Customer Reviews Arc'teryx Thorium AR Hoodie

Feel like I've been through the ringer this winter trying to find the right jacket. Tried the Black Diamond Vision Parka, Rab Verglas, Montane Antifreeze, and Patagonia Topley. They all had their pros and cons, but the Thorium AR Hoody wins out (for me) across the board. Fit: I'm 5'8 #155 athletic build and the medium is spot on for me. Not too tight, not too loose. Great length in the torso and arms. I'm a medium in most things and think this is true to size for an athletic fit. I was swimming in a Kappa Hoody in a size medium which I'd say is more of a regular fit. For what it's worth I did fit in a small in all the other jackets I listed at the beginning which I would say run more relaxed by comparison to the Thorium AR. Quality: Top notch all around. Have yet to leak any down. Fabric/Construction: 30D tough outer fabric is bested only by the silky soft interior fabric. Can tell the outer will hold up for a long time. I'd wear this all day if I could. Sewing and construction is excellent. I've seen garbage seams and craftsmanship on similar jackets in this price range. Zipper: Main is easy to use, no catches whatsoever, and a good size (not one of those skinny anemic zips you find on so many jackets these days). Pocket zippers operate smoothly. Hood/Cuffs: Hugs your head and doesn't let drafts in - no need for adjustments for me (sans helmet). Same with the elastic wrist cuffs. They just work. Style/Use: Toned down and great for all around use. Some down jackets have that shiny outer shell that make it look like you're going on an expedition and don't really work for an every day addition to your normal clothes. The Thorium AR works with just about everything. I use this for commuting/day to day, not for anything technical. It was 19 degrees this morning and I was comfortable in just a t-shirt. No wind gets through the baffles. Hand pockets put your hands BEHIND the insulation which is how it should be. I'd be comfortable with a light layer (Delta LT maybe) for those really cold day. All in all an excellent piece that in my opinion is warrants the price tag.

I use it nearly everyday in the winter in Chicago and cold weather camping/hiking. Packs down very easily. Comfortable to wear as an outer layer by itself down to 32 degrees. Any colder and I put on a midlayer or a shell.

Very comfortable jacket right out of the box. Packs the best heat/insulation despite being very lightweight and on the less puffy side of down jackets. I am 5'10' and medium fits perfectly, with room to layer. Best quality and performance on the market. Treat yourself.

Was able to pick one up at a good price. I use it as an outer layer most of the time in NYC with one or two layers under. My body stays very warm when moving and especially standing still. The only two concerns I have w this jacket is when it's zipped all the way up, the top rubs against my neck and I usually have to unzipper a little. Or I pull over my chin. The other is that if you have thin wrists, wind will push air through the sleeves and make your arms chilly. I believe wearing gloves will solve this or if their were Velcro straps to tighten them.

Where do I start? I am a complete out door jacket nut and have owned and kept or returned just about every down jacket out there ! Obsessed as I am with finding the perfect jacket, this comes out on top for warmth, fit, durability and looks! I'm 6ft. 4 ins. and 17.5 st and an XL is snug but feels right and not too loose for the cold to get in ! Minor grumbles:- 1. It's a tad too short if you have a long torso! 2. Stuff sack is anchored into an already small inner pocket? 3. Not cheap ( but if you want the best ,blah, blah) Far superior to Rab, Patagonia, fjallraven, the North face etc most of which are what I would call run-of-the-mill 'Fodder jackets' for unremarkable activities such as dog walking , school runs etc! This jacket stands out a mile , so go and treat yourself!!

Where do I start? I am a complete out door jacket nut and have owned and kept or returned just about every down jacket out there ! Obsessed as I am with finding the perfect jacket, this comes out on top for warmth, fit, durability and looks! I'm 6ft. 4 ins. and 17.5 st and an XL is snug but feels right and not too loose for the cold to get in ! Minor grumbles:- 1. It's a tad too short if you have a long torso! 2. Stuff sack is anchored into an already small inner pocket? 3. Not cheap ( but if you want the best ,blah, blah) Far superior to Rab, Patagonia, fjallraven, the North face etc most of which are what I would call run-of-the-mill 'Fodder jackets' for unremarkable activities such as dog walking , school runs etc! This jacket stands out a mile , so go and treat yourself!!

Great jacket, really warm, and compresses down easily for travel. This is a great jacket for traveling, comes with a compression bag attached to the pocket. Zippers and construction is quality. It's is a bit snug for the size around the waist and the hood does tend to creep up when you are seated or driving, but other than that it's a great warm coat and I recommend it.

