Customer Reviews Arc'teryx Beta AR Jacket

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

veste de montagne utilisable pour de nombreuses activits de montagne

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.

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.

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)

Bought this jacket for the Laugavegur hike in Iceland - weather can be brutal so wanted a really solid mountain shell that would still pack down easily when not needed. Definitely a classic piece of kit but as with most Arc'teryx gear, priced accordingly. I consider them the Apple of outdoor apparel - beautiful designs, solidly built and work well but pricing (in UK at least) is often far more than comparable products from other high-end brands. Often 100 more than the comparable Mountain Equipment Lhotse, for example. Would have liked to see a two-way zip to make impromptu comfort breaks and harness adjustments easier but my main issue is the fiddly hood drawstring design. Hard to find the front drawcords by touch alone, and that's with bare hands. Becomes completely impossible with gloves on!

Bought this jacket for the Laugavegur hike in Iceland - weather can be brutal so wanted a really solid mountain shell that would still pack down easily when not needed. Definitely a classic piece of kit but as with most Arc'teryx gear, priced accordingly. I consider them the Apple of outdoor apparel - beautiful designs, solidly built and work well but pricing (in UK at least) is often far more than comparable products from other high-end brands. Often 100 more than the comparable Mountain Equipment Lhotse, for example. Would have liked to see a two-way zip to make impromptu comfort breaks and harness adjustments easier but my main issue is the fiddly hood drawstring design. Hard to find the front drawcords by touch alone, and that's with bare hands. Becomes completely impossible with gloves on!