The Arc’Teryx Cerium LT Hoody: Gear Review

This Fall/Winter season marks the arrival of first down collection developed by Arc’Teryx and the Cerium LT Hoody, an 850 fill European Goose down jacket, does not disappoint. The developers at Arc’Teryx designed this jacket for backcountry and alpine use and the Cerium LT Hoody has already won an ISPO award, given out each year to “the most exceptional sporting goods products”. It is outstanding as either as a warm mid layer or on its own. Needless to say, we haven’t ventured outside without this jacket since we received it. As the snow begins to fall and the chair lifts begin to open, we are chomping at the bit to test it on the ski slopes of Colorado. Let’s take a more in-depth look at what we found special about this jacket starting with Carl Moriarty, Senior Design Manager at Arc’Teryx:

Hood Configuration:

• Adjustable hood drawcords
• Insulated Storm Hood

Zippers & Fly Configuration:

• Full front zip with chin guard
• Corded zipper-pulls reduce noise and are easy to grab

Cuff & Sleeves Configuration:

• Elastic cuffs

Pocket Configuration:

• Two hand pockets with zippers
• Integrated Features
• Includes stuff sack

Materials:

• Coreloft 80 g/m² insulation. Made with highly crimped multi-denier siliconized polyester yarn, this lightweight, breathable, and thermally efficient, 100% polyester staple fibre it is very compressible and has excellent loft retention.
• Airetica—100% nylon, 34 g/m². Tightly constructed, high tenacity, 20×10 denier ripstop nylon with a smooth hand.
• 850 fill European goose down

Comfort:

The Cerium LT Hoody is extremely comfortable. It is streamlined and fits close to the body for maximum warmth while its three-part sleeve is designed for optimized mobility. Weighing in at a mere 275g, the jacket is feather-light and is not bulky compared to similar down mid layers. The jacket’s adjustable hood is perfect for blocking the wind, is designed for maximum peripheral visibility and the durable water repellent finish is effective at keeping light precipitation off of your head. More than once, we have come in from the cold and sat in our living room for hours without removing this jacket, a key indicator of its comfort in our opinion.

Style/Design:

The Cerium LT Hoody is stylish and looks great around the city or on the ski slopes. We have received several complements on the red highlighting on the midnight blue jacket we received from Arc’Teryx. The jacket is stripped down of bells and whistles, designed for minimal complexity and ease of use. We welcomed the simplicity as it kept the jacket’s weight to a minimum. Down is typically not good when wet but the designers at Arc’Teryx have taken this into account by adding a water repellent coating that helps light precipitation bead off the surface of the jacket. Without a doubt, We would recommend this model over the Cerium jacket without a hood. More nuanced details make this jacket really stand out. The 850 fill European Goose down is found in the core and arms of the jacket to optimize warmth but the design team at Arc’Teryx have strategically incorporated a synthetic down fill along areas that are prone to moisture accumulation including the hem, collar, sleeves and underarms. In addition, the two angled hand warmer pockets are large and easy to access. The left hand warmer pocket is equipped with a stuff sack attached to the inside for easy packing. We were amazed at how little room this jacket takes up in our rucksacks when packed away.

Versatility:

The Cerium LT Hoody is easily one of the most versatile jackets we have tested. As we mentioned before, this jacket can be worn in the city or on the slopes. It unpacks from its stuff sack in seconds and is ready for use. It can be worn as a mid layer under a shell or on its own weather permitting. More than once, we have taken this jacket out of our pack when the temperature dropped and found our friends surprised that we had it the entire time in a small pack. Having worn other down jackets, we were also surprised at how well the Cerium LT Hoody shielded from harsh winds. As a bonus, the hood is large enough to fit nicely over a ski helmet.

Warmth:

This jacket is extremely warm. We have worn it with a t-shirt underneath in 20-30 degree Fahrenheit temperatures and had no problem staying warm. Coupled with a base layer and shell, this jacket is perfect for layering in lower temperatures in the backcountry. In addition, the hood keeps drafts out of the jacket and helps your neck stay toasty when wind chill drops.

Value:

We found the Cerium LT Hoody’s retail price of $350 to be more than reasonable. It is a high-quality jacket and when the Cerium LT Hoody’s versatility, warmth-to-weight ratio and design are taken into account we were pressed to find a higher quality jacket at the same price point. The jacket is a dynamic mid layer that provides excellent comfort and usability. Overall, for Arc’Teryx’s first venture into down, we were delighted with the results.

Buy Now: $350.00