Arc'teryx Beta SL Jacket

Good jacket, not quite as hard core as the Alpha SL, more suited to looking good around town, but still delivers in the outdoors.

I've had this jacket for several months now, and feel like I can finally offer a review of it. I own this and the Alpha SL Hybrid, which I believe has been discontinued, but I'll compare it anyways. 

First, I have both jackets in size medium. I'm about 5'10" 165, they fit me with a little bit of room to layer, but still fit well and look good just over a t shirt. The fit is almost identical, the Alpha SL might be just a tad roomier, but not enough to notice. 

Both are incredibly waterproof and windproof, no problems there, and the feel of the fabric is great. For some reason I feel like the Alpha fabric is a bit tougher and the Beta a bit softer, but it could be just the color, in my head, or who knows. Both feel bombproof. 

There are a few things I really love about the Beta over the Alpha: 

• The hood—it's not massive for a helmet, which I rarely use with this jacket, and fits SO much better on my dome. 
• Pockets—on the Alpha, the pockets are a bit too high, they make walking with your hands in them crappy. Beta placement is good, out of the way of a hip belt or harness, and still good for hands in pockets. 

What I like about the Alpha over the Beta: 

• PIT ZIPS! Why are they not on the Beta? 
• Vislon zipper rules. Doesn't snag, feels so much nicer. 

Overall, if I had to choose one, I'd probably go with the Alpha hybrid, because of the zipper and pit zips. But it's nice to have both for different reasons. I'm sure during summer Atlanta rainstorms, the Alpha SL will win (pit zips!), or if I wear one climbing or anything with a helmet. The Beta is more of a throw-it-on-over-a-hoodie-for-wind-and-rain-protection piece for me, and it excels. 

The soapstone color is amazing. It's a great dark great, goes with everything.

Great, lightweight jacket, pit zips would be improvement.

I've been using this jacket for two years now and am very satisfied with it. I use it in a variety of sports, activities and conditions, but primarily for mountaineering and backpacking.

After two years of use, the jacket is still in great shape: all the seams and high-wear areas are completely intact. Indeed the jacket still likes fairly new despite heavy use. It breaths well and is completely waterproof and I like how the pockets are high enough so as to not be caught behind my backpack waist strap.

The reason that I give the jacket a 4-star review is because I really wish it had pit-zips. Another nice addition would be a a cord that allows you to tighten the area around the neck. The jacket currently has strings allowing you to tighten the hood around the face, but when it is cold I can feel heat escaping out around my neck and it would be nice to be able to cinch this area down.

I don't have any complaints, but just feel these changes would make a rock-solid product a perfect one. If Arc'teryx made these two changes, the jacket would be an absolute 5-star product.

As a disclaimer, I am affiliated with Gore for product testing of Gore-tex products for the purpose of product review and recommendation. I do receive items from Gore for these purposes.

Disclosure: The reviewer received a sample of this product from the brand or its representatives in exchange for a review.

I've had this jacket now for approximately 1 year during which time I've hiked, biked, canoed and even stood in the rain on many occasions including climbing Kilimanjaro during the rainy season.

First the good: The jacket is quite light, the amazon colour is awesome and I really liked the cut of the jacket (I would go from hiking on the weekend to wearing it to work during the week).  It also appears that the outer material is quite durable.  

And the bad: because the Paclite material is only 2 layers, the jacket is ruined by two fatal flaws - you get absolutely soaked inside because any bit of sweat condenses on the inside.  There were times during which I was in 'ideal breathability' conditions and ended up not sure whether I sweat a lot or if all the rain just passed right through the jacket.  

Another negative point is that this jacket just won't be able to last through any kind of abuse.  In the year that I have had it, the grey inside layer has started to be scraped off in a number of places.  

Basically, due to this jacket's complete lack of breathability (or lack of waterproofness?) and durability, I see absolutely no reason to spend close to $200 for it at all.  You're MUCH better of getting either a completely waterproof but non-breathable plastic jacket.

