Beta AR Jacket Men's

On one hand, this is a great jacket: light, packable, waterproof, breathable. On the other hand, it's $600, and given that price, it's not sufficiently durable and the lifetime warranty isn't a lifetime warranty. I babied the jacket but after a few years of use, the taped seams opened up. I have jackets that are five times older that have held up, but, no problem I thought there's a warranty! However... when I sent the jacket back, they said it was beyond the warranty, gave me no reason, and a 40% off coupon... but even at 40% off it's $360 for this jacket, which isn't cheap, and without a firm warranty commitment I'd rather get a Haglöfs shell of nearly-identical quality and still have money left over for a pair of trainers and a granola bar!

This is my second Beta AR jacket. I followed all the care instructions and both of my jackets delaminated after a few years of use. I should mention I only wore the jacket around town and never in the mountains. Now Arc’teryx refuses to stand by their product and is only offering a 40% discount on my next purchase. What makes anyone think I would spend my money on a defective jacket… especially now that I know their warranty is not what it used to be. Will be looking elsewhere for my next purchase.

I bought this jacket, expecting I could fit my phone into the inside pocket. But guess what: THE POCKET IS TOO SMALL TO HOLD A PHONE. Unbelievable. The only thing people would likely put into an inside pocket is a phone and they make the pocket too small. Seriously guys? Very disappointed.

I have had it for 3 years and after 1/2-2 years the GoreTex began detaching around the sleeves. After just under 3 years one zipper broke, teeth detached in an area leaving a whole between the teeth and the rest of the zipper leaving it not water proof and unusable to zip all the way at least without it breaking further. Was very very good while it lasted though I expected it to last at least twice as long special when thinking of my very light use pattern and the price tag. Its a 50/50 for me regarding recommending. If durability was better this would be the best for all-round use.

I loved this jacket when I first bought it. The style was the best of any I'd seen on the market, blending practicality (or so I thought), with a fashionable design. Waterproofing performed well for about 3 or 4 months and now whenever I go out in the rain, it does not repel water and instead absorbs into the fabric. So much for gore-tex pro... I realize this product needs to be washed and have products applied to it to maintain its waterproofing, but a) it seems its needs to be washed about every 5 wears to maintain its waterproofing and b) the waterproofing care product is not available either online or in-store (at least from what I can see online). I really want to love this jacket like I did when i first bought it, however, the maintenance required to keep it working as it should be combined with the unavailability of arc'teryx wash in waterproofing products, makes it a bit of a love-hate relationship, as it currently stands. I love the design and how it performed in the rain initially, but now I hate that the fabric absorbs water and I get wet in the rain after paying $750 for a product I bought to keep me dry and looking fly. I live in Vancovuer, BC where it rains ~200 days of the year so I wear this jacket A LOT and washing it 40 times a year to maintain it's waterproofing isn't a) practical or realistic and b) likely cuts down on the lifespan of the jackets due to the friction in the washing machine and dryer leading to faster delamination. @customer support: Looking for a solution here to turn this 2 star review back to a 5 star review. A start would be some wash-in product.... If that doesnt work, a new jacket would be satisfactory. Time will tell.

I own this and anther arctyex shell because they are the best built. Unfortunately those who aren't perfectly slender climbers will have trouble with the fit in the waist and hem areas. I'm 6' 190 and the large fits fine in the top but the bottom is just a little restrictive.

I’m a huge arcteryx fan and have owned several items. Unfortunately after three months of not wearing this jacket to much the hood adjustment broke.

I’ve been using this shell as my top layer snowboarding in the midwest. The first thing I think of when I think of this jacket is how you feel absolutely nothing through any sort of wind or weather variability. In extreme snow, wind, rain, it is as if you are wearing a shield over your body. My favorite thing about this jacket is the neck lining that is on the inside of the hood. This feature is amazing and I wish more Arc’teryx jacket had it. I highly recommend for anyone looking for a real badass shell that makes you feel impenetrable.

i bought my beta at 2 months ago and it was fine until around 2 weeks ago, i have been using the arcteryx nu care products to clean and reapply the dwr on the jacket and now it won’t even apply, i do not recommend getting these jackets when the goretex doesn’t even work properly, if i can i would like to get a new one sent because i am not impressed

