Best Synthetic Insulated Jackets

This article does not go deep into the working principles of synthetic insulated jackets. If you're interested in reading more about that, check out these articles: 

• https://outdoorcrunch.com/jackets/
• https://outdoorcrunch.com/clo-values/
  

Best Synthetic Insulated Jackets: Quick Summary

Arc'teryx is pretty much the highest quality brand when it comes to insulated and shell jackets. But where Arc'teryx shines the most is synthetic insulated jackets. 

You will, for example, come across some experienced users arguing Rab making better down jackets than Arc'teryx. But almost everybody experienced with technical outerwear will agree that Arc'teryx is the brand that manufactures the best high end synthetic insulated jackets. 

• In hindsight, I always disagreed with Rab making better down jackets than Arc'teryx. But ever since this absolutely beast dropped on FW23, I'm even more convinced. With that said, I too agree that synthetic jackets of Arc'teryx are better than their down jackets. 

The best picks here would be as follows: 

• For stationary use: 
  • Nuclei SV (Men's)
  • Atom AR (Men's - Women's - read review)
    • How to choose between them: According to their temperature ratings and features given below. In the end though both are fantastic jackets you'll absolutely fall in love with. 
• For high output activities: 
  • Proton LT (Men's - Women's - read review)
  • Atom LT (Men's - Women's - read review)
  • Nano Air (Men's - Women's - read review)
    • How to choose between them: Proton LT and Atom LT (read the comparison of the two) are much more alike than they're different. If you need a bit more warmth, durability and abrasion/weather resistance, get the Proton LT. If you need more breathability, get the Atom LT (side mesh panels keeps you quite a bit ventilated). If you don't want an Arc'teryx and would like to get a Patagonia instead, then get the Nano Air. It too is a stunning jacket that won't disappoint. Make sure to check out Patagonia's Web Specials page in that case: https://www.patagonia.com/shop/web-specials. 
    • Also see: Atom LT vs Proton LT vs Nano Air
• If you want a hybrid jacket (synthetic insulated & shell):
  • Proton Hybrid Hoody (Men's - Women's - read review)
  • Beta Insulated Jacket (Men's - Women's - read review)
• Bonus: If you're planning to use it like a down jacket that can get wet: 
  • Nuclei FL (Men's - Women's - read review)
• Honorable mentions: 
  • Micro Puff (Men's - Women's - read review)
  • Nano Puff (Men's - Women's - read review)
    • How to choose between them: Micro Puff and Nano Puff (read the comparison of the two) are also much more alike than they're different - just like Arc'teryx's Atom LT and Proton LT. The difference between them however is even smaller than the difference of Proton LT and Atom LT. Micro Puff is a bit lighter, more packable, offers one more internal pocket and is just a little bit warmer (nothing noticeable though). Nano Puff, on the other hand, comes with a burlier face fabric, and hence is slightly more durable and weather/abrasion resistant than the Micro Puff. I however would probably get the one that I like the looks of the most. Again, make sure to check out Patagonia's Web Specials page in that case: https://www.patagonia.com/shop/web-specials.

Here's how they sort from the most to the least warm: 

