ensures optimal comfort and performance in diverse weather conditions.

The brand’s dedication to innovation extends to its incorporation of cutting-edge materials and technologies. From advanced waterproofing solutions to breathable fabrics, Helly Hansen continues to set industry standards for functional and resilient outdoor wear.

We are huge fans of their sailing gear, and have found that Helly Hansen vs Musto and other big sailing brands always come out on top.

While functionality remains paramount, Helly Hansen also places a strong emphasis on design. The fusion of Scandinavian aesthetics with practicality results in apparel that not only performs exceptionally but also exudes a distinct style.

So how can Patagonia possibly compete with all this?

With a legacy steeped in environmental stewardship and a commitment to top-tier performance, Patagonia has solidified its position as a trailblazer in the world of outdoor apparel. Before we sailed, Patagonia was our top choice in outdoor wear for hiking and climbing.

Founded by Yvon Chouinard in 1973, Patagonia was born out of a desire to create gear that not only met the demands of the wild but also championed environmental responsibility. This ethos remains ingrained in the brand today.

What sets Patagonia apart is its unwavering dedication to sustainability. The brand has pioneered the use of recycled materials in its products, championing eco-friendly practices long before it became a mainstream concern. From utilizing recycled polyester to promoting fair labor practices, Patagonia strives to minimize its ecological footprint while maximizing the durability and performance of its gear.

We absolutely love this about Patagonia and think it’s an excellent reason to invest in their gear, but we’ll explore this further below.

Venturing beyond the environmental sphere, Patagonia uses cutting-edge fabrics, innovative designs, and a meticulous attention to detail. Whether you’re scaling peaks, braving the surf, or simply navigating the urban jungle, Patagonia’s gear seamlessly fuses function with style.

As you can see, both brands are similarly impressive. But which is better?

Helly Hansen vs Patagonia – Which Is Better?

A tricky question to answer but we’ve done our best! We’ve compared things like the quality, durability and price of these two brands to help determine which is right for you.

As you can probably imagine, both brands have their selling points so you’ll need to decide which is right for you, but hopefully we can help you make that decision.

Quality Comparison

Helly Hansen

As an overview, we have always been thrilled with the quality of our Helly Hansen gear. It just feels expensive and well-made. The feel of a product is important, of course, but let’s delve into why these are quality products in a little more depth.

Most Helly Hansen jackets and salopettes are made with their special Helly Tech® technology. The material is water-repellant, durable, and most importantly – it works.

Perhaps even more importantly, we’ve found it works for a long time without needing treatment. This is especially useful if you live in colder climates or are doing a ski or sailing season where the last thing on your mind is waterproofing your gear.

It’s worth mentioning here that attention to detail is clear in things like the rugged zips, high-vis additions, and special sport-specific features. All of these little extras add up to make life easier in harsher climates and contribute to true quality gear.

Patagonia doesn’t make sailing-specific gear so it isn’t fair to compare the two on this, but it is worth noting that Helly Hansen consistently comes up as one of the best sailing brands out there.

Patagonia

Our Patagonia gear never let us down, even after years of use. To be fair, it’s hard to compare directly as we never used our Patagonia gear in the same harsh environments as we have our Helly Hansen gear, but this is another quality brand that doesn’t compromise.

Patagonia makes its products from recycled materials, but that doesn’t mean they’re any less hard-wearing. Their jackets are waterproof and breathable, meaning they’re comfortable in a range of weather and for a range of activities.

We did find they were sometimes lacking a little in extra details we liked, like sealed cuffs. But this is dependent on what products you opt for.

We liked the fact that Patagonia was always very easy to move in and felt comfortable to wear. They also boast similar rugged zips, added reflection, and various other sport-specific details that contribute to making their gear comfortable and easy to use.

The Verdict

We have to be honest, we would find it very hard to choose between either brand for quality.

We have tried and tested Helly Hansen gear in more extreme weather and conditions and would argue that it’s better suited to extreme sports because it feels a little more rugged and designed for those conditions.

In our opinion, Patagonia is better suited to trekking, climbing, and biking rather than the potential extreme colds of skiing and snowboarding or sailing.

On the other hand, although Helly Hansen is trying its best, Patagonia is still a more successful sustainable brand with an excellent staff and customer ethos too.

