Customer Reviews Arc'teryx Alpha AR Jacket

Great fit and arm mobility. I really like the length of the jacket in the back. Superhydrophobic exterior, looking forward to see how it holds up over time. Only downside of the jacket has been the hood adjustment pulls: they release easily once pulled tight (slight head turn will pull elastics through the plastic toggles), and the rear center adjustment does not tighten as much as I would desire. These are minor qualms that hardly take away from what is an extremely high quality shell.

Have been using this jacket for about four winter seasons for regular splitboarding and resort shredding in the northern US Rockies. This jacket seems impervious to the elements but incredibly light for how burly it is. The fit is slim but the shoulders are well articulated so the slim fit is not an issue. Easy to layer and pack. All the features, zippers, etc. are still functioning like new.

I've only had this for one month but so far so good. Nice pockets, big hood and great pit zips.

The Alpha AR has really exceeded my expectations for what I want and like out of a rain jacket. It has been so long since I have owned a solid piece of rain gear that I was confident would keep me dry when I needed it to. When it comes to scouting out rapids and waterfalls by the river during the rainy season here in Squamish, it can be next level wet and cold. This is where the Alpha AR really nailed it for me. We spend so much time bushwhacking through some thick BC wilderness that is blanketed with a heavy layer of rainfall and it can quickly soak you from head to toe. Sometimes to get the right angle on a drop we have to get into some thicker/stickier patches of bush. Combine that with the spray of whitewater and waterfalls onto the banks and you've got yourself a seriously saturated adventure. This can definitely make or break the day in this situation when you get soaked and are freezing and have to call the day a bit early or aren't lucky enough to be in a position to call the day and you have to suffer through it. Knowing I have this jacket helps me know I won't have to suffer through anything (with regards to the upper body haha) now I have to get myself a matching pair of rain pants to keep my legs as dry as everything else. Top tier performance and reliability.

Bought this a few months ago for the upcoming season . Have managed to test the jacket in stelvio pass in Italy . Works exactly how I wanted it too . Kept me dry in rainy/ icy conditions and warm . Used the jacket for 7 days for gs training . Took a beating on some gates . Held up well. If you looking for a reliable ,does what it says on the tin ski jacket . I would recommend this one

Do I need to tell you more? Arc'teryx Gore Tex shell. They are amazing and last a lifetime. Mines been everywhere. Rockies, Andes, Jungle, Prairies. Do yourself a favour and pick up one of these

Have used the Alpha AR for about a year now. The fit is amazing, nicely articulating arms, not bulky still is trim with no excess flapping about yet manages to accommodate a base layer, Acto MX, and optionally if its really cold, an Atom LT underneath while still remaining non-restrictive. It also breathes surprisingly really well -- Dug out a 15'x15' snow shelter during a heavy snowfall and the AR breathed well enough to keep me comfortable and dry. Another review claimed some abrasion on the jacket -- I haven't had that happen and I typically have about 15+kg loaded in an Alpha AR35 pack along with snow shovel, rope, microspikes, poles, snowshoes and axe. No problems with durability so far. The red color really pops. Perfect in the alpine.

I bought this item last year, for backpacking Norway in April, including hikes every day. This was my first "big purchase" shell jacket and I'm thoroughly impressed. 3 weeks of nonstop abuse, snow, heavy showers and constant wind. Also wore the jacket almost exclusively for 2019/2020 winter with just a hoodie underneat - our winters aren't too bad lately, but considering how light the jacket is, I was pleasantly surprised by it's performance. Great product, runs a bit big on the sleeves. I'm probably buying another one for this year, just different colour.

This jacket is fantastic! I have yet to pull it out of my pack on ice but have used it skiing. The only flaw that I can see is that zipping the jacket up all the way with a balaclava is difficult. The jacket fits over a ski helmet just fine. There is room to layer an atom lt underneath. I am a slim 5'8 and 155lb on a good day. I bought a small and it fits great.

182 cm at 85 kg I have L. As with all Arc jackets sleeve length is generous, which I appreciate since I have long arms. When it comes to fit I can easily wear a couple of base layers and two mid layers (i.e a Atom LT and a Nuclei) underneath when sitting still in the cold. The hood is really good and adjustable enough to work really well both with and without a helmet. But the most amazing thing is that it is so light without feeling fragile.

I've always dealt with poor quality jackets because I was cheap and had no knowledge of the gear. But as I've gotten more passionate about getting out there and after doing some thorough research I settled on the Alpha AR and have yet to be disappointed by it. Though I haven't gotten to use it very much, I was beyond grateful that I had it when I did. A friend and I were out hiking in the Central Cascades and got caught in a massive storm, but it wasn't snow or rain, it was hail, hail the size of peanuts, which is unusually large for Washington (minuscule for the midwest) and I didn't feel anything. Unfortunately several other people on the trail had only plastic ponchos or sub-par rain jackets and got drenched and pounded by the hail, even my friend's trusty Marmot jacket soaked through. But the Alpha AR repelled every bit of hail. I have had very bad experiences with poor rain jackets that haven't held up when I really needed them to, but the Alpha AR excelled where others on the trail failed, and kept me dry. Even my phone, which was in the cross pocket, was totally dry. Design-wise it works great for what I use it for which is just hiking and backpacking for now, though I plan on branching out toward climbing, which is why I went for the Alpha AR versus the Beta or Theta series. The cross pockets are especially ideal with a pack which was another deciding factor for me because the Beta and Theta series have pocket designs that I've heard can be a bit difficult to access with a pack on. The AR is durable enough to where I can wear it in pretty much any weather without worry, but many ounces lighter than the Beta AR and the Alpha SV, which is great when backpacking when all the ounces start adding up.

