How To Repair A Baffle On A Patagonia Down Jacket

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Introduction

The feathers in a down jacket need to be held in place or else they’ll all slide to the bottom of the jacket, leaving your upper torso and shoulders without insulation. The easiest method to prevent this is simply sewing the jacket’s outer and inner fabrics together with seams to keep the feathers from shifting about. While this type of construction solves the problem of feather migration, the seams and corresponding holes in the fabric allow moisture and cold air to penetrate the jacket, decreasing the down’s insulating efficiency. Many Patagonia jackets incorporate internal baffles to keep the down from shifting. The baffle acts like a shelf inside your jacket to hold the down insulation while eliminating the need for seams that pierce both the internal and external fabric. While this is a more complicated construction method, the performance of the finished jacket is greatly improved. This guide shows you how to repair a non-lined portion of your jacket. If you’re not sure whether or not you jacket is lined, or you have a lined jacket, complete our How to Access the Insides of a Patagonia Down Jacket Guide before you follow the steps in this guide.

For replacement parts or further assistance, contact Patagonia Customer Service.

What you need

Video Overview

Down jacket baffle repair overview.

Step 1 How To Repair A Baffle On A Patagonia Down Jacket

How To Repair A Baffle On A Patagonia Down Jacket, How To Repair A Baffle On A Patagonia Down Jacket: step 1, image 1 of 1

Locate the hole in your down jacket. In order to prevent all the feathers from escaping through the hole, you'll have to replace the entire baffle.

Step 2

Cut a small oval of Tenacious Tape large enough cover the hole.

Step 3

How To Repair A Baffle On A Patagonia Down Jacket: step 3, image 3 of 3

Peel the backing off the tape, and apply it to the hole.

Step 4

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Use a seam ripper to rip the seam at the end of baffle that needs a repair. In this case, the nearest seam is along the sleeve.
Rip a large segment of the seam, so that the jacket is comfortable to work with.

Step 5

How To Repair A Baffle On A Patagonia Down Jacket: step 5, image 3 of 3

Turn the jacket inside out.
Measure the width of the baffle you're working on. In this case, each baffle looks like it is two inches wide.
We are replacing two baffles, so we will need just over four inches of fabric to patch.
Measure the length of the baffle (along the baffle seam). In our case, the baffle length is nine inches, and since our repair is in the sleeve, we will double this to eighteen inches for the length of our scrap.

Step 6

Get a scrap of matching fabric to patch the baffle. Make sure you have enough fabric to cover the area you measured in the previous step, with an inch or two extra in each direction.
We are using a piece of fabric that is slightly lighter than our jacket, so you can easily identify which areas we are working on.
Fold one of the long edges of the fabric over so that it is straight.

Step 7

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Iron the fold into place.

Step 8

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Align the folded edge of the scrap along the outermost seam on the baffle you want to replace.
Be sure the rough, folded-over fabric is between the baffle with the hole and the new scrap of fabric.
Align the folded edge of the baffle with the seam, and pin it into place.

Step 9

How To Repair A Baffle On A Patagonia Down Jacket: step 9, image 3 of 3

Set the pinned piece into the sewing machine.
Be sure to use the smallest needle you can find to patch this baffle. This will keep the new stitch from looking too prominent and help prevent the down from escaping through the new stitching holes.
Sew directly over the old baffle seam. You will be sewing very close to the edge of the fold, just catching the fabric.
If you’re working on a sleeve, make sure you only have one layer of the sleeve and that you’re not sewing the entire sleeve shut.
Go slowly, and guide the folded edge of the fabric directly over the old baffle seam. You may have to realign the folded edge of the fabric as you go—that's okay.

Step 10

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While you're sewing, be sure to hold the bias tape (which covered the seam edge) out of the way so that it doesn't get caught in the seam.
Continue to carefully sew the fold into place.
The fabric is very slippery, so be careful and take your time. Judge the seam to your liking.
When you come to the end of the seam, backstitch to keep your thread in place.

Step 11

How To Repair A Baffle On A Patagonia Down Jacket: step 11, image 3 of 3

We are working with three baffle seams in total. You've already sewn one at the outer edge. Skipping the baffle seam in the middle, pin the second fold into place on the seam at the other outer edge.
Sew the second seam as you did the first.

Step 12

Continue sewing.
When you are finished, your jacket should look like the second image.

Step 13

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Turn the jacket right-side out again so you can see the original baffle stitching.
Be sure to flip the bias tape out of the inside of the seam so it doesn't get caught as you continue to sew.
Align your presser foot on top of the untouched, middle seam (between the two seams you've already sewed).

Step 14

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Sew directly over the original middle baffle stitching between the two seams you just made.
Be sure to hold the bias tape out of the way.

Step 15

Trim off the excess fabric.

Step 16

How To Repair A Baffle On A Patagonia Down Jacket: step 16, image 3 of 3

For our repair of the sleeve, we need to realign the sleeve seam that we ripped.
Pull the bias tape out of the way.
Sew the sleeve seam closed, backstitching at the beginning and end of the seam.