There are a lot of Arc'teryx softshell and hardshell pieces on the shelves.
To clear this confusion, I've put together and connected the entire Arc'teryx shell jacket line in one list.
I'm sure you'll love this as it can be really helpful for most of you when deciding.
Another important thing is that many shells listed here saw complete revisions in recent years. The information given here do not apply to any previous revisions.
Lastly I'm not even near being an expert - so take my advice with a grain of salt.
Colors indicate design intentions:
- Red: All-round, general purpose;
- Green: Hiking, backpacking, trekking;
- Blue: Snow sports,
- Grey: Climbing & alpine activities.
Bold are my top picks for each category. Also see my Arc'teryx Favorites post to read more about this.
| Breath-ability | Pack-ability | Weather Resistance | Durability | Length | Bagginess |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3/10 | 7/10 | 5/10 | 3/10 | 7/10 | 6/10 | |
7/10 | 7/10 | 7/10 | 6/10 | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
8/10 | 5/10 | 8/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
8/10 | 3/10 | 10/10 | 10/10 | 10/10 | 10/10 | |
10/10 | 7/10 | 3/10 | [T.B.D.] | 6/10 | 5/10 | |
10/10 | 6/10 | 3/10 | 7/10 | 7/10 | 6/10 | |
9/10 | 4/10 | 4/10 | 8/10 | 4/10 | 6/10 | |
3/10 | 8/10 | 5/10 | 3/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
4/10 | 10/10 | 5/10 | 2/10 | 7/10 | 5/10 | |
6/10 | 6/10 | 7/10 | 4/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
7/10 | 4/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 | 10/10 | 7/10 | |
8/10 | 5/10 | 8/10 | 9/10 | 6/10 | 7/10 | |
8/10 | 5/10 | 9/10 | 10/10 | 7/10 | 5/10 | |
8/10 | 3/10 | 5/10 | 8/10 | 6/10 | 3/10 | |
8/10 | 3/10 | 9/10 | 9/10 | 10/10 | 6/10 | |
7/10 | 8/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 | 10/10 | 7/10 | |
7/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 | 9/10 | 8/10 | |
5/10 | 3/10 | 8/10 | 6/10 | 10/10 | 6/10 | |
7/10 | 7/10 | 7/10 | 6/10 | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
8/10 | 5/10 | 8/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
8/10 | 3/10 | 10/10 | 10/10 | 9/10 | 10/10 |
If you're planning to get one of them, I'd also highly recommend you to check out Arc'teryx's own guides:
- JacketFinder Tool: https://arcteryx.com/us/en/shop/jacket-finder/
- Naming Scheme: https://www.arcteryx.com/us/en/help/arc-naming
I'll add the Alpha line and maybe also a few running specific pieces like Squamish, Incendo, etc.
I hope this post was helpful for you to learn more about the jacket(s) in your mind.
Feel free to ask me any questions or provide feedback and I'll be happy to respond in the comment section below.
Guide: Insulated & Shell Jackets
Start here:
Complete list:
Thank you for reading!
To be honest you should be endorsed and sponsored by certain brands, your description on several Arcteryx products supersedes any marketing explanation provided by the brands it self
Glad you found it helpful Disce! Let me know if you disagree with anything and I’m happy to discuss further.
Also, actually, if you click one of my links that goes to Arcteryx.com before you make purchase, I do get compensated with a small commission with no extra cost to you. So I also make a little bit money on the side 😛
Thanks for the extremely thorough guide! I have read through most of it and it seemed to be super helpful information. I am now in the midst of pursuing a Proton LT. Also, do you have any opinion on the discontinued Theta AR? I recall them being much baggier than the Beta AR, even though the technical difference should just be the length (I think the Theta was just as long as the Zeta AR). Also, do you recommend layering something as thick as the Cerium SV underneath a Theta/Beta AR? Or would you rather pair the Cerium SV with the Beta SV?
Thanks again for your help!