Arc'teryx Beta AR Jacket - Men's review
A lot of my friends keep asking me, "If I'm not a professional outdoor person and I can only buy one Arc'teryx hard - shell, which one should I get to cover as many outdoor situations as possible?" And my answer is always the Beta AR.
Ever since the Beta AR came out, it was meant to be a jack - of - all - trades. I mean, AR stands for All Around, right? It's supposed to be versatile. And here's how it lives up to that:
1. The fabric can handle anything
It's got Gore - tex Pro fabric all over. This stuff can deal with all kinds of crazy weather. No matter if it's pouring rain, windy as heck, or just really cold, the Beta AR has you covered.
2. Light but tough
The main part of the jacket uses 40D nylon, so it's really light. It doesn't even weigh as much as a 500 - ml bottle of water. But then, they made the shoulders, the hood, and the elbows with 80D nylon, which is twice as thick. That way, it's durable where it needs to be.
3. Good for layering
The straight - cut style is great for wearing other stuff under it. You can throw on a sweater or a fleece and it won't feel all tight or uncomfortable.
4. Pockets in the right place
The hand pockets are designed in a way that's really natural for us regular folks to use. And they're placed higher up, so if you ever need to use a safety harness for some more serious outdoor activities, it won't get in the way.
I've seen the Beta AR change over the years. It's like watching it grow up and get better. Each time they made a new version, they were careful and made it better, kind of like how the Alpha SV has evolved. Here are the most obvious changes:
1. New and improved fabric
Every time they make a new version, they use the latest and greatest fabric. Right now, the Beta AR has the same top - of - the - line Gore - tex Pro fabric as the Alpha SV.
2. More tough parts
The area that's reinforced with 80D nylon has been getting bigger. At first, it was less than a third of the jacket, but now it's almost half and half with the 40D nylon.
3. Little details make a big difference
They've improved the zipper pulls, made the drawstring adjusters more hidden, the fabric doesn't have that grid look as much, and now they even added a Recco thing (it's for avalanche rescue).
All in all, the current Beta AR is really well - put - together. And the fact that they brought back the color - blocking is like a nod to the old - school designs. That's why I keep telling my friends who are thinking about getting an Arc'teryx to go for the Beta AR.