Overall, we would say the quality is very much on par.

Durability

Having owned and used both brands for many years we can speak confidently on their durability.

Helly Hansen

Helly Hansen has been Adam’s number one choice of jacket for his many years as a ski instructor. He wore his jacket on and off the pistes, almost every day for a number of consecutive seasons. That jacket is still alive and kicking today, fully waterproof and fully intact.

Our Helly Hansen sailing jackets are no different. We use them year-round in the harshest of conditions and they have never let us down. They’ve been going for nearly five years now with no signs of getting tired.

Patagonia

We’ve had a little more mixed success with Patagonia products. Mostly the same has been true, and one of the jackets we own is still hanging up in our wardrobe ready for a trek (as soon as I lose this pregnancy weight!)

Unfortunately though, one of Adam’s jackets didn’t fair so well. The outer material wasn’t strong enough for the various scrambles and sitting on rocks and has started to wear at the bottom. It has had a lot of use, but perhaps not as much as we would have hoped for with a jacket in this price range.

Verdict

We would say Helly Hansen scores slightly better on this front. It’s worth noting this was an older Patagonia jacket (it would have to be to see if it’s stood the test of time!) but the Helly Hansen jacket was a similar age and used under harsher conditions, so we think the comparison is a fair one.

We are talking over 5 years of use though, so that’s still good going if Patagonia is the brand you decide to go for!

Price Comparison

Let’s compare the prices of some of the two brands’ clothing ranges to get an idea of value for money.

We’ll take a look at their ski jacket ranges to start with.

Patagonia has a few ski jackets, or should I say jackets designed for use in snow. They average out at around £350 a jacket, with a more expensive one at £650. There isn’t a huge amount of choice, so you kind of get what you get.

Helly Hansen on the other hand has a huge range of ski jackets with a huge price range. The average price again is somewhere in the £350 mark, but the big difference is that you can snag a cheaper ski jacket for £250 and you still have a choice of colours and styles.

This is a huge plus for Helly Hansen. Skiing is already an expensive sport, so being able to buy a quality jacket for the slopes that won’t break the bank is a huge plus. They also have quite a few jackets in their top-tier category, where you can expect to pay upwards of £600 for a jacket.

We’ve never owned one of their most expensive products so we can’t comment on quality comparison, but we can say that the cheaper products are still of excellent quality.

The Range

It’s a little tricky to compare the ranges because each brand has a slightly different target audience, with some overlaps. Patagonia, for example, has a wide range of surf gear, whereas Helly Hansen has fewer surf wear options but a huge section for sailors.

We’ll compare their biggest overlap sections – ski wear and general outdoor apparel.

Helly Hansen

Helly Hansen advertising stocking clothing and accessories for skiing, outdoors, lifestyle and sailing. They also do a small range of swimwear including wetsuits.

Helly Hansen has a huge range of ski wear, from budget clothing to really high-end stuff. There are all sorts of different styles and colour schemes too, so no matter what your taste you’re likely to find something that will suit you.

They also do a good range of base layers of all different types and ski accessories like gloves, socks, and hats. Basically, you can be pretty sure that you can kit yourself out for a holiday on the slopes through their website alone.

When it comes to outdoor gear you can expect the same. A huge range of different jackets for all temperatures and in all styles. They have decent hiking shoes and trainers to choose from, as well as rugged backpacks of all sizes.

The range is impressive, and it’s unlikely you won’t find what you’re looking for.

Patagonia

Patagonia makes clothing for skiing, climbing, mountain biking, trail running, surfing and fly fishing. We’ll compare the ski and outdoor range.

Compared to Helly Hansen the ski section in Patagonia’s range is a little thin. They have a few limited ski jacket options, some waterproof trousers, gloves and hats. They have a better range of base layers.

Honestly, we’re not overly impressed. The jackets are all in a very similar style, so if you don’t like one then it’s unlikely you’ll like any.

Their base layers are decent quality and there are a range of different options, but again the styles are evry similar.

Their range of outdoor gear is more impressive and more appealing. You do have to search through a range of different activities to find it all, but we do really like their outdoor range. There are some stylish pieces in there that you could easily wear on a day hiking or a day exploring the local town.