I own this jacket from September and love it for cold weather. It is very light but so warm. I am 161cm and got XS and it fits perfectly. Looks very durable and it suprised me how it stands snow and rain (i was too lazy to get my rain jacket from my backpack). I have Zaffre colour and it's amazing. Love this color, i also got Kyanite fleece hoody same color. There is only one thing I dont like about this jacket and it's hood. Hate these kind of hoods, same on my Proton Lt which is my all year round perfect jacket. But that's a personal thing and other than that I love Thorium Ar. I own four Arc'teryx jackets and missing the last one i really want for a long time - Alpha SV but last four years I didn't like any colours. Hopefully they will make it soon in nice deep purple colour, something like azalea or zaffre.

Solid everyday piece. Fits well albeit a little loose in the waist. I bought the large. I'm 6'2" and 185lbs. The medium's sleeves were too short for me. It is very warm down into the upper 20's with a t-shirt, any colder and I just add a fleece.

I absolutely love this jacket and wear it all the time. Had it for a little over a year now, living in the Northwest Territories and it's stood up really well to the cold up here. I wear it with a thin merino base layer underneath for a daily fat bike commute down to -30C and I'm plenty warm. It's great for any activity in the cold as it breathes really well but keeps you toasty. Gets a bit too warm in the -5C range unless you're stationary. Fit is spot on. I wear a small at 5'6" 145lbs.

I absolutely love this jacket and wear it all the time. Had it for a little over a year now, living in the Northwest Territories and it's stood up really well to the cold up here. I wear it with a thin merino base layer underneath for a daily fat bike commute down to -30C and I'm plenty warm. It's great for any activity in the cold as it breathes really well but keeps you toasty. Gets a bit too warm in the -5C range unless you're stationary. Fit is spot on. I wear a small at 5'6" 145lbs.

The style is great and love the colour. I chose the Dimma, the colour seems to change in different lighting from a dark browny purple to a more vibrant purple. Looking forward to the colder weather so I can put my new jacket through it's paces properly!

I have the Thorium AR and the Cerium LT and I love both but if I could only have one it would be the Thorium, I have never snagged or ripped the LT but I do take a bit more care of it than the AR as it feels a lot stronger face fabric and I think it feels warmer as well but that might just be the fact it is a little bigger( more down)

Great all around down jacket. I'm 6'-2" & 175 lbs so it's hard to find jackets that aren't too big in the body. The thorium has a fit that accommodates a layer, but isn't too boxy. The outer layer is more robust than the cerium LT and doesn't look like it's made strictly for an inner layer. My wife has the women's version and it has articulated arms, so that would be nice for the men's version as well.

This jacket in the 24k BLACK color is one of the best looking jackets on the market today. It also is hands down one of the warmest as well. I have had this jacket for one week and i get compliments on it every day. I plan throw it on every cold day that Utah offers. It is one of those jackets your wife will steal because you can immediately feel the warmth wrap around you. Quality, Quality, Quality. I have noticed very small amounts of down escaping, but not enough to even worry me in the slightest.

This jacket in the 24k BLACK color is one of the best looking jackets on the market today. It also is hands down one of the warmest as well. I have had this jacket for one week and i get compliments on it every day. I plan throw it on every cold day that Utah offers. It is one of those jackets your wife will steal because you can immediately feel the warmth wrap around you. Quality, Quality, Quality. I have noticed very small amounts of down escaping, but not enough to even worry me in the slightest.

I really like this jacket. I always throw it on after a long day of skiing when I come off the hill. It really keeps me warm and I love the fit. I am 6 feet 170 pounds and the XL fits great. I usually just where a base layer under it as I get too warm with a thicker top. A real testament to the warmth of this jacket

Just the best warmth for the weight, such a comfortable jacket that you would be forgiven for thinking it's going to be rubbish because it's so light but it is far from rubbish it's fantastic and I can't say enough good things about it. Just buy one and experience for yourself or you are simply missing out on the very best.

Love this down jacket. It's very warm and the material feels durable. Had worn it in Iceland under a hard shell. It looks nice by itself. Very happy with the purchase.

I spent a lot of time between this jacket and the Cerium. Ultimately, I decided I wanted a jacket for wearing around town and apres ski vs. a true insulated jacket for under a shell. This fit that bill perfectly. This has become my go-to jacket in the winter and replaced many bulkier, heavier, but not as warm or comfortable jackets.

I bought this jacket to wear under an old but still great Arc'teryx Theta AR shell specifically for a recent trip to a small barrier island just south of the Arctic Circle. There was still a lot of snow and ice and we spent much time outside either on foot or on a snow machine and its attached sled. Though it wasn't the forty below temperatures of mid-winter, it was still very cold. I am middle-aged, 5'10" and 160 pounds. When I tried on the Medium, it fit, but I wanted to be able to layer underneath it for a wide variety of temps. I bought the large and am so happy I did. It is silky soft, light yet warm, and so comfortable it's like wearing a cloud. I have long arms and the sleeve length is perfect. The back is nice and long and the drawstring around the bottom cinches in nicely so air doesn't invade. The hood is great and pulls up into a short tunnel that covers up to my nose. The zip pockets are comfortable and angled nicely. With my shell and typical layers underneath I was warm and cozy the entire time, even miles out on pack ice. I also wore my Thorium alone on warmer days and it worked great. The Nightshadow color is beautiful and compliments my shell nicely. I wholeheartedly recommend this amazing jacket.

