Arc'teryx Women's Atom Vest

I've had my Atom LT Vest from Arc'teryx for more than eight years, and it continues to perform year-round as a versatile, lightweight synthetic insulated vest, especially for active use. I use the Atom LT as an extra layer of core insulation skiing (nordic and alpine), hiking, camping, and as an everyday layer. It's a mid layer, it's an outer standalone layer, it's an extra layer stashed in a pack. The Atom LT Vest is so useful I bought an Atom LT Hoody when I saw one on clearance in an outdoor store three years ago.

While Arc'teryx's Atom LT Vest has been updated in the eight years I've had mine, the overall design and intent remain the same. As part of the brand's Atom line it's intended to be a "versatile synthetic insulated mid layer with a high degree of weather resistance."

Fit

Available in women's (XS-XL) and men's (S-XXXL) sizes, the Atom LT Vest is a lightweight (LT), low-profile, minimal vest. Arc'teryx classifies it as a trim fit. I have a women's medium and while it's not relaxed, I find it the right size for a mid-layering piece. If you expect to layer more underneath this vest, consider sizing up.

Generally, I wear at most two base or technical layers under mine, and the fit feels right for this use. I also wear mine underneath various puffy jackets and hard shells in colder temperatures.

The Atom LT Vest falls to hip length, and I haven't had any gaping between my pants and tops.  

Construction & Durability

The vest's front and back exterior is a smooth nylon face (Tyono 20) with a DWR (Durable Water Repellent) finish to repel moisture. Arc'teryx describes it as air permeable, but it will fend off winds. I wouldn't wear this vest in steady rain without a raincoat, but it sheds snow and light precipitation as expected. Plus, since it contains synthetic insulation it won't become a soggy mess if it gets wet. 

The side panels are made from a performance stretch polyester for ventilation and movement. I've never felt restricted in this vest, despite its trimmer fit. It moves with you.

I bought my Atom LT Vest eight years ago and it still looks great, with no obvious signs of wear beyond some minimal pilling on the inside of the fleece side panels. I occasionally wash (cold water on gentle cycle) and dry (tumble dry on low heat) it. It's easy to care for and holds up well.

Insulation & Warmth

The Atom LT Vest is not a lofty, puffy insulated piece. It's low-profile, but that's what makes it so versatile as a mid or outer layer. I can wear it as an outer in warmer weather, such as fall hiking, or layer it with other insulation on the coldest ski days without adding significant bulk. 

It's insulated with synthetic Coreloft Compact (60 g/m² ) insulation, which Arc'teryx describes as:

Highly crimped, multi-denier siliconized polyester yarn that has undergone a special process which reduces the thickness of the material by 50%, without reducing its insulation value by the same amount. Lightweight, breathable, thermally efficient 100% polyester fibre.

This insulation at the back and front add a crucial amount of bonus warmth to your core. I've worn my vest over a base layer while hiking in fall, stuffed it into a pack as an extra layer in summer, and worn it skiing in winter down to at least 0°F (probably lower). Also, I don't use it this way often, but on the coldest winter days (in the single digits F or lower), I can use it while running.

This is a low-profile, lightweight vest, so the loft was never high to begin with, but I haven't noticed any discernible difference in loft in mine over the years. Its relatively small size also means I can carry it along in a pack in three-season conditions for extra warmth. 

Pockets

The Atom LT Vest  has three pockets—two exterior hand pockets with zippers and an Internal chest pocket with zipper, for keys, an iPhone 7, or other valuables, which I always appreciate. The current version can also be stuffed into that internal pocket.

Sustainability

The newest version (not mine) contains materials that meet bluesign criteria. It also has a dope dyed lining fabric, which means the yarn is dyed using no water before creating the fabric, reducing chemicals, carbon, pollution, and energy use.

Nitpicks

There isn't a lot to dislike about the Atom LT Vest. Its price is the major drawback, but like other Arc'teryx clothing I've bought, when I recall how long and how often I've used it with no reduction in performance it becomes more affordable. I also bought mine on sale for additional savings.

My only nitpick is that even though this vest is well suited for indoor-outdoor versatility, with a slightly shiny nylon face it can feel like I'm noticeably wearing outdoors clothes when I'm inside. This is a minor style issue for me though.

Similar Atom Products

Arc'teryx has a system behind its product naming, which I find useful. It classifies the Atom line as "versatile synthetic insulated mid layers with a high degree of weather resistance." In addition to this Atom LT Vest, which falls in the middle for warmth, the Atom line also includes:

• Atom SL Vest and Atom SL Hoody—the even lighter superlight/SL vest and hooded jacket with Superlight Coreloft insulation
• Atom LT Hoody and Atom LT Jacket—the hooded and non-hooded jacket versions of this lightweight/LT vest (I also have the hoody)
• Atom AR Hoody and Atom AR Jacket—the warmer All Round/AR jackets with Resilient Coreloft insulation

Conclusion

The Atom LT Vest is expensive, but as mine heads into its ninth year of use it's hard to fault the price. I've now paid $11.55 for each year of wearing it. It is a minimal, versatile, synthetic insulation piece. It layers well with other base layers as well as mid and outer layers and can be used in a variety of combos. It's an incredibly functional addition to year-round layering systems for any hiker, skier, climber, snowshoer, or camper. I'd buy it again, if I ever needed to.