Reviews

Arc’teryx Thorium SV Down Jacket | Review

A premium jacket made with quality down and with panels made with Gore’s latest weather resistant fabric

The Arc’teryx Thorium SV is one of the burliest jackets within the Canadian brand’s collection. It’s one that combines lofty down insulation with zoned Gore-tex ePE water repellent panels, making for an every day insulator designed to help you see off light rain, wind and snow – the kind of stuff the Arc’teryx designers would be faced with in a winter in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve been using the Thorium SV as we creep into winter here in the UK, most notably on a chilly hiking trip in the Scottish Highlands. Here’s how I got on with it.

Features and Performance

The jacket has a durable and lofty feel to it. It’s filled with a good quality, ethically sourced down that has a decent fill power rating (750) and it features a box wall construction. Box wall jackets have baffles with inner and outer fabric layers with small walls between them, creating separate compartments that evenly hold the down filling. This design minimises cold spots and maximises insulation, making it highly effective for retaining warmth in cold conditions.

OM Editor Will testing the Arc’teryx Thorium SV in the Scottish Highlands. Photos: Dave Macfarlane

In the areas that tend to get the most exposure to moisture (shoulders, cuffs and hood), Arc’teryx have used their Coreloft insulation instead of down. Made from sheets of synthetic fibres, this insulation is durable and also able to provide warmth even when it’s wet. What’s more, the jacket also has zoned panels of Gore’s new ePE version of their Infinium fabric. This is lighter, thinner, and more environmentally friendly than Gore’s traditional PTFE-based fabric and it’s just as water resistant and breathable too. Again, this is used in the parts of the jacket that need the most protection from the elements.

In my first month of using this jacket, I found that the Infinium fabric did repel light to medium heavy rain really well and it totally blocked out the wind. The shell fabric’s threshold did start to dwindle over time though. That’s the downside to the new ePE fabric and its PFC-free treatments. It needs more regular maintenance to prevent it from getting saturated too quickly. Fortunately that can be done easily enough at home using Nikwax.

Pros: very warm, high-spec materials, technical details
Cons: heavy, bulky, cut is quite boxy and hem is a bit short

I was impressed by the durable feel of the Thorium SV. It’s not one of those down jackets that feels like it’s going to be torn by the first branch it comes into contact with – or the first terrier’s claw (that tends to be what I normally need to guard against!)

The hood and collar are well insulated. There’s only one adjustment tab (at the back of the head) but I did find that the hood held reliably and moved with my head. It’s not designed with helmet compatibility. The handwarmer pockets have a very soft and comfortable microfleece lining in them. I found them to be accessible, though a touch restricted, while wearing a backpack.

On the chest there are two zipped pockets that are handy for stashing a phone or satellite device. These are not big enough for an OS map. Inside the jacket, there are two big dump pocket for gloves. The one on the left has a storage bag for the jacket itself. Stuffed up into it, it’s about the size of a large grapefruit. Other details include elasticated cuffs, a two-way main zip and cord adjustment on either side of the hem, coming down to just touch the bottom of the hand pockets on my trousers.

Fit

I’m 5 foot 10, I have an average build and I tried this in my usual size, which is a UK size M. I found the fit to be a touch on the boxy side and it’s cut quite short at the hem. Some might like this stylistically, though I do prefer a longer jacket that keeps well below the hipbelt on a backpack.

For me, there was enough volume for layering. I found myself pairing it with a light fleece on the colder days using it and this fitted underneath nicely. It’s a touch on the bulky side to wear underneath a standard waterproof shell, though it should be fine with most ski or snowboard jackets.

Verdict

I found the Arc’teryx Thorium SV to be well equipped for seeing out some pretty rough conditions. I’d say it seems to be mainly designed with winter hiking and general day-to-day use in mind, but its technical details, packability and durability do all combine to make this also suitable for more serious use, whether that’s as a belay jacket or for wearing during climbing, skiing or snowboarding.

As it’s so lofty and the baffles are so big that this does create a pretty bulky silhouette and I’d prefer it to be cut a touch longer at the hem. It’s also one of those jacket’s that’s a little noisy – a bit on the swishy side.

Still, it’s a high quality jacket with a real premium feel to it. A proper winter warmer with a durable and long-lasting feel to it.