Y'all know this is just my opinion... right?
Summary
The Arc'teryx Atom (aka LT) and Arc'teryx Cerium (aka LT) jackets are directed toward completely different uses.
The Atom is a synthetic insulated jacket. It breathes a lot through its side fleece panels. This makes it a perfect pick for high-output activities.
The Cerium, on the other hand, is a down jacket. It's noticeably warmer and much lighter. It's perfect for casual use. But it doesn't breathe at all.
One of the most important factors you should consider when it comes to Atom vs Cerium is that the Cerium doesn't resist precipitation at all. Keep in mind that the insulating power of down is completely lost once it becomes wet.
This is why I recommend the Cerium Jacket (hoodless) and the Atom Hoody. I'll explain why in a moment ...
In summary, the only scenario where the Cerium would be a better item is casual use in cold, dry areas. For any other uses I'd go with the Atom.
Cerium vs Atom on arcteryx.com: https://arcteryx.com/us/en/compare/X000007313/X000007487
Warmth
Name | Activity | Temp (F/C) | Breathability | Weather Res. | Durability | Bottom line | Review | Pit zips? | Two way zipper? | Stuffs into itself? | Face Fabric | Fit | Weight | Length | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alpha (aka AR) (Men's - Women's) | Climbing | N/A | 8/10 | 9/10 | 8/10 | 4/10 | Go-to climbing harshell. | Review | Yes | No | No | N40d & N80d Most Rugged 3L Gore-Tex Pro | Regular | 430 g / 15.2 oz | 79.5 cm / 31.25 in | No |
Alpha SV (Men's - Women's) | Climbing | N/A | 8/10 | 10/10 | 10/10 | 3/10 | Strongest climbing hardshell. | Review | Yes | No | No | N100d Most Rugged 3L Gore-Tex Pro | Regular | 510 g / 1 lb 2 oz | 78 cm / 30.75 in | No |
Beta (Men's - Women's) | All Round | N/A | 6/10 | 7/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | Streamlined all-doer shell. | Review | No | No | No | N30p-X 3L Gore-Tex | Trim | 300 g / 10.6 oz | 76 cm / 30 in | No |
Beta Lightweight (Men's - Women's) | All Round | N/A | 8/10 | 7/10 | 7/10 | 6/10 | Review | Yes | No | No | N40p 3L Gore-Tex | Fitted | 380 g / 13.4 oz | 75 cm / 29.5 in | No | |
Beta LT (Men's - Women's) | All Round | N/A | 7/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | 6/10 | Review | Yes | No | No | N40d 3L Gore-Tex | Fitted | 395 g / 13.9 oz | 76 cm / 30 in | No | |
Beta AR (Men's - Women's) | All Round | N/A | 8/10 | 9/10 | 9/10 | 4/10 | Go-to all-round harshell. | Review | Yes | No | No | N40d & N80d Most Rugged 3L Gore-Tex Pro | Regular | 460 g / 1 lb | 76 cm / 30 in | No |
Beta AR StormHood (Men's - Women's) | All Round | N/A | 8/10 | 9/10 | 9/10 | 4/10 | Review | Yes | No | No | N40d & N80d Most Rugged 3L Gore-Tex Pro | Regular | 460 g / 1 lb | 76 cm / 30 in | No | |
Beta Coat (Women's) | All Round | N/A | 6/10 | 5/10 | No data | 5/10 | No | Yes | No | 3L Gore-Tex | Regular | 320 g / 11.3 oz | 88 cm / 34.5 in | No | ||
Beta Insulated (Men's - Women's) | All Round | 21/-6 | 9/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | No data | Go-to hybrid jacket. | Review | Yes | Yes | No | N40d 2L Gore-Tex | Regular | 680 g / 1 lb 8 oz | 78.5 cm / 31 in | No |
Beta Insulated Coat (Women's) | All Round | 16/-9 | 7/10 | No data | No data | No data | No | Yes | No | N40d 2L Gore-Tex | Regular | 600 g / 1 lb 5.2 oz | 86 cm / 34 in | No | ||
