Overview
In Fall 2021, Arc'teryx decided to bring back the once beloved Zeta AR - but only for women. Men's counterpart is still out of the catalogue for some reason.
Also, Beta Long is introduced.
| Name | Activity | Breath-ability | Weather Res. | Durab-ility | Pack-ability | Review | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha SL Anorak (Men's - Women's) | Climbing | 6/10 | 5/10 | 5/10 | 9/10 | No | M W | No | alpha | |
| Alpha AR (Men's - Women's) | Climbing | 9/10 | 8/10 | 8/10 | 5/10 | No | M W | No | Review | alpha |
| Alpha SV (Men's - Women's) | Climbing | 8/10 | 10/10 | 10/10 | 3/10 | No | M W | No | Review | alpha |
| Alpha IS (Men's) | Climbing | Testing | Testing | Testing | Testing | Yes | M | Yes (Synthetic) | alpha | |
| Beta LT (Men's - Women's) | All Round | 7/10 | 5/10 | 4/10 | 7/10 | No | M W | No | Review | betazeta |
| Beta Long (Men's) | All Round | Testing | Testing | Testing | Testing | No | M | No | Review | betazeta |
| Beta AR (Men's - Women's) | All Round | 8/10 | 8/10 | 9/10 | 5/10 | No | M W | No | Review | betazeta |
| Beta SV (Men's - Women's) | All Round | 8/10 | 10/10 | 10/10 | 3/10 | No | M W | No | Review | betazeta |
| Gamma SL (Men's - Women's) | All Round | 10/10 | 2/10 | 3/10 | 8/10 | No | M W | No | Review | gamma |
| Gamma LT (Men's - Women's) | All Round | 10/10 | 3/10 | 7/10 | 5/10 | No | M W | No | Review | gamma |
| Gamma MX (Men's - Women's) | All Round | 8/10 | 4/10 | 8/10 | 4/10 | No | M W | No | Review | gamma |
| Zeta SL (Men's - Women's) | Hiking | 3/10 | 5/10 | 3/10 | 8/10 | No | M W | No | Review | betazeta |
| Zeta AR (Women's) | Hiking | 7/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 | 4/10 | No | W | No | betazeta | |
| Macai (Men's - Women's Andessa) | Skiing | 8/10 | 8/10 | 9/10 | 5/10 | No | M W | Yes (Down) | Review | |
| Macai LT (Men's) | Skiing | Testing | Testing | Testing | Testing | No | M | Yes (Down) | ||
| Micon Heather (Men's) | Skiing | Testing | Testing | Testing | Testing | No | M | No | ||
| Micon (Men's) | Skiing | Testing | Testing | Testing | Testing | No | M | No | ||
| Cassiar (Men's) | Skiing | 8/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | 3/10 | Yes | M | No | Review | |
| Cassiar LT (Men's) | Skiing | 6/10 | 6/10 | 6/10 | 5/10 | Yes | M | No | Review | |
| Ravenna (Women's) | Skiing | 8/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | 3/10 | Yes | W | No | Review | |
| Ravenna LT (Women's) | Skiing | 6/10 | 6/10 | 6/10 | 5/10 | No | W | No | Review | |
| Procline (Men's) | Skiing | Testing | Testing | Testing | Testing | No | M | No | ||
| Rush (Men's) | Skiing | 8/10 | 9/10 | 9/10 | 3/10 | No | M | No | Review | |
| Shashka Stretch (Women's) | Skiing | Testing | Testing | Testing | Testing | No | W | No | ||
| Sabre AR (Men's) | Skiing | 7/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 | 7/10 | No | M | No | Review | |
| Sentinel AR (Women's) | Skiing | 7/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 | 7/10 | No | W | No | Review | |
