Arc'teryx Therme Parka

Nothing says cozy, comfortable warmth on a cold winter day quite like a parka. Unlike regular jackets, parkas extend all the way down over your body's core, and that extra length equates to big-time warmth. Arc'teryx's Therme Parka and Therme SV Parka are the brand's gold standard for men's weatherproof parkas. Both offer Gore-Tex waterproof and windproof protection from the elements, but the Therme SV is longer than the Therme and is fully insulated with down. The flagship Therme, on the other hand, is insulated with down as well as synthetic CoreLoft insulation in strategic areas. 

Bottom line: Both the Arc'teryx Therme and Therme SV are great options for frigid winter days - especially when precipitation is possible. If you tend to run cold or simply want the longest, warmest parka Arc'teryx makes, then go for the Therme SV. Otherwise the Therme is an excellent choice for most buyers. Just remember, parkas like the Therme and Therme SV are intended for casual around-town use; their length and limited breathability make them poor choices for any activities requiring range of motion and physical exertion. Patagonia's Stormshadow Parka is a comparable option to both models of Therme. 

Note that the Arc'teryx women's equivalent is the Patera Parka, which also comes in an extended length version. The Patera Parka more closely aligns with the Therme SV Parka than the Therme Parka. Arc'teryx also has a handy jacket-finder tool: https://arcteryx.com/us/en/shop/jacket-finder 

For what it's worth, here's how Arc'teryx compares the Therme Parka to the Therme SV Parka: https://arcteryx.com/us/en/compare/X000006696/X000006581

Also see: 

• Best Arc'teryx Jackets: https://outdoorcrunch.com/best-arcteryx-jacket/
• Best Patagonia Jackets: https://outdoorcrunch.com/best-patagonia-jackets/
• Jacket temperature ratings: https://outdoorcrunch.com/jackets/

Therme Parka warmth

The Therme Parka and Therme SV Parka both feature 750 fill power European goose down, but you get a lot more of it in the Therme SV version. A size medium Therme SV Parka has 211 grams of down, versus 94 grams in the Therme. Having 2x more down by weight doesn't mean the Therme SV is twice as warm as the Therme Parka, of course. The Therme Parka supplements its down with Coreloft 60 and 80 insulation in moisture-prone areas like the face, shoulders, underarms and cuffs. To understand fill power, the difference between down and synthetic insulation like Coreloft, and how all of it affects the warmth of a jacket, check out our detailed explanation here. 

Make no mistake, the Therme SV is certainly warmer than the Therme - both because of the additional down as well as its extended length. While the Therme Parka extends to the upper thigh of most wearers, the Therme SV Parka falls to the mid-thigh. Specifically, the Therme Parka has a center front length of 92cm (36.2 inches) and a center back length of 85.5cm (33.7 inches) in size medium. The same size medium in the Therme SV Parka has a center front length of 103cm (40.6 inches) and a center back length of 96cm (37.8 inches). Put simply, the Therme SV Parka is about 4 inches longer than the Therme Parka in size medium.

It's worth mentioning here that every Arc'teryx down garment uses down certified to the Responsible Down Standard (RDS), an independent standard that safeguards animal welfare. And Arc'teryx prefers goose down over duck down because of its higher fill power (which also makes it more expensive). 

Therme Parka weather resistance

One of the key factors that makes the Therme and Therme SV parkas stand out from other down-insulated Arc'teryx jackets like the Thorium and Cerium is that both Therme models have Gore-Tex waterproof and windproof membranes. The P75d 2L Gore-Tex of the Therme Parka and the 2L Gore-Tex of the Therme SV Parka offer the same protection from the elements, but the P75d of the Therme is a 75-denier polyester with a distinctly textured surface and soft, cottony hand. Here's more info on Gore-Tex and the many different variations it offers in its textile lineup.

With a waterproof and windproof exterior and a down-insulated interior, you'd be correct to assume neither the Therme Parka nor the Therme SV Parka is very breathable. And the fact is, they don't have to be. Parkas by their very nature are intended for casual wear in freezing temperatures. Because their wearers aren't exerting much, if any, output, the focus is on making the parka as warm as possible - breathability be damned. There's no real penalty for using a Gore-Tex membrane that isn't very breathable because it doesn't have to be - there's no balance to achieve here. 