Beta Down Insulated (Men's) | All Round | 0/-18 | 9/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | No data | Yes | Yes | No | 2L 40D Gore-Tex | Regular | 760 g / 1 lb 10.8 oz | 79 cm / 31 in | No | ||
Gamma SL (aka lightweight) (Men's - Women's) | All Round | N/A | 7/10 | 2/10 | 6/10 | 5/10 | Review | No | No | No | Fortius 1.0 | Trim | 310 g / 10.9 oz | 74 cm / 29.1 in | Yes | |
Gamma (aka LT) (Men's - Women's) | All Round | N/A | 7/10 | 3/10 | 7/10 | 3/10 | Go-to softshell. | Review | No | No | No | Wee Burly Double Weave | Regular | 545 g / 1 lb 3.2 oz | 76 cm / 30 in | No |
Gamma MX (Men's) | All Round | N/A | 6/10 | 4/10 | 8/10 | 3/10 | Strongest softshell. | Review | No | No | No | Fortius 2.0 | Regular | 555 g / 1 lb 3.6 oz | 74 cm / 29.1 in | No |
Sabre SV (Men's) | Skiing | N/A | 10/10 | 10/10 | 10/10 | 1/10 | Strongest ski jacket. | Review | Yes | Yes | No | N100d Most Rugged 3L Gore-Tex Pro | Regular | 595 g / 1 lb 5 oz | 85 cm / 33.5 in | Yes |
Sabre (Men's) | Skiing | N/A | 8/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 | 2/10 | Review | Yes | No | No | N80p-X 3L Gore-Tex | Regular | 705 g / 1 lb 8.9 oz | 79 cm / 31 in | No | |
Sabre Insulated (See related products) | Skiing | No data | 7/10 | No data | 6/10 | No data | Review | Yes | No | No | N80p 2L Gore-Tex | Regular | 815 g / 1 lb 12.7 oz | 76 cm / 30 in | Yes | |
Rush (Women's) | Skiing | N/A | 8/10 | 9/10 | 9/10 | 3/10 | Go-to ski jacket. | Review | Yes | No | No | N80p-X & N100p-X 3L Most Rugged Gore-Tex Pro | Regular | 590 g / 1 lb 4.8 oz | 79.5 cm / 31.25 in | No |
Rush (Women's) | Skiing | 16/-9 | 3/10 | 5/10 | 5/10 | 9/10 | Review | No | No | Yes | Hadron 2L Gore-Tex Infinium | Regular | 515 g / 1 lb 2.2 oz | 79 cm / 31 in | No | |
Macai Shell (Men's) | Skiing | N/A | No data | No data | No data | No data | Review | Yes | No | No | N80p-X 3L Gore-Tex | Regular | 775 g / 1 lb 11.3 oz | ? | Yes | |
Macai (Men's) | Skiing | 5/-15 | 7/10 | 7/10 | 6/10 | 1/10 | Review | Yes | No | No | N40p-X 3L Gore-Tex | Regular | 990 g / 2 lb 2.9 oz | 75 cm / 29.5 in | Yes | |
Macai Lightweight (aka LT) (Men's) | Skiing | 8/-13 | 7/10 | 7/10 | 6/10 | 2/10 | Review | Yes | No | No | N40p-X 3L Gore-Tex | Regular | 855 g / 1 lb 14.2 oz | ? | Yes | |
Theriss Down (Women's) | Skiing | No data | 7/10 | 6/10 | 7/10 | 2/10 | Review | Yes | No | No | N80p 2L Gore-Tex | Regular | 709 g / 1 lb 9 oz | 63 cm / 24.8 in | No | |
Sentinel (Women's) | Skiing | N/A | 8/10 | 7/10 | 7/10 | 2/10 | Go-to ski jacket. | Review | Yes | No | No | N70p 3L Gore-Tex | Regular | 640 g / 1 lb 6.6 oz | 73.7 cm / 29 in | No |
Sentinel Insulated (Women's) | Skiing | 21/-6 | 8/10 | No data | No data | No data | Review | Yes | No | No | N80p 2L Gore-Tex | Regular | 600 g / 1 lb 5.2 oz | 79.8 cm / 31.5 in | No | |
Sentinel Relaxed (Women's) | Skiing | N/A | No data | No data | No data | No data | Yes | No | No | N80p 3L Gore-Tex | Regular | 655 g / 1 lb 7.1 oz | ? | No | ||
Sidewinder (Women's) | Skiing | N/A | 8/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 | 2/10 | Yes | No | No | N80p 3L Gore-Tex | Regular | 570 g / 1 lb 4.1 oz | ? | No | ||
