Customer Reviews Arc'teryx Beta AR Jacket

I've had this for over a year now and it's been great, I've used it around the city, for hiking, backpacking, and skiing. It's kept me dry the whole time! And the pit zips are great for venting. My main issue is that I personally don't like the drophood, the collar doesn't nest well with other hoods and I prefer the bigger stormhood that covers more of your face. It's also really big - this means it can look a bit weird if you're using it with just a tshirt underneath. So unless you know you're layering a lot you should size down. Overall an excellent do it all jacket!

I had a Beta AR in 2010. Served me well for a solid decade. I have lived in Nunavut and wore this as part of a layered setup. When a cold blizzard is blasting and you need to keep going, this is what you want to wear... or maybe the SV version but I was walking to the grocery not crossing antarctica. In 10 years, the goretex did not delaminate, but the bottom fold holding the bottom cord came unglued. I contacted the customer support expecting to be told it was out of warranty and that they couldn't do anything. But to the contrary, they were standing behind their product. I was really happy with the solution they proposed and I ended up ordering another of the same jacket but this year. The construction quality is outstanding. The fabric feels even more rugged than my old one. If you read stories about delamination, or glue coming off, know 2 things: it usually happens after more than a few years, and arc'teryx does stand behind their product. Can you think of many other pieces of clothing that lasted you a decade?

This sturdy Gore-Tex shell is my go-to outer-layer when I need the most weather protection. For wet days, it keeps me dry, and when it's bone-chilling cold and windy, it's a great barrier between my insulation and the harsh world outside. Zippers are in the right places, hood fits over a helmet, cuffs are easy to manipulate with gloves, and no superfluous peices.

I wear this jacket for hiking and skiing. Overall it's a great waterproof jacket unless you caring about plastic sound when you move your arm. 4 stars because I got some white stain on my black jacket. Not sure why it's can't be wiped with a wet cloth.

So, I purchased my Beta AR a month ago. it got its first use on a raining morning on the trail. performance was excellent with no water penetration in moderate to heavy rain for about 4 hours. My one gripe is that the jacket got dirt marks along some creases where my pack's wait strap was cinched down. I washed it immediately after getting home (per the instructions with the Nu Care detergent), and these dirt marks didnt come out. I did get the Glade color, so I understand that dirt will be easier to see. Still, I'm disappointed that my first noderate use already has these lifetime stains.

Love everything about this jacket except when it is zipped up to the top - the chin guard comes up so high on my face that it is extremely uncomfortable - it rubs on the chin because the jacket is so stiff around that area due to the heavy duty zip and the stiffened fabric around the chin area. Maybe ok if you wear a balaclava over your face or have fabric that can be covering your chin to stop the friction....but it can be raining in warm humid weather too and I won't be wearing a layer over my chin for those days. I am returning it as it was too annoying and stiff for me. I am Petite at 5 ft and 105 lbs, but I think this issue would still hold true for people taller than me.

Just bought this jacket and used in on a hiking trip near jasper BC. It rained for 3 days straight and this jacket kept me fairly dry, which considering the conditions, is awesome. My only complaint was that the hood felt a bit uncomfortable, I just couldn't quite since the straps in a fashion that I was happy with

I have this jacket as primary winter jacket with a good down is amazing, resist until -15 degrees, just is loo long of the sleeves

I have owned a previous generation of this coat - I wanted a larger size to layer clothes underneath. I wondered if they made the outer sleeve pocket larger to accommodate the larger cell phones of today - answer: They eliminated it. The other big knock on this is they did away with the elastic cuffs, so you have to adjust them every time you put the jacket on and when you take it off - really annoying. I searched the other jackets from ArcTeryx and none have this feature - so a cost savings for them but a real bummer for the user. They moved the two main side pockets down a bit, which works great for me - but might be a problem for backpack wearers. The inside pocket remains the same - and I use this for my phone. It's also lighter then previous generations - which is def. a plus. Finally they changed the collar area that protects your neck - it's higher and provides better protection against wind and rain, but if you don't need to be "Buttoned Up" it's kind of annoying - so great in horrible weather, a bit much when it's not so bad out. As others notated the waterproof of this jacket does not last - you have to constantly re-coat with some sort of waterproof/repellence product. This is true with all Gore-Tex out there - The fit is excellent - I went a size up to layer winter clothing but even without the extra layers it is not bulky - vents well (pit zips) and the many adjustments on the hood are great.

This is an awesome jacket..but the labrynth colour is not as my computer shows. Was hoping for a dark teal but its distinctly green in person.

I really like my Beta AR jacket. The negative is the fit....runs large. My Atom AR hoody and Atom LT hoody both fit ME perfectly in men's large. The Beta AR Jacket runs large for me....specifically, the sleeves are longer than I am used to seeing in size large. However, the medium is too restrictive in the chest and shoulders. I am 6'0" tall, weigh between 195 to 200 pounds, 33" to 34" waste, 43" chest, 33" sleeves. The medium fits perfect in the sleeves but is too tight (restrictive) in the shoulders (won't accomdate layers). Tweener decision: get the medium and have a limit on layering Vs get the large and just accept the long sleeves and sinch down with the velcro adjustments on the cuffs. I got the large since I must have layers for a range of conditions...sub zero heavy snow to summer rains (farenheit) 4 stars: I love everything except the long sleeves and the high price.

