Customer Reviews Arc'teryx Interstate Jacket

I've used this jacket for a year now and it's a pretty great around town, daily W/B here in the wet PNW. I really like the nice matte finish of the fabric, and it's fairly soft and quiet for a hardshell. I also like the clean lines and lack of stitching on the outside of the jacket. Gives it a very clean and modern look. My only complaints are that I'm just not a fan of the stowaway hood in the neck design, and really wish they just used a standard hood design (like the Alpha SL or others). I don't care for the look when the hood is out, and when it's stowed it just creates a puffy, immobile collar. Also, the way the waterproof zips are on the hand pockets make it a little annoying to get things in and out, and will always snag the huge wrist cuffs on them if you put your hands in.

I've used this jacket for a year now and it's a pretty great around town, daily W/B here in the wet PNW. I really like the nice matte finish of the fabric, and it's fairly soft and quiet for a hardshell. I also like the clean lines and lack of stitching on the outside of the jacket. Gives it a very clean and modern look. My only complaints are that I'm just not a fan of the stowaway hood in the neck design, and really wish they just used a standard hood design (like the Alpha SL or others). I don't care for the look when the hood is out, and when it's stowed it just creates a puffy, immobile collar. Also, the way the waterproof zips are on the hand pockets make it a little annoying to get things in and out, and will always snag the huge wrist cuffs on them if you put your hands in.

My objective was a longish top quality exterior shell with excellent foul weather protection. I can't get past the ridiculous collar. When the hood is folded up inside, the collar is stiff, can't be folded out of the way, and makes it look like my head is sticking out of a chimney. I tried precisely folding the hood into the zippered compartment; I tried kneading the hood-stuffed collar to soften it up; I tried folding the collar back so it wouldn't irritate my neck. Nothing worked. And leaving the hood out has its own problems - two-toned? Different color from jacket itself? Collects snow/rain. A lot to like about the jacket itself, but the hood/collar makes this expensive jacket a losing proposition for me.

My objective was a longish top quality exterior shell with excellent foul weather protection. I can't get past the ridiculous collar. When the hood is folded up inside, the collar is stiff, can't be folded out of the way, and makes it look like my head is sticking out of a chimney. I tried precisely folding the hood into the zippered compartment; I tried kneading the hood-stuffed collar to soften it up; I tried folding the collar back so it wouldn't irritate my neck. Nothing worked. And leaving the hood out has its own problems - two-toned? Different color from jacket itself? Collects snow/rain. A lot to like about the jacket itself, but the hood/collar makes this expensive jacket a losing proposition for me.

I love this jacket except for one thing. The pockets fill with water. I don't mean a little water seeps in, I mean pockets full of water you could keep goldfish in. I was caught in an intense rain storm and excited to try out my jacket. I zipped it all up, and put my camera in my jacket pocket figuring that if nothing else, at least it would stay dry. Much to my dismay I found it in about 2in of water when I got home. The rest of me was perfectly dry, but my pockets were not. I know for a fact that I zipped them up completely, because I double checked to make sure that was the case

I love the hidden hood and details on the cuffs. It would have been a great jacket if it had stayed true to the athletic fit that Arc'teryx is known for. Sadly although it fits well over the shoulders, the square construction leaves way too much material around the waist and chest.

I would like a similar minimalistic model for urban/everyday use that is shorter, just a little more than covering the belt would be sufficient. Internal pockets are a must and would add functionality without sacreficing the style.

After returning the Camosun insulated parka due to its poor hood design, I thought I might have better luck layering the Thorium AR beneath the Interstate shell. While the pieces did combine nicely, the Interstate's hip-length cut just didn't provide the kind of protection I wanted for urban commuting. The Interstate will fall at your belt line, so there's no way you can use it over a suit jacket or even a long sweater, as your clothes will stick out from the bottom and look ridiculous. I actually LOVED the trim-fitting stowhood and found it to be the most comfortable, well-fitting hood of any Arc jacket I've worn despite its low profile. Excellent coverage and adjustability. When stowed. however, I found the hood made the collar just a little too restrictive for me. Would have loved to keep this jacket, but the length is a deal-breaker for urban applications.

Le premier essai a t une grande dception: les manches sont rellement trop longues, jusqu'au bout des doigts. La fermeture des poignets est dcevante, elle ne permet pas de retenir les manches, donc pas de solution. Finalement en tournant les manches vers l'intrieur on obtient un rsultat plus ou moins satisfaisant; ce qui n'est pas le but d'un prix aussi lev. Malgr cela je n'ai pas rendu la pice, j'avais rellement besoin de remplacer la prcdente et il y a certains avantages: les poches sont trs trs grandes, mme celle de la poitrine. J'oserais mme dire que je n'avais jamais vu d'aussi grandes poches sur aucune de mes vestes ou blousons. Je vais tous les jours au travail avec mon vlo ( 10 km) et il me fallait une veste plus ou moins formelle, deuxime but atteint: impeccable de ce point de vue-l. Troisime objectif: la capuche, s'il le faut, est parfaitement compatible avec le casque, j'avais d'ailleurs compar avec la veste A2B, spcifique pour vlo mais avec un tissu qui n'est pas le nouveau Gore-Tex C-Knit; les deux ont exactement la mme capuche. Et pourtant le nouveau tissu est plus respirant, nouvel avantage. Une autre surprise a t sa largeur: elle permet de mettre plusieurs couches en-dessous; en lisant les descriptions je pensais qu'elle serait plus troite, mais bien au contraire. La souplesse du tissu est aussi remarquable. J'ai d'autres vestes en Gore-Tex, dont une en version Active (plus sportives, pour d'autres activits) et la diffrence de la souplesse est remarquable. Finalement on pourrait dire objectif atteint mais il me semble que la longueur des manches et la fermeture des poignets est un dfaut impardonnable.

It would be nice to have this or the blazer or the trench in yellow to deal with the growing risk from inattentive drivers.

This jacket is really baggy around the waist. I went for a small, even though I'm usually a medium in athletic clothing and it just looks shapeless - it's far too big. I don't think I can go XS with this item because I suspect the shoulders will be too tight - they're just about right with the size small I'm trying on now. Even with a bulky fleece underneath my shoulders are becoming constricted and there are still reams of fabric wafting around my waist. I suspect I could be on the verge of obesity and still fit into this size small! This smacks of non-athletic, typical American sizing to me. What a disappointment. Everything else about the jacket is excellent - which is why I'm so disappointed. Is Arcteryx really just one more company that doesn't make clothing for normal, healthy shaped human beings?