- FYI, REI is currently on sale.
- This Patagonia P-6 t-shirt, for example, is currently 40% off. To reveal all the discounts (clothing & all others), click here: rei.com/f/scd-deals
Centrale and Patera are Arc'teryx's first and second warmest parkas. They're both designed for walking around town when it's freezing out (line 24). They're NOT for high output activities.
Before even we get to their comparison in terms of technical performances, probably the most important thing you should know is that the Patera comes with a chronic zipper issue.
- October 2022: DropHood vs StormHood: Pros/cons and best uses
- September 2022: Reviewing Arc'teryx Fall Winter 22/23 Gear
- August 2022: 5 things all Arc'teryx newbies should know
- July 2022: Explained, compared & plotted: CLO values of insulated jackets
- #A sidenote here: Arcteryx.com's PDF guide to their jackets is GOOOLLDDD. Highly recommend you to check it out before you buy.
The updates:
- Updated style lines for a slightly more relaxed, straighter fit,
- Incorporation of a two-way WaterTight™ Vislon zipper with a snap placket,
- And utilizing synthetic insulation in the hood and neck gasket.
Patera.
The problem is that it doesn't slide as smooth as you'd like. It gets stuck half way down, and honestly becomes really annoying after a certain point.
Arc'teryx DID address to this matter with a revision - although they seemingly failed. Some users continue complaining about it.
This might not be a deal-breaker for some of you but it certainly is something to consider. Worst case scenario you return the unused parka (don't forget to double check the return policy of the seller though).
Warmth
Both the Centrale and Patera are equipped with 750 fill power European goose down. This is top-notch quality - meaning that it offers very high warmth to weight ratio and will last decades without losing its insulating power.
- Some of the Arc pieces you see in this post might be discontinued, and hence might be unavailable at arcteryx.com.
- If that's the case, then I'd recommend you to check out this page at REI. You might be able to find them there.
- Patera (2019-2020 model) only has 59 grams of down.
- Centrale (2019-2020 model), on the other hand, comes with a whooping 157 GRAMS OF DOWN - and hence is substantially warmer than the Patera.
Here's the source:
The specs of Centrale specifies 176 grams and not 157 grams - but my guess is that it's due to the size differences. Either way, the difference is ENORMOUS, and the Centrale will come much warmer than the Patera.
In addition to down, they're also equipped with synthetic insulation in strategic locations (NOT throughout the entire jacket) in order to compensate the downsides of down insulation (poor wet weather performance & relatively fragile face fabric - read more about it here in this post of mine).
As a result...
| Name | Est. Temp (F/C) | Insulation | Review | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arc'teryx Alpha Parka (Men's - Women's) | -17/-27 | Down | Down | No | M | |
| Feathered Friends Khumbu (Men's) | -17/-27 | Down | Down | No | M | |
| Arc'teryx Ceres SV (Men's - Women's) | -15/-26 | Down | Down | Review | Yes | M |
| Mountain Equipment K7 (Men's - Women's) | -13/-25 | Down | Down | No | M | |
| Rab Positron Pro (Men's - Women's) | -13/-25 | Down | Down | No | M W | |
| Patagonia Grade VII (Men's) | -11/-24 | Down | Down | No | M | |
| Arc'teryx Firebee AR (Men's - Women's) | -10/-23 | Down | Down | Review | Yes | M W |
| Mountain Equipment Exo (Men's) | -10/-23 | Down | Down | No | M | |
| Arc'teryx Thorsen (Men's) | -7/-22 | Down | ParkaD | Review | No | M |
| Patagonia Frozen Range (Men's - Women's) | -6/-21 | Down | ParkaD | Review | No | M W |
| Arc'teryx Centrale (Women's) | -5/-20 | Down | ParkaD | Review | No | W |
| Rab Neutrino Pro (Men's - Women's) | -2/-19 | Down | Down | No | M W | |
| Arc'teryx Therme (Men's) | -2/-19 | Down | ParkaD | Review | No | M |
| Arc'teryx Dually Belay (Men's) | 0/-18 | Synthetic | Synthetic | Review | Yes | M |
| Arc'teryx Camosun (Men's) | 0/-18 | Down | ParkaD | Review | No | M |
| Arc'teryx Piedmont (Men's) | 2/-17 | Down | ParkaD | No | M | |
| Arc'teryx Fission SV (Men's - Women's) | 3/-16 | Synthetic | Synthetic | Review | No | M |
| Outdoor Research Super Alpine (Men's - Women's) | 3/-16 | Down | Down | No | M W | |
| Patagonia Tres 3-in-1 (Men's - Women's) | 3/-16 | Down | ParkaD | Review | No | M W |
| Arc'teryx Radsten (Men's) | 3/-16 | Synthetic | ParkaS | No | M | |
