Patagonia vs ArcTeryx, which brand to choose?

It was in 1991 in North Vancouver, British Columbia, that the outdoor and trekking world witnessed the emergence of one of the most influential labels of the genre, Arc'Teryx. And by the way, do you even know where the brand name comes from? The Canadian label, a great defender and fan of the environment, takes its name from the "first" bird species known to date, the archaeopteryx, which became their logo at the same time.

Then comes the beginning of the years 2000, Arc'Teryx is still in its infancy and feels the temperature of the European market. It is then that the company is bought by the Salomon group, then held by the German giant Adidas.

Over the years and by dint of quality work, the label has been able to establish itself in the field of technical clothing while democratizing it among the general public, whether they are fans of this style or not.

Although the outdoor clothing market is still a bit of a niche, many players have developed, such as The North Face, Salomon or Patagonia. In our article "Our opinion on Arcteryx clothing and accessories", we take a look at the Canadian label's offer and what's best to take. But let's get back to the point, in this article, we will talk about Patagonia and Arc'Teryx to help you in your research.

From Ventura to North Vancouver

Patagonia is a brand that designs technical and ecological clothing since the early 70s. Born in the seaside town of Ventura, California, it has always integrated ecology in its production process.

Yvon Chouinard is a passionate climber, and after many climbs and judging that his equipment was not strong enough, he decided to launch an environmentally friendly brand made for and by athletes. Among the climbing accessories, we will find the down jacket, the harness and other carabiners.

On the other side, we find Arc'Teryx, a Canadian brand and a little more recent. The northern label has a very committed vision and puts forward a process of development maturely reflected.

They place R&D at the heart of their brand strategy, with the sole aim of offering ever more sophisticated pieces, combining breathability, resistance to rain or even warmth in all weather conditions.

A notable diversification

Although the two brands have a similar vision and are often equated with the same environment in fashion. Each of them puts forward a direction and a will to design pieces that speak to them.

First, let's focus on the case of Patagonia. Since its arrival in 1987 on French soil, the Californian brand has quickly taken its place in the wardrobe of mountain and water sports enthusiasts. Nevertheless, the European market and especially the French market has real differences with its American counterpart, which strongly slows down the expansion of the brand on the old continent.

Therefore, Patagonia, had to react to this new market and turned to the manufacture of clothing less intended for the outdoor, which could be described as more mainstream and more accessible. Of course the Ventura brand continues to offer outdoor/techwear collections oriented towards water sports and climbing. We will find cargo pants, down jackets and accessories such as down jackets and backpacks.

Going straight to the point

On the other side we find Arc'Teryx, faithful to its committed vision and its founding principles. As we mentioned earlier, David Lane, the creator of the brand wants to create and offer equipment and a line of equipment adapted to climbing.

Nowadays, the label has become a reference in the small techwear sphere. Thus thanks to their guideline and their expertise, Arc'Teryx excels in the use of fabric and other breathable material useful for outdoor.

We will obviously think of Gore-Tex, Gore-Tex Pro, nylon or polyester. If you're looking for the brand's classics, we recommend the Atom Jacket, the Gamma mx jacket, which will provide breathability and a little bit of temperature at the head level thanks to their lined hood, we also think of the Granville backpack.

Then comes the year 2009, Arc'Teryx wishes to enlarge its range by proposing useful pieces in the urban environment. From this will will be born the Veillance program, a new branch of the brand which proposes pieces intended for an urban use, but while keeping the fundamentals of the brand. You will find technical pieces such as cargo pants and hooded jackets that will keep you and your head warm even during winter.

The selection of must-haves

Let's start with Patagonia, the first piece that comes to mind is naturally the Fleece Jacket. Indeed, their reputation is no longer to do in terms of fleece fabric also called fleece.

If we continue in the same line, we will also find the M's Better Sweater and its sleeveless down jacket. The second piece that is also very popular with the general public is the Micro Puff Jacket very popular during the winter for its resistance to rain and its breathable quality. The latter is very popular with the general public for its protective and warmth properties.

Concerning Arc'Teryx, we naturally think of the jackets that the brand has been offering for a number of years now. If we had to recommend two of them, the Atom LT would come in our top result thanks to its technical characteristics, combining comfort and waterproofness. Before we continue with our article How to wash an ArcTeryx jacket, we bring you all the tips and tricks to wash your mountain gear without any fear.

Let's move on to the second jacket which is the Gamma MX, this jacket from the shoftshell range, thanks to its practicality and its properties no doubt it is an essential for all your outings.

So, What to choose?

You will surely have understood, these two brands are strongly anchored in the landscape of outdoor fashion and techwear. These two labels were both created following the will of a person passionate about climbing and sports in general.

As a result, they never stop reinventing themselves and offering ever more useful and robust pieces. On one side, there is Patagonia, fervent defender of the environment with an exemplary strength of conviction, on the other side Arc'Teryx is a brand which places the usefulness of the clothing in the heart of its strategy. Materials, comfort and resistance are the key words of the Canadian label.

In short, if you have to choose, focus on the use you will have of the garment as well as its materials. Therefore, for a hike or trek in the mountains, we can only advise you Arc'Teryx which has proven itself many times.

Check out other posts about Arc’Teryx:

• The North face vs Arc'Teryx which brand to choose ?
• How to spot a fake Arc'Teryx ?