Arc’teryx Cerium vs Cerium SV | How to choose

Arc’teryx’s Cerium line of jackets and vests falls squarely in the lightweight to ultralightweight down category. These are technical garments made to be packable and worn as insulating midlayers for adventures in cold weather, or as an outer layer when it’s chilly but not freezing. The Cerium SV (SV stands for "Severe Weather" in Arc’teryx’s product lexicon) takes it one step further, offering substantially more warmth than its regular Cerium sibling. But unlike with the Cerium Jacket and Cerium Hoody, you won’t be squeezing the ultra-puffy Cerium SV under a shell. This cloud-like jacket is a standalone layer for frigid days.

So which Cerium is right for you? Let’s take a closer look. 

But first, here’s how Arc’teryx compares the Cerium vs Cerium SV: https://arcteryx.com/us/en/compare/X000007313/X000008429

Winter 2024-2025 Cerium lineup

For winter 2024, Arc’teryx’s Cerium collection includes: 

• Cerium Hoody (Men’s - Women’s)
• Cerium Jacket (Men’s - Women’s)
• Cerium Mid Coat (Women’s only)
• Cerium Vest (Men’s - Women’s)
• Cerium Pants (Men's only)
• Cerium SV Hoody (Men’s - Women’s)
• Cerium SV Vest (Men’s - Women’s)

*Note that the Cerium was previously known as the Cerium LT

REI carries much of the Arc'teryx Cerium collection, including the men's and women's Cerium Hoody, Cerium Jacket, Cerium SV Hoody, and Cerium Vest. Check prices and selection here. 

Insulation comparison

There’s one overriding reason the Cerium and Cerium SV are able to provide so much warmth with such little weight: goose down. Goose down is the gold standard when it comes to exceptional warmth-to-weight ratios in jackets. The quality of down is typically measured by its fill power, but fill weight is also important when determining the relative warmth of a down garment. 

The Arc’teryx Cerium Hoody, Jacket and Vest - in both men’s and women’s versions - use 850 fill-power European white goose down. And like all down sourced by Arc’teryx, it’s certified to the Responsible Down Standard (RDS). Most premium outdoor brands, Arc’teryx among them, use down with fill powers ranging from 700 to 1000, but the sweet spot is typically 700 to 850. The higher the fill power, the more loft the down has (think fluffiness). Loft is a good thing, because down’s incredible insulating power comes not from the down itself, but from all the air pockets created within that fluffy down. Our body heat warms the air in those pockets, which in turn insulates us. 

If you want to better understand the working principles of down and synthetic insulation, read our extensive Temperature Ratings of Jackets article.

Higher fill-power down is not only a better insulator (i.e., warmer), it’s also more expensive, which is one reason you rarely find 1000 fill-power down in jackets. With its 1000 fill-power European grey goose down, the Cerium SV is not only $200 more expensive than the Cerium, it’s also noticeably warmer. 

Stay with us here: That additional warmth provided by the Cerium SV over its Cerium counterparts isn’t solely the result of fill power. Fill weight, a measure of how much down is in a jacket, also plays a significant role. If two jackets have the same fill power down, but one has double the amount (fill weight) of t+hat down, it’s absolutely going to be warmer. In the case of the Cerium and Cerium SV, not only does the SV model have a higher fill power down, it also has more down by weight within it.  

One more thing to know about the insulation in both the Cerium and Cerium SV jackets: Because down insulation is relatively worthless when wet (no air pockets = no warmth), Arc’teryx supplements with synthetic insulation in specific areas of the jackets prone to moisture, whether from the user (perspiration) or nature (precipitation). 

The Cerium includes Coreloft 80 and Coreloft 100. The Cerium SV uses PrimaLoft Silver 80 and PrimaLoft Silver 140. Both models deploy the synthetic insulation in the same areas: the armpits, the top of the shoulders, and where the jacket meets your chin/mouth when fully zipped. Arc’teryx calls this Down Composite Mapping.

Arc'teryx's product line is extensive - and continually growing. One of our favorite tools is the Arc'teryx Jacket Finder: https://arcteryx.com/us/en/shop/jacket-finder

Materials & Durability

The fill power and fill weight of their down insulation isn’t the only difference between the Cerium and Cerium SV. The Cerium uses an Arato 15-denier nylon for its face fabric, compared to the 20-denier Pertex Diamond Fuse face fabric of the Cerium SV. The Pertex fabric, which is new to the Cerium SV, claims to be both ripstop and downproof. Importantly, Pertex says its Diamond Fuse technology offers twice the abrasion resistance of traditional nylon filaments in addition to improved water shedding. 

Arc’teryx’s fabric choices for the Cerium and Cerium SV further underscore the unique use cases of each jacket. Though we’ve yet to experience any issues with the durability of our Cerium Hoody, its thinner 15d fabric is better suited to life as a midlayer. The Cerium SV, on the other hand, uses a stronger, more durable 20d ripstop nylon to better withstand the rigors of life as an outer layer. 