| Sabre LT (Men's) | Skiing | 7/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | Yes | M | No | Review | |
| Sentinel LT (Women's) | Skiing | 7/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | No | W | No | Review | |
| Sentinel IS (Women's) | Skiing | Testing | Testing | Testing | Testing | No | W | Yes (Synthetic) | ||
| Incendia (Women's - OP Women's) | Skiing | 8/10 | 9/10 | 9/10 | 3/10 | No | W | No | Review | |
| Incendia IS (Women's) | Skiing | Testing | Testing | Testing | Testing | No | W | Yes (Synthetic) | ||
| Norvan SL Ins. (Men's - Women's) | Running | Testing | Testing | Testing | Testing | Yes | M W | Yes (Synthetic) | ||
| Cita (Women's) | Running | 7/10 | 4/10 | 5/10 | 10/10 | No | W | No | Review | |
| Cita SL (Women's) | Running | 7/10 | 4/10 | 4/10 | 10/10 | No | W | No | Review | |
| Incendo (Men's) | Running | 7/10 | 4/10 | 5/10 | 10/10 | No | M | No | Review | |
| Incendo SL (Men's) | Running | 7/10 | 4/10 | 4/10 | 10/10 | No | M | No | Review | |
| Norvan SL (Men's - Women's) | Running | 7/10 | 6/10 | 8/10 | 8/10 | Yes | M | No | Review | |
| Trino SL (Men's) | Running | 8/10 | 5/10 | 7/10 | 6/10 | No | M | No | Review | |
| Trino SL Anorak (Women's) | Running | 8/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 | No | W | No | Review | |
| Nodin (Men's - Women's) | Running | 8/10 | 5/10 | 5/10 | 10/10 | No | M W | No | ||
| Squamish (Men's - Women's) | Running | 5/10 | 5/10 | 7/10 | 9/10 | No | M W | No | Review | |
| Solano (Men's - Women's) | Around Town | Testing | Testing | Testing | Testing | No | M W | No | Review | |
| Solano Coat (Women's) | Around Town | Testing | Testing | Testing | Testing | No | W | No | ||
| Venda (Women's) | Around Town | Testing | Testing | Testing | Testing | No | W | No |
First thing you should know about these jackets is that Beta Long does NOT come with a two-way zipper.
On Arcteryx.com's Beta Long product page, there's misinformation about this, so I wanted to clear this out of the way ASAP. I'm sure they'll also correct it there soon.
As you can also see in Arc'teryx's Naming Scheme Page here as well - "Beta" and "Zeta" lines translate to All Round and Hiking/Trekking specific pieces in Arc'teryx terminology.
- #A sidenote here: Arcteryx.com's PDF guide to their jackets is GOOOLLDDD. Highly recommend you to check it out before you buy.
REI blog also published a great article about the comparison of Beta and Zeta jackets here: https://www.rei.com/blog/hike/comparing-arcteryx-beta-zeta-jackets
Now, before I get to the typical buyer profiles, let me tell you that you must have a good reason to get a Zeta SL, and a very good reason to get a Beta Long.
Because, Zeta SL is an emergency shell, and Beta Long somehow feels misplaced in the entire Arc'teryx line.
I've been gathering data on Arc'teryx shells for the last few years. Find my entire list here.
Discontinued products are also there (because most of the time, they're re-introduced).
Table is updated for Fall 2021.