Our Verdict

Overall we do think Helly Hansen wins out on this one. There is a much wider range with lots of different styles, colours and prices. Patagonia gear is lovely but it is all quite similar in style. If you like it then great, if you don’t you might struggle.

Sustainability

Sustainability should be a top priority these days and shopping ethically is about as important as shopping for the things you love. Let’s take a look at these two brands’ commitment to the environment.

Helly Hansen

Helly Hansen has tried hard over the last decade or so to create environmentally friendly products. Although their clothing is often a split of recycled and non-recycled materials they are working hard on improving the percentages further.

Helly Hansen also sources responsibly and places a big emphasis on buying products that last (and theirs really does)

They do things like use 100% mulesing-free Merino wool, strive for fair working practice,s and do not use real fur in any of their products.

We’re happy that Helly Hansen is constantly looking to improve their environmental impact and hope they’ll improve even further in the future.

Patagonia

It would be impossible to list all the things Patagonia does in their aim to be a sustainable brand. They are really, really impressive.

From things like clothing made from 100% recycled materials, to the way they treat their workforce, to the fact that they have a self-imposed 1% ‘Earth tax’ that supports planet earth, they are doing everything possible to save the planet and reduce their carbon footprint.

It is quite astounding to see all the things they are doing, and we highly encourage you to check it out.

Our Verdict

It’s pretty obvious who the most sustainable brand is here. Patagonia is one of the most eco-friendly brands we know of. We hope Helly Hansen will continue to strive for better sustainability and do more for the planet. As it is, they’re doing an excellent job compared to a lot of outdoor brands.

Style

It’s quite hard to comment on this, as style is such a personal taste. Both brands have their own unique styles with nice cuts and attention to detail.

I would say that Helly Hansen has a wider range of styles. For example, their women’s ski jackets come in anything from baggy snowboarder-style jackets to tight-fitting ski jackets. The Patagonia range is more limited in style and colorways.

As an aside that has very little relevance to the actual products, we love the fact that Patagonia uses a variety of different model sizes for their products. You’re able to see how the clothing will look if you aren’t a size 6! We hope more brands start to do this in the future, normalising all body shapes.

If you want options then Helly Hansen does win out here. But if you’re a fan of Patagonia’s style and colour schemes then you’re going to be fine with their more limited range!

Popular Product Comparisons

To give you a direct comparison between the two brands, we’ve put Helly Hansen vs Patagonia in a battle of the finest! Check out these popular products side by side.

Patagonia Men’s Insulated Powder Town Jacket Compared With Helly Hansen’s Men’s Swift 3-In-1 Ski Jacket

These are some of each brand’s most popular ski jackets. We put them side by side to compare what you get for your money.

To start, let’s talk price. We picked two jackets within a similar price range for a fair comparison. The Helly Hansen jacket comes in at £340 and Patagonia’s just £20 more at £360. So these jackets are within a very similar mid-range price bracket.

But what do you get for your money?

The Patagonia jacket is made from a durable two-layer fabric that’s fully waterproof and breathable. It does the job. It keeps you warm, cosy and dry while you’re out on the slopes.

It comes with a lot of useful features, such as a snow skirt that attaches to any Patagonia snow trousers and other ski-specific features like the RECCO reflector, a ski pass pocket, and a helmet-friendly hood.

The Helly Hansen Swift jacket combines a waterproof, breathable, and seam-sealed shell with a Primaloft Black Eco insulated liner jacket. You can wear the two together for ultimate protection or wear them separately depending on the weather.

This jacket has lots of ski-specific features like articulated elbows for freedom of movement, the RECCO reflector, a ski pass pocket, and a helmet-friendly hood.

The Helly Hansen jacket is pretty innovative and more importantly, extremely useful.

Style wise the Patagonia jacket comes in four tasteful colourways, all of which we like. The style is a little like a cheap raincoat though and we aren’t massive fans. There’s something a little shiny about it.

The Helly Hansen jacket doesn’t have as many colour options, just blue, black and grey, but the inner jackets come in some fun colours so you can mix it up a bit of you fancy. We much prefer the style of this jacket and think it looks a lot more expensive.

How do we rate them?

