Customer Reviews Arc'teryx Beta LT Jacket

I was obsessed w/ purchasing the Beta LT after spending a great deal of time researching the cream of the crop of shells spec'd for fast & light backcountry pursuits. This research was based on ploughing through most of the material found online as pertains to relevant textile science and backcountry performance testimonials related to shells (soft & hard). On paper, the Beta LT was what I had to have. I've owned the jacket for approx. 3 months now and have attempted to wear it everyday since then to come to terms w/ its pros & cons--and ascertain if my relatively hefty investment in this trophy piece was well placed. I've worn this shell in the temp. range of -5C - +13C, w/i which there prevailed a wide variety of wind (incl. gale force), rel. humidity, and precip. (rain & snow) conditions. Pros: -Looks flattering in casual urban setting. -Don't find myself being part of a mainstream brand horde (name your mainstream brand) - nice in an urban milieu. - Layers perfectly w/ baselayer + 60 g/m^2 Core-/Primaloft / or down equiv. + 100 microfleece. (little room for much more when remaining agile). -Great fit when only wearing baselayer or above combo, i.e. not baggy. -Definitely rainproof and Np40 face fabric dries fast when wetted out. -Windproof. Minimal convection at waist thanks to hem draw cord and drop-back hem. -Non-obtrusive when engaged in highly mobile and arm flailing pursuits. -Fantastic length of arms (Ape index: 2cm/1.011). -Hood and cuff adjustments are excellent. Storm hood is very good. -Packability is great, especially given fabrics proven durability/abrasion resistance (per gained personal experience). -I really like the chin guard. Offers superb weather protection and is comfortable. -Pockets remain dry during extended (hours) deluges. -I've played rough 'n tough w/ this jacket and it still looks as good as new. Plenty rugged and durable indeed. (Possible) Cons: -I become aware of 'breathability' issues only really when signs of apparent deficiencies arise. Hence, I was surprised that the inner surface of the shell was soaked (and I mean soaked) on several occasions after I had been walking or hiking very quickly in temp. ranges of -5C - +10C for durations of 40 min. - 3 hrs, while always aggressively and proactively managing my underlying layers to minimize overheating and concomitant perspiration. Maybe this is par for the course - or even better than such - but I must admit that I was somewhat underwhelmed each time I discovered the wet film of perspiration on the shell's inner face. Given, I might be misinterpreting this phenomena as a sign of the jacket's limited ability to manage the moisture I produce, and that such drench is in fact to be expected as part and parcel of the way this jacket is designed to 'breathe', i.e. such wetness merely reflects the first stage of the water passing through the membrane. Yet even with cooling down periods of some 30-60 min. after heightened activity levels, the inner surface remained wet. Perhaps this surprised me the most--I expected such wetness would have moved out through the membrane. At times, I tried putting on a lightweight belay jacket (e.g. Rab Xenon) over the shell during periods of inactivity (thus shifting the dew point) but the film of wetness persisted even after 30 minutes. -In light of the above I wish the jacket incl. pit zips. If I'm down to just wearing a baselayer under the shell when I'm hauling fast in the rain and wind - and it's slightly above freezing outside - I don't see much option for dumping heat and remaining dry other than to vent under my pits. As it stands in such conditions, the shell often gets uniformly slick on the inside from my perspiration. Dilemma indeed. -The front zipper doesn't run smooth but sticks and chokes at repeating lengths along the pull. The front zipper's friction along tthe length of the pull is highly variable. I find this most irritating. No such issue exists with the pocket zips--they're smooth and fast. I'm not sure if this variable stickiness is par for the course/model or an imperfection found in just my jacket. I thought the pull might get smoother after a few months of usage but it continues to choke up along stretches of the pull. -I've washed the jacket according to instructions (Grangers Performance Cleaner) after approx. every other longer backcountry sejour (5 so far). I've yet to reproof. The beading of water is variable over the jacket. After longer periods in the rain (>20 min.), I find that large surfaces of the outer fabric have pretty much wetted out and I consider the jacket's face fabric to be soaked. If I get back inside after such a downpour, shake off the jacket, and hang it up then it's dry in under an hour. But to be sure, none of the precipitation leaks through the jacket when in a deluge. Even the pockets are dry as bone. Summary: The jacket keeps me warm and dry in fiercely windy and precipitous conditions, allowing me to keep moving in good comfort during strenuous long haul backcountry pursuits in Norway & Sweden. I now carry a small and lightweight packtowel for when I stop for breaks after strenuous activities. I use it to gently blot up the accumulated wetness on the jacket's inner face so that it's not absorbed into my baselayer or thin microfleece. This then for when I'm out for days at a time and carrying but a minimum of redundancies. I can't afford to have perspiration 'back-travel' from the inner shell face and absorb into my limited layering pieces i.e. my microfleece and/or baselayer (which btw is currently an Arc'teryx Phase. It's downright magic - a review on that at a later date). I really like the Beta LT and would highly recommend it for backcountry protection when wind and rain combine forces to present an extremely mean and nasty onslaught. Any degree of exposure less menacing than this is a cakewalk for this piece of cool & function-driven gear.