Would we want to expose either the Cerium or Cerium SV to bushwacking through dense foliage or other high-abrasion activities? Probably not. Though we wouldn’t describe either jacket as fragile, these are ultralight technical down garments, and their face fabrics are intentionally lighter weight than those in more robust, everyday down jackets like the Thorium and Thorium SV. However, Arc’teryx says the Pertex Diamond Fuse is stronger than the 30d Arato of the Thorium and Thorium SV; we haven’t been able to test that claim.    

• Arct'eryx Thorium vs Cerium review
• Arc'teryx Thorium review: Hoody, Jacket and Parka comparison

On the inside of all models of Cerium and Cerium SV is a downproof 20-denier nylon. Downproof simply means you won’t find the prickly ends of down feathers working their way out of your nice Arc’teryx jacket.

Weatherproofing

Because down is mostly worthless when wet, and because neither the Cerium nor the Cerium SV offer Gore-Tex waterproofing, these jackets are best for cold, dry conditions. That said, both lines have a PFAS-free Durable Water Repellent (DWR) coating on their face fabrics, which means they’ll be effective at shedding light rain or snow for short periods of time. Sustained precipitation will eventually soak through their face fabrics, so if there’s a chance you could encounter rain or snow, either bring a shell that can be worn over the Cerium and Cerium SV (a tougher task given the SV’s bulk), or choose a different jacket for the occasion. 

The Cerium SV also stands out for its windproof outer, another factor in it earning Arc’teryx’s “Severe Weather” distinction. The standard Cerium line of jackets, hoodies and vests are wind resistant, by contrast. 

If you want the warmth of down insulation but the weather protection of Gore-Tex, consider the Beta Down Insulated Jacket for all-around winter conditions, or the Fissile SV Down Jacket for ski-specific use. Both are fully waterproof and windproof. 

• Arc'teryx Beta Down Insulated vs Beta Insulated review and comparison
• First look at Arc'teryx's new Fissile SV Down Jacket

Fit & Feel

The Cerium Hoody and Cerium Jacket are cut with a trim fit, again befitting their status as midlayers first and outer layers second. I’m 5-foot-9 and 175 pounds, and the Cerium Hoody in size medium fits me well, albeit with limited room underneath for bulky midlayers. Conversely, that trim fit means the Cerium fits very nicely under most shells, including my Beta SL and Sabre SV. 

The Cerium SV, on the other hand, features a regular fit. It is, after all, an outer layer for frigid weather. I have plenty of room for a baselayer and midlayer underneath my size medium Cerium SV. 

It’s worth pointing out that these jackets look and feel totally different. The trim-fit Cerium Hoody is certainly comfortable, but it’s not what I’d reach for as a standalone jacket when temperatures dip below freezing. As a point of style, some of you may not like the mottled look of the Cerium line, especially in some of the lighter color fabrics. That 15d Arato nylon is fairly translucent, and the color variations from the goose down insulation is often visible through the fabric. To wit, that’s why Arc’teryx used white goose down instead of grey goose down in the Cerium. 

The Cerium SV has wider baffles to give space to that lofty 1000 fill-power down, and its 20d Pertex nylon fabric is noticeably shinier than the Cerium’s Arato nylon. Combined with the overall puffiness of the Cerium SV, it just looks like a totally different garment than the Cerium. Only you can decide what style and function best suits your needs.  

Features

Hood

Both the Cerium Hoody and Cerium SV have down-insulated hoods that are adjustable from a single pullcord at the back. The Cerium’s hood has a snugger fit; the Cerium SV’s hood is much larger and helmet-compatible. Neither hood has a structured visor. 

Pockets

The Cerium and Cerium SV both have two zippered handwarmer pockets and a zippered internal chest pocket that also houses their integrated stuff sacks (see below). And while the Cerium’s pockets end there, the SV has a large internal dump pocket for additional storage.

We’ll note that the handwarmer pockets are appropriately located behind the down insulation, but they’re not fleece lined.  

Packability

Another benefit of down jackets is their ability to compress into small packages, making it easy to fit them in backpacks for convenient access to reliable warmth on your outdoor adventures. Accordingly, both the Cerium and Cerium SV come with integrated stuff sacks inside their interior zippered chest pockets. 

The Cerium Hoody packs down to approximately 8.5 x 4 x 4 inches. The Cerium SV is a bit larger but still impressively compact, fitting in a 9.5 x 5 x 5 inch sack. 

Decision-time

There’s a lot to like about the Cerium and Cerium SV jackets, but they are not interchangeable. If you’re looking for a packable, ultralight down midlayer for cold but not freezing adventures, the Cerium Hoody and Cerium Jacket are great choices. They’ll work fine as outer layers in spring and fall, but don’t expect them to suffice as everyday standalone down jackets in frigid weather. The Thorium Hoody or Thorium SV are your better daily down jackets for around-town use in below-freezing conditions. 

Shop the Cerium collection at Arcteryx.com and at REI

The Cerium SV is a super puffy, deceptively warm outer layer for cold weather. Wear it with confidence in mostly dry conditions when warmth is at a premium, just don’t plan on it fitting underneath a weatherproof shell. It’s also extremely compressible, making it a great choice for backcountry adventures when weight and space are at a premium. 

Shop the Cerium SV at Arcteryx.com and at REI