| Patagonia Fitz Roy (Men's - Women's) | 3/-16 | Down | Down | No | M W | |
| Rab Electron Pro (Men's - Women's) | 5/-15 | Down | Down | No | M W | |
| Arc'teryx Macai (Men's | 5/-15 | Down | Down | Review | No | M W |
| Arc'teryx Nuclei SV Parka (Men's - Women's) | 5/-15 | Synthetic | Synthetic | No | M W | |
| Patagonia DAS Parka (Men's - Women's) | 5/-15 | Synthetic | ParkaS | No | M W | |
| Arc'teryx Patera (Women's) | 5/-15 | Down | ParkaD | Review | No | W |
| Arc'teryx Cerium SV (Men's - Women's) | 7/-14 | Down | Down | Review | Yes | M W |
| Black Diamond Access Down (Men's - Women's) | 7/-14 | Down | Down | No | M W | |
| Arc'teryx Kappa (Men's - Women's) | 7/-14 | Synthetic | Synthetic | Review | Yes | M |
| Arc'teryx Prema (Women's) | 7/-14 | Down | ParkaD | No | W | |
| Arc'teryx Radsten Insulated Men's) | 7/-14 | Synthetic | ParkaS | No | M | |
| Rab Microlight Alpine (Men's - Women's) | 7/-14 | Down | Down | No | M W | |
| Patagonia Macro Puff (Men's - Women's) | 8/-13 | Synthetic | Synthetic | Review | No | M W |
| Feathered Friends Eos (Men's - Women's) | 8/-13 | Down | Down | No | M W | |
| Arc'teryx Macai LT (Men's) | 8/-13 | Down | Down | No | M | |
| Arc'teryx Seyla (Women's) | 8/-13 | Down | ParkaD | No | W | |
| Arc'teryx Koda (Men's) | 8/-13 | Synthetic | ParkaS | No | M | |
| Arc'teryx Thorium AR (Men's - Women's) | 8/-13 | Down | Down | Review | No | M W |
| Arc'teryx Kole (Men's - Women's) | 10/-12 | Down | ParkaD | No | W | |
| Patagonia Vosque 3-in-1 (Women's) | 10/-12 | Synthetic | ParkaS | Review | No | W |
| Arc'teryx Alpha IS (Men's - Women's) | 12/-11 | Synthetic | Synthetic | Yes | M | |
| Patagonia Jackson Glacier (Men's - Women's) | 12/-11 | Down | ParkaD | Review | No | M W |
| Arc'teryx Sensa (Women's) | 14/-10 | Synthetic | ParkaS | No | W | |
| Patagonia Hi Loft Down (Men's - Women's ) | 14/-10 | Down | Down | Review | No | M |
| REI Magma 850 Hoodie 2.0 (Men's - Women's) | 14/-10 | Down | Down | No | M W | |
| Arc'teryx Atom AR (Men's - Women's) | 18/-8 | Synthetic | Synthetic | Review | No | M W |
| Patagonia Downdrift (Men's - Women's) | 18/-8 | Down | Down | No | M W | |
| Patagonia Down Sweater (Men's - Women's) | 19/-7 | Down | Down | Review | No | M W |
| Arc'teryx Magnus (Men's) | 19/-7 | Synthetic | ParkaS | No | M | |
| Arc'teryx Agrium (Men's - Women's) | 21/-6 | Down | Down | No | M W | |
| Patagonia AlpLight Down (Men's - Women's) | 21/-6 | Down | Down | No | M W | |
| Patagonia Topley (Men's) | 23/-5 | Down | Down | No | M | |
| Rab Xenon 2.0 (Men's - Women's) | 23/-5 | Synthetic | Synthetic | No | M W | |
| Patagonia Silent Down (Men's - Women's) | 26/-3 | Down | Down | Review | No | M W |
| Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisp/2 (Men's - Women's) | 28/-2 | Down | Down | No | M W | |
| Arc'teryx Cerium LT (Men's - Women's) | 28/-2 | Down | Down | Review | No | M W |
| Arc'teryx Nuclei FL (Men's - Women's) | 32/0 | Synthetic | Synthetic | Review | No | M W |
| Patagonia City Storm Down (Men's) | 32/0 | Down | ParkaD | No | M | |
| Arc'teryx Atom LT (Men's - Women's) | 36/2 | Synthetic | Synthetic | Review | No | M W |
| Patagonia Micro Puff (Men's - Women's) | 36/2 | Synthetic | Synthetic | Review | No | M W |
| Patagonia Isthmus (Men's | 36/2 | Synthetic | ParkaS | No | M | |
| Arc'teryx Proton LT (Men's - Women's) | 37/3 | Synthetic | Synthetic | Review | No | M W |
| Patagonia Nano Puff (Men's - Women's) | 37/3 | Synthetic | Synthetic | Review | No | M W |
| Arc'teryx Norvan SL Ins. (Men's - Women's) | 39/4 | Synthetic | Synthetic | Yes | M W | |
| Patagonia Nano Air (Men's - Women's) | 41/5 | Synthetic | Synthetic | Review | No | M W |
| Arc'teryx Cerium SL (Men's - Women's) | 43/6 | Down | Down | Review | No | M W |
| Arc'teryx Proton FL (Men's - Women's) | 48/9 | Synthetic | Synthetic | Review | No | M W |
| Arc'teryx Atom SL (Men's - Women's) | 52/11 | Synthetic | Synthetic | Review | Yes | M W |
| The North Face Summit Down (Men's - Women's) | Testing | Down | Down | No | M W | |
| Mountain Equipment Lightline Echo (Men's) | Testing | Down | Down | No | M | |
| Mountain Equipment Kryos (Men's - Women's) | Testing | Down | Down | No | M W | |
| Mountain Equipment Xeros (Men's - Women's) | Testing | Down | Down | No | M | |
| Arc'teryx Andra LT IS (Women's) | Testing | Synthetic | ParkaS | No | W | |
| Arc'teryx Phoria IS (Women's) | Testing | Synthetic | ParkaS | No | W | |
| Feathered Friends Helios (Men's) | Testing | Down | Down | No | M | |
| Feathered Friends Volant (Men's) | Testing | Down | Down | No | M | |
