My Atom SV is still kicking after almost 10 years. The loft is still there, which i find absolutely amazing. I do admit that i have babied it as much as possible. Regular washings too.
I compared the old AR jacket with the new revised heavyweight and I think Arc'teryx really went wrong here. The AR is better fitting and not sloppy fitting like the heavyweight. I also like the weight and feel of AR. Feels more premium. Arc'teryx best-selling jacket, the AR should have stayed the same. I was very disappointed in the heavyweight and returned it.
Good comments. I think the fit is subjective as it varies person to person. Some will notice fit nuances/differences specific to their body type. For me, the fit is comfortable, while still allowing for layering, and still maintains a fairly tailored look. As far as the weight/feel of the AR being more premium, I have heard that feedback before. However with Arcteryx constantly making materials more efficient and continuing to innovate it’s hard to imagine they would deliberately make this jacket “less premium” even though it might feel that way. It could just be that the materials are now more efficient so they don’t have to feel as robust or bulky. At least that’s just my speculation.
They do deliberately make products worse, I bought the beta LT but the prior year used gortex pro, both jackets were $400, except the new model used regular gortex
@@Alex-oo3jy There can be supplier and other financial and market implications us consumers aren’t always aware of which impact cost and materials. It’s not always “fair” perse. I wouldn’t go so far as saying they “deliberately make things worse”. There’s probably a strong reason behind the change.
Recently got the Atom LT as I was looking for an in-between from my regular hoodies and my Thorium AR which I use for the -15C to -30C days. Still flip flopping whether to go with the heavyweight or stay & layer with the LT.
The Atom LT is very versatile and you can get down to about 5 Celsius before getting chilly and having to do serious layering. Realistically, the lowest I would push it is -6c. Depends on your use case, if you plan on this mostly being an active piece then it will probably fill the gap. I would use the heavyweight for camp lounging in freezing weather, probably similar to how you currently use your Thorium.
@@lifehiker yeah, I know the LT will be fairly limited on what it can do in cold, yet I'm still trying to not get close to having a 2nd winter jacket. :)
Is it worth as a daily jacket, even if not used in any sport acitivites? Kinda scared to get too cold since it has such light material. Will it hold me warm in minus Celsius degrees?
Yes I believe it’s worth it as a daily jacket. You will have absolutely no trouble going down to very cold minus Celsius temps. And if you put a shell over it, it would likely rival most thick parkas warmth wise in extreme cold. Just my 2 cents.
Have you tried the Proton HW? I can’t decide between them for daily use. I have an atom and am comfortable using it to -5, but after that I need something new; what would you recommend?
Protons are generally even more breathable than Atoms. So I would expect a Proton HW to run cooler than an Atom HW. For daily use the Atom HW might be better, the Proton HW is more for active cold weather use.
Great review, but you haven't mentioned sizing and fit. What size of Atom Heavyweight jacket do you have? How it fits in comparison to Atom LT? (Watched your Atom LT review. There you mentioned it was L-size.)
Thanks. I find the Atom LT slimmer/more tailored than the Heavyweight. Which makes sense because the LT is “fitted” and the Heavyweight is “regular”. So there is plenty of breathing room for layering with the Heavyweight, as I mentioned. I wear a size large in this too.
On the website under Atom Heavyweight Hoody Men’s, question and answer, there was a question about the differences between the Atom LT and heavyweight. The answer was they differ in 2 main categories: 1) Fit-XS and S have been made to fit slightly smaller, M is the same, L, XL and XXL have been made larger. So fit will depend on your size. 2) Logo has changed.
I noticed on my Heavyweight the logo is indeed printed and is smaller, it also doesn’t feature the spelled out name underneath it. I actually liked the subtle nature of the newer printed logo. It seems to give it a cleaner, modern look, just my opinion.
It’s a Cormac t-shirt. I don’t think they sell this exact one anymore, but here’s a link to their current tees: arcteryx.com/us/en/shop/mens/cormac-logo-shirt-ss
@@pleasebeinteresting he doesn’t seem to want to explain why he returned it… The LT is pretty light and if you’re not effectively layering with it, and staying static (not active), you will certainly start feeling the cold around 40F.
My Atom SV is still kicking after almost 10 years. The loft is still there, which i find absolutely amazing. I do admit that i have babied it as much as possible. Regular washings too.
Would love to see a review video like this of the Proton Heavyweight Hoody!
Cheers, mate.
Noted!
would you recommend it for Nebraska weather where it’s usually -10° - -20 F° some days? will it keep me warm?
If you layer appropriately underneath, it could likely handle that.
I run super cold and this jacket is amazing. Out here in Colorado it's been perfect.
Worth it even at the premium price of $350.
Great to hear! Glad you agree!
