Softshell Jackets

Arcteryx Norvan SL vs Trino SL vs Incendo

Last updated: May 28, 2022 by Canberk Koksal Leave a Comment

#Note: Full Arc'teryx review list is at the bottom.

CAUTION: I WOULD NOT recommend you EITHER ONE OF these jackets if you won't be running and/or training with them at least, say, 80% of the time.

So, if you're now thinking "Oh, I'd better look for a more all rounder, equally breathable piece, then"...

...then I'd recommend you to check out other alternatives in my Best Arc'teryx Jackets post. Especially take a look at this hoody from Arc'teryx.

Latest on the blog:

09 August 2022: 5 things all Arc'teryx newbies should know
03 August 2022: Ultimate size guide to Arc'teryx jackets, pants and shoes
05 July 2022: Explained, Compared & Plotted: CLO values

#A sidenote here: Arcteryx.com's PDF guide to their jackets is GOOOLLDDD. Highly recommend you to check it out before you buy.

Now, as of Aug 2022, Arc'teryx currently employs 6 different running / training jacket lines:

Non-insulated:

Very comfortable, rock solid Trino SL would be my top recommendation. PS: Some women do find wearing the Men's Trino SL comfortable.

Trino SL Hoody (Men's): This is an amazing piece, and would be my top overall pick for most of you.
- Breathable, wind resistant, water resistant, and fully featured (offers 4 pockets, mechanical venting and other running specific touches). Overall the most well-balanced, and the best piece in my humble opinion.
- At 12 oz (340 grams), its two times heavier than its alternatives. Still, if portability is mostly not going to be a major concern for you, I don't think it's a deal breaker. It's still quite a bit light.
- My main gripe with this piece is that it doesn't look that pretty (at least to me, and some of my other folks). Still, this isn't a fashion oriented jacket... Functionality it offers is phenomenal. Which, I think, should be the main axis of decision making.
- My second gripe with this is that Arc'teryx doesn't offer a women's counterpart of this (only offers an Anorak version of it - which I didn't have the chance to review yet). Hopefully they will start doing so in the near future (AW2022).
- Until then, I'd recommend the Incendo Hoody for women. It's my second favorite running jacket from the Arc.

A good alternative to Trino is...

Incendo Hoody (Men's - Women's (Cita) - read my review): If Trino is a bit too expensive for you (although I bet it's worth every extra penny for many (all?) of you), OR if portability will be a concern for you for at least, say, 50% of the time when running... then Incendo is probably the right pick for you.
- Although its performance metrics are fairly below the Trino & it doesn't offer that much features (only 1 pocket), it's much more portable (weighs almost one THIRD of the Trino!).
- As you can guess, this performance vs portability is a trade-off - it's a give or take. Your preference will come down to your own needs and desires - so I'm not the one to tell you which one you should get. Only you can answer that since only you know your own priorities.
- Lastly, if you're interested in seeing its other versions, Arc'teryx also offers a hoodless version (Incendo SL - Cita SL) and a vest version (Incendo Vest - Cita Vest) of the Incendo.

And finally my least favorite...

Norvan SL in action. Not gonna lie, looks bomb.

Norvan SL Hoody (Men's - Women's): Think of this piece as an a little more weather resistant and a little less breathable version of the Trino. Norvan SL is probably the jacket that I recommend the least in this round up.
- My main gripe with this piece surprisingly is not the lack of breathability (it's not all that noticeable, after all - at least for most of us). My main gripe with this is the absence of pockets.
- It's understandable that Arc'teryx aimed to create a super minimalist piece with this one - but I think it's a little too minimalist for me (and many others). I mean, when I can get an Incendo Hoody (not to even mention for half the price!), I probably wouldn't get the Norvan SL.
- The only exception I can think of where I'd recommend this piece would be running in damp areas for at least, say, 70% of the time. Only THEN the superior weather resistance this jacket has to offer would be able to compensate its drawbacks and extra price.

These 3 lines make up the non-insulated running jackets.

Insulated:

Norvan SL Insulated (Men's - Women's)
Argus (Men's - Women's (Gaea))

I'll review these soon in another post.

PS: I always recommend opting for the non-insulated jackets when in doubt between insulated vs non-insulated.

Because, if you happen to regret your decision, you're always able to revert it back by under layering it with a base layer.

Arcteryx Beta vs Zeta

Last updated: August 5, 2022 by Canberk Koksal 20 Comments

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	Discontinued?	M-W	Insulated	Review	betazeta
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

Beta AR (see image). It's my one of two favorite Arc'teryx pieces, along with Proton LT.

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.

Latest on the blog:

09 August 2022: 5 things all Arc'teryx newbies should know
03 August 2022: Ultimate size guide to Arc'teryx jackets, pants and shoes
05 July 2022: Explained, Compared & Plotted: CLO values

#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.

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

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	Discontinued?	M-W	Insulated	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	Discontinued?	M-W	Face Fabric	Weight	Length	Sizes	Colors	Review	betazeta
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 (Hip Length)	XS, S, M, L, XL	Black, Dynasty		alpha
Alpha AR (Men's - Women's)	Climbing	No	M W	N40d & 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	N40d 3L Gore-Tex	395 g / 13.9 oz	76 cm / 30 in (Hip Length)	XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL, 3XL	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 (Thigh Length)	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 & N80d 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 2.0	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 3.3 oz	75 cm / 29.5 in (Hip 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	N70p 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 & N100p-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	N70p 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	Permair 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	355 g / 12.5 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	91 cm / 36 in (Thigh Length)	XXS, XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL	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).