| Name | Activity | Breath-ability | Weather Res. | Durab-ility | Pack-ability | Review | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha SL Anorak (Men's - Women's) | Climbing | 6/10 | 5/10 | 5/10 | 9/10 | No | M W | No | |
| Alpha AR (Men's - Women's) | Climbing | 9/10 | 8/10 | 8/10 | 5/10 | No | M W | No | Review |
| Alpha SV (Men's - Women's) | Climbing | 8/10 | 10/10 | 10/10 | 3/10 | No | M W | No | Review |
| Alpha IS (Men's) | Climbing | Testing | Testing | Testing | Testing | Yes | M | Yes (Synthetic) | |
| Beta LT (Men's - Women's) | All Round | 7/10 | 5/10 | 4/10 | 7/10 | No | M W | No | Review |
| Beta Long (Men's) | All Round | Testing | Testing | Testing | Testing | No | M | No | Review |
| Beta AR (Men's - Women's) | All Round | 8/10 | 8/10 | 9/10 | 5/10 | No | M W | No | Review |
| Beta SV (Men's - Women's) | All Round | 8/10 | 10/10 | 10/10 | 3/10 | No | M W | No | Review |
| Gamma SL (Men's - Women's) | All Round | 10/10 | 2/10 | 3/10 | 8/10 | No | M W | No | Review |
| Gamma LT (Men's - Women's) | All Round | 10/10 | 3/10 | 7/10 | 5/10 | No | M W | No | Review |
| Gamma MX (Men's - Women's) | All Round | 8/10 | 4/10 | 8/10 | 4/10 | No | M W | No | Review |
| Zeta SL (Men's - Women's) | Hiking | 3/10 | 5/10 | 3/10 | 8/10 | No | M W | No | Review |
| Zeta AR (Women's) | Hiking | 7/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 | 4/10 | No | W | No | |
| Macai (Men's - Women's Andessa) | Skiing | 8/10 | 8/10 | 9/10 | 5/10 | No | M W | Yes (Down) | Review |
| Macai LT (Men's) | Skiing | Testing | Testing | Testing | Testing | No | M | Yes (Down) | |
| Micon Heather (Men's) | Skiing | Testing | Testing | Testing | Testing | No | M | No | |
| Micon (Men's) | Skiing | Testing | Testing | Testing | Testing | No | M | No | |
| Cassiar (Men's) | Skiing | 8/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | 3/10 | Yes | M | No | Review |
| Cassiar LT (Men's) | Skiing | 6/10 | 6/10 | 6/10 | 5/10 | Yes | M | No | Review |
| Ravenna (Women's) | Skiing | 8/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | 3/10 | Yes | W | No | Review |
| Ravenna LT (Women's) | Skiing | 6/10 | 6/10 | 6/10 | 5/10 | No | W | No | Review |
| Procline (Men's) | Skiing | Testing | Testing | Testing | Testing | No | M | No | |
| Rush (Men's) | Skiing | 8/10 | 9/10 | 9/10 | 3/10 | No | M | No | Review |
| Shashka Stretch (Women's) | Skiing | Testing | Testing | Testing | Testing | No | W | No | |
| Sabre AR (Men's) | Skiing | 7/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 | 7/10 | No | M | No | Review |
| Sentinel AR (Women's) | Skiing | 7/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 | 7/10 | No | W | No | Review |
| Sabre LT (Men's) | Skiing | 7/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | Yes | M | No | Review |
| Sentinel LT (Women's) | Skiing | 7/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | No | W | No | Review |
| Sentinel IS (Women's) | Skiing | Testing | Testing | Testing | Testing | No | W | Yes (Synthetic) | |
| Incendia (Women's - OP Women's) | Skiing | 8/10 | 9/10 | 9/10 | 3/10 | No | W | No | Review |
| Incendia IS (Women's) | Skiing | Testing | Testing | Testing | Testing | No | W | Yes (Synthetic) | |
| Norvan SL Ins. (Men's - Women's) | Running | Testing | Testing | Testing | Testing | Yes | M W | Yes (Synthetic) | |
| Cita (Women's) | Running | 7/10 | 4/10 | 5/10 | 10/10 | No | W | No | Review |
| Cita SL (Women's) | Running | 7/10 | 4/10 | 4/10 | 10/10 | No | W | No | Review |
| Incendo (Men's) | Running | 7/10 | 4/10 | 5/10 | 10/10 | No | M | No | Review |
| Incendo SL (Men's) | Running | 7/10 | 4/10 | 4/10 | 10/10 | No | M | No | Review |
| Norvan SL (Men's - Women's) | Running | 7/10 | 6/10 | 8/10 | 8/10 | Yes | M | No | Review |
| Trino SL (Men's) | Running | 8/10 | 5/10 | 7/10 | 6/10 | No | M | No | Review |
| Trino SL Anorak (Women's) | Running | 8/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 | No | W | No | Review |
| Nodin (Men's - Women's) | Running | 8/10 | 5/10 | 5/10 | 10/10 | No | M W | No | |
| Squamish (Men's - Women's) | Running | 5/10 | 5/10 | 7/10 | 9/10 | No | M W | No | Review |
| Solano (Men's - Women's) | Around Town | Testing | Testing | Testing | Testing | No | M W | No | Review |
| Solano Coat (Women's) | Around Town | Testing | Testing | Testing | Testing | No | W | No | |
| Venda (Women's) | Around Town | Testing | Testing | Testing | Testing | No | W | No |
If you liked this table, you might also like other Arc'teryx tables I shared here in my Best Arc'teryx Jackets post.
