The Arc'teryx Beta Down Insulated size medium, in Solaris.
The Beta Insulated and Beta Down Insulated are the warmest of the Arc'teryx Beta Jackets. So how do you decide which you need? We've been using both across many activities in frigid weather to take a deep dive on the similarities, and more importantly, the difference between these insulated shells.
The Arc'teryx Beta Insulated Jacket and Beta Down Insulated Jacket fall/winter 2023. For 2024 they've updated the durable water repellent coating (DWR) to their PFC0 coating in an effort to eliminate forever chemicals from their product line.
Beta Insulated (mens/womens) | 
Beta Down Insulated (mens) | 
Beta Down Parka (womens) | |
MSRP | $750 | $1,000 | $900 |
Weight | 640g / 615g | 760g | 772g |
Fill Type | Coreloft™ 90 and 65 | 850fp grey goose down | 850fp grey goose down |
Fill Weight | 90 g/m² and 65g/m² | 125g | 100g |
Shell fabric | 40d GORE-TEX ePE | 40d GORE-TEX ePE | 3L 80d GORE-TEX ePE |
Liner fabric | 20d Nylon plain weave | 20d Arato™ 20 ripstop Nylon | 15d recycled Nylon |
Arc'teryx Beta Insulated Vs. Beta Down
Bottom Line
These are pretty incredible jackets for nasty, cold and wet winter conditions. After using both here is how we summarize them. The Arc'teryx Beta Down Insulated is warmer, but the versatility of the Beta Insulated synthetic version makes it the better choice for most people. Not only does the synthetic insulation result in a lighter and more agile jacket, but it also allows the Beta Insulated to perform better during long periods of high output. Even with a DWR coating on the liner and ventilation zips of the Beta Down, the performance of the down insulation will decrease over long periods of time when sweating in below freezing temperatures. In addition to performance, the Beta Insulated is $250 less expensive. If you are looking for the absolute warmest GORE-TEX shell for temperatures in the single digits Fahrenheit or below, then the Beta Down is spot on. For a jacket that you can reach for more often we suggest the Arc'teryx Beta Insulated. You can always throw on a midlayer fleece or ultralight down sweater for times that require it.
Similarities between the Arc'teryx Beta Insulated and Beta Down Insulated
The exteriors of these jackets are the same, except that the Arc'teryx Beta Down Insulated has two chest pockets where the Beta Insulated only has one. They have the same two-layer GORE-TEX ePE Gen 2 Beam Dyed 40d x70d recycled nylon plain weave fabric, with FC0 DWR . They also have the same articulated cut, cuffs, stormhood, exterior zippers, exterior adjusters on the hood and waist, and RECCO reflector.
Arc'teryx gives really interesting details on their various technologies:
Read about their articulated fit:
https://arcteryx.com/us/en/explore/obsessive-design/articulated-fit
Here is a great one on their Stormhood:
https://arcteryx.com/us/en/explore/obsessive-design/stormhood
Here is one on the watertight zippers that are found on the exterior of these Arc'teryx Beta Jackets:
https://arcteryx.com/us/en/explore/obsessive-design/watertight-zippers
The face fabric of this jacket is 2L 40d GORE-TEX ePE main fabric, which is not as stiff as 3L GORE-TEX Pro jackets like Beta AR (Men's - Women's) and Beta SV (Men's - Women's). But it certainly is more comfortable, more stretchy and less noisy.
Between the three layer GORE-TEX and the FC0 DWR coating, these jackets both have a waterproof rating of a massive 28,000mm. That is on the absolute high end for a jacket and is enough that even sustained driving snow will not penetrate the shell.
Here is a really interesting page with video on Arc'teryx's uses of GORE-TEX ePE:
https://arcteryx.com/us/en/shop/epe-fabric
The Arc'teryx Beta Insulated (right) and Beta Down Insulated have identical features on the exterior, including the two adjustment points on the hood.
The Arc'teryx Beta Insulated (top) and Beta Down Insulated have the same cuffs.
Differences between the Arc'teryx Beta Insulated and Beta Down Insulated
This is where things start to get interesting. Here is a summarized list of the differences between these Arc'teryx Beta jackets. We'll cover each individually.
- Liner fabric
- Insulation and warmth
- Fit
- Pockets
Liner Fabric
The fabric on the inside of the Beta Insulated is a 20d plain weave Nylon. It has a brushed finish and soft hand. The Beta Down Insulated uses Arc'teryx Arato™ 20d ripstop Nylon with a DWR coating. Their decision to apply a DWR to the liner here is unique and surely to help prevent the down fill from wetting out due to sweat and body vapor. The Arato™ is translucent, allowing you to see the goose down fill beneath the fabric.
