Comparison review: [Beyond fleece!?] We compared the latest synthetic fiber insulation (cold protection clothing)

A thorough comparison of new era of "movable" cold weather clothing that is warm yet still not stuffy

The middle layer is often worn outdoors in the winter. These clothing, also known as intermediate clothing or cold weather clothing, have moderate insulation and are an essential layer for activities during cold seasons, effectively expelling sweat from inside the clothing as water vapor. The former main character of this middle layer is the familiar fleece jacket. However, that common sense may change from this season onwards.

In this comparison test, we will be focusing on the popular models of Active Insulation Wear, a new winter clothing that compensates for the weaknesses of fleece, which was undoubtedly the most popular topic of the 2015/2016 season, and is a new, warm clothing that has been made even easier to use, but it's the best one to make sense of it (the name hasn't been decided yet, but I'll call it this one for a try).

We have introduced its , but to put it simply, the features of this winter wear are made of newly developed synthetic padding material that combines heat retention, breathability (good for sweat removal), and lightweight and compact, and the overall wear is stretchy, making it a next-generation cold wear jacket that will be indispensable for the outdoors of the future.

This season, such high-tech synthetic insulation has been released one after another from a variety of manufacturers. This time, our editorial department has independently picked out the best candidates with different manufacturers and materials, and conducted comparison tests from various angles, focusing on differences in each area of ​​expertise. As usual, I would like to introduce it to you, all of the models this time are all wonderful items, and I would be happy if you could pay attention to each of the details of their particularities without much concerning the difference in overall score.

If you want to know the conclusion right away, go to the results here

Comparative test items

The theme of this comparison is "The latest winter clothing that is always comfortable even when left alone during winter activities." Although some parts are somewhat forceful because there is no strict definition of the category, the standard for picking is synthetic insulation jackets made from synthetic fiber padding material with high moisture permeability. If there are multiple volumes in the lineup, we have selected models that are not too thick or too heavy.

Arc'teryx ATOM LT Hoodie

ATOM LT Hoodie

Arc'teryx

30,240 yen

360g

Filling material: Coreloft™

finetrack drout polygon 3

Drout Polygon 3

finetrack

26,784 yen

415g

Filling material: Fine polygonⓇ

Houdini C9 Luft Jacket

C9 Loft Jacket

HOUDINI

34,560 yen

380g

Filling material: PolartecⓇ Alpha

MAMMUT Eigerjoch Light Jacket

Eigerjoch Light Jacket

MAMMUT

37,800 yen

410g

Filling material: PolartecⓇ Alpha

MILLET TOI 3D INSULATED ST *Tests are conducted on jacket type

TOI 3D INSULATED ST

MILLET

24,840 yen

336g (JKT type, actual measurement of size M)

Filling material: 3DeFX+Ⓡ

Patagonia Nano Air Hoody

Nano Air Hoody

patagonia

38,880 yen

385g

Filling material: Full range

Test environment

I tried on multiple mountain hikes from September 2015 to February 2016, changing clothes every few hours under the same situation and then tested them. Try on even in everyday life, even in rainy days.

Detailed evaluation using field tests

Comparison of ratings

Overall ranking	1st place	1st place	3rd place	4th place	5th place	5th place
item	MILLET TOI 3D INSULATED ST	Patagonia Nano Air Hoody	finetrack drout polygon 3	Arc'teryx Atom LT Hoodie	MAMMUT Eigerjoch Light Jacket	Houdini C9 Luft Jacket
This is ◎	Comfort when moving, ease of movement, weight	Comfortable and breathable	Breathable and easy to move	Heat retention, good balance, windproof	Fit, ease of movement, weight	Comfort and balance
This is △	Slightly heat retention	Price, windproof	Weight, storage capacity, pocket	Breathable, mobility	Price, heat retention, breathability	Price, weight
Thermal insulation (20)	12	14	14	15	12	13
Comfort (20)	16	19	17	17	14	18
Motility (20)	19	17	17	14	18	17
Sweat (20)	17	17	19	14	14	16
weight (15)	14	11	9	13	14	9
Ease of use (5)	4	4	3	5	4	3
General (100)	82	82	79	78	76	76
Filling material	3DeFX+Ⓡ	full range	Fine polygonsⓇ	Coreloft™	PolartecⓇ Alpha	PolartecⓇ Alpha
Weight (actual measurement)	336g	360g	408g	342g	321g	395g
Windproof	×	×	×	◯	△	×
Water repellent	△	△	◯	◯	△	△
pocket	3 (2 left and right, 1 chest)	4 (2 left and right, 2 chest)	1 (Chest 1)	3 (2 left and right, 1 inside)	3 (2 chests left and right)	2 (Left and right 2)
Model with (no hood)	can be	can be	none	can be	none	can be
Reference price	28,080 yen	38,880 yen	26,784 yen	30,240 yen	37,800 yen	34,560 yen

Thermal insulation

Since it's winter clothing, it's basically the basics of all that it's warm when you feel the cold. However, it must be kept in mind that this theme does not allow us to sacrifice everything else for heat retention, and that every model must ensure maximum heat retention while maintaining active performance.

the Arc'teryx Atom LT Hoodie felt the most heat retention of any comparison . Coreloft insulation, which is also used for serious cold weather wear, is mapped entirely except under the armpits, and this is extremely effective. However, the patagonia Nano Air Hoody and finetrack Drout Polygon 3 also have a heat retention power that is comparable to that, and this difference is probably not essentially due to the insulation of the material, but rather the difference in windproofness of the entire clothing. On the other hand, the MILLET TOI 3D INSULATED ST and MAMMUT Eigerjoch Light Jacket have a performance as a full-fledged winter wear, and I thought it could be understandable due to its thinness, but it is completely fine as a warm clothing when you are taking action.