New member of Beta line Beta Long (Men's) feels weird. Really weird. A combination of N80p face fabric and regular Gore-Tex (not Gore-Tex Pro) is confusing.
It's like they could make it either more breathable or more weather resistant & durable - but they messed up and ended up not achieving either one of these. Beta Long is kind of in purgatory.
Beta Long is only available for men, and Zeta AR only for women (see both of them in this image). It also kind of feels like Arc'teryx tried to make a Zeta AR for men with Beta Long. I don't know. Even if this was what they tried, I think they still failed anyway. Because I wouldn't consider Zeta AR to be an unnecessary piece at all. It's actually a pretty solid one - and I recommend it to my hiker readers in my Best Arc'teryx Jackets post.
To me, the only upside of it is that it's available in XXS and XXXL. We rarely see Arc'teryx offering these sizes.
Speaking of which, no other Beta or Zeta offer either one of them.
Other selling point can be seen as the suitability tall folks (owing to its lengthier nature) - but I kind of disagree with this. I'd rather get a slightly shorter jacket than a perfectly fitting Beta Long. The fact that it's lengthier doesn't justify its shortcomings. At least that's the case to me.
In addition to that, length of other jackets in this roundup are more than enough for most of us - even for very tall folks (6'1"+).
Tech specs
Find their spec comparison below.
| Name | Activity | Face Fabric | Weight | Length | Sizes | Colors | Review | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha SL Anorak (Men's - Women's) | Climbing | No | M W | Hadron 3L Gore-Tex | 209 g / 7.4 oz | 76.5 cm / 30 in | XS, S, M, L, XL | Black, Dynasty | alpha | |
| Alpha AR (Men's - Women's) | Climbing | No | M W | N80d Most Rugged 3L Gore-Tex Pro | 430 g / 15.2 oz | 79.5 cm / 31.25 in (Hip Length) | XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL | Dynasty, Meteor | Review | alpha |
| Alpha SV (Men's - Women's) | Climbing | No | M W | N100d Most Rugged 3L Gore-Tex Pro | 510 g / 1 lb 2 oz | 78 cm / 30.75 in (Hip Length) | XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL | 24K Black, Dynasty, Stratosphere | Review | alpha |
| Alpha IS (Men's) | Climbing | Yes | M | N40p-X 2L Gore-Tex | 610 g / 1 lb 5.5 oz | 78 cm / 30.75 in (Hip Length) | S, M, L, XL | Black, Magma | alpha | |
| Beta LT (Men's - Women's) | All Round | No | M W | 3L Gore-Tex | 395 g / 13.9 oz | 76 cm / 30 in | XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL | Binary, Black, Fortune, Ignite, Tatsu | Review | betazeta |
| Beta Long (Men's) | All Round | No | M | N80p 3L Gore-Tex | 441 g / 15.6 oz | 85 cm / 33.5 in | XXS, XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL | Black, Tatsu, Komorebi | Review | betazeta |
| Beta AR (Men's - Women's) | All Round | No | M W | N40d Most Rugged 3L Gore-Tex Pro | 460 g / 1 lb | 77 cm / 30.4 in (Hip Length) | XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL | Black, Dynasty, Kingfisher, Ladon | Review | betazeta |