In addition to the two-layer Gore-Tex membranes, both Therme models are treated with FC0-DWR coatings that are PFAs-free. DWR (Durable Water Repellent) finishes are sprayed onto the surface of jackets as a final coat - think of it like a wax on your freshly cleaned car. DWR coatings - not Gore-Tex membranes - are what causes water to bead up on the outside of your garments, instead of soaking into the top layer of fabric. As a result, jackets with DWR finishes dry quicker than those without them. And DWR finishes also wear off over time, which is why reapplying them whenever you notice water no longer beading on your coat's surface is a worthwhile endeavor. 

If you live in a dry climate, it's worth considering whether your warmest winter jacket needs to have a waterproof Gore-Tex outer. For straight (non-Gore-Tex) down jacket alternatives, read our review of the Thorium as well as our comparison of the Thorium vs Cerium. We should note that former Arc'teryx jackets like the Camosun and Thorsen were comparable to the Therme Parka but have since been discontinued. We previously pitted the three against one another in this review.

Additional Therme Parka and Therme SV features

Two-way zipper

A two-way primary front zipper enables you to keep the upper half of the jacket zipped, while opening up, or unzipping, the bottom half. On longer jackets like parkas, two-way front zippers help with both breathability (i.e., heat dumping) and comfort. How comfort? Well, it's not easy to sit down in a jacket that extends to your thighs or lower. Unzipping the bottom portion of your Therme or Therme SV parka provides that additional freedom of movement to make sitting more comfortable and less restrictive. 

The two-way front zipper is standard on both the Therme Parka and Therme SV Parka. 

Pockets

Both the Therme and Therme SV have an external zippered chest pocket, an internal zippered chest pocket, and two zippered handwarmer pockets that are fleece-lined. 

StormHood

Another shared feature of the Therme Parka and Therme SV Parka: an adjustable, insulated StormHood. The single adjustment cord cinches the hood evenly around your face and does an excellent job keeping the hood in a position where it both keeps you covered and protected without getting in the way. We wrote about the Arc'teryx StormHood (and compare it to the lesser-used DropHood) here. Note that the hood is not removable on either version of the parka.   

Cuffs

Keeping with the Therme Parka and Therme SV Parka theme of warmth and comfort above all else, the sleeves on both have internal cuff gaskets to help keep in the heat. The internal cuffs also allow the Therme and Therme SV to have a clean, straight cuff that, in our opinion, adds to the classy aesthetics of these parkas. 

Side-by-side photo comparison

How to wash and care for your Arc'teryx down jacket

Down is such an incredible insulator because of the tiny pockets of air within it that trap your body's heat and thus keep you warm. But when down becomes wet it loses its insulating power and is essentially worthless. It also takes a long time to dry. All of this is to say that caring for your down garment is essential to keeping you warm and to making sure that expensive jacket performs for years and years. 

There's no need to wash your down garment until you know or see that it's dirty, and that's because things like dirt and sweat compromise the ability of your jacket's high-end fabrics to repel moisture. And like we said, moisture is bad for down. 

When it is time to wash your down jacket, here's what Arc'teryx recommend:

1. Close the main zippers but leave open pocket zippers (and make sure all those pockets are empty
2. Release the tension on any drawcords, like the one for your StormHood
3. Loosen and secure any Velcro cuffs 
4. If you have a top-loading washing machine with an agitator, toss your garment in a mesh bag to help protect it
5. Use a mild detergent without scents, dyes or fabric softener, and wash on medium heat with a permanent press or gentle setting. Add an extra rinse cycle to ensure all the detergent is washed out. This down detergent from Nu is recommended and sold by Arc'teryx.
6. If you need to refresh your jacket's DWR (durable water repellent) finish, this is the time to do it. Close all zipper, hang up your damp garment, and spray the DWR evenly and thoroughly across the outside of the coat. Arc'terx recommends this Nu Durable Water Repellent spray.
7. When finished washing, turn the jacket inside out and put it in the dryer on a low heat setting. Add two clean tennis balls or other dryer balls to help the down regain its loft. Note you may want to turn the jacket inside out again to ensure all areas of the down get completely dry.

Voilà! Your down garment is hopefully as good as new.