I use this jacket bikeing to school and work every day in the Pacific Northwest, as well as hikeing and packing. I have experienced a little more wetting than I would normally like on the N40p-x fabric, especially around "impact zones" like where my backpack straps rub the fabric. I intend to wash/dry my jacket soon and see if that helps, if that doesn't work I will refinish it. The burlyer fabric on the shoulders and forearms seems to be fareing better. That said the inside is tight as a drum and I have never once been cold or felt a breeze wearing it. The cut is perfect and is roomy in all the right places. It looks great and I get compliments on it almost daily. The technical details are off the chain as per usual with any arcteryx gear. Swank level over 9000.

I have owned way to many arcteryx jackets. As a guide and search and rescue tech I have had many to try. I really like the alpha series and see the AR as having the perfect balance. Enough durable for long endeavors but light enought to always take with you. I am 5.9 175lb and could fit a small or med but ned is good for winter.

Really good product and fitment. The fabric is to noisy for everyday use, but great when it rains

This jacket fits and looks great. The material is durable and breathes well. My biggest complaint is the tiny zippers - why in the world would they use tiny zippers on a jacket which is designed for conditions in which you'll be wearing gloves 99% of the time. My jeans have a bigger zipper than the tiny ones one this jacket.

Bought this jacket to be a do everything shell that is pretty light. Its great for keeping me dry in heavy rains and keeps the cold winds out. i only gave it 4 stars because i haven't gotten to test it out in any bad alpine winter weather but that's my plan this season coming up. if it performs like all my other gear from arc'teryx i'm sure it will not disappoint. Also the new gore-tex pro fabric seems to be a lot quieter than previous versions.

I have worn this once in cool and very wet weather. The waterproofness was good. The breathability was good. The under arm zips are brilliant for high output. The fabric is a bit noisy but no big deal. The fit overall was good, however the arms seems a bit too wide but it didn't really have a negative impact, maybe there is good reason for it e.g. arm flex or thicker puffer underneath. The downsides are big downsides in my view. The main zipper pull makes so much noise blowing around in the wind, to the point that I tried to rip it off the jacket. It also blows around in a circular motion like a fan in front of your face, really distracting and terribly annoying. The hood adjuster at the back works well but the front two adjusters are practically useless in strong wind. The hood simply blows open in strong winds so I had to tie them which is not ideal especially with gloves on and impossible to untie with gloves. There are plastic inserts about 3-4" above the cord entrance into the hood. I pressed these every way to see if I could lock the cinch in place but nothing happened. I don't think they are buttons I think they just create some resistance when you pull on them to try and keep them in place but they are not strong enough to hold the cinch. Not very useful to me in strong winds. I won't be using this jacket for conditions that I expected I would be able to use it.

I've owned this jacket for a number of years now, and it seems like every couple of years I have to send it in for service on the main zipper. Arc'teryx does back their warranty and will repair at no cost, but for a coat with such high price tag, to have to repair the zipper so often, very frustrating and makes it not worth the cost. The turn around on the repairs can be up to a month. I rode last years ski season with my jacket paper clipped together. Otherwise, love the coat.

I have owned this jacket for over two years. Fit, packability and weight are all impressive. However I have been disappointed at its durability - even with careful maintenance, cleaning and reproofing it only remained water proof for approximately two and a half years. Having used and maintained Arc'teryx products for a number of years without much of an issue, I was pretty shocked to see one of their more recent products fail so quickly. In addition, the company's usually impressive aftercare has not been able to help with the failure. All in all, a disappointing and expensive experience that has put me off further purchases from the brand.

There's dark spots all over the jacket - no idea how it passed quality control

zipper failure on 2 jackets within first 1-2 years on two jackets Arcteryx makes warranty coverage difficult I do not recommend

I got this jacket in Toronto and was pleased for about 10 mins... then I was hit with the cold Toronto air and started searching for hand pockets only to find non anywhere... all this money for a jacket with no hand pockets??? its like well yeah I could wear my insulated jacket with hand pockets but what's the point of it then?? in my opinion this jacket should be built with hand pockets and then it would genuily be the perfect hardshell

Sizing: Medium, I fit in Medium in most products and all other Arcteryx products I've tried. The sleeves are way too long. The sleeves have plenty of room but the chest area of the jacket has nowhere enough room for layering and if you size up the sleeves are even bigger. Quality:The material has ripped in both arm area and chest area within 15 times wearing. The drawstring has snapped at the very bottom of the jacket to cinch it without me adjusting it. The material remains waterproof shorter than any goretex product I've had, absorbs water like no Tommorow. I've washed it and treated with all recommended products. Material also is extremely loud, it makes a loud crinkling sound to the point we're it is annoying to walk in. Eventually most of the sound goes away but takes quite a long time Compared to my last Beta AR jacket this doesn't even come close in durability or function. I could not recommend this to anyone who needs a piece of gear they would rely on.