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With the temperatures beginning to take a dip we are looking at iconic down jackets, starting with a quintessential down jacket from alpine legends Arc’teryx.
I have a history with the Arc’teryx Cerium range. Many years ago I bought a Cerium Hooded Jacket, it was my pride and joy and I still own it. When I say own, I mean ‘own’, my two son’s soon snaffled it and it is currently in the hands of my 23 year old son. It’s definitely been through the wars and has survived festivals, being burnt through the arm with a cigarette and ice screw tears (my damage). It sill performs and lofts well as well as looking great, which is a testament to its quality manufacture and materials.
What was surprising is that we had not featured a review of one here at CGR since 2018 (when we featured the Hoody), we are UK based so we usually concentrate on synthetic insulation as that is more suited to our warm and damp winters. So, with this review I going to rectify that error.
The Arc’teryx Cerium Jacket (it used to be called the Cerium SL) sits, well and truly, in the ultralight jacket category. The test sized medium weighed in at a feather weight 307g for the size medium on the trusty CGR scales. If you remove the detachable stuff sack (I used the stuff sack on my Hooded Jacket for patches) then it brings the weight down to below 300g. It’s very compact too, fitting into the tightest of pack space. If you keep it stowed in the stuff sack it has a similar volume to a small loaf of bread (or a four pack of 330ml beers) so there will be no excuse for not packing it. It is lighter than other big brand jackets such as Rab and Patagonia; there are lighter jackets around but they are super specialist and cost a lot more. So, for a super lightweight jacket then the Cerium is a real contender.
Insulation
So, let’s get down to the technical details. The Cerium Jacket isn’t a true ‘all down’ jacket. The main insulation is provided from the 850 Fill Power, which is fully responsibly sourced which has a great loft and makes the jacket super warm and cozy. In strategic areas (the shoulders, back of the neck) the jacket is insulated using Arc;terx’s excellent Coreloft synthetic insulation. This makes sense because it’s these areas that most moistures fall onto when it rains. Also the Coreloft performs better when compressed, for example when you are wearing it carrying a heavy pack. So, you are getting the benefits of both types of insulation in the jacket and I’ve come across this on several jackets I’ve reviewed. If your jacket stops performing as you expect it to, it’s usually because it need cleaning. You can send it away to RE:Bird for a clean or you can clean it yourself (as I have done on my Cerium Jacket) by carefully researching how to do that and use a specialist down cleaner. Be careful though because if you use the wrong cleaner and don’t tumble dry it correctly then down can get clumpy. At this price tag – I would recommend professional cleaning using the Re:Bird service.
Construction
The Cerium Jacket has classic stitch through baffle construction, this is in keeping with the ultralight tag and minimalist aesthetic. For most of time you’re going to wearing it this isn’t an issue at all. However, like all stitch through baffling the jacket can suffer from small amounts of down leak. If you are planning using it for deep winter in artic conditions then a jacket with box baffling and a liner will keep you warmer. However, expect to pay an extra £300 and double the weight for an artic parka style jacket. It’s been a while since Arc’teryx had this type of jacket in the range – I used to have a belay jacket with Gore Tex Windstopper which was brilliant. So classic baffling which will be fine for 80% of your activities. In testing I found no real egress by wind in breezy conditions and reasonable water resistance in showery conditions. My main uses have been belaying for sport climbs, lunch stops on hikes and casual wear to the climbing gym – totally perfect for all those. Internal seams are all fold sewn which again, helps with the wind proofing.
The outer material is 15D recycled Arato nylon which is light, durable and gives a nice, matt finish which is perfect for casual wear. As I said earlier, it’s not immune to cigarette burns or the dreaded ice crew (the destroyer of many, expensive jackets and pants) but it has taken plenty of knocks and scrapes when hiking and belaying. My original Cerium Hoody still looks good, even after many years of use. The inner material is made using a bio derived material, which cuts down on petroleum use and feels fine when worn next to your skin – so perfectly good to wear with just a base layer underneath.
Fit
I am a 39-40” chest and the fit of the medium sized Cerium Jacket has been fine, it fits well with a fleece underneath for those summit stops on hiking days. Another example is on cooler sport climbing days when I climb in a baslelayer and Atom Vest – I can comfortable wear the medium over these when belaying. The articulated arms offer excellent freedom of movement with no sleeve rise when lifting arms and minimal hem rise too. My chest size is right at th limit of the size medium and if was using it for very cold conditions I feel I would need a Large to go over extra layers – but then that would be a parka, which the Cerium isn’t. The full length zip offers warmth in the neck, I don’t have a particularly thick neck so I have been able to wear it with a 1/4 zip merino or a full roll neck (for travel) without any restriction.
Finishing Touches
As you would expect from a premium brand such as Arc’teryx the Cerium Jacket comes with excellent refinements. The full zip is YKK Coil zip. This is a departure and I assume it’s to save a little weight but this is one of the only Arc’teryx jackets I have owned that doesn’t have the signature pull open Vislon zip. Elasticated cuffs and two hem cinches mean trapping warmth is a given. Two, zipped hand warmer pockets and an internal chest pocket that is also zipped offers plenty of storage options for stashing gloves and phones and the Arc’teryx branded zip pulls are glove friendly and a premium finish. Finally the jacket has the hallmark Arc’teryx bird logo and Arc’teryx logo (nicely sited just under the collar to make the jacket easy to locate with a head torch) embroidered with reflective thread. To finish it all off there is a generous hanging loop for hanging in the drying room or hut vestibule and the jacket is made in a Fair Trade certified factory so you can rest assured everyone is being paid fairly and not being ripped off. It has an excellent warranty and all repairs can now be effected professionally at the Re:Bird facility when needed.
So, it used to be the Cerium LT and is now the Cerium Jacket. It is still lightweight, compact and a great all round performer. If you are looking for a stylish down jacket that has a great pedigree and all the features and performance you need for a day in the mountains or the city then the Arc’teryx Cerium Jacket is pretty much perfect.
The Arc’teryx Cerium Jacket comes in sizes XS-XXL and four colours for men as well as XXS – XXL and one colour for women.
The SRP is £340 and it can be purchased from Arc’teryx UK and the London or Manchester stores.
Disclosure – CGR reviewers and writers are never paid to provide a review and the website does not take advertising or link to affiliate sales. We are a bunch of keen climbers and travellers who accept sample products and offer an honest and independent review of the item.