This is a very nice jacket - lightweight and fairly robust. It's well cut and nice looking. If you are long waisted you are going to wish it was just a teeny bit longer. The pockets are great when you are wearing a pack - and very awkward if you don't have a pack belt blocking the natural place to put your hands on a cold afternoon.

Me ha costado decidirme entre el color Midnight Sun y el Tui. Al final eleg el azul oscuro, estoy encantado con ella, las cremalleras, sobre todo la central parecen dbiles.

I have been wearing the Beta AR now for about 3 months, and am thoroughly enjoying it. I was in the market for a hardshell for a while, and tested out a wide range of jackets. What I really like about the Beta AR is the lenght. I don't like it when a jacket is too long, and this one just fits well. The jacket is tough, and well constructed. The zippers work well and are robust, the hood can be very nicely adjusted so that you can keep looking left and right and your visuals are not blocked. On the downside, the goretex pro is a bit noisy. My kids keep saying, hey there's dad, you can hear him come from a mile away. I guess that's part of the fabric. The sleeves are also very long, something that i've seen with more jackets. With the sleeves being very long, it gives a bit of a bulky look for an overall perfect slim fitting jacket.

Great pro shell jacket lighter than my mountain equipment one and more breathable. Not a massive fan of the collar design but the hood is fantastic.

I've loved this jacket for skiing, climbing, hiking, and walking the dog in a snowstorm. I regularly wash and waterproof it and it is going strong three years into use.

I have trusted Arcteryx products to keep me alive and warm for almost 8 years now and it's rare I write a review. I am 6'1" 180lbs with an average size torso to give a reference to the picture. Pros: I have worn the Jacket in the alpine about a dozen times now and it has treated me very well. I've had it on while climbing cracks and rubbing against chimneys and it has not shown any wear at all. Had four hours of heavy rain on an approach in RMNP and stayed completely dry. This is one of the lightest shells I've had that has the durability to handle several days of harsh alpine conditions. It packs down to about 1.5 liters when you tuck everything into the hood and smash it into a pack. The hood is easy to adjust over a around a helmet and not impede your vision at all. Overall awesome lightweight shell that I trust to do its job on heavier objectives. Cons: I would give the Beta AR 5 stars other than than the waist being to short. Not a big issue if you're not a climber. I had the jacket ride up and out from my AR-395 harness a couple times on an 8 pitch route with wind gusts around 50mph. Rapid loss of body heat every time this happened. Also if you are planning on using this shell to ski, I would recommend wearing bibs along with it.

Had the jacket for 3 months, and so far I have mainly used for dog walks, out in Victoria BC we see a significant amount rainfall this jacket has held up superbly to all weather conditions, and has kept me bone-dry by the end of our walks (up to 2-3 hours at time), and have found the pit zips perfect for venting while we lightly jog. I plan on using this for the ski season, mainly coastal PNW mountains, the fit is perfect for layering to stay warm on and off the hill. A lot of comments have been focused on the drop-hood but I like the look and design of it personally.

I'm not sure who decides the colour choices, but they sure don't get skiing. Wearing a slightly brighter jacket can be a positive safety issue these days. This jacket will blend in with the trees and isn't a particularly flattering colour.

It's perfect hard shell for winter activities. But for "AR" purpose, it's a little too hard and make lots of noise use in other seasons. The sleeve is just too long compare with any other brand.

Obviously great quality, in material and fit. I didn't expect it to be so light, which is nice in summer and spring months. However it does suffer from the gore tex shuffle sound. Dont expect to be too stealthy in this.

Love this jacket!! It's my go too for whenever I do anything outdoors and also acts as my shell for winter season. With a decent down puff jacket underneath the heavy gortex shell can really help keep the cold air and wind out.

Good jacket that kept me dry in Sweden and during Caucasus trip through the mountains. Sizing is very weird - size S (which I have) fits perfectly on the body, but the sleeves are too long, size XS doesn't fit body at all (and the sleeves are still long), size M is too large.

The jacket itself is great, but it's let down by the hood. Others have mentioned the sleeves are long - they're perfect if you're stretching upwards, but about 2" too long the rest of the time. You can tighten the Velcro at the wrists but that also makes the jacket warmer. The hood, though .. if I tighten it up enough so that I can see and have it turn with my head, the face is quite exposed - badly enough that water runs down my face and inside the collar. If I loosen it up so that it moves forward and protects my face more, I have to turn at the waist; if I turn my neck the head doesn't move and I'm left looking at the inside. It also catches any wind coming from the front, offering little protection. I actually find I stay drier and warmer not having the hood up at all - just tighten up all the shock cords so that it's snug around my neck, and wear a hat of some kind instead. It feels like it'd work well over my mountain-biking helmet, though.

I really like this jacket - this is the first I've own. I've always went with North Face but wanted to try this jacket on. The jacket is warm, waterproof from rain and has Goretex materials. The only issue with this jacket is how expensive it is (almost 25% more expensive than regular Goretex jackets) and the limited warranty (North Face offers warranty for a longer period of time in case of unusual rips and tears due to the manufacturing)