| Beta SV (Men's - Women's) | All Round | No | M W | N80d Most Rugged 3L Gore-Tex Pro | 495 g / 1 lb 1.5 oz | 79 cm / 31 in (Hip Length) | XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL | Dynasty, Elytron, Kingfisher | Review | betazeta |
| Gamma SL (Men's - Women's) | All Round | No | M W | Fortius 1.0 | 310 g / 10.9 oz | 74 cm / 29.1 in (Hip Length) | XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL | Black, Fortune, Labyrinth, Pegasus, Sense | Review | gamma |
| Gamma LT (Men's - Women's) | All Round | No | M W | Wee Burly | 545 g / 1 lb 3.2 oz | 76 cm / 30 in (Hip Length) | XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL | Black, Cobalt Moon, Helios | Review | gamma |
| Gamma MX (Men's - Women's) | All Round | No | M W | Fortius 1.0 | 555 g / 1 lb 3.6 oz | 74 cm / 29.1 in (Hip Length) | XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL | Black, Dynasty, Exosphere | Review | gamma |
| Zeta SL (Men's - Women's) | Hiking | No | M W | 2L Gore-Tex | 310 g / 10.9 oz | 77.8cm / 30.6in (Hip Length) | XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL | Black, Cryptochrome, Dracaena, Dynasty, Exosphere, Inertia | Review | betazeta |
| Zeta AR (Women's) | Hiking | No | W | 3L Gore-Tex | 425 g / 15 oz | 80 cm / 31.5 in | XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL | Black, Muse, Wander, Kingfisher | betazeta | |
| Macai (Men's - Women's Andessa) | Skiing | No | M W | N40p-X 3L Gore-Tex | 1 kg / 2 lb 4 oz | 76 cm / 30 in (Centre Back Length) | S, M, L, XL, XXL | Black, Enigma, Neptune, Rhapsody | Review | |
| Macai LT (Men's) | Skiing | No | M | N40p-X 3L Gore-Tex | ||||||
| Micon Heather (Men's) | Skiing | No | M | NP100-d 3L Gore-Tex | 685 g / 1 lb 8.2 oz | 83 cm / 32.5 in | S, M, L, XL, XXL | Black Heather | ||
| Micon (Men's) | Skiing | No | M | N80p 3L Gore-Tex | 685 g / 1 lb 8.2 oz | 83 cm / 32.5 in | S, M, L, XL, XXL | Freeform, Storm Seeker, Blizzard Wizzard | ||
| Cassiar (Men's) | Skiing | Yes | M | N70p 3L Gore-Tex | 820 g / 1 lb 12.9 oz | 74.5 cm / 29.3 in (Centre Back Length) | S, M, L, XL | Black, Dynasty, Paradox | Review | |
| Cassiar LT (Men's) | Skiing | Yes | M | N70p 3L Gore-Tex | 605 g / 1 lb 5.3 oz | 75 cm / 29.5 in (Hip Length) | S, M, L, XL | Black, Dynasty, Enigma, Squid Ink, Yukon | Review | |
| Ravenna (Women's) | Skiing | Yes | W | N70s-4 3L Gore-Tex | 725 g / 1 lb 9.6 oz | 69.5 cm / 27.4 in (Centre Back Length) | XS, S, M, L, XL | Black, Dark Inertia, Zephyr | Review | |
| Ravenna LT (Women's) | Skiing | No | W | N70p 3L Gore-Tex | 540 g / 1 lb 3 oz | 69 cm / 27.2 in (Hip Length) | XS, S, M, L, XL | Black, Enigma, Fusion, Momentum, Sundance | Review | |
| Procline (Men's) | Skiing | No | M | Gore-Tex Infinium | 720 g / 1 lb 9.4 oz | 76 cm / 30 in | S, M, L, XL, XXL | Phantasm, Glitch, Wildchild, Forcefield | ||
| Rush (Men's) | Skiing | No | M | N80p-X 3L Most Rugged Gore-Tex Pro | 590 g / 1 lb 4.8 oz | 79.5 cm / 31.25 in (Hip Length) | S, M, L, XL, XXL | Alchemist, Deep Sea Disco, Galactic Halo, Glade Runner, Phoenix | Review | |
| Shashka Stretch (Women's) | Skiing | No | W | Gore-Tex Infinium | 670 g / 1 lb 7.6 oz | 71 cm / 28 in | XS, S, M, L, XL | Ephemera, Muse, Pipe Dream | ||