I bought this jacket 2 month ago for a 5-weeks pilgrim walk to Santiago de Compostela. It is a nice, versatile jacket with several smart features. After a week of walking in nice weather we got some snow and within 30 minutes my jacket was leaking through. Luckily I had only a few days of moderate snow and rain, but I don't think the jacket should be advertised as waterproof. It is not.

Great waterproofing to weight ratio! I've struggled to find a decent lightweight waterproof for travelling/warmer weather, but this seems to be the best I've found so far. It's just such a shame that it's impossible to get a quality jacket without a MASSIVELY oversized hood flapping around, for a helmet that I'm never going to wear it with!!! I'm not sure how the jacket's going to wear over time (especially looking at how the fabric responds to a backpack on my shoulders in the rain), but so far it's shown very good waterproofing and is otherwise a simple, comfortable fit.

The large is too big and the med is too small around the arms and shoulders. Some Some Some Arcteryx products fit me well in medium, some in large. Unfortunately there does not seem to be a standard sizing across the range which is frustrating. Also, they claim to include a prepaid shipping form in the box for easy returns but I have not seen one in my last three orders.

I really wanted to love this jacket, as it has most of what I am looking for in a shell. There is enough room for me to just get an MEC Uplink and a Patagonia Down Sweater underneath without feeling too tight, or just my down sweater without feeling empty. The Hood is excellent and cinches down nicely when not being used with a helmet. I gave this 3/5 stars for two reasons; no pit-zips and the fit. I understand the removal of the zips was to reduce weight, but for the few extra grams I find the addition totally worth it. Having to open up the jacket to dump heat when it is raining is a bit of a pain. I previously owned an Alpha SL in a small and it fit amazing in both the length and in the torso. The Beta LT fits fits much too large (im 5'7" and 145lbs). I am used to things being big; although, this jacket is really long and a little roomy. Wearing a base layer underneath during higher output activities make me feel as though I am wearing a medium size. The model in the photo above is 6'1" and wearing a medium. I cannot see very many 5'11"/6' men reaching for a size small so I feel as though it should be tailored more towards the 5'9"/5'10" range

3.5 2

3.5 2

Overall a good shell. Will keep you dry however be prepared to constantly re-water proof this jacket after every use. Great fit (size large). A bit short around the waist but not too bad. It is a bit noisey when moving around. The hood fits great and will cover your face well because of the visor and the way it's shaped.

Overall a good shell. Will keep you dry however be prepared to constantly re-water proof this jacket after every use. Great fit (size large). A bit short around the waist but not too bad. It is a bit noisey when moving around. The hood fits great and will cover your face well because of the visor and the way it's shaped.

I'm 180cm 71 kg 100 cm chest and size M is loose...

I've owned this Jacket for about a year now. Overall, I am quite impressed. The GTX pro has kept me dry in the wettest of weathers and the build quality is second to none. I love Arc'teryx's styling and the minimal branding, and the colour too. I have noticed several flaws however. On a recent wet hike in mild weather, the jacket failed to breath and I was wet underneath, and unfortunately it destroyed my iPhone 6S which was in the internal chest pocket. The jacket when worn , sometimes curls in on itself at the bottom of the zip, creating a bulge; which whilst doesn't really affect the performance of the jacket, it does get a bit annoying ! Also, the hand warmer pockets, whilst of great size and position, require 2 hands to be closed and opened which can be a bit awkward. The hood is well fitting and moves with my head, but it does pull the jacket up a bit on the body. Another slight issue I have noticed is that from prolonged rain, the jacket has darkened around the edges of the hood, at the cuffs, and at the bottom rim of jacket, which I have shown in the photo(the jacket has been washed and cared for as per Arc'teryx's instructions). Despite these flaws, it's a solid jacket, and I would buy Arc'teryx gear again. Just fix these issues please ....

It is definitely a very functional light jacket with outstanding performance. However, my experience tell me it has a flaw that almost all Acteryx jackets also have. The blade liked sharp velcro strap scratches and damages the lining fibre of interior side of sleeve from any belay, such as my Kappa Hoody. There are many tiny long fibers coming out or peeling off from the lining material (interior side of sleeve near cuff) of my Kappa , after layering over the LT. Some areas reach 2cm x 5cm. It made trauma to my Kappa though it is still cannot defined as puncture. As far as i know, some brands already fix this by stitching soft material to cover the velcro strap sharp edge, so as to minimise the potential danger to other jackets. In addition to this, it also scratches my forehead skin when i "comb" my head bare hand. As a great company of such kind , i really hope Arcteryx could improve these pricy jackets so that they can reach as perfect as and as safe as possible. Otherwise, i have to layer belay over it in an extremely careful manner which is not expected to happen in a famous brand.