I compared the old AR jacket with the new revised heavyweight and I think Arc'teryx really went wrong here. The AR is better fitting and not sloppy fitting like the heavyweight. I also like the weight and feel of AR. Feels more premium. Arc'teryx best-selling jacket, the AR should have stayed the same. I was very disappointed in the heavyweight and returned it.
Good comments. I think the fit is subjective as it varies person to person. Some will notice fit nuances/differences specific to their body type. For me, the fit is comfortable, while still allowing for layering, and still maintains a fairly tailored look. As far as the weight/feel of the AR being more premium, I have heard that feedback before. However with Arcteryx constantly making materials more efficient and continuing to innovate it’s hard to imagine they would deliberately make this jacket “less premium” even though it might feel that way. It could just be that the materials are now more efficient so they don’t have to feel as robust or bulky. At least that’s just my speculation.
They do deliberately make products worse, I bought the beta LT but the prior year used gortex pro, both jackets were $400, except the new model used regular gortex
@@Alex-oo3jy There can be supplier and other financial and market implications us consumers aren’t always aware of which impact cost and materials. It’s not always “fair” perse. I wouldn’t go so far as saying they “deliberately make things worse”. There’s probably a strong reason behind the change.
New regular cut Heavyweight works better over thicker lower layers which I think is a smart choice by Arc tbh
Recently got the Atom LT as I was looking for an in-between from my regular hoodies and my Thorium AR which I use for the -15C to -30C days. Still flip flopping whether to go with the heavyweight or stay & layer with the LT.
The Atom LT is very versatile and you can get down to about 5 Celsius before getting chilly and having to do serious layering. Realistically, the lowest I would push it is -6c. Depends on your use case, if you plan on this mostly being an active piece then it will probably fill the gap. I would use the heavyweight for camp lounging in freezing weather, probably similar to how you currently use your Thorium.
@@lifehiker yeah, I know the LT will be fairly limited on what it can do in cold, yet I'm still trying to not get close to having a 2nd winter jacket. :)
@@RedThorn58yeah, that makes sense.
Is it worth as a daily jacket, even if not used in any sport acitivites? Kinda scared to get too cold since it has such light material. Will it hold me warm in minus Celsius degrees?
Yes I believe it’s worth it as a daily jacket. You will have absolutely no trouble going down to very cold minus Celsius temps. And if you put a shell over it, it would likely rival most thick parkas warmth wise in extreme cold. Just my 2 cents.
Have you tried the Proton HW? I can’t decide between them for daily use.
I have an atom and am comfortable using it to -5, but after that I need something new; what would you recommend?
Protons are generally even more breathable than Atoms. So I would expect a Proton HW to run cooler than an Atom HW. For daily use the Atom HW might be better, the Proton HW is more for active cold weather use.
Great review, but you haven't mentioned sizing and fit.
What size of Atom Heavyweight jacket do you have?
How it fits in comparison to Atom LT? (Watched your Atom LT review. There you mentioned it was L-size.)
Thanks. I find the Atom LT slimmer/more tailored than the Heavyweight. Which makes sense because the LT is “fitted” and the Heavyweight is “regular”. So there is plenty of breathing room for layering with the Heavyweight, as I mentioned. I wear a size large in this too.
On the website under Atom Heavyweight Hoody Men’s, question and answer, there was a question about the differences between the Atom LT and heavyweight. The answer was they differ in 2 main categories: 1) Fit-XS and S have been made to fit slightly smaller, M is the same, L, XL and XXL have been made larger. So fit will depend on your size. 2) Logo has changed.
I just got a new gamma sl and found the logo changed
It’s printed on the chest and it seems cheap not sure if yours
I noticed on my Heavyweight the logo is indeed printed and is smaller, it also doesn’t feature the spelled out name underneath it. I actually liked the subtle nature of the newer printed logo. It seems to give it a cleaner, modern look, just my opinion.
@@lifehiker hmmm how about the durability after couple wash? Mine is not plain printed one it’s more like shiny black vinyl plastics on the surface
@@kiwifrenchie6036I can’t speak to the durability of the logo but I sympathize with your concern when washing the garment.
Does it stretch?
No, it doesn’t seem to stretch.
t shirt name and where to buy?
It’s a Cormac t-shirt. I don’t think they sell this exact one anymore, but here’s a link to their current tees: arcteryx.com/us/en/shop/mens/cormac-logo-shirt-ss
Thank you!
You bet!
Color?
@@СмирновСтас-щ4р black sapphire.
@ thank you!!!
how tall are you?
6ft, 220 pounds - size large
I returned it😂.it is not good.
What didn’t you like about it? I just bought my LT. It’s 45°. And I’m still cold.
@@pleasebeinteresting he doesn’t seem to want to explain why he returned it… The LT is pretty light and if you’re not effectively layering with it, and staying static (not active), you will certainly start feeling the cold around 40F.