| Sabre AR (Men's) | Skiing | No | M | N80p-X 3L Gore-Tex | 700 g / 1 lb 8.7 oz | 79 cm / 31 in (Hip Length) | S, M, L, XL, XXL | 24K Black, Elytron, Galactica, Rhapsody, Soulsonic | Review | |
| Sentinel AR (Women's) | Skiing | No | W | N70p 3L Gore-Tex | 590 g / 1 lb 4.8 oz | 72.5 cm / 28.5 in (Hip Length) | XS, S, M, L, XL | Dark Inertia, Enigma, Quantum, Ultralush, Zephyr | Review | |
| Sabre LT (Men's) | Skiing | Yes | M | N80p 3L Gore-Tex | 660 g / 1 lb 7.3 oz | 83 cm / 32.5 in (Hip Length) | S, M, L, XL, XXL | Backlit, Battlestorm, Gnarnia Glades, Phoenix | Review | |
| Sentinel LT (Women's) | Skiing | No | W | N80p 3L Gore-Tex | 565 g / 1 lb 3.9 oz | 73.5 cm / 29 in (Centre Back Length) | XS, S, M, L, XL | Anti-Gravity, Dark Magic, Enigma, Golden Hour | Review | |
| Sentinel IS (Women's) | Skiing | No | W | N80p 2L Gore-Tex | ||||||
| Incendia (Women's - OP Women's) | Skiing | No | W | NP100d 3L Gore-Tex | 610 g / 1 lb 5.5 oz | 79 cm / 31 in (Thigh Length) | XS, S, M, L, XL | Black Heather | Review | |
| Incendia IS (Women's) | Skiing | No | W | N80p 2L Gore-Tex | ||||||
| Norvan SL Ins. (Men's - Women's) | Running | Yes | M W | Gore-Tex ShakeDry | 270 g / 9.5 oz | 71.5 cm / 28.1 in (Hip Length) | S, M, L, XL, XXL | Black | ||
| Cita (Women's) | Running | No | W | Lumin | 120 g / 4.2 oz | 67.5 cm / 26.5 in (Hip Length) | XS, S, M, L, XL | Antenna, Black, Dynasty, Hubble | Review | |
| Cita SL (Women's) | Running | No | W | Permeair 20 | 65 g / 2.3 oz | 61.5 / 24.2 in (Hip Length) | XS, S, M, L, XL | Holograph, Light Dakini, Technium | Review | |
| Incendo (Men's) | Running | No | M | Lumin | 125 g / 4.4 oz | (Hip Length) | XS, S, M, L, XL | Aeroscene, Black, Dynasty, Nucleus | Review | |
| Incendo SL (Men's) | Running | No | M | Permeair 20 & Canim | 80 g / 2.8 oz | 73 cm / 28.75 in (Hip Length) | XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL | Cinder, Light Kepler, Light Labyrinth, Photon | Review | |
| Norvan SL (Men's - Women's) | Running | Yes | M | Gore-Tex Infinium | 120 g / 4.2 oz | 77 cm / 30.4 in (Hip Length) | XS, S, M, L, XL | Black/Photon, Black/Robotica | Review | |
| Trino SL (Men's) | Running | No | M | Gore-Tex Infinium | 340 g / 12 oz | 74 cm / 29.1 in (Hip Length) | S, M, L, XL, XXL | Black | Review | |
| Trino SL Anorak (Women's) | Running | No | W | Gore-Tex Infinium | 290 g / 10.2 oz | 65 cm / 25.5 in (Hip Length) | XS, S, M, L, XL | Black | Review | |
| Nodin (Men's - Women's) | Running | No | M W | 20D Tyono | 155 g / 5.5 oz | 75 cm / 29.5 in (Centre Back Length) | XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL | Black, Dynasty, Exosphere, Kinetic, Pegasus II, Remix | ||
| Squamish (Men's - Women's) | Running | No | M W | 30D Tyono | 140 g / 4.9 oz | 77.5 cm / 30.5 in (Hip Length) | XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL | Black, Hyperspace, Ignite, Ladon | Review | |
| Solano (Men's - Women's) | Around Town | No | M W | Gore-Tex Infinium | 350 g / 12.3 oz | 72 cm / 28.3 in (Hip Length) | XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL | Alchemy, Black, Cinder, Fortune, Light Kinetic | Review | |