I'm returning the jacket and getting a Beta AR which my girlfriend has had for the same amount of time and loves (she's had none of these problems).

Very light and packable, but large torso.

As a member of Gore MountainTechs, I have the opportunity to field test GORE-TEX gear in some of the harshest conditions.  

This jacket is my go to jacket for backpacking. Very lightweight and packabe, yet still very waterproof. Zippers are not as hefty as I'd like, but help shave ounces so I guess it's worth it.  

No pit zips, which is a huge downfall for me, but not a show stopper as it's still quite breathable.  The length is good for sleeves and torso, but it's pretty bulky in the torso (I'm 6', 185 lbs, and have this jacket in large). The bulk does help when layering with down underneath, so I wear this jacket in all conditions.  But as a shell, just a bit large in the torso for my liking.  

Overall, would still highly recommend this jacket, but you may want to consider stepping one size down if you're slim and don't need the length.

Disclosure: The reviewer received a sample of this product from the brand or its representatives in exchange for a review.

I've only had the jacket for a short time and haven't done much field testing with it but I am very impressed overall.

The construction and quality are what you should expect in a jacket that retails for $250. If you want a jacket will many pockets and frills this isn't it. There are just two pockets that are sometimes difficult to open with one hand because the seams are waterproof.

The interior of the jacket is a tacky almost rubber like material that will grab onto natural fibers when you try to put your arms through the sleeves. With a proper softshell like an Epsilon AR you shouldn't have any problems but with an older fleece it may require some squirming to get your sleeves through. A bit of a nit pick but worth mentioning.

I got a very good deal so to me it was worth the money and a very good value, even at nearly $200. It is far superior to some of the cheaper rain jackets I've owned.

The fit is "athletic" and allows good movement of your arms. There is room to layer with a thin soft shell or fleece but not much heavier than that. I'm 6'2" 195 pounds with 35 inch sleeve and the large fit me well without baggy sleeves while still allowing layering in the colder weather.

Overall I'm very pleased with the quality.

IT IS NOT A RAIN JACKET, despite what the description implies.

I like the design, the weight, the fit—all the things people mention. But this is a just a very expensive windbreaker that fails even a modest rain test. It soaks through in the back and sleeves.

The worst part is that this was a replacement for the equivalent Alpha model, now discontinued, which had the same failure profile—completely leaky sleeves—not condensation, either. Bona fide cold rain water.

So, two strikes for Arc'teryx, whose top-of-the-line jackets made in Canada had been quite reliable. Read the above reviews carefully to see if anyone actually used it in the rain. I did, and it just doesn't work.

Background

Love a lot of their other products, but this shakes my confidence.

This is my first Arc'teryx product. This is a simple, lightweight, no non-sense rain jacket. Don't expect any excess zippers, flaps or insulation with this jacket. Top quality construction on this one. It has an athletic fit but has enough room underneath for proper layering (which you will need as the jacket seems to provide no inherent warmth). It packs down small too so it won't take up much room in your pack. I believe this jacket and a pair of Alpha SL pants will suit me well for those Colorado afternoon showers.

I would recommend this item, but try to get it on sale. As with all Arc'teryx product, pricey but well worth it!

As far as sizing goes, I am 6'3" 195 lbs and I found that an XL fit me in length perfectly (L was a bit to short in the way of sleeve and torso length).

The perfect lightweight shell.

This is my go-to jacket for summer when I need to be prepared for thunderstorms or cool temperatures. It compliments my Beta AR which I use in the fall, winter and spring.

The fabric is so light it feels like you aren't wearing a hardshell. The pockets are well placed and keep the weight light.

I am 5'11" and 180 lbs and a large fits well.

As a disclaimer, I am affiliated with Gore for product testing of Gore-tex products for the purpose of product review and recommendation. I do receive items from Gore for these purposes.

Disclosure: The reviewer received a sample of this product from the brand or its representatives in exchange for a review.