Raw Name	Arc'teryx Nuclei SV	Arc'teryx Atom AR	Arc'teryx Beta Insulated	Arc'teryx Nuclei FL	Patagonia Micro Puff	Arc'teryx Proton LT	Patagonia Nano Puff	Patagonia Nano Air	Arc'teryx Atom LT	Arc'teryx Proton Hybrid
Name	Arc'teryx Nuclei SV (Men's)	Arc'teryx Atom AR (Men's - Women's)	Arc'teryx Beta Insulated (Men's - Women's)	Arc'teryx Nuclei FL (Men's - Women's)	Patagonia Micro Puff (Men's - Women's)	Arc'teryx Proton LT (Men's - Women's)	Patagonia Nano Puff (Men's - Women's)	Patagonia Nano Air (Men's - Women's)	Arc'teryx Atom LT (Men's - Women's)	Arc'teryx Proton Hybrid (Men's - Women's)
Image
Temp (°F / °C)	5/-15	18/-8	21/-6	32/0	36/2	37/3	37/3	41/5	43/6	46/8
Breathability	8/10	6/10	Testing	5/10	Testing	7/10	Testing	7/10	8/10	Testing
Weather Resistance	8/10	8/10	Testing	7/10	Testing	7/10	Testing	5/10	6/10	Testing
Durability	6/10	9/10	Testing	6/10	Testing	9/10	Testing	6/10	7/10	Testing
Packability	8/10	3/10	Testing	8/10	Testing	5/10	Testing	10/10	5/10	Testing
Best pick for	Warmest Arc'teryx synthetic.	Casual use in freezing weather.		Casual use in cold weather.		High output activities.
Review	Review	Review	Review	Review	Review	Review	Review	Review	Review	Review
Pit venting?	No	Yes, mesh	Yes, zips	No	No	No	No	No	Yes, mesh	No
Stuffs into itself?	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No
Two way zipper?	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Size Chart	[Men's / Women's]	[Men's / Women's]		[Men's / Women's]	[Men's / Women's]	[Men's / Women's]	[Men's / Women's]	[Men's / Women's]	[Men's / Women's]	[Women's]
Type	Synthetic	Synthetic	Synthetic	Synthetic	Synthetic	Synthetic	Synthetic	Synthetic	Synthetic	Synthetic
Fill Power	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Fill Weight (grams)	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
FP x FW	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Synthetic Insulator (SI)	Coreloft Continuous	Coreloft Continuous	Coreloft Continuous	Coreloft Continuous	PlumaFill	Coreloft Compact	PrimaLoft Gold Insulation Eco	FullRange	Coreloft Continuous	Coreloft Compact
SI Amount	180 g/m2 + 90 g/m2	120 g/m2 + 80 g/m2 + 60 g/m2	80 g/m²	65 g/m²	65 g	80 g/m2 + 60 g/m2	60 g	60 g	60 g/m²	40 g/m²
Face Fabric	Arato 15	30D Tyono	2L 40D Gore-Tex	Arato 10r	Pertex Quantum	Fortius Air 20	22D Polyester	33D Nylon ripstop	20D Tyono	Fortius™ Air 50
Activity	Climbing	All Round	All Round	Climbing	All Round	Climbing	All Round	All Round	All Round	All Round
Fit	Regular	Regular	Regular	Trim	Trim	Trim	Regular	Trim	Trim	Trim
Weight	600 g / 1 lb 5.2 oz	475 g / 1 lb	680 g / 1 lb 8 oz	325 g / 11.5 oz	298 g / 10.5 oz	375 g / 13.2 oz	363 g / 12.8 oz	318 g / 11.2 oz	375 g / 13.2 oz	365 g / 12.9 oz
Length (CB)	81 cm / 31.8 in	74 cm / 29.1 in	78.5 cm / 31 in	75 cm / 29.5 in	75 cm / 29.5 in	75 cm / 29.4 in	71.5 cm / 28 in	?	74 cm / 29.1 in	?
arc-mens-url	https://www.arcteryx.com/us/en/shop/mens/nuclei-sv-parka	https://www.arcteryx.com/us/en/shop/mens/atom-ar-hoody	https://www.arcteryx.com/us/en/shop/mens/beta-insulated-jacket	https://www.arcteryx.com/us/en/shop/nuclei-fl-jacket/		https://www.arcteryx.com/us/en/shop/mens/proton-lt-hoody			https://www.arcteryx.com/us/en/shop/mens/atom-lt-hoody	https://www.arcteryx.com/us/en/shop/mens/proton-hybrid-hoody
arc-womens-url		https://www.arcteryx.com/us/en/shop/womens/atom-heavyweight-hoody	https://www.arcteryx.com/us/en/shop/womens/beta-insulated-jacket	https://www.arcteryx.com/us/en/shop/nuclei-fl-jacket/		https://www.arcteryx.com/us/en/shop/womens/proton-hoody			https://www.arcteryx.com/us/en/shop/womens/atom-hoody	https://www.arcteryx.com/us/en/shop/womens/proton-hybrid-hoody