I bought this jacket to wear under an old but still great Arc'teryx Theta AR shell specifically for a recent trip to a small barrier island just south of the Arctic Circle. There was still a lot of snow and ice and we spent much time outside either on foot or on a snow machine and its attached sled. Though it wasn't the forty below temperatures of mid-winter, it was still very cold. I am middle-aged, 5'10" and 160 pounds. When I tried on the Medium, it fit, but I wanted to be able to layer underneath it for a wide variety of temps. I bought the large and am so happy I did. It is silky soft, light yet warm, and so comfortable it's like wearing a cloud. I have long arms and the sleeve length is perfect. The back is nice and long and the drawstring around the bottom cinches in nicely so air doesn't invade. The hood is great and pulls up into a short tunnel that covers up to my nose. The zip pockets are comfortable and angled nicely. With my shell and typical layers underneath I was warm and cozy the entire time, even miles out on pack ice. I also wore my Thorium alone on warmer days and it worked great. The Nightshadow color is beautiful and compliments my shell nicely. I wholeheartedly recommend this amazing jacket.

Although this jacket is a male athletic cut,it was purchased for a 5’10” 160lb.woman. This jacket is warm,lofty,skillfully made.Simply luxurious.

The throrium AR was purchased by myself after the cerium lt and cerium SV. If I were able to redo my purchases, this would be the only jacket I would have purchased. Firstly, the outer fabric, while heavier than the cerium's, is far more durable for using it as a mid layer on cold days without precipitation. Hiking or skiing with a pack on shouldn't require a soft or hardshell jacket to protect a jacket's durability, which is the case for the other two jackets. The jacket's fabric, based on use, does a better job at keeping the down feather distribution in the baffles. After a year and a half of use, my cerium lt baffles appear deflated from use unless I spin them in my dryer, and my cerium sv gets cold spots in high areas of movement, such as the shoulders and elbows. The thorium also function better as a casual layer, easily layering over casual shirts and flannels, while still fitting nicely under shells. The outer fabric's construction has led to far less feather loss than the cerium's, especially the lt, which consistently has small white feathers poking through the stitching. Instead, most feathers, which are few, are larger and poke through the fabric in the middle of the baffle, which are much easier to massage back in without cursing and finger twisting. However, this jacket is without flaws. The hood is roomy and fits well, but the coreloft is less flexible and fits less well than the cerium's down hoods, which are also warmer. The stitching seems less durable, with many small threads coming undone. This is minimal in impact, but questionable. The jacket also might fit too large, but this is also practical for layering and creating extra warmth. The jacket is certainly warmer than the cerium lt, but obviously less practical in the autumn (although any aerobic activity with down is a lose-lose situation), but is more durable than the cerium sv. If arcteryx could make one new down jacket, it would use the thorium ar's outer fabric, but the fill weight and hood design of the cerium sv. This jacket would be so much better than either current edition.

The throrium AR was purchased by myself after the cerium lt and cerium SV. If I were able to redo my purchases, this would be the only jacket I would have purchased. Firstly, the outer fabric, while heavier than the cerium's, is far more durable for using it as a mid layer on cold days without precipitation. Hiking or skiing with a pack on shouldn't require a soft or hardshell jacket to protect a jacket's durability, which is the case for the other two jackets. The jacket's fabric, based on use, does a better job at keeping the down feather distribution in the baffles. After a year and a half of use, my cerium lt baffles appear deflated from use unless I spin them in my dryer, and my cerium sv gets cold spots in high areas of movement, such as the shoulders and elbows. The thorium also function better as a casual layer, easily layering over casual shirts and flannels, while still fitting nicely under shells. The outer fabric's construction has led to far less feather loss than the cerium's, especially the lt, which consistently has small white feathers poking through the stitching. Instead, most feathers, which are few, are larger and poke through the fabric in the middle of the baffle, which are much easier to massage back in without cursing and finger twisting. However, this jacket is without flaws. The hood is roomy and fits well, but the coreloft is less flexible and fits less well than the cerium's down hoods, which are also warmer. The stitching seems less durable, with many small threads coming undone. This is minimal in impact, but questionable. The jacket also might fit too large, but this is also practical for layering and creating extra warmth. The jacket is certainly warmer than the cerium lt, but obviously less practical in the autumn (although any aerobic activity with down is a lose-lose situation), but is more durable than the cerium sv. If arcteryx could make one new down jacket, it would use the thorium ar's outer fabric, but the fill weight and hood design of the cerium sv. This jacket would be so much better than either current edition.