They are both quality jackets, there’s no mistaking that. But we would choose the Helly Hansen jacket hands down over the Patagonia jacket. You get far more for your money with the option to wear the jacket as a whole or as two different jackets. It’s just way more versatile.

✅ Buy the Helly Hansen Swift jacket here

Patagonia Men’s AlpLight Down Jacket Compared With Helly Hansen’s Men’s RWB Light Down Insulator

If you’re after an outdoor jacket for general use then you might be looking at a light down jacket that will pack up small for impromptu adventures and be suitable for your everyday walks or commute. These are some of each brand’s most popular options.

Price wise we’ve tried again to pick similar brackets, but each brand only does a few lightweight down jackets. Patagonia’s option costs £280 while Helly Hansen’s costs £220. A £60 price difference is quite significant, so let’s see what the differences are.

Patagonia’s option is made from 100% postconsumer recycled nylon ripstop made from recycled fishing nets to help reduce ocean plastic pollution and insulated with 100% responsible Down Standard down. It has a durable water-repellent coating that does not contain perfluorinated chemicals.

It’s easy to move in which is a big plus, and the overstuffed collar helps retain warmth. The front zipper has a wicking interior storm flap to keep you dry and elastic cuffs with a single drawcord adjustment seal.

Helly Hansen’s jacket is very similar with a durable ripstop fabric exterior that’s windproof and a PFC-free, water-repellent treatment. The down is ethically sourced from ALLIED Feather & Down.

It’s comfortable and super lightweight so will pack away easily without taking up much room. It has elastic cuffs and Helly Hansen’s signature rugged zips that we’ve found hold up excellently in a harsh marine environment.

Style wise both jackets are smart-looking and fit well. Patagonia has more colour options, with some plain colours if you are looking for a jacket fit for everyday wear as well as adventures. Helly Hansen’s jacket just comes in the one navy blue colour.

Patagonia probably wins out on the look for us this time, and the Helly Hansen jacket does look a little cheaper (probably because it is!)

How do we rate them?

This is a tough one! The Patagonia jacket does have a few extra features and look a bit more expensive, but does it look £60 more expensive? We’d argue not. Honestly, both are great options and this would come entirely down to budget for us!

✅ Buy the Helly Hansen down jacket here

Conclusion: Helly Hansen vs Patagonia

In the dynamic landscape of outdoor apparel, the choice between Helly Hansen and Patagonia ultimately comes down to personal preferences and specific needs. These two iconic brands, each with its unique ethos, have both features we love enough to choose them over and over again.

Let’s sum up the Helly Hansen vs. Patagonia debate and help you navigate the decision-making process.

Helly Hansen, born in the maritime realm of Norway, boasts a rich heritage dating back to 1877. The brand’s three-layer system and unwavering commitment to functionality make it a perfect choice for those who prioritize performance in challenging conditions.

With a blend of cutting-edge technology and Scandinavian design sensibility, Helly Hansen ensures that adventurers not only brave the elements but do so with a touch of style.

On the other side of the spectrum, Patagonia, founded in 1973 by Yvon Chouinard, has become synonymous with environmental activism and sustainable practices. The brand’s dedication to using recycled materials and promoting fair labor practices reflects a commitment to minimizing its ecological impact.

Patagonia’s gear is not just about performance; it’s a statement of responsible exploration, resonating with those who prioritize sustainability alongside technical excellence.

Choosing between Helly Hansen and Patagonia hinges on your specific requirements. If you’re seeking technical innovation, a robust three-layer system, and a touch of Nordic flair, Helly Hansen might be your go-to.

On the other hand, if environmental consciousness, sustainable practices, and a blend of style and functionality top your list, Patagonia emerges as a compelling choice.

Ultimately, both brands have earned their stripes in the world of outdoor gear, and the “better” choice depends on what resonates with your values and the adventures you have in mind.

So, whether you’re conquering icy fjords or trekking through lush landscapes, rest assured that both Helly Hansen and Patagonia have your back, allowing you to explore the great outdoors with confidence and style.

What’s our favourite I hear you ask? Well, if you forced us to pick just one brand we would opt for Helly Hansen. For us, they have a slight quality and durability advantage, and their clothing range suits our lifestyle perfectly. The fact we own a wide range of their products speaks volumes!