I give this a solid 5 stars after 3 years of ownership. Some will ask, "Is it worth the money?", to which I will be honest, only if you actually need it. If you are buying Arc'Teryx, you are either an advanced outdoor enthusiast or rich, I am the former. The weight to quality benefits of this shell have been better than any other shell I or any of my friends have ever used. I have gone on multi-day treks where it poured down rain all day and I was the only one who stayed dry thanks to the Beta. During an unintended whitewater kayaking trip gone south with kayakers I found out in the moment had no idea how to kayak, I was able to stay dry while rescuing six people out of the water and then give away all my layers to my soaked compatriots because I had thankfully stayed dry due to this shell. Like, it literally contributed to saving lives that day/night we spent outside. Climbing in Alaska this coat has performed without fault and held up against some falls I thought for sure would have put a hole in the coat and the first time I wore this thing in the extreme cold wind I was amazed with the difference from other shells I have used. That being said, I would never buy this for daily wear or fishing or for light hiking and skiing. That is just not what it is for. So, if you're a hard charging adventurer looking for weight reduction, durability, and to stay dry, I can personally attest to this product, but if you're just an average person you really don't need to spend this kind of money for a shell. Hopes this helps anybody debating what product to buy.

Had this jacket 3 times in a row. 1st jacket suffered from delamination; they said the sweat does that. I said ok, they replaced it with a new one free of charge. Then the 2nd one did the same thing a few years later. Replaced under warranty. 3rd jacket same issue, but they would replace it with a 40% discount. Now the zipper had stopped working. It doesn't zip close at all. Honestly, it is a nice jacket, fits nice, and good design. But for $600 and 3 jackets later, I'm done with Arcteryx. I have a 20+ year old competitors' jacket and never experience these types of issues. These are not made to last; we are paying for the warranty up front. I believe this is with in 5-7 years of owing the same jacket with the same issues carried over from previous models. Looking elsewhere this time.

This is my first Arcteryx Goretex jacket. It is a great jacket overall especially for waterproof and windoroof. The only drawback for this jacket is the hood. It is more designed for people to wear helmet inside, otherwise you need to adjust which could be annoying.

I bought this a few months ago and very happy with it. Love the detached hood, goretex pro is great hasn’t leaked anything. One of the zippers metal broke but it’s being repaired.

Pretty much everyone has had a similar experience with the jacket. Waterproof, durable, yadda, yadda, yadda. Just one thing, the sleeves are like slender man long. Most places fit alright, ample spaces for layers under, but I am short and can't really downsize from XS, gonna look like I have super long arms. Maybe just the cutting of this year.

Not sure the world needs another review on the Beta AR, but the quality is so good it deserves its due. Bulletproof is the word that comes to mind. I have been out in about 30 days of rain and the DWR is still working very well - much better durability than another brand's top rated jacket. It is also very windproof, cutting down on the layers needed - which the AR sizing permits, loose not sloppy. I also bought the Alpha SV (sale price same as the Beta AR and I am out several times a day in the rainy season). While it is too early for me to make a fair comparison with the Alpha, the Beta AR is so good I agree with some professional reviews which state only the truly hard core out in deplorable conditions for extended periods need anything beyond the Beta.

I bought the Beta AR in June of 2020 a month before I was supposed to be guiding a trip down the Missinaibi river for 29 days. After purchasing the jacket I was on Oxtongue, Gull and Madawaska river training our whitewater rescue skills. During these training weeks we experienced some of the worse weather I have endured during a canoe trip during the summer in southern Ontario. It was as cold as 12 degrees and constantly raining. My Beta AR kept me dry the whole time. I then went on a 29 day trip down the Missinaibi River which my group and I endured all types of weather including a large amount of rain. I have never had a rain jacket that is of this quality and that has all the important features that you could want in a warmer weather rain jacket. I would strongly recomend this jacket to anyone looking for a very well made, versatile, stylish and comfortable jacket. I am planning and taking this jacket on every trip I guide from now on including the extended canoe trips I'm through Canada next summer.

I have the grid version 2018 Beta AR and it's been great at keeping me dry in wet weather including 3 heavy downpours .