pat-mens-url					https://www.patagonia.com/product/mens-micro-puff-hoody/84031.html		https://www.patagonia.com/product/mens-nano-puff-hoody/84222.html	https://www.patagonia.com/product/mens-nano-air-hoody/84366.html
pat-womens-url					https://www.patagonia.com/product/womens-micro-puff-hoody/84041.html		https://www.patagonia.com/product/womens-nano-puff-hoody/84227.html	https://www.patagonia.com/product/womens-nano-air-hoody/84267.html
rei-mens-url	https://www.rei.com/product/192513	https://www.rei.com/product/135452		https://www.rei.com/product/165706	https://www.rei.com/product/125266	https://www.rei.com/product/154873	https://www.rei.com/product/102404	https://www.rei.com/product/873062	https://www.rei.com/product/175332
rei-womens-url	https://www.rei.com/product/191825	https://www.rei.com/product/174718		https://www.rei.com/product/165587	https://www.rei.com/product/125993	https://www.rei.com/product/152547	https://www.rei.com/product/102353	https://www.rei.com/product/870487	https://www.rei.com/product/174720	https://www.rei.com/product/209271
backcountry-mens-url					https://www.backcountry.com/patagonia-micro-puff-jacket-mens		https://www.backcountry.com/patagonia-nano-puff-insulated-jacket-mens	https://www.backcountry.com/patagonia-nano-air-insulated-jacket-mens
backcountry-womens-url					https://www.backcountry.com/patagonia-micro-puff-jacket-womens		https://www.backcountry.com/patagonia-nano-puff-insulated-jacket-womens	https://www.backcountry.com/patagonia-nano-air-insulated-jacket-womens
amazon-mens-url		https://www.amazon.com/Arcteryx-14648/dp/B07HR6Y2FJ		https://www.amazon.com/Arcteryx-Nuclei-FL-Jacket-Sangria/dp/B0163TBXJI	https://www.amazon.com/Patagonia-Micro-Puff-Insulated-Jacket/dp/B002IPHAA8	https://www.amazon.com/Arcteryx-Proton-Jacket-Glade-Large/dp/B08BJFXW1J		https://www.amazon.com/Patagonia-Nano-Air-Jacket-Underwater-Medium/dp/B01AUYMRSI	https://www.amazon.com/Arcteryx-24109-Atom-LT-Jacket/dp/B08BJHB631
amazon-womens-url		https://www.amazon.com/Arcteryx-Atom-AR-Hoody-Womens/dp/B08BJFMGMS	https://www.amazon.com/Arcteryx-Jacket-Gore-Tex-Maximum-Versatility/dp/B09PNMLTV9		https://www.amazon.com/Womens-Micro-Puff-Hooded-Jacket/dp/B0059SOLRQ	https://www.amazon.com/Arcteryx-Lightweight-Breathable-synthetically-Insulated/dp/B0973FDVWV		https://www.amazon.com/Patagonia-Nano-Air-Hoody-Jacket/dp/B00OYJJL5S	https://www.amazon.com/Arcteryx-24112-Atom-LT-Jacket/dp/B08BJFFFB4
image-url	https://images.arcteryx.com/F22/1350x1710/Nuclei-SV-Parka-Timelapse.jpg	https://images.arcteryx.com/F22/1350x1710/Atom-AR-Hoody-Relic.jpg	https://images.arcteryx.com/F22/1350x1710/Beta-Insulated-Jacket-Relic.jpg	https://images.arcteryx.com/F22/1350x1710/Nuclei-FL-Jacket-Black-Sapphire.jpg	https://www.patagonia.com/dw/image/v2/BDJB_PRD/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-patagonia-master/default/dwa481ffc6/images/hi-res/84031_SMDB.jpg?sw=1914&sh=1914&sfrm=png&q=95&bgcolor=f5f5f5	https://images.arcteryx.com/F22/1350x1710/Proton-LT-Hoody-Distortion.jpg	https://www.patagonia.com/dw/image/v2/BDJB_PRD/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-patagonia-master/default/dwdbb99842/images/hi-res/84222_BSNG.jpg?sw=1436&sh=1436&sfrm=png&q=95&bgcolor=f5f5f5	https://www.patagonia.com/dw/image/v2/BDJB_PRD/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-patagonia-master/default/dw56888f67/images/hi-res/84366_TIDB.jpg?sw=1914&sh=1914&sfrm=png&q=95&bgcolor=f5f5f5	https://images.arcteryx.com/F22/1350x1710/Atom-LT-Hoody-Forage.jpg	https://images.arcteryx.com/F22/1350x1710/Proton-Hybrid-Hoody-Phenom-Bordeaux.jpg