Better material than previous models, but absolutely terrible design. The pockets sit way too low and therefore do not work with a backpack, and it's missing an inside pocket. When you do have things in your pockets, they interfere with your stride as it gets in the way of the front of your legs. Very disappointed in this product as it seems it is no longer designed for the backcountry, but rather for city life. Note: I have a men's as I do not generally like women's fit jackets.

I've had the Beta LT jacket two years. It would be great but for one serious flaw: The upper 5 inches of the main zipper is flanked by unsealed seams. In steady rain, water wicks right through this area, even when the jacket is fully zipped. This flaw relegates the jacket to the role of casual around-town wind-breaker. In the back-country, I can't rely on this jacket to keep me dry. Very disappointing, especially given the high price.

Bought this jacket in Spring 2020, used it a lot including on a bike trip, but took good care of it, frequent washing and reproofing. Excellent and very waterproof, breathable, etc. And then last month one of the main pockets became completely delaminated, so I had to send back the jacket in the rainiest time of year. Frustrating. Maybe this model is too lightweight for my needs? But I preferred that feel over the heavier one. Anyhow, expected a better quality and longer lasting coat for the price.

I own the jacket for around 4 and 5 years, It is a good lightweight waterproof jacket and keep you dry in almost any condition although it got saturated after no more than 10 uses so I need to do DWR treatment time after time, the breathability is a good point to mention too, the fabric does the job really well. The worst part of my experience with this jacket is the main zipper who lost some theets and most of the seams are taking off, this should not happen to an expensive product like this as it makes the jacket unusable.

This seems like an awesome jacket, but it runs more than a size smaller than other "trim fit" styles. I tried on the medium Beta LT Hybrid for sizing (also "trim fit"), and could fit a thick down puffy under it with plenty of room to move. I was very bummed to have my Beta LT arrive and not even be able to zip with NOTHING under. I usually wear a small or medium, but I am pretty sure I would need an extra large in this jacket to be able to fit even a thin layer underneath. I am a small statured person at 5'2 and active, so this seems very off.

Bought this jacket because it was the only Trim Fit I could find with trim fit (I'm 5'2, 100lbs) so Trim and Next to Skin are the only two fits I can get away with. Wore it all winter with no problems - pit zips would have been nice but were not a deal breaker, I have the Andessa for those adventures. Wore it on the weekend for an hour hike in light rain, and when I got home and took it off there was a line of water down my Atom AR, looks like the water got through the zipper then ran off the flap down the one side of my jacket. Extremely disappointed, I'm hoping it was a defect and can be warrantied. Defiantly not what I expected from Arc'teryx.

Bought this jacket only to find sleeves are way too long. The pocket for items is quite small and poorly positions. Contacted customer service for a return because their system will not recognize the order number. 1 week + still waiting and being given the run around that "the website is down". Which is a load. Honestly I enjoy their products and accept the price. But with that price should be impeccable service.

Garbage quality! Started delamination after only two years of casual use, for obvious reasons it has not seen much use in the last year! Followed what I thought were the recommendations in Arcs and GoreTex care video but it was not good enough for a replacement. Can't stop feeling a little cheated. In short I will NEVER buy Arcteryx again...

I bought this jacket 2 weeks ago for touring. Spent all of last week in the Rockies, isolated on a hut trip - thankfully the zipper did not go there. My first day at the hill yesterday, it was cold, went to pull the zip to the top, it snapped off in my fingers. I cannot believe one can pay this much for a reputable product made with a cheap zipper. This is not the first time - when will Arc'teryx stand behind the zippers - they are integral - if they go in the back country, in a storm - THEN WHAT?

Please make sizes up to XXL and XXXL. The woman's jackets are very nice and the designs are beautiful.

Had this jacket for about half a year and it already punctured from normal wear and tear. That should not happen with such an expensive jacket: Especially since it is a rain jacket that needs to be waterproof! The company does not repair it. You must repair it with patches. Overall very disappointed, there are many better options at this price range.

I was hoping for a goretex pro version of the beta lt hybrid. The beta lt has the goretex pro but that's where the similarities stop. Apparently in order to add the pro goretex they had to remove all the features. This jacket is not practical for recreation use. It's not long enough for harnesses, too hot without pit zips and the basic hood is cumbersome. Great if you want a stylish rain jacket for grocery shopping but that's it.

Seeing some others experiencing what I had to deal with in my last two skiing trips. The jacket I had was about a year old and this season was the first to have been really put through a test in rain for more than periods of 30 mins. Bear in mind I have other jackets from this company and use proper sports washes and dwr treatments when I see the beading fading. With that aside, I have tried two different sports washes and dwt type finishes and still cant get this shell to not soak through after an hour or so in rain. Maybe the jacket I got was a dud or something but seeing how a few others have posted similar experiences I believe it might be a bad batch. I have sent the jacket in at the local store to be sent off for examination but in the mean time i will pull out my older Alpha AR that for sure will withstand an hour of rain. Wanted to love this LT but experiences have left me to judge.