The PAKA Mayu is a lightweight cold weather puffy jacket that provides excellent warmth with the company’s award-winning PAKAFILL insulation.
Overview: PAKA Mayu
MSRP: $249
Shell Fabric: Water- and wind-resistant recycled nylon
Insulation: PAKAFILL
Weight: 9.2 ounces for a men’s medium; 8.8 ounces for a women’s medium
About the PAKA Mayu
PAKA continues adding to its collection of alpaca garments with the Mayu, an insulated puffy jacket that uses PAKAFILL, an alpaca-polyester blend, as insulation for the ultralight nylon shell coat.
The coat—9.2 ounces for a men’s medium—rides light on my back, while the shell resists wind and water. I’ve worn it in 20F temperatures with only a midweight base layer underneath and in above freezing temperatures with only a short-sleeve shirt. I wore it snowshoeing at 27F with a short-sleeve crew underneath and had to put on a lighter outer layer because I got too hot.
The warmth to weight ratio is high, with the Mayu providing more warmth than I expected for such a thin, lightweight coat.
PAKA rates the Mayu for temperatures ranging from 30 F to 65F. I think I would be very warm if I wore the Mayu in 60F temperatures.
The shell resists water and the PAKAFILL insulation inside provides warmth even if it gets wet, unlike down, which loses its insulating properties when wet. And the alpaca insulation is anti-bacterial and odor-resistant, features that make alpaca products popular.
The shell and lining are made from recycled nylon and do not include any intentionally added PFAS, often called “forever chemicals” because of their persistence in the environment and human body.
The kissing welt zipper has padded enclosures at the top to cushion the zipper at the neck, and a small storm flap runs inside the zipper from top to bottom to keep out cold air, especially on windy days. I appreciate the cushioned fabric (sometimes called a zipper garage) that envelopes the zipper when the coat is snug against my neck in cold weather.
Stretchy cuffs keep the sleeves close to my wrists, and expand enough to slip a thin pair of liner gloves underneath.
And on really cold days when the wind is blowing a cord pulls the hem close to my body, further sealing the coat.
The two outer zip pockets have room for lightweight gloves and hat, snacks, or my phone. An inner zip pocket has room for more small gear like lip balm and my phone.
And the coat can stuff inside the inner pocket, making it compact for carrying inside a pack. The coat stuffed into the pocket can also be a pillow at night inside my sleeping bag.
About the PAKAFILL Insulation
PAKAFILL insulation, which won an Outdoor Retailer Innovation Award in 2023, is made of 50 percent alpaca and 50 percent recycled polyester. The polyester, when blended with alpaca fibers, creates a sort of “scaffold” that gives the insulation a structure and increases durability.
Alpaca’s hollow fibers create natural insulation, trapping body heat inside the coat while keeping cold air out.
Those hollow alpaca fibers help thermoregulate my body by keeping it at a consistent temperature whether the surrounding air is hot or cold.
The IDFL Laboratory and Institute, which tests textiles, natural filling, and synthetic filling materials, gives PAKAFILL a 2.59 thermal CLO value, which means the insulation provides warmth below freezing.
Alpaca fibers are naturally hydrophobic and repel water while wicking moisture—whether it’s rain or snow—away from the skin, the properties that make alpaca anti-bacterial and odor-resistant.
PAKA says the alpaca fiber is fully traceable back to the farms in the Andes where it is sourced.
Good to Know
What’s in a Name: Among the Andean highland natives living from Ecuador to Bolivia, Mayu means river, reflecting the coat’s purpose to flow lightly, adapt to nature, and keep moving.
Andean Heritage: PAKA honors the heritage of the Peruvian farmers and artisans who work for the company with small touches on each garment. The Mayu zipper pull is a small Chakana (a Peruvian cultural symbol) and an Inca-inspired pattern is imprinted on one of the coat’s sleeves.
Cleaning the Mayu: PAKA recommends turning the Mayu inside out to wash, using cold water and a washing machine’s delicate cycle. Lay flat to dry.
Options: The Mayu is available as a vest.
Colors: Burgundy, black, fossil
Sizes: Small to XXL for a men’s coat, XS to XXL for a women’s coat. PAKA has a size chart here.
The PAKA Story
PAKA’s origins date from 2015 when company founder Kris Cody bought a locally made alpaca sweater while traveling in Peru. Impressed by the use of alpaca in clothing, he began raising money to start PAKA, and in 2017 the company began selling the made-in-Peru Hoodie, an alpaca sweater that’s just as comfortable and warm on the trail as at home. The company has gone on to add thermal under layers, socks, jackets and hoodies.
Since that start PAKA has returned 1 percent of its annual revenues to the Peruvian communities that produce PAKA’s clothing.
In its 2025 impact report, PAKA says it supports 300-plus Quechua women who weave the garments and more than 7,300 Alpaquero—alpaca farmers—and their families.
PAKA also partnered with the nonprofit Peruvian Hearts to create the PAKA Scholars initiative, which provided full university scholarships for 15 Peruvian young women in 2025.
On another level the PAKA Entrepreneurial Fund supports scholars who dream of starting their own businesses, contributing to local economic growth and community development.
PAKA Mayu Pros
Lightweight: At 9.2 ounces for a men’s medium, the Mayu’s weight rivals other big name synthetic puffy jackets.
Warmth: Extremely warm for its weight, and comfortable below freezing with a warm base layer underneath.
Wind Resistance: Mayu’s shell cuts a cold wind.
Pockets: The two outside and one inside pocket provide plenty of storage space.
Sustainable: PAKA’s alpaca fibers can be traced back to the farms where they originated.
PAKA Mayu Cons
No Hood: The Mayu is not available with a hood, and it would be nice to have the choice
Overall Value
The PAKA Mayu is a warm, lightweight coat that’s as fashionable while walking around town as it is comfortable in the mountains. My first look at the thin layers of PAKAFILL insulation and the coat’s light weight led me to doubt its warmth. I was wrong. The coat is amazingly warm for its weight, and a medium coat on my 5-foot, 10-inch frame has enough room underneath to add a mid- or heavyweight base layer for temperatures in the 20s and below. The $249 price puts the Mayu at the lower end of similar puffy coats.
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This product was donated for purpose of review.