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:
| °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 Therme Parka (Men's) | -2/-19 | Down | |
Arc'teryx Camosun Parka (Men's) | 0/-18 | Down | |
3/-16 | Synthetic |
| |
Arc'teryx Patera Parka (Women's) | 5/-15 | Down | |
Arc'teryx Kappa (Men'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 |
Read more about this chart here in my Insulated Outerwear Temperature Ratings Guide.
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 enough wind to cause an umbrella to twist in your hand,
- and when it's dry out.
If you think you run warmer or colder than the average person, then shift temperature ranges accordingly.
Also check out my Arc'teryx Favorites.
If you're interested in down jackets only, see my Best Down Jackets post.
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:
Thank you for reading!
