REVIEW: Arc’teryx LEAF Atom SV Gen2 Hoody

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When it's cold, there's only one thing that helps: Dress warmly! But what to wear? And how? The choice is difficult, as there is a wide range of options starting from underwear to fleece and outer layers: the Loft jackets. Arc’teryx offers several models for different functions and with different fillings. Today, Martin presents the Arc’teryx LEAF Atom SV Hoody in the color Crocodile.

In the military sector, synthetic hollow fiber has been used for a long time, as it has better thermal performance when wet compared to down, and it is also less delicate. Down is still mainly used in alpine areas, where predominantly dry cold prevails and the weight/compression/insulation ratio is even better than with synthetic hollow fiber. The US Army and the US Marine Corps rely on Primaloft®, a very well-known hollow fiber that is also frequently used in civilian outdoor activities. Primaloft® was developed in the 1980s for the American military.

Arc’teryx has taken its own path and uses its proprietary Coreloft™ fiber in the Atom jackets and ThermaTek™ in the Fusion jacket. Coreloft™, like Primaloft®, is a short, highly crimped synthetic fiber that stores warm air in the material properties and gaps between the fibers, providing excellent insulation. In direct comparison to Primaloft One®, Coreloft™ is about 5% less warm, but lighter and more breathable.

The Atom SV is filled with 100g/m² Coreloft™ (in comparison, the Atom LT is only filled with 60g/m²). The filling is evenly distributed throughout the jacket, except for the areas under the arms, where the filling has been completely omitted to prevent overheating during movement. Looking at the jacket from the inside, you can see a fine fleece layer in this area, similar to the collar. The rest of the jacket's interior is made of smooth Ripstop Nylon, which is reinforced by about 5-8 cm in the chest area and another 2 cm at the bottom.

The outer material is called Gossamera™ and has very good wind- and water-resistant properties, as we have already observed with the Wraith Series. There are Velcro areas for patches on the arms, but no arm pockets.

The jacket has a slightly generous fit to allow for wearing a fleece underneath even on very cold days. The sleeves are wider in the elbow area to ensure maximum freedom of movement. The sleeves are finished with elastic cuffs that are very soft and flexible, allowing for wearing gloves over or under them. The back of the jacket is slightly longer to also warm the buttocks.

The hood has a small visor and is also generously cut to accommodate a helmet underneath. The hood is adjustable on the outside at the back and in the collar area.

One particularly great feature is the housing for the cord stoppers: they are hidden in a small "garage" and do not bother at all. The material in the collar is a soft fleece in a discreet black. The collar itself is nice and high, warming the neck all the way up to the chin. The hood can be rolled up and temporarily secured inside with a long tab. A shorter tab would be more appropriate here.

There are a total of 3 pockets: two handwarmer pockets on the outside and one inside pocket on the left side. All pockets can be closed with a zipper, and Paracord is attached to the zipper for better grip on the outside. The zippers are from YKK®. Both handwarmer pockets have a port at the top for cables from radios, MP3 players, etc. The interior pocket is spacious and its contents sit above the handwarmer pocket at the rib level. In the hip area, there is a vertically attached drawstring with cord stopper on each side to tighten the jacket at the bottom.

In size Large, the jacket weighs about 570g and can be compressed very well, making it easy to store anywhere.

CONCLUSION: If you're looking for a simple, warm jacket with good wind- and water-resistant properties that can also be compactly packed away, you've found it with the Atom SV. Not as warm as, for example, the US Marine Corps Level 7 Primaloft® Jacket, but much lighter and, as mentioned, with excellent packability. Plus, it's very stylish and you won't look like the Michelin Man.

The Atom SV is available in Crocodile (presented here), Wolf, and Black at HQG – Lindnerhof Taktik for €230.