Arcteryx Kappa Review

Along with Dually Belay, Fission SV and Nuclei SV; Kappa (Men's) is one of the warmest and most weather resistant synthetic insulated jackets Arc'teryx has ever manufactured. Being designed specifically for stationary use in damp areas, which is a pretty standard and common type of use, it's a shame that Arc'teryx never offered this absolute unit in women's counterpart. 

In summary; if you're looking for a warm, comfortable, casual jacket you can use many years during cold and damp city days, then Kappa can be a great option for you (don't expect any breathability or packability, though). My only complaint is that it's bulky. Wish it was offered in regular fit. 

Now let's take a closer look at it. 

Warmth

Kappa is equipped with 140 g/m² of Coreloft Continuous. Coreloft, and specifically Coreloft Continuous, is Arc'teryx's most common synthetic insulator. You can see a list of Arc'teryx's all insulated jackets, their insulators and the insulation amounts in this guide I've put together. 

• Insulation isn't the only factor that determines warmth (face fabric, fit, length etc also play a role though weaker) - though it's the most important one. So I'll limit the context here to the insulation. 

Considering the fact that insulation density of other jackets in the market and in Arc'teryx line up mostly hover around below 100 g/m², 140 g/m² of insulation puts Kappa quite a bit ahead in warmth department. 

Speaking of the performance of the insulator itself, Coreloft Continuous, it's almost impossible to determine its stance along other synthetic insulators like PrimaLoft and ThermaTek.

Though reverse engineering shows me that they aren't all that different from one another, as I explained in this post. 

Now how do all these play out in practice? 

Considering you only have a t-shirt under the Kappa, assuming little wind and casual use (no output), you'll most likely to wear it comfortably in temperatures over 7 deg F (-14 deg C). 

Weather Resistance

This is the other important selling point of the Kappa. Owing to its synthetic insulation, it doesn't lose its insulating power when it gets wet.

This is the most important advantage the synthetic jackets have over down jackets. 

Lastly, like most other Arc'teryx, Kappa also comes with a DWR coating on top. 

Packability

Like I said, Kappa isn't packable at all. You must have a very good reason to pack it when traveling. I wouldn't recommend doing it at all. 

If you're looking for something packable, then I'd recommend you to check out both Arc'teryx's Jacket Finder tool as well as my post on best Arc'teryx jackets. 

Breathability

Kappa isn't breathable. But I don't complain about this because breathability isn't something that Arc'teryx tried to achieve with this piece.

After all, Kappa isn't designed for high output activities anyway. 

Fit

My only complaint with this hoody is that it fits a little large. It feels somewhat bulky. Wish it came in a truly regular fit. 

Yeah, Arc'teryx does advertise the Kappa as regular fit, but as you can see, I don't find this to be entirely true. I'd place its fit somewhere between relaxed and regular fit. 

Conclusion

Kappa (Men's) can be a great option for you if you're looking to buy a warm jacket you can wear when it's freezing. 

Keep in mind that it's not designed for high output activities, and that it might not be warm enough under 7 deg F (-14 deg C) with only a t-shirt under if you're like most people!