Stio Pinion Down Pullover (2019)

Yes, I’ll have a boxy hoodie from a Wyoming brand, but hold the Kanye.

Stio Pinion Down Pullover (2020)

Type: Insulation / Use: Active / Face: Nylon / Insulation: Down

Technologies: Pertex Quantum, 800-fill Allied “HyperDRY” down

Down jackets were the original outdoors revolution. Their invention was a paradigm shift: before down, outdoorsmen swathed themselves in layers of heavy wools and cottons, making long treks harder and movement more difficult. Down jackets provided the same insulation at a fraction of the bulk.

And, a century later, they still do!!!

When people scoff the outdoors industry as a sea of sameness, I’m convinced they’re talking about down mid-layers. Every down jacket is basically the same: for between $150 and $400, you can get a lightweight nylon-and-down zip-up in one of four neutral colors. Some brands are cut slimmer and designed for athletic pursuits. Others are boxy and better for the campsite. But they’re all dead birds and a wisp of ripstop.

If it rains, the feathers collapse. If it doesn’t, you stay toasty.

Simple. Even… boring.

For a variety of reasons, I’m convinced down mid-layers (insulators, not full-bore parkas) are inescapably dull. So why am I writing about this baffled monochrome midlayer, the first true “down jacket” to be featured on this blog?

In fewer words, it got through to me.

Stio’s Pinion Down Pullover is a light down midlayer like all the rest. It weighs less than a pound. Its 800-fill feathers will keep you warm unless they get soaked. Wear it with a shell and a base layer to achieve nirvana. That’s about it.

While there’s not much depth to plumb here, there are clever features throughout that make the Pinion Pullover an excellent choice for city rats. First things first, the combination of Pertex Quantum ripstop on the face and Allied Feather’s HyperDRY technology on the feathers make the Pinion surprisingly weather-resistant for a light down jacket. I’ve worn mine dodging cold rain pop-ups in a New York winter and had no warmth issues past the typical post-rain cooldown.

Then, there’s the packability. All down jackets compress, as such, make great backpack adds. Pieces designed for a more hardcore target improve on this function by including some way to pack into themselves, either via stuff-sack or double-zip pocket. The Pinion handles this through a double-sided zipper in the kangaroo pocket. Final size when packed down is equivalent to a travel mug, making your sun’s down sweater rather tote-friendly. I found the whole self-pack process easy to do, and more importantly, incapable of losing.

Finally, there’s the cut. While Jackson Hole-based Stio tends to design for a more “core” user (read: hiking pants and the phrase “fresh pow”), they’ve inadvertently nailed a comfortably-urban boxy fit on the Pinion. While a tight fit may seem like the best way to keep cold out, the simple truth is that you’re more likely to overheat as you go about your daily life than the alternative. Space between layers provides much-needed ventilation that helps vapor escape. The trick is to balance breathing room with too much room, and I believe Stio’s done just that. True to the core audience design, I did have to size down from my typical US Men’s Large into a Medium to get the right fit here. But it really does work. This is a comfortable, practical, and weather-ready down piece.

And yeah. Ohhhh yeah. Ohhhhhhhhh yeah it’s got a half-zip.

While down pullovers may not be as common as full-zips, Stio is far from the only brand making one. Patagonia, Outdoor Research, Rab, and Montbell all make them as functionwear. Outdoors start-up Foehn makes a very nice one that leans more lifestyle. They’re a novelty in the grand scheme of things (do you actually want to rip shit over your head to stop a sweat-out?). They’re also rather handsome.

Without rehashing the entire anorak vs. full-zip argument, the sub-optimal performance is part of the charm. It speaks to a more homespun (and some would say sincere) vision of the outdoors, one that’s romantic instead of explicitly rational. I’m a believer that it’s this two-degrees-of-Walden understanding of the outdoors aesthetic - and not ze uber performance matte GORE-TEX strain - that’s carrying the “outdoors streetwear” scene today. Why else would corduroy Reebok sandals be as hot as they are?

The Pinion Pullover, by virtue of its pattern, marks you, the wearer, as on this #gorpedout wavelength - bonus points since it’s hardy enough to be worn as a proper outer layer (visibility!!!) and from a mountain town brand your friends probably haven’t heard of (clout!!!). Better still, an insistence on performance components makes it a capable performer. I’ve worn the Pinion Pullover cross-country skiing in 15° F weather. It worked great! Surprisingly great, even!

That said, I did have a few frustrations with this piece.

Chief among them: the lack of adjustment points at hem, hood, and cuff. In 2020, these are conspicuously absent. I get the weight saving argument that would lead to them not being included, but as much as I liked the Pinion’s overall cut and fit, I would’ve been happier adjusting it around use case.

My other itch with this piece is as niche as it gets. The kangaroo pocket is almost too deep. Because of the ways seam are laid out, there’s an abrupt broadness to the bottom of the pocket that you will find at the worst possible times. For example: trying to look cool putting your hands in and accidentally slipping into a man-check. A review getting oddly-specific and too image conscious for its own good? That’s the Coatchecking™ difference.

In summary, the Stio Pinion Down Pullover is a spot of difference in an undifferentiated category, and thanks to some clever design choices, one of the few down mid-layers I could recommend rocking as a top piece. I didn’t see anything here that blew me away. But maybe that’s more of a comment on down jackets than this one in particular.

At $260, it’s square in the middle of the “Pertex and 750+ fill” price range. If you’re looking for a down layer to help you shrug off the cold this winter, check out the Pinion Pullover. Either it or its full-zip cousin would make a fine add to your rotation.