[Closed] Primaloft Gold jackets

I've got a couple of Primaloft Gold jackets which are great, but that's more down to the outer material. Both are Gore Infinium which makes them all but waterproof and toasty.

I've always sworn by Arcteryx Atom LT for insulation but I got a cheap Mountain Equipment Transition jacket and that's just as good.

I'm sure the Mountain Equipment sample sale starts this week on Magic Mountain so maybe some deals to be had.

I've got a few and a definite thumbs up from me. Not certain how much better primaloft is than similar brand, but certainly that weight of insulated jacket is brill, usable all year round. perfect for chucking on to keep warm, light enough and small enough to stuff in rucksack. I would recommend buying one that stuffs in on itself (usually a pocket doubles up as a stuff sack) and I would always go for hooded as lots of heat is lost thru your head so it's essentially like an added layer when you use the hood.

Do you mean is it worth the extra over PrimaLoft Silver or over other fillings? And in both cases it kind of depends. If you mean reative to other branded synthetic insulation, sort of, as you're getting a proven, well developed fill, though that's not to say that synthetic insulation from other brands isn't as good. The Arc'teryx stuff is good, as above, if you want really light synthetic insulation, Patagonia does a jacket called the Micro Puff Hoody stuffed with something called PlumaFill that's actually better in terms of warmth to weight than their down stuff. It's also expensive at £225.

https://eu.patagonia.com/gb/en/product/mens-micro-puff-hoody/84030.html

Relative to PrimaLoft Silver, you're getting better warmth to weight. Obviously the fill's only part of the story. You also need to factor in fabrics, fit, construction, features etc. 'Worth it'? It's a bit of a moving target.

Primaloft gold was previously called Primaloft one (or something like that). so I was musing whether or not it was any better against any number of similar options that don't bear that premium brand name but might be equally as popular. Much like Gore-tex versus some other options that people rave about I suppose (ie Paramo that some major MRTs like).

On a similar sort of subject, do Mountain Equipment sell overtrousers that are in any way waterproof or at least highly water resistant? I’ve got some Site ones from B&Q, and they’re crap, so I’m looking at something else that’s lightweight and will keep most of the wet out, without costing a kidney.

i always like a bit of breathability (or air permeability) for cycling clothes, even when it’s very cold. i also like a windproof front. i’ve not found a synthetic insulated jacket that offers this combination. i prefer a jacket without a hood as i find them a bit stuffy around the neck.

but to answer the question, i have a couple of acquaintances who prefer the 7mesh outflow hoodie (which i believe is primaloft gold) to the arcteryx atom or proton. though i believe this is down to the cut of the jacket rather than the insulation.

i have an atom lt. it’s light and warm but not breathable enough for me when cycling. i think the atom sl would better suited to me.

for context, this is for riding in -25 and below.

Depends on whether you want something for sitting around in or active wear - Primaloft Gold probably OK for the former, but find it to warm for the latter in which case I’d recommend Polartec Alpha which is far better at handling perspiration.

I've a primaloft gold gilet and it is very light and quite thin compared to other primaloft jackets I have. It's very warm though, I'd say comparably as warm as my much thicker primaloft jackets.

As it's a cycling specific one, it's cut quite tight with a droptail and less insulation under the arms to help regulate body temperature on the bike.

If I was after a super light bike packing insulated jacket/gilet, I'd be buying OMM.

Alpkit now do a Primaloft Gold jacket

https://alpkit.com/products/katabatic-mens

I've got a ME fitzroy I've had for years and I'm very happy with. Bought a bunch of similar jackets online and tried some in shops. That one was the winner, for fit and feel and warmth with lack of bulkiness. Nice warm hood - important for me as I've got a very short back and sides and non-existant top. Don't know how much is down to the insulation, but it's warm, light, packable and easy to move in. And from memory, it's 90% hydrophobic down.

I left it at home on my last bikepacking trip - no rain forecast, so I used my Alpkit Cloud cover quilt as a warm layer. Close 2 or three poppers at both ends, pop your arms though, cinch the drawcords and you've got a warm, frontless jacket. Just need to cross your arms, or use your non-drinking hand to hold it together at your chest.

Alpkit now do a Primaloft Gold jacket

https://alpkit.com/products/katabatic-mens/blockquote >

I have the Katabatic, very nice jacket!

 

Primaloft Gold is about the quality of the insulation. It's still available in different thicknesses like other Primaloft insulated materials

Like for like, gold is warmer and is also better at insulating when wet. Is it worth it? That's down to you really. Gold also has aerogel (in the latest version), hard to say how much warmer it is with that than without or if it's just marketing guff. Ultimately, gold is the best warmth for the weight of the synthetic insulated materials. I have an OMM vest with primaloft gold and it's properly toasty for something that weighs 120g. I have uninsulated cycling gilets that weigh nearly that much! It also packs down small when needed. There are CLO values for primaloft and that might help show up the difference, particularly when wet

Make sure you're looking at the non active versions, they're different altogether

Used a Rab gold primaloft for bike packing and climbing duties well worth the extra cash.

Is it worth it?

I rarely care much about the insulation type, it's just down to fit and featurs. The Katabatic was the best fit / design for me and what I like in a mid / outer layer jacket. I doubt I'd notice much if they changed the actual fill.

I've got a primaloft gold jacket and it's very nice. But I'd put the actual fill behind whether it hada hood, whether it was windproof at all, sizing, lengh etc. An example is the Patagonia nano air which is a great jacket that's totally useless for a lot of people as it deliberately isn't wind reistant. Ditto the Arc atom is nice, but for winter campingpretty hopeless as it's simply not that warm. So have a little think about that.

I suppose it's a bit similar to GoreTex vs. Paramo. They''re bascially different philosphies..I haven't seen a fabric that's better than GoreTex pro, with parmao you accept you'll be a bit damp at times. Horses for courses

maybe not much help but I've just bought a montane prism (£90 from LD mountain sports) to replace a very tired/old atom LT.

much better and about half the price.