Squamish (Men's - Women's) | Running | N/A | 5/10 | 4/10 | 7/10 | 9/10 | Go-to running jacket. | Review | No | No | Yes | 30D Tyono | Trim | 140 g / 4.9 oz | 77.5 cm / 30.5 in | No |
Norvan Windshell (Men's | Running | N/A | No data | No data | No data | No data | No | No | Yes | Permeair 20 | Trim | 90 g / 3.2 oz | 73 cm / 28.75 in | Yes | ||
Norvan Shell (Men's | Running | N/A | No data | No data | No data | No data | No | No | No | 13D 3L Gore-Tex | Trim | 190 g / 6.7 oz | 73 cm / 28.75 in | No | ||
Nodin (Men's - Women's) | Running | N/A | 8/10 | 5/10 | 5/10 | 10/10 | No | No | Yes | 20D Tyono | Trim | 130 g / 4.6 oz | 75 cm / 29.5 in | Yes | ||
Incendo Airshell (Men's | Running | N/A | No data | No data | No data | No data | No | No | Yes | ? | Trim | 105 g / 3.7 oz | ? | Yes | ||
Solano (Men's - Women's) | Around Town | N/A | No data | No data | No data | No data | Review | No | No | No | Gore-Tex Infinium | Relaxed | 355 g / 12.5 oz | 72 cm / 28.3 in | No | |
Alpha FL (Men's - Women's) | Climbing | N/A | 7/10 | No data | No data | 10/10 | No | No | Yes | Hadron 3L Gore-Tex | Trim | 209 g / 7.4 oz | 76.5 cm / 30 in | Yes | ||
Alpha SL (Men's - Women's) | Climbing | N/A | 5/10 | 7/10 | No data | 9/10 | No | No | Yes | N40p 3L Gore-Tex | Trim | 326 g / 11.5 oz | 77.5 cm / 30.5 in | Yes | ||
Alpha IS (Men's) | Climbing | 23/-5 | 7/10 | 5/10 | No data | 8/10 | No | Yes | Yes | N40p-X 2L Gore-Tex | Regular | 610 g / 1 lb 5.5 oz | 78 cm / 30.75 in | Yes | ||
Beta Long | All Round | N/A | 4/10 | 9/10 | No data | 3/10 | Review | No | No | No | N80p 3L Gore-Tex | Regular | 441 g / 15.6 oz | 85 cm / 33.5 in | Yes | |
Beta LT Hadron | All Round | N/A | 7/10 | 6/10 | 4/10 | 5/10 | No | No | No | Hadron 3L Gore-Tex | Fitted | 255 g / 9 oz | 76 cm / 30 in | Yes | ||
Beta SV (Men's - Women's) | All Round | N/A | 8/10 | 10/10 | 10/10 | 3/10 | Strongest all-round harshell. | Review | Yes | No | No | N80p-X Most Rugged 3L Gore-Tex Pro | Regular | 495 g / 1 lb 1.5 oz | 79 cm / 31 in | Yes |
Andessa (Women's) | Skiing | 8/-13 | 10/10 | No data | No data | 1/10 | Yes | No | No | N40d 3L Gore-Tex | Trim | 869 g / 1 lb 14.7 oz | 67 cm / 26.4 in | Yes | ||
Andessa Shell (Women's) | Skiing | N/A | 5/10 | No data | No data | 3/10 | No | No | No | N70p 3L Gore-Tex | Trim | 560 g / 1 lb 3.8 oz | ? | Yes | ||
Micon Heather | Skiing | N/A | No data | No data | No data | No data | Yes | No | No | NP100-d 3L Gore-Tex | Regular | 685 g / 1 lb 8.2 oz | 83 cm / 32.5 in | Yes | ||
Micon (Men's) | Skiing | N/A | No data | No data | No data | No data | Yes | No | No | N80p 3L Gore-Tex | Regular | 685 g / 1 lb 8.2 oz | 83 cm / 32.5 in | Yes | ||
Cassiar (Men's) | Skiing | N/A | 8/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | 3/10 | Review | Yes | No | No | N70p 3L Gore-Tex | Trim | 820 g / 1 lb 12.9 oz | 74.5 cm / 29.3 in | Yes | |
Cassiar LT (Men's) | Skiing | N/A | 6/10 | 6/10 | 6/10 | 5/10 | Review | Yes | No | No | N70p 3L Gore-Tex | Trim | 605 g / 1 lb 5.3 oz | 75 cm / 29.5 in | Yes | |
Ravenna (Women's) | Skiing | N/A | 8/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | 3/10 | Review | Yes | No | No | N70s-4 3L Gore-Tex | Trim | 725 g / 1 lb 9.6 oz | 69.5 cm / 27.4 in | Yes | |
Ravenna LT (Women's) | Skiing | N/A | 6/10 | 6/10 | 6/10 | 5/10 | Review | Yes | No | No | N70p 3L Gore-Tex | Trim | 540 g / 1 lb 3 oz | 69 cm / 27.2 in | Yes | |
