Arc’teryx Nuclei FL Jacket Review

Revamped for Spring 2020 is the Arc’teryx Nuclei FL Jacket. I’m a die-hard Atom LT hoody fan, which is a burly workhorse of a jacket. I managed to get my hands on an early sample of the Nuclei FL late last summer, so we’ve been playing together for the last 6 months. Here’s how the Arc’teryx Nuclei FL Jacket fared.

The Arc’teryx Nuclei FL Specs

What I like

Because the Arc’teryx Nuclei FL jacket is designed for alpine climbing, it’s cut long to fit comfortably beneath a harness. This makes it perfect for backpacking. It fits under your pack (and/or fanny pack) waistband, and won’t ride up. The sleeves are longer on this jacket as well. This jacket shaves off 1.5 oz from the Atom LT Hoody. The internal slip pockets come in clutch for stowing away a Kindle or beers for a lazy day at basecamp.

What I don’t like

The Arc’teryx Nuclei FL jacket is designed for light and fast pursuits in the alpine. However, I would seriously suggest against taking this out in the alpine. I brushed up against some rocks on an approach to a boulder and managed to shred the front of the jacket. The Arato™ 10D fabric touts itself as alpine durable, but if it’s not durable for a 10 minute approach, how am I going to use it for long days of actually rubbing up against rocks? Luckily I had some Noso Patches (hello avocado and stars) on hand and patched up the jacket before it lost any insulation.

If you’re into aesthetics, the Arc’teryx Nuclei FL jacket shows all the lumps from your layers not sitting completely flat, especially in the back, as shown above. Minor, inconsequential detail, but one worth pointing out.

I find that Arc’teryx jacket sizing is all over the place. Sometimes I fit into an XS, and sometimes an XS barely leaves room for breathing. With the Nuclei FL, I find that it runs a little large. Pictured above is an XS.

Buy the Arc’teryx Nuclei FL through REI or Arc’teryx for $299.

This was sent to me for review. This post contains affiliate links.

Last updated on August 14, 2020.