Beta SV (Men's - Women's) is an absolute unit. It's single handedly the most robust jacket in this roundup in entire Arc'teryx catalogue (along with Alpha SV - climbing specific counterpart of Beta SV).

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	REI Price	Discontinued?	M-W	Review	betazeta
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

Arcteryx Gamma SL vs LT vs MX

Last updated: August 6, 2022 by Canberk Koksal 20 Comments

Gamma MX's (see image) are revised for 2020 (see updates below).

Arc'teryx's Gamma line (Gamma SL, LT and MX) represents their multi-use, stretchy soft-shell outer-layer pieces.

As it's the case with Arc'teryx's most outerwear shell jackets, Gamma's too are not insulated.

If you're looking for a breathable, stretchy outer-wear to wear during multiple high-output activities (hiking, climbing, skiing, running...) out in variable weather; then the Gamma's can most likely be a good option.

Gamma SL vs LT vs MX: Summary

Performance-wise, Gamma LT and MX are quite alike. I bet Arc'teryx often find themselves thinking "Do we really need two of these jackets?..."

They're like Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill of the Arc'teryx line-up.

Latest on the blog:

09 August 2022: 5 things all Arc'teryx newbies should know
03 August 2022: Ultimate size guide to Arc'teryx jackets, pants and shoes
05 July 2022: Explained, Compared & Plotted: CLO values

#A sidenote here: Arcteryx.com's PDF guide to their jackets is GOOOLLDDD. Highly recommend you to check it out before you buy.

If you're slightly on the breathability & weight savings side of the fence rather than the durability & weather resistance side, then Gamma LT would be a better option then the Gamma MX (and vice versa).

Between LT and MX, the only noticeable difference would be in the breathability department.

Gamma SL, on the other hand, is positioned differently than the LT and MX. At 290 g (10.2 oz), it's very light compared to 545 g (1 lbs 3.2 oz) Gamma LT and 555 g (1 lbs 3.6 oz) Gamma MX. But, in return, it sacrifices durability and weather resistance a lot.

When it comes to Gamma SL vs LT vs MX, I recommend the Gamma LT to most people because it offers the most balanced performance capabilities when it comes to weather resistance vs breathability during high output activities.

Gamma MX is revised for 2020

The redesign includes:

An updated fabric with increased warmth-to-weight ratio and durability,
A front liner for additional warmth,
Updated sleeve opening for easier on/off,
Cohaesive™ cordlock adjusters on the hood,
And taped seams for a clean finish.

Gamma LT and SL remain the same.

The information given in this post applies both to 2020 and the previous revision of Gamma MX.

In short, if your main intent is casual wear around town on chilly nights, then MX is the better option - although Gamma wouldn't be my go-to product line for this type of use.

If you'll be physically active and looking for an outer-shell, though; you might overheat slightly more inside the MX - so get the LT. This would also be a better (the best, actually) type of use for the Gamma.

Breathability

The most glaring difference between the Gamma LT (see image) and Gamma MX is in their breathability performances (with the LT being superior to the MX).

Gamma LT's Wee Burly and Gamma SL's Fortius 1.0 are very breathable fabrics.

This advantage makes the LT and SL very suitable option for high output activities.

Then there's MX with Fortius 2.0, which is less breathable than the former two. It's still quite breathable though - even when you compare it to Arc'teryx's other premium shells.

As you see, all are breathable, with LT and SL being a bit superior to the MX.

Weather Protection

As it's the case with all stretchy soft-shells out there, none of these 3 products will offer superior weather protection compared to hard-shells - such as my favorite one from Arc'teryx.

Fortius 2.0 of MX performs better against wind, though the LT's Wee Burly doesn't fall too much behind. They both top the soft-shells in this department, with MX being slightly superior to the LT.

Gamma MX (see image) offers more weather protection than the SL and LT, though it's still pretty weak.

As you can guess by now, the weakest model in this category is our streamlined, lightest model SL.

Durability, which goes parallel to the weather protection in shells in most cases, isn't any different here. But the amount of how much they differ play out differently in this case:

MX is superior to LT but not by a large amount. But the LT is superior to the SL by a large amount.

Waterproofing

None of them are waterproof, although they are water resistant.

The watertight zippers (mainly used in Gore-Tex designs) in their softshells are identical to those in hardshells - which may give the impression that Arc’teryx softshells are waterproof - whereas they are not in reality.

They, however, 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.

Which will help with light rain and moisture - but won't make a difference under anything more severe.

Warmth

None of these Gamma pieces are insulated. So they will not provide real warmth.

Fleece lined interior and the baggier nature of the Gamma MX will help with the warmth a bit.

But it would be the best not to have any warmth expectations when looking for shell jackets.

If you want warmth, consider getting a good Arc'teryx mid-layer such as this one.

Gamma SL (see image) offers the trimmest fitting.

Fit and Length

Gamma SL offers the trimmest fitting.

Gamma LT and MX comes with regular fit, and sits pretty much identically to the body.

At 30 inches (76 cm), the Gamma LT is the longest. MX and SL are identical here at 29.1 inches (74 cm).

Recommended base and mid layers for Gamma MX and LT

For a base layer I would suggest Arc'teryx's Rho - either this synthetic model or this wool model.

This or this fleece would also be reasonable mid-layers.

Conclusion

When it comes to Gamma SL vs LT vs MX, I recommend the Gamma LT to most people because it offers the most balanced performance capabilities when it comes to weather resistance vs breathability during high output activities.