Procline (Men's) | Skiing | N/A | No data | No data | No data | No data | Yes | No | No | N70p Gore-Tex Infinium | Trim | 720 g / 1 lb 9.4 oz | 76 cm / 30 in | Yes | ||
Shashka Stretch (Women's) | Skiing | N/A | No data | No data | No data | No data | Yes | No | No | N70p Gore-Tex Infinium | Trim | 670 g / 1 lb 7.6 oz | 71 cm / 28 in | Yes | ||
Sabre AR (Men's) | Skiing | N/A | 7/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 | 7/10 | Review | Yes | No | No | N70p 3L Gore-Tex | Regular | 700 g / 1 lb 8.7 oz | 79 cm / 31 in | Yes | |
Sentinel AR (Women's) | Skiing | N/A | 7/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 | 7/10 | Review | Yes | No | No | N70p 3L Gore-Tex | Regular | 590 g / 1 lb 4.8 oz | 72.5 cm / 28.5 in | Yes | |
Sabre LT (Men's) | Skiing | N/A | 7/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | Review | Yes | No | No | N80p 3L Gore-Tex | Regular | 660 g / 1 lb 7.3 oz | 83 cm / 32.5 in | Yes | |
Sentinel LT (Women's) | Skiing | N/A | 7/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | Review | Yes | No | No | N80p 3L Gore-Tex | Regular | 565 g / 1 lb 3.9 oz | 73.5 cm / 29 in | Yes | |
Incendia (Women's) | Skiing | N/A | 8/10 | 9/10 | 9/10 | 3/10 | Review | Yes | No | No | NP100d 3L Gore-Tex | Trim | 610 g / 1 lb 5.5 oz | 79 cm / 31 in | Yes | |
Indencia IS | Skiing | No data | No data | No data | No data | No data | Yes | No | No | N80p 2L Gore-Tex | Regular | ? | 78 cm / 30.75 in | Yes | ||
Incendo (Men's) | Running | N/A | 7/10 | 4/10 | 5/10 | 10/10 | Review | No | No | Yes | Lumin | Trim | 125 g / 4.4 oz | ? | Yes | |
Norvan LT (Men's - Women's) | Running | N/A | 5/10 | 5/10 | 8/10 | 6/10 | No | No | No | N13p 3L Gore-Tex | Trim | 190 g / 6.7 oz | ? | Yes | ||
Norvan SL Ins. (Women's) | Running | 39/4 | No data | No data | No data | No data | No | No | Yes | Gore-Tex ShakeDry | Trim | 270 g / 9.5 oz | 71.5 cm / 28.1 in | Yes | ||
Cita (Women's) | Running | N/A | 7/10 | 4/10 | 5/10 | 10/10 | Review | No | No | Yes | Lumin | Trim | 120 g / 4.2 oz | 67.5 cm / 26.5 in | Yes | |
Cita SL (Women's) | Running | N/A | 7/10 | 4/10 | 4/10 | 10/10 | Review | Yes | No | Yes | Permeair 20 | Trim | 65 g / 2.3 oz | 61.5 cm / 24.2 in | Yes | |
Incendo SL (Men's) | Running | N/A | 7/10 | 4/10 | 4/10 | 10/10 | Review | No | No | Yes | Permair 20 & Canim | Trim | 80 g / 2.8 oz | 73 cm / 28.75 in | Yes | |
Norvan SL (Men's - Women's) | Running | N/A | 7/10 | 6/10 | 8/10 | 8/10 | Review | No | No | Yes | Gore-Tex Infinium | Trim | 120 g / 4.2 oz | 77 cm / 30.4 in | Yes | |
Trino SL (Men's) | Running | N/A | 8/10 | 5/10 | 7/10 | 6/10 | Review | No | No | No | Gore-Tex Infinium | Trim | 340 g / 12 oz | 74 cm / 29.1 in | Yes | |
Trino SL Anorak (Women's) | Running | N/A | 8/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 | Review | No | No | No | Gore-Tex Infinium | Trim | 290 g / 10.2 oz | 65 cm / 25.5 in | Yes | |
Venda Anorak (Women's) | Around Town | N/A | No data | No data | No data | No data | No | No | No | Gore-Tex | Relaxed | 255 g / 9 oz | 75.5 cm / 29.7 in | Yes | ||
Zeta FL (Men's - Women's) | Hiking | N/A | 4/10 | 6/10 | 4/10 | 6/10 | No | No | No | N20r 2L Gore-Tex | Trim | 221 g / 7.8 oz | 76 cm / 30 in | Yes | ||
Zeta SL (Men's - Women's) | Hiking | N/A | 3/10 | 5/10 | 4/10 | 5/10 | Review | No | No | No | 2L Gore-Tex | Trim | 310 g / 10.9 oz | 77.8 cm / 30.6 in | Yes | |
Zeta LT (Men's - Women's) | Hiking | N/A | 5/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | 5/10 | No | No | No | N40P-X 3L Gore-Tex | Trim | 335 g / 11.8 oz | 78 cm / 30.75 in | Yes | ||
Zeta AR (Men's) | Hiking | N/A | 7/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 | 4/10 | Yes | No | No | 3L Gore-Tex | Regular | 425 g / 15 oz | 80 cm / 31.5 in | Yes |
Performance data axis of synthetic jackets (table above) and shell jackets (this table) are different. Don't compare them.
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The fill that take place inside the Cerium is the highest quality Arc'teryx uses (850 FP). The "850" here indicates the volume in cubic inches. It's the volume that one unit mass (ounce) of a fill occupies.
The higher fill power, the greater the insulating properties per unit mass.
One easier way to think of fill power is to think of it as a measure of loft or "fluffiness". 850 fill power is as high as the fill powers get in down jackets.
Ranking Arc'teryx down jackets from the warmest to the least warm:
- Alpha line: 850 FP.
- Thorium line: 750 FP.
- Cerium line: 850 FP.
Cerium has a higher fill power than the Thorium, but it's less warm. Because it's equipped with less fill inside.
Arc'teryx increased the fill inside the Cerium by half an ounce (10 grams) in recent years. But it's still behind the Thorium line.
In comparison to the Atom (aka LT), however, Cerium is noticeably warmer AND lighter.
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Breathability
Breathability of Atom (aka LT) is so good that it even tops other Arc'teryx synthetics like the Proton (aka LT).
Breathability of Cerium (aka LT) is horrible, just like any other down jacket.
It's impossible to compete Atom in terms of breathability.
Face fabrics
Arc'teryx upped the outer fabric thickness of Cerium from Arato 10 to Arato 15 in recent years. That's 50% thicker face fabric. But it's still fragile compared to Atom. I'd like to treat it more gently.
For water resistance, Atom tops Cerium, as I explained earlier.
For wind resistance, both are mediocre. When your arms are up (climbing, cycling, etc), Atom might fall behind the Cerium in this regard. Otherwise the Atom is more likely to better resist the wind.
Both come with DWR coating.
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 at arcteryx.com 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.
Fit
Cerium comes with a trimmer cut.
Canberk is 5'11" and 165 pounds, with an athletic build. Size Medium fits him perfectly across almost all brands and product lines.
Packability
Cerium packs into its own stuff sack that comes attached to the jacket. Atom doesn't stuff into itself.
Check out our other content on jackets:
Guide: Insulated & Shell Jackets
Start here:
Also see:
Julie says
Thank you for a very useful review!
Mayby you can help me.. 🙂 I have a Cerium hoody jacket, but how do I see whether it’s a SL or LT model?
Inside the jacket some numbers appear, but I’m not able see which model it is when I search the internet.
The numbers: 13238-89453-11/15
Fingers crossed you know how to spot the model.
Thank you in advance,
Julie