Comfort

The two points that are the king the patagonia Nano Air Hoody and the runner-up Houdini C9 Luft Jacket have in common are the first thing that can be found in common: the fine lining creates a soft, smooth feel. This is so attractive that you'll get addicted to wearing it once, and in reality, it was overwhelmingly the two I wore on a daily basis. Other points that make it comfortable to wear, such as a slim but not too tight fit, just the right amount of stretch, the soft cuffs made of stretch material, and the hand pockets on the left and right hand pockets, which are all just as good as they are. The other items aren't bad either, but when it comes to overall comfort, there was no better balance than this second one.

The silhouette of the clothing greatly affects comfort as well as the feel of the material. It's easier to wear it looser the moment you wear it, but it's tight and easy to use the model while you're on the move, making it more tight and intrusive.

Motility

Here, we evaluated the other aspects of this insulation, the performance during action, which is mobility, so-called ease of movement. The results show that all of them were more than a certain level of satisfaction, but what I ended up with after wearing them for a long time was the stable ease of movement of the MILLET TOI 3D INSULATED ST There are two reasons for this.

One is the specs aspect. Looking at each model, Millet's 3DeFX+Ⓡ and the Patagonia's full range have the characteristic of stretching and contracting the material itself, which has a very advantage in terms of mobility . Next, the two materials on the Fine Track and Houdini do not stretch, while the materials on the front and back used all over have moderate stretchability, allowing for the entire clothing to remain elastic. Finally, the two points, Arcteryx and Mammut, are not elastic in the part where the padding is mapped, and the elastic fleece is used for moving parts such as underarms and around the elbows to ensure stretchability as clothing. As you can see from this, Millet's overall stretchability provides a shrewd and comfortable movement for any movement. Furthermore, the silhouette that doesn't get bogged down and the waste-free form of the three-dimensional cutting also reduces stress when exercising. The key to the evaluation was that it allowed me to concentrate on walking more naturally than any other model.

the other hand the MAMMUT Eigerjoch Light Jacket also featured its extremely tight silhouette that does not interfere with movement when moving, and the highly elastic PolartecⓇ Powerstretch, which makes up many of the moving parts, from the shoulders to the elbows and sleeves. However, its extremely tight fit makes it difficult to choose people, and although it is suitable for more active exercises such as climbing and backcountry, it seems to be a model that is difficult to accept for relaxed hiking.

Sweat

The biggest characteristic that distinguishes each item this time is its excellent sweat removal, as it is not easily stuffy despite its warm clothing. The padding material, which has been appearing in recent years, has excellent insulation properties, while also providing breathability and breathability that absorbs water vapor inside and expels it outside. Among these, Finetrack Draut Polygon 3 is excellent. The reason for this is the ventilation attached to the left and right sides. This ventilation takes in a lot of outside air depending on the movement of your arms, so no matter how active you act, the synergistic effect with the breathability of the fine polygon itself made me feel almost stuffy.

However, in terms of the performance of the materials themselves, the patagonia Nano Air Hoody , MILLET TOI 3D INSULATED ST , the Houdini C9 Luft Jacket , have the same good sweat-removing performance as the fine track, so it's unlikely that there will be a very clear difference unless it's a very high activity.

Ease of use

Up until now we have compared the main performance, but in this section we evaluate the usability, versatility, and other detailed features of the clothing as a whole. the excellent Arc'teryx Atom LT hoodies here For example, it is the only one of these that has high wind resistance that can be used as an outerwear, and it is relatively water-repellent along with the finetrack Drout Polygon 3 The pockets are the hand pockets on the left and right and inner chest pockets, making them easy to use, the patagonia Nano Air Hoody It is also important that it can be stored compactly. Other the Finetrack Drout Polygon 3 , which is a value added that is not found in other models.

We compared the water repellency when the rain flies. Not only in the photos but also in indoor tests, the finetrack's high water repellency was outstanding.

Comparison of this comparison

Editors' Choice 1: MILLET TOI 3D INSULATED ST

Despite being one of the models with the lowest heat retention of this year, the most highly rated overall was the new generation clothing that was released along with the new material 3DeFX+Ⓡ this season. The reason for this is simply because it is extremely easy to use and high quality as a "activity outfit . It's gentle and warm even when you're in the cold, but the high breathability doesn't make you feel stuffy even when you're in intense movements, and the extremely lightweight silhouette and stretchy make you forget that you're wearing it. Rather than actively using it in everyday life, it feels like taking you to activities in a more challenging environment. The hoodless model we tested this time can be said to be more convenient for wear in particularly intense activities, but which one is easier to use, is recommended for its hooded model because of its high heat retention and versatility.

TOI 3D INSULATED ST

MILLET

24,840 yen

Editors' Choice 2: patagonia Nano Air Hoody

Looking at the track record of winning awards around the world since last year, it goes without saying that, but the pioneers who opened up this category were still strong. The high quality comfort, ample heat retention, and high breathability make it comfortable to wear, even after a while since its release, proves its overall high quality. However, although it is moderately water-repellent, it is more ventilated than you would expect, so it is not easy to wear as an outerwear. The slightly less affordable price is definitely satisfying, as it is generally suitable for an all-purpose mid-wear in winter, and also as a jacket that can be worn on a daily basis.

Nano Air Hoody

patagonia

38,880 yen