
So this has been long time coming as you know guys...
Recently we've been reviewing synthetic insulated jackets of the best two brands in today's market a lot: Arcteryx and Patagonia.
Speaking of which, there AREN'T any other brands in this review.
Now there's one more thing I'd like to clarify before we get to it.
I get this question asked a lot:
So how warm is [insert jacket name here]?
You don't know how much pain in the B*TT it is to try and rate these jackets because of the vague and subjective nature of all these metrics such as warmth, style, etc.
That's why the "Read Review" links at the bottom of each jacket image will take you to a comparison review - instead of the standalone review of that jacket.
That said, by making tons of calculations, I finally was able to put together a chart as you can see below:
Approximate lowest temperatures you can wear each down jacket in the market without feeling uncomfortably cold are... 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. These are only approximate values assuming: If you think you run warmer or colder than the average person, then shift temperature ranges accordingly.
Name Est. Temp (F/C) Insulation Material Insulation Amount Review Arc'teryx Alpha Parka (Men's - Women's) -17/-27 Down N/A N/A No M Feathered Friends Khumbu (Men's) -17/-27 Down N/A N/A No M Arc'teryx Ceres SV (Men's - Women's) -15/-26 Down N/A N/A Review Yes M Mountain Equipment K7 (Men's - Women's) -13/-25 Down N/A N/A No M Rab Positron Pro (Men's - Women's) -13/-25 Down N/A N/A No M W Patagonia Grade VII (Men's) -11/-24 Down N/A N/A No M Arc'teryx Firebee AR (Men's - Women's) -10/-23 Down N/A N/A Review Yes M W Mountain Equipment Exo (Men's) -10/-23 Down N/A N/A No M Arc'teryx Thorsen (Men's) -7/-22 ParkaD N/A N/A Review No M Patagonia Frozen Range (Men's - Women's) -6/-21 ParkaD N/A N/A Review No M W Arc'teryx Centrale (Women's) -5/-20 ParkaD N/A N/A Review No W Rab Neutrino Pro (Men's - Women's) -2/-19 Down N/A N/A No M W Arc'teryx Therme (Men's) -2/-19 ParkaD N/A N/A Review No M Arc'teryx Dually Belay (Men's) 0/-18 Synthetic ThermaTek 92 g/m² Review Yes M Arc'teryx Camosun (Men's) 0/-18 ParkaD N/A N/A Review No M Arc'teryx Piedmont (Men's) 2/-17 ParkaD N/A N/A No M Arc'teryx Fission SV (Men's - Women's) 3/-16 Synthetic Coreloft Continuous 90 + 65 g Review No M Outdoor Research Super Alpine (Men's - Women's) 3/-16 Down N/A N/A No M W Patagonia Tres 3-in-1 (Men's - Women's) 3/-16 ParkaD N/A N/A Review No M W Arc'teryx Radsten (Men's) 3/-16 ParkaS Coreloft Compact 120 g/m² No M Patagonia Fitz Roy (Men's - Women's) 3/-16 Down N/A N/A No M W Rab Electron Pro (Men's - Women's) 5/-15 Down N/A N/A No M W Arc'teryx Macai (Men's 5/-15 Down N/A N/A Review No M W Arc'teryx Nuclei SV Parka (Men's - Women's) 5/-15 Synthetic Coreloft Continuous 190 g/m2 + 90 g/m2 No M W Patagonia DAS Parka (Men's - Women's) 5/-15 ParkaS PrimaLoft Gold Insulation Eco 133 + 40 g No M W Arc'teryx Patera (Women's) 5/-15 ParkaD N/A N/A Review No W Arc'teryx Cerium SV (Men's - Women's) 7/-14 Down N/A N/A Review Yes M W Black Diamond Access Down (Men's - Women's) 7/-14 Down N/A N/A No M W Arc'teryx Kappa (Men's - Women's) 7/-14 Synthetic Coreloft Continuous 140 g/m² Review Yes M Arc'teryx Prema (Women's) 7/-14 ParkaD No W Arc'teryx Radsten Insulated Men's) 7/-14 ParkaS Coreloft Compact 120 g/m² No M Rab Microlight Alpine (Men's - Women's) 7/-14 Down N/A N/A No M W Patagonia Macro Puff (Men's - Women's) 8/-13 Synthetic PlumaFill 135 + 90 g Review No M W Feathered Friends Eos (Men's - Women's) 8/-13 Down N/A N/A No M W Arc'teryx Macai LT (Men's) 8/-13 Down N/A N/A No M Arc'teryx Seyla (Women's) 8/-13 ParkaD No W Arc'teryx Koda (Men's) 8/-13 ParkaS Coreloft 200 g/m² No M Arc'teryx Thorium AR (Men's - Women's) 8/-13 Down N/A N/A Review No M W Arc'teryx Kole (Men's - Women's) 10/-12 ParkaD No W Patagonia Vosque 3-in-1 (Women's) 10/-12 ParkaS ThermoLite 100 g Review No W Arc'teryx Alpha IS (Men's - Women's) 12/-11 Synthetic Coreloft Continuous 65 g/m² Yes M Patagonia Jackson Glacier (Men's - Women's) 12/-11 ParkaD N/A N/A Review No M W Arc'teryx Sensa (Women's) 14/-10 ParkaS Coreloft Compact 120 g/m² No W Patagonia Hi Loft Down (Men's - Women's ) 14/-10 Down N/A N/A Review No M REI Magma 850 Hoodie 2.0 (Men's - Women's) 14/-10 Down N/A N/A No M W Arc'teryx Atom AR (Men's - Women's) 18/-8 Synthetic Coreloft Continuous 120 g/m2 + 80 g/m2 + 60 g/m2 Review No M W Patagonia Downdrift (Men's - Women's) 18/-8 Down N/A N/A No M W Patagonia Down Sweater (Men's - Women's) 19/-7 Down N/A N/A Review No M W Arc'teryx Magnus (Men's) 19/-7 ParkaS Coreloft 80 g No M Arc'teryx Agrium (Men's - Women's) 21/-6 Down N/A N/A No M W Patagonia AlpLight Down (Men's - Women's) 21/-6 Down N/A N/A No M W Patagonia Topley (Men's) 23/-5 Down N/A N/A No M Rab Xenon 2.0 (Men's - Women's) 23/-5 Synthetic PrimaLoft Silver 60 g No M W Patagonia Silent Down (Men's - Women's) 26/-3 Down N/A N/A Review No M W Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisp/2 (Men's - Women's) 28/-2 Down N/A N/A No M W Arc'teryx Cerium LT (Men's - Women's) 28/-2 Down N/A N/A Review No M W Arc'teryx Nuclei FL (Men's - Women's) 32/0 Synthetic Coreloft Continuous 65 g/m² Review No M W Patagonia City Storm Down (Men's) 32/0 ParkaD N/A N/A No M Arc'teryx Atom LT (Men's - Women's) 36/2 Synthetic Coreloft Continuous 60 g/m² Review No M W Patagonia Micro Puff (Men's - Women's) 36/2 Synthetic PlumaFill 65 g Review No M W Patagonia Isthmus (Men's 36/2 ParkaS ThermoGreen 60 g No M Arc'teryx Proton LT (Men's - Women's) 37/3 Synthetic Coreloft Compact 80 g/m2 + 60 g/m2 Review No M W Patagonia Nano Puff (Men's - Women's) 37/3 Synthetic PrimaLoft Gold Insulation Eco 60 g Review No M W Arc'teryx Norvan SL Ins. (Men's - Women's) 39/4 Synthetic Coreloft Compact 40 g/m² Yes M W Patagonia Nano Air (Men's - Women's) 41/5 Synthetic FullRange 60 g Review No M W Arc'teryx Cerium SL (Men's - Women's) 43/6 Down N/A N/A Review No M W Arc'teryx Proton FL (Men's - Women's) 48/9 Synthetic Octa Loft 98 g/m² Review No M W Arc'teryx Atom SL (Men's - Women's) 52/11 Synthetic Coreloft Compact 40 g/m² Review Yes M W The North Face Summit Down (Men's - Women's) Testing Down N/A N/A No M W Mountain Equipment Lightline Echo (Men's) Testing Down N/A N/A No M Mountain Equipment Kryos (Men's - Women's) Testing Down N/A N/A No M W Mountain Equipment Xeros (Men's - Women's) Testing Down N/A N/A No M Arc'teryx Andra LT IS (Women's) Testing ParkaS Coreloft 60 g/m² No W Arc'teryx Phoria IS (Women's) Testing ParkaS Coreloft 100 g/m² No W Feathered Friends Helios (Men's) Testing Down N/A N/A No M Feathered Friends Volant (Men's) Testing Down N/A N/A No M Rab Axion Pro (Men's - Women's) Testing Down N/A N/A No M W Feathered Friends Rock & Ice (Men's) Testing Down N/A N/A No M Rab Valiance (Men's - Women's) Testing Down N/A N/A No M W Rab Expedition 8000 (Men's) Testing Down N/A N/A No M Rab Zero G (Men's) Testing Down N/A N/A No M Rab Generator Alpine (Men's) Testing Synthetic PrimaLoft Gold 133 g/m2 + 80 g/m2 No M UBR Regulator Parka II (Men's) Testing ParkaS PrimaLoft Innovation 120 g No M Helly Hansen LifaLoft (Men's - Women's) Testing Synthetic LifaLoft 100 g No M Mammut Eigerjoch (Men's - Women's) Testing Synthetic Polartec Alpha Direct 95 g No M W Helly Hansen Lumines (Men's - Women's) Unknown Synthetic PrimaLoft ??? No M Haglofs V Series Mimic (Men's - Women's) Unknown Synthetic Mimic Platinum Ultracluster Graphene ??? No M W Black Diamond First Light (Men's - Women's) Unknown Synthetic PrimaLoft Silver Active 60 g No M W
I hope it's a little bit more clear for you now.
Below is the comparison chart for synthetic insulated jackets. These aren't my subjective ideas about these jackets, and rather, they're objective results applicable to all the users.
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MSRP | 299 USD | 299 USD | 299 USD | 259 USD | 299 USD | 279 USD |
Current list price | ||||||
Overall Score | ||||||
Arcteryx Proton LT Hoody | Patagonia Nano Air Hoody | Arcteryx Atom AR Hoody | Arcteryx Atom LT Hoody | Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody | Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody | |
Bottom line | Best choice for those who'll be using the jacket both in the town & during high output activities | Best one if you'll be using it for high output activities only | Most durable, most water resistant and warmest but not suitable for high output activities at all | Top alternative to Proton LT | Best for travel as it packs into its own super tiny pocket and is ultralight | Can be a more handsome alternative to Micro Puff |
Arcteryx Proton LT Hoody | Patagonia Nano Air Hoody | Arcteryx Atom AR Hoody | Arcteryx Atom LT Hoody | Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody | Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody | |
Warmth Comfort Weather & Abrasion Resistance Breathability Style | ||||||
Arcteryx Proton LT Hoody | Patagonia Nano Air Hoody | Arcteryx Atom AR Hoody | Arcteryx Atom LT Hoody | Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody | Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody | |
Weight | 375 g (13.2 oz) | 346 g (12.2 oz) | 470 g (16.6 oz) | 415 g (14.6 oz) | 264 g (9.3 oz) | 363 g (12.8 oz) |
Insulation Materials | 65g Coreloft Continuous | 60g FullRange insulation | Coreloft: 120 g/m2 body, 80 g/m2 underarms, 60 g/m2 hood | 60 g/m2 Coreloft | 65 g PlumaFill | 60 g PrimaLoft Gold |
Arcteryx Proton LT Hoody | Patagonia Nano Air Hoody | Arcteryx Atom AR Hoody | Arcteryx Atom LT Hoody | Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody | Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody | |
Face Fabric | Fortius Air 20 | 33D Nylon Ripstop | 30D Tyono | 20D Tyono | Perfex Quantum | 22D polyester |
Cell | #Note: All face fabrics are DWR (durable water repellent) applied. 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. |
If you're planning to wear your jacket only casually out in the town, and you'd rather prefer wearing a stylish parka rather than a more sport looking synthetic insulated jacket, then you might better checking out this post of mine.