| Rab Axion Pro (Men's - Women's) | Testing | Down | Down | No | M W | |
| Feathered Friends Rock & Ice (Men's) | Testing | Down | Down | No | M | |
| Rab Valiance (Men's - Women's) | Testing | Down | Down | No | M W | |
| Rab Expedition 8000 (Men's) | Testing | Down | Down | No | M | |
| Rab Zero G (Men's) | Testing | Down | Down | No | M | |
| Rab Generator Alpine (Men's) | Testing | Synthetic | Synthetic | No | M | |
| UBR Regulator Parka II (Men's) | Testing | Synthetic | ParkaS | No | M | |
| Helly Hansen LifaLoft (Men's - Women's) | Testing | Synthetic | Synthetic | No | M | |
| Mammut Eigerjoch (Men's - Women's) | Testing | Synthetic | Synthetic | No | M W | |
| Helly Hansen Lumines (Men's - Women's) | Unknown | Synthetic | Synthetic | No | M | |
| Haglofs V Series Mimic (Men's - Women's) | Unknown | Synthetic | Synthetic | No | M W | |
| Black Diamond First Light (Men's - Women's) | Unknown | Synthetic | Synthetic | No | M W |
If you're confused now and don't know which jacket best corresponds to your own needs, then follow the advice given below:
The temperature ratings in this list represent the lowest temperatures you can wear each jacket without feeling uncomfortably cold.
Keep in mind that these are only approximate values, assuming:
- worn over a shirt only and no shell over,
- during daily use (strolls, power walks etc at most - no high output activities),
- with light wind,
- and when it's dry out.
These values applicable to your torso only. Your hands, legs and feet are still subject to their own additional insulation.
The best practice is usually to use this table for comparing each jacket to one another, rather than pinpointing their ratings.
Also, ratings will best respond to males. As most women tend to run colder than men, for women, shifting these ratings a bit is recommended.
Lastly, always opt for the warmer option when in doubt.
I'd say, generally speaking, when it's dry out, with only a long sleeved shirt under and without a shell on top, with a mild wind and a very low to no activity level...
Centrale.
The approximate lowest temperatures an average person can wear these jackets without feeling cold can be listed as:
5 deg F (-15 deg C) for Patera and -5 deg F (-20 deg C) for Centrale.
If you think you run warmer or colder than the average person, mentally shift these temperatures accordingly.
In other words, Patera would just be enough for Boston winters. Anything colder than that and I'd recommend the Centrale.
Other than warmth, Centrale is also superior to Patera in the durability department since it's equipped with a higher amount of down and hence lasts for decades.
In terms of weather resistance they perform the same. They're water resistant (DWR coated), although not waterproof.
DWR is a coating.
It's basically sprayed on to the surface of these jackets as a finish. It stands for Durable Water Repellent - which means that water will be repelled under wet conditions instead of soaking into the fabric.
DWR also decreases dry time.
It's a good thing these jackets are coated in DWR, but pay attention to the fact that DWR is a coating - meaning that it will wear off over time.
Which is why you might want to invest in a DWR spray such as this one for after treatment.
As you see, there's a strong correlation between FP x FW and temperature ratings, but not more than, say, 80%. I explained why this happens here in this post of mine.
Cut and Fit
Centrale is puffier outwards and also offers a baggier cut than the Patera.
Check out Arc'teryx's sizing chart for women here.
I hope this post was helpful for you to learn more about the jacket(s) in your mind.
Feel free to ask me any questions or provide feedback and I'll be happy to respond in the comment section below.
Guide: Insulated & Shell Jackets
Start here:
Complete list:
Also see:
Thank you for reading!
Thanks for all your detailed explanations! I’ve loved getting a better understanding of products through your site!
One question about this post: I think both the Patera and Centrale both have Goretex outers, right? So they are waterproof, not just DWR. I’ve heard the zippers aren’t waterproof though.
Glad it was helpful for you Megan!
Waterproofing isn’t black and white. Yes, these jackets are water resistant, but not waterproof. Given the decent amount of water and time, both will soak water – just like any other clothing material out there in the entire market. There is no 100% waterproof jacket out there.
But yes, Patera and Centrale are both highly water resistant jackets.