Beta AR vs Alpha SV: An in-depth look [2020]

Alpha SV.

If you're torn between Beta AR and Alpha SV and you don't have any other option for any reason, then deciding between them is a piece of cake (really):

Get the Alpha SV if you'll be using the jacket for climbing 90% of the time.
Get the Beta AR if you'll be doing a wide range of different outdoor activities with it.

If I were to choose, I'd prefer climbing with Beta AR from time to time rather than climbing, hiking, fat biking, skiing, and on and on with Alpha SV from time to time. So this is actually a very easy question and my answer would be the same any day. Or in other words...

Beta AR is really great at everything but exceptional at nothing, whereas Alpha SV is EXCEPTIONAL at climbing but, say, "above average" for all the other activities.

I can safely say that Arc'teryx's Beta and Alpha lines are 95% identical in terms of performance and technical qualities such as durability, weather resistance, breathability, packability etc.

You can see this below in the data set I've put together. Notice how Alpha AR performs identical to Beta AR and Alpha SV performs identical to Beta SV:

COMPLETE DATA SET: Entire Arc'teryx Shell Line Performance Comparison

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
Beta SL (Men's - Women's) [Read my review]	3/10	7/10	5/10	3/10	7/10	6/10
Beta LT (Men's - Women's) [Read my review]	7/10	7/10	7/10	6/10	7/10	7/10
Beta AR (Men's - Women's) [Read my review]	8/10	5/10	8/10	8/10	7/10	8/10
Beta SV (Men's - Women's) [Read my review]	8/10	3/10	10/10	10/10	10/10	10/10
Gamma SL [NEW] (Men's - Women's)	10/10	7/10	3/10	[T.B.D.]	6/10	5/10
Gamma LT (Men's - Women's) [Read my review]	10/10	6/10	3/10	7/10	7/10	6/10
Gamma MX (Men's - Women's) [Read my review]	9/10	4/10	4/10	8/10	4/10	6/10
Zeta SL (Men's - Women's) [Read my review]	3/10	8/10	5/10	3/10	8/10	7/10
Zeta FL (Men's - Women's) [Read my review]	4/10	10/10	5/10	2/10	7/10	5/10
Zeta LT (Men's - Women's) [Read my review]	6/10	6/10	7/10	4/10	8/10	7/10
Zeta AR (Men's - Women's) [Read my review]	7/10	4/10	8/10	7/10	10/10	7/10
Macai (Men's) Andessa (Women's) [Read my review]	8/10	5/10	8/10	9/10	6/10	7/10
Sidewinder (Men's) Tiya (Women's) [Read my review]	8/10	5/10	9/10	10/10	7/10	5/10
Cassiar (Men's) Ravenna (Women's) [Read my review]	8/10	3/10	5/10	8/10	6/10	3/10
Rush (Men's) Shashka (Women's) [Read my review]	8/10	3/10	9/10	9/10	10/10	6/10
Sabre LT (Men's) Sentinel LT (Women's) [Read my review]	7/10	8/10	8/10	7/10	10/10	7/10
Sabre AR (Men's) Sentinel AR (Women's) [Read my review]	7/10	7/10	8/10	7/10	9/10	8/10
Rush IS (Men's) Shashka IS (Women's) [Read my review]	5/10	3/10	8/10	6/10	10/10	6/10
Alpha FL (Men's - Women's) [Read my review]	7/10	7/10	7/10	6/10	7/10	7/10
Alpha AR (Men's - Women's) [Read my review]	8/10	5/10	8/10	8/10	7/10	8/10
Alpha SV (Men's - Women's) [Read my review]	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
Hardshells vs Softshells: https://www.rei.com/blog/hike/ask-an-expert-whats-the-difference-between-a-soft-shell-and-a-hard-shell

In our case, Alpha SV is noticeably superior to Beta AR except in the breathability department where they perform equivalent to one another.

As you might have already realized...

This comparison doesn't really make much sense, does it?

These pieces possess completely different intended uses. Climbing (Alpha SV) vs All-round (Beta AR).

So instead of comparing these two; comparing Alpha AR to SV or comparing Beta AR to SV would be more reasonable. Or Alpha SV to Beta SV and Alpha AR to Beta AR.

But I'm constantly being asked about Alpha SV vs Beta AR comparison for some reason... So there you go.

So how do they differ besides these performance capabilities?

Sleeve lengths,
Pocket configurations,
Hood configurations.

Despite what it may seem to some of you, these differences aren't minor. They are, on the other hand, what essentially make the Alpha SV an alpine and climbing focused piece and Beta AR an all-round piece.

You can see this in Arc'teryx's Naming Scheme Page as well. Here's an excerpt:

Alpha: Lightweight, minimalist climbing and alpinism products that protect from alpine environments.
Beta: Versatile: high performance for diverse activities and conditions.
SV: Most durable materials and weather protection, for prolonged exposure to severe conditions.
AR: High performance weather protection and materials, emphasizing versatility for multiple activities.

I mean go ahead and try the Arc'teryx's very own JacketFinder Tool as well if you like. It'll return equivalent results.

Needless to say, if you're wishing a jacket with Alpha SV's technical performance capability and Beta AR's design configuration, then I'd recommend the Beta SV my eyes closed.

Now I'll mention the differences laid out above.

Sleeve lengths

Since this is objective, it's easier to cover.

You want your hands and wrists to move as freely as possible when you're climbing, so shorter sleeves of Alpha SV come more suitable than longer sleeves of Beta AR.

Beta AR.

Still, velcro adjusted cuffs of the Beta AR are MUCH better than nothing when climbing.

Pockets

This is my main beef with wearing an Alpha SV (or any Alpha sub-model) during anything other than climbing related activities.

Easily accessible chest pockets of Alpha SV make your entire equipment readily available when you're wearing a safety harness during climbing.

From my perspective, this is beyond "nice to have" and actually a "must-have" for many climbers out there. A major climbing advantage you have with Alpha SV and not with Beta AR.

But these pockets come really impractical when you aren't wearing any harness. You can't even walk with your hands in your pockets (because, unlike Beta AR, Alpha SV doesn't offer any hand pockets) when it's cold out.

Hood Configuration

In short, in many cases, DropHood of Beta AR would be a bit more comfortable when not wearing it, and StormHood of Alpha SV would be a bit more comfortable when wearing it.

Because, DropHood is separate from the collar whereas the StormHood is directly integrated into it. You can see some images about Drop Hood vs Storm Hood here.

DWR

Lastly, both jackets are DWR coated.

What is DWR by the way?

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 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.