| Solano Coat (Women's) | Around Town | No | W | Gore-Tex Infinium | 365 g / 12.9 oz | 86 cm / 34 in (Thigh Length) | XS, S, M, L, XL | Black, Esoteric, Inertia | ||
| Venda (Women's) | Around Town | No | W | Gore-Tex | 255 g / 9 oz | 75.5 cm / 29.7 in (Thigh Length) | XS, S, M, L, XL | Black, Exosphere, Flora, Light Wonderland |
Anyways, without further ado, let's move on to typical buyer profiles because it's highly likely that you're one of these guys.
Typical buyer profiles
- "I really don't need any really specific features. I want to stay active during the quite cold winters in my town: A lot of fat biking, outdoor climbing, hiking, skiing, snowboarding etc. I'm looking for a jacket I can easily use during all these."
Now if this is you...
Then I'd recommend the Beta AR (Men's - Women's) to most of you my eyes closed.
It's one of my two favorite Arc'teryx pieces (along with Proton LT), and I think it's one of the most versatile hardshells out there (along with Beta LT).
If, on the other hand, you either (1) want something even more durable than the Beta AR, (2) will be hiking in quite severe weather and/or (3) want something baggier to maximize your under layering options, then Beta SV (Men's - Women's) can be an amazing choice for you.
You can check out my Beta AR vs SV post if you'd like to read more about this.
If you're on the other side of the equation...
...Meaning that if you need a lighter, more packable alternative to the Beta AR, then I'd recommend you the Beta LT (Men's - Women's).
In one of previous updates, Beta LT had gotten slammed. From an amazing Beta AR alternative, it had suddenly turned into a cheap Beta AR.
Luckily, Arc'teryx was on the issue and they fixed it. Once more, I started to recommend it my eyes closed. It's literally a light Beta AR with minimal sacrifices.
- "I want to stay active during the quite cold winters in my town, will be doing various activities with my jacket, but at least 80% of the time during these activities I'll be hiking/trekking."
If this is you...
Then I would have recommended the Zeta AR (Women's) to most of you, but as I said earlier (and as you can see here), after Fall 2021 update, it's only available for women and not for men.
You might still be able to find it on other stores such as REI and Backcountry, though.
If you couldn't, then I'd recommend you the Beta AR (Men's - Women's).
- "I'm looking for an emergency shell I can pack and put on easily during in case of downpours. My main (or only) expectation from this shell is superior waterproofing."
If this is you...
Then I'd recommend you the Zeta SL (Men's - Women's). After 2021 updates, this is your only option anyway. Arc'teryx discontinued Zeta FL (read my review), Beta FL (read my review) and Beta SL Hybrid (read my review) all together.
You can still my reviews of them if you'd like, because it can be possible to find them on other retailers such as REI and Backcountry.
One last point I'd like to make before we move on to cross price checking, if you'll be using your jacket mainly for climbing, then I'd recommend you to stop reading this post and go visit my Arc'teryx Alpha vs Beta post.
