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.
So, the only reasonable way to comprehend them is to compare them to one another.
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 assumptions, I finally was able to put together a chart as you can see below:
This is an excerpt from my Insulated Outerwear Temperature Ratings Guide and Best Arc'teryx Jackets article.
Find below the lowest temperatures you can wear each jacket without feeling uncomfortably cold.
These are only approximate values assuming:
- you only have a shirt under 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.
| °F / °C | Insulation |
|
|---|---|---|---|
Arc'teryx LEAF Cold WX Parka SVX (Men's) | -40/-40 | Down |
|
Arc'teryx Ceres SV (Men's) | -15/-26 | Down | |
-10/-23 | Down | ||
Arc'teryx Dually Belay Parka (Men's) | -7/-22 | Synthetic | |
Arc'teryx Thorsen Parka (Men's) | -7/-22 | Down | |
Arc'teryx Centrale (Women's) | -5/-20 | Down | |
-5/-20 | Down | ||
Arc'teryx Piedmont (Men's) | -2/-19 | Down |
|
Arc'teryx Therme Parka (Men's) | -2/-19 | Down | |
Arc'teryx Camosun Parka (Men's) | 0/-18 | Down | |
3/-16 | Synthetic | ||
Arc'teryx Radsten Parka (Men's) | 3/-16 | Synthetic |
|
Arc'teryx Macai (Men's) | 5/-15 | Down | |
Arc'teryx Andessa (Women's) | 5/-15 | Down | |
Arc'teryx Patera Parka (Women's) | 5/-15 | Down | |
Arc'teryx Alpha IS (Men's) | 7/-14 | Synthetic |
|
Arc'teryx Radsten Insulated (Men's) | 7/-14 | Synthetic |
|
Arc'teryx Kappa (Men's) | 7/-14 | Synthetic | |
Arc'teryx Sensa Parka (Women's) | 7/-14 | Synthetic |
|
8/-13 | Down | ||
10/-12 | Synthetic | ||
Arc'teryx Magnus Coat (Men's) | 14/-10 | Down |
|
17/-8 | Down | ||
19/-7 | Synthetic | ||
23/-5 | Synthetic | ||
24/-4 | Synthetic | ||
40/5 | Down | ||
43/6 | Synthetic | ||
50/10 | Synthetic |
If you think you run warmer or colder than the average person, then shift these temperature ranges accordingly.
See the performance ratings of these jackets too: https://outdoorcrunch.com/arcteryx-wiki/
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.
Guess you're on phone? Turn your phone sideways for a much better table display!
 |  |  |  |  |  | |
MSRP | 299 USD | 299 USD | 299 USD | 259 USD | 299 USD | 249 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.
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!
Love all the comparisons you’ve put together o the site, and this beautiful table of warmth estimates. Would love to hear your thoughts (and warmth estimates) on the Proton FL and Nuclei FL. I’m in the mild weather range most of the time, and curious to see how these stack up against the cerium and proton options that hovered around the 0C mark on your table.
Glad you liked it Jacob 🙂
I’m pretty glad to see the return of Nuclei FL. It’s a fantastic series of insulated shell jackets and don’t really have a substitute in the entire Arc’teryx line up.
Although they did trim down the fill compared to the previous version, it’s still significantly warmer than Proton FL.
Chart is updated with both jackets. Because my site is using a cache, you might not be able to see the updated chart when you refresh this page. In that case, try reloading the page through Shift + F5 keyboard shortcut.
Hope this is helpful.
Hi,
Love the site and the comparisons of all the different gear. I would love to hear your opinion on the gear “problems” i face at the moment:
I own a macro puff hoody, i use them in dry weather for low activity cold-hikes, choice depending on temps. On ski holidays the macro is ideal for apres ski and extra warmth post – slopes.
I use a stretch rainshadow as my primary rain protection shell and only comes out when it rains. It is packable so it comes easy.
For hikes and walking in belgium or other higher output activities depending on temperatures and weather i use the atom Lt or a gamma Lt.
Next i have a micro puff, i bought it initially for its packability. When on holidays or hikes or… it stows away very nicely. But i am tending to sell it, because of the bulkier fit, the thin fabric and the special patern that makes it a garbage bag sometimes. Also i want my products to last and because its stowed away most of the times..
Next september i will summit mount meru in tanzania so i will still need something packable to throw on when i stop for the day. When on the climb i will wear the atom if necessary temperature wise ( i need something packable that works and fits great with good warmth value, not as much as the macro puffy).
With this in mind would you:
– still keep the micro puff, its a niche product but still the best aNd accept the reasons why you like it less.
– replace it by the cerium Lt (down and packable and maybe more durable)
– replace it by cerium sl (not as warm as micro puff level?)
– replace it by atom ar (if only it could be stuffed as the products above)
Thanks for reading man!
Kind regards
Hi guys,
Love the site, the info etc.
I own a micro puff hoody, mainly because of its packability. I wear it when it’s dry on its own as a outer layer or under a rain shell when raining. Mainly for walking, hiking and general use. I own a macro puff for the case of ultra low temperatures.
Now i dont like the shiny garbage like feel of it, the very thin shell and i am a bit worried about long term durability. The fit could be better for my type. But hey it still a good jacket!
But i would pass it on en go for alternative (i go for mount meru in september so i ll need an insulator thats highly packable and gives warmth when stopping the active part)
So would you suggest:
Atom ar hoody (but not packable, i own an Lt for the active colder temps)
Cerium lt
Cerium sl (to less warmth?)
Thanks guys!
Great information. I’m wondering where you think the LEAF Cold WX Jacket SV Men’s fall in the chart?
Glad you found it helpful Jonathan 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to comment!
Unfortunately, not enough information is available for the LEAF Cold WX Jacket SV – as it’s the case with many Arc’teyrx LEAF products. So it’s difficult to make an estimate.
One of the best gear blogs I’ve ever read. Keep up the good work! Where do you think the new Patagonia DAS Light Hoody stands in this line-up?