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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/knobbledy on 2025-01-05 13:40:49+00:00.
I wanted to post this as I've seen a lot of comments here discouraging people from synthetic jackets and bags due to their performance drop with use. It's often said that synthetic insulation only lasts a single season, and some people report loss of loft after just a single trip.
I've had the Rab Xenair Alpine and vest for a while now, both of which contain Primaloft "gold active" insulation. One interesting thing is how warm they feel instantly when you touch them. It's very similar to how CCF mats feel warm to the touch compared to insulated air mats. I do wonder if there's some type of heat-reflective material applied separately to the lofting insulation, which might also explain my experience with them.
For the record, I have used and abused both these items. The Alpine jacket goes on every trip close to 0°C or below and I pretty much don't take it off, it keeps me warm when stopped but is still breathable for active use. I also sleep in it sometimes when my bag is at its limit. And because it's windproof, it's usually my outer layer that gets scraped and snagged. The vest gets used on trips between 0-10° but I also have it for day-to-day use, so it's been crushed against car seats and packed into suitcases many times. And because it's the cheaper item, I don't care much about protecting it.
All this to say, neither item has lost much performance at all. Visually you can see the wear on them around pack strap areas, particularly on the shoulders so they might have lost a bit of loft. I can't notice any difference in warmth feeling, which is obviously subjective but it's also what actually matters with an insulating piece.
I think there is a problem with discussing all synthetic insulation without specific reference to items/materials. I know BPL have done some good efforts to test and quantify synthetic performance, but it's difficult because new technologies are coming out all the time and manufacturers use buzzwords and trade marks rather than numbers. So if you bought a Primaloft jacket 6 years ago you might have had a bad experience but a newer jacket may perform differently. My hope is that we can have more jackets like these that insulate well, regulate temperature when active and actually last many years before needing to be replaced. Mountain Equipment have just released the new Oreus line with proprietary insulation, which reviews say rivals down for warmth/weight but can still be worn when active.
So if you are looking for a synthetic jacket for performance/allergy/ethical reasons don't despair when you read the endless comments trashing synthetics. Do the research on specific pieces you're interested in rather than writing them all off and assuming down will always be better. Thanks for reading.