Live price checking for Beta and Zeta lines:
| Name | Price | Backcountry Price | REI Price | Review | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha SL Anorak (Men's - Women's) | No | M W | alpha | ||||
| Alpha AR (Men's - Women's) | No | M W | Review | alpha | |||
| Alpha SV (Men's - Women's) | 799.00 | No | M W | Review | alpha | ||
| Alpha IS (Men's) | Yes | M | alpha | ||||
| Beta LT (Men's - Women's) | 399.00 | No | M W | Review | betazeta | ||
| Beta Long (Men's) | No | M | Review | betazeta | |||
| Beta AR (Men's - Women's) | 599.00 | No | M W | Review | betazeta | ||
| Beta SV (Men's - Women's) | No | M W | Review | betazeta | |||
| Gamma SL (Men's - Women's) | No | M W | Review | gamma | |||
| Gamma LT (Men's - Women's) | No | M W | Review | gamma | |||
| Gamma MX (Men's - Women's) | 349.00 | No | M W | Review | gamma | ||
| Zeta SL (Men's - Women's) | 299.00 | No | M W | Review | betazeta | ||
| Zeta AR (Women's) | No | W | betazeta | ||||
| Macai (Men's - Women's Andessa) | No | M W | Review | ||||
| Macai LT (Men's) | No | M | |||||
| Micon Heather (Men's) | No | M | |||||
| Micon (Men's) | No | M | |||||
| Cassiar (Men's) | Yes | M | Review | ||||
| Cassiar LT (Men's) | Yes | M | Review | ||||
| Ravenna (Women's) | Yes | W | Review | ||||
| Ravenna LT (Women's) | No | W | Review | ||||
| Procline (Men's) | No | M | |||||
| Rush (Men's) | 749.00 | No | M | Review | |||
| Shashka Stretch (Women's) | No | W | |||||
| Sabre AR (Men's) | 675.00 | No | M | Review | |||
| Sentinel AR (Women's) | 675.00 | No | W | Review | |||
| Sabre LT (Men's) | Yes | M | Review | ||||
| Sentinel LT (Women's) | No | W | Review | ||||
| Sentinel IS (Women's) | No | W | |||||
| Incendia (Women's - OP Women's) | 749.00 | No | W | Review | |||
| Incendia IS (Women's) | No | W | |||||
| Norvan SL Ins. (Men's - Women's) | Yes | M W | |||||
| Cita (Women's) | No | W | Review | ||||
| Cita SL (Women's) | No | W | Review | ||||
| Incendo (Men's) | No | M | Review | ||||
| Incendo SL (Men's) | No | M | Review | ||||
| Norvan SL (Men's - Women's) | Yes | M | Review | ||||
| Trino SL (Men's) | 219.00 | No | M | Review | |||
| Trino SL Anorak (Women's) | 219.00 | No | W | Review | |||
| Nodin (Men's - Women's) | No | M W | |||||
| Squamish (Men's - Women's) | No | M W | Review | ||||
| Solano (Men's - Women's) | No | M W | Review | ||||
| Solano Coat (Women's) | No | W | |||||
| Venda (Women's) | No | W |
Thank you for the article. It is very informative.
I need some advice. I need a packable rain jacket for mountain hiking to layer over my Atom sl as needed. I also need it for extreme wind in the Falklands (40-50 degrees).
I have been researching the Beta sl hybrid and Zeta lt. Can you please offer some advice?
Your charts are very helpful. Could you add a ranking for noise? I could use more information on quiet jackets are for someone who is hard of hearing. My understanding is that, for Goretex, C-knit is quietest, but Arc’Teryx has discontinued all C-knit products.
Note, Beta SL is still being produced (or being produced again?). Arc’Teryx recommended that as the most similar to the Zeta AR.
Such a great article – thanks a lot!
You mentioned that the Beta LT was much better in the past. Do you know when Arcteryx changed it?
Best wishes from Copenhagen,
Sabrina