It's also worth mentioning the Fission SV, Kappa and Dually Belay in here. They're all as good as (in some cases maybe even better than) their cousin Nuclei SV. It's pretty disappointing to see Arc'teryx discontinue these breathtaking products. No one knows if they're coming back or not. 

It's difficult to understand this move because there really aren't lots of options in this area of the line-up (very cold synthetic wear with high weather resistance). So I hope Arc'teryx brings them back one day. I'm not losing all my hope yet because they did bring the once loved Nuclei FL back to life after many years. So it's not something that never happens! 

Best Synthetic Insulated Jackets: Full table

Learn more about most of the popular synthetic insulated jackets out there. Pick "Synthetic Jackets" from the "Type" filter in the dropdown menu of the chart below. 

Common user profiles and corresponding best synthetic insulated jackets

"I'm looking for the best synthetic insulated jacket for high output activities." 

If you'll be climbing or bouldering more than half the time with this jacket, then get the Proton LT as you'll need more abrasion resistance. If it's less than half the time, then get the Atom LT since you can sacrifice some abrasion resistance to add some more breathability in return. 

Nano Air is also a stunning piece. If you prefer Patagonia over Arc'teryx, then you can absolutely get that with peace of mind. 

"I need a casual jacket around town. I want it to be warm, waterproof, windproof, stylish and comfortable." 

If it goes down to 5 deg F /-15 deg C, get the Nuclei SV. If the coldest you'll be wearing the jacket won't be lower than 18 deg F / -8 deg C, then get the Atom AR. 

"I need a streamlined, lightly insulated, casual, packable jacket. I'm planning to use it as if it's a down jacket that can get wet." 

Nuclei FL is your jacket 100%. 

"I need a jack of all trades, master of none kinda jacket. I want it to accomplish casual and active use at the same time. What would you have for me?" 

Well, there's no one single jacket that can replace the entire benefits of a insulated + shell combo like the most popular Proton LT + Beta AR. But Arc'teryx still does have alternatives for you in here, and they're very, very good. This is the closest a standalone jacket can get to a layering. 

If you'll be using the jacket casually around town more than half of the time, then I'd get the Beta Insulated. 

If it's high output activities most of the time instead of casual use, then I'd recommend the Proton Hybrid. Yes, Proton Hybrid does not have pit zips or two way zippers (the two foundations of a breathable jacket), but you'll wish having them less than you do with other jackets because it's very lightly insulated. It's one of the 3 least insulated Arc'teryx jackets of all time, besides the Proton FL and Atom SL. 

"I like the preppy and/or classical family photo look and want something casual. I won't be active with it most of the time. Maybe never." 

Look up Micro Puff and Nano Puff and get the one that you like the looks of the most.