DWR is a coating.
It's basically sprayed on to the surface of these jackets as a finish.
It stands for Durable Water Repellent - which means that water will be repelled under wet conditions instead of soaking into the fabric.
DWR also decreases dry time.
It's a good thing these jackets are coated in DWR.
But pay attention to the fact that DWR is a coating - meaning that it will wear off over time.
Which is why you might want to invest in a DWR spray such as this one at arcteryx.com for after treatment.
As you see, there's a strong correlation between FP x FW and temperature ratings, but not more than, say, 80%. I explained why this happens here in this post of mine.
The Arato™ 20d Nylon liner of the Beta Down Insulated jacket. Notice how you can see the down fill. You can also see the Coreloft™ 80 panel on the shoulder in this shot.
Insulation
The insulations used in the Arc'teryx Beta Insulated vs the Beta Down Insulated are what set these two jackets apart. The different fill types impact the warmth, fit, and performance of these jackets.
Starting with the Arc'teryx Beta Insulated we have Coreloft™ 90 and Coreloft™ 65. Coreloft™ is an Arc'teryx proprietary Polyester continuous filament insulation. The numbers refer to the weight of the insulation in grams per square meter. Most of the jacket uses 90gsm while the 65gsm in body mapped strategically in areas such as under the arms.
The Coreloft™ synthetic insulation in the Arc'teryx Beta Insulated breathes well, keeps you warm when wet (think sweat), and results in a jacket that fits well and feels light.
I'm a big fan of this insulation for use in a shell like there where I will still be working hard when wearing it. This jacket is not designed with ski-specific features, but I'll definitely be using it long days on the slopes when the weather is gnarly.
The Arc'teryx Beta Down Insulated uses 850 fill power Responsible Down Standard (RDS) certified grey goose down. The medium size jacket has 125 grams of down fill, while the large has 135 grams. Arc'teryx also uses Coreloft™ 80 under the arms and on the shoulders.
It's notable that Arc’teryx doesn’t use a treated down for water repellency in this jacket for example Downtek, which we see on jackets from brands like Big Agnes or HyperDry which you find on jackets like the Stio Hometown Down (read our review). The Arato™ liner has a DWR coating and there are ventilation zips under each arm, so they’ve done a lot here to ensure the down doesn’t become wet. That said, I still think a technical down shell like this will benefit from treated down.
Here is a shot showing the Coreloft™ 80 used on the underarm in the area of the ventilation zipper of the Arc'teryx Beta Down Insulated Jacket.
The 850 fill power Arc'teryx Beta Down Insulated is noticeably warmer than the synthetic version. This jacket feels amazing, even in single-digit temperatures. The warmth of this insulation results in a heavier jacket that fits bulkier. We also have some concern that the performance of the down insulation will degrease after long periods of sweating in below freezing temperatures, or using this jacket for multi-day winter camping trips.
Fit
Both jackets have the same articulated fit, but the Beta Down Insulated definitely looks and feels bulkier. This isn't surprising and I doubt it matters much to those who need a jacket for severely cold weather. Personally, I like the way the Beta Insulated looks and feels more.
The Beta Insulated feels lighter and I like the look better than the bulk of the down version.
Another shot showing the fit of the Arc'teryx Beta Insulated
Pockets
Exterior - The Arc'teryx Beta Insulated jacket has two handwarmer pockets and one chest pocket. The Beta Down Insulated adds a second chest pocket.
Interior - The Arc'teryx Beta Insulated jacket has one dump pocket and one chest pocket. The Beta Down Insulated has two dump pockets.
The Arc'teryx Beta Down Insulated jacket comes out on top here. While I'll like having an interior chest pocket like the one found on the Beta Insulated, the Beta Down still have a total of two chest pockets and boasts a second dump pocket.
The Arc'teryx Beta Insulated Jacket has one dump pocket and one chest pocket on the interior.
The Beta Down Insulated has two dump pockets on the interior.
Breathability
The breathability of both jackets is outstanding - not just because of the GORE-TEX face fabric, but because it's the rare Arc'teryx shell that comes with not one but TWO mechanical venting options (pit zips and a two-way front zipper).
As you may or may not know, two-way zippers have been a big deal around Arc'teryx jackets. It seems like customers are also split in two (get it?).
The overwhelming majority wants to see two-way zippers because of the added breathability and comfort (when sitting down - more on this in a second), while the remaining minority dislike them because of how much of a headache they cause due to durability issues.
To each their own. I personally belong to the minority. I do think two-way zippers break often, but most people aren't like me and love them. Only you can decide if you want it or not.
Check out our other content on jackets:
Guide: Insulated & Shell Jackets
Start here:
Also see: