Arc'teryx Tau Fleece Jacket - Men's - 2009 BCS

It's quite a different jacket from the denali. It's about 3/4 as thick,but still blocks about half the wind. A great improvement on the denali, it's a smooth face fabric so it layers much better and also sheds a bit of snow or light rain, instead of collecting it (same goes for pet hair, falling leaves and spilled drinks). The fit will help it keep more heat so the thickness isn't as big an issue for insulation.

This is MUCH higher quality than the denali.

This would fare pretty well. Depending on the activity one of the Rho base layers or an Atom LT pull over might be a better fit...

The Epsilon SV jacket/hoody is the closest to a 200 wt hardfleece. I always found the TAU jacket warmer than my epsilon. too bad they stopped making it. get one if they have your size!

The Acto MX looks like lighter weight fleece, doesn't it? I'm not sure it would be warm enough. The Hyllus/Hercules and Firee look too warm. The Epsilon AR and Acto MX look too light. Maybe the Epsilon SV is similar to 200 weight. Or I might consider the Atom LT.

Hey Joel, I would say that the replacement for this is the Acto MX jacket...

I taught the description says windproof...

thank you soo much... it was all very helpful... im going with the large in red :)

These run a bit snug. I am the same height and 165lbs, I found the medium a bit short in the torso and snug in the shoulders. I went with a large instead. I used it as a mid layer under my stingray, and would occasionally use it as a stand alone jacket (it is not windproof so if there is any wind outside its not the best jacket). Overall great piece- too bad they discontinued it for this season. The large would be the perfect size for your boyfriend.
Hope this helps

and also... anyone who has bought this... does it run small?

Angel, thank you for pointing out my error. I did mean the Atom LT not the Alpha LT. For some reason Alpha got stuck in my mind. Anyway, I have corrected my original post.

ng2010, do you mean Atom LT instead of Alpha LT?

I own the Gamma MX (hoody) and the Hyllus and have worn the Tau. However, to address your need, I would recommend the Atom LT. The Atom LT features a water and highly wind resistant (although not windproof) nylon face fabric over a light Coreloft layer covering all parts of the jacket except the sides and armpit area where it has Polartec Hardface fleece for increased breathability. The jacket also has an athletic fit facilitating its use a mid-layer. It is about as warm as a mid-weight fleece (e.g. an Apache), but obviously does not suffer the wind permeability that a fleece would, so it can function quite well as an outer layer if need be. See below for a comparison of the three jackets that you mentioned:

The Hyllus is substantially warmer than the Tau and Gamma MX. For example, in calm to light wind, the Hyllus along with a long sleeve polo shirt keeps me comfortable down to about the mid to high 30s when engaged in little to no activity. Obviously, higher output activities would require substantially colder temps to prevent overheating. In calm to light wind, the Tau is slightly warmer than the Gamma MX, being equivalent to a Gamma AR. With little to no activity, the Tau will keep me comfortable down to about 50 degrees with only a long sleeve polo underneath. Under the same conditions, the Gamma MX will have a minimum comfort temperature of a few degrees higher. The Atom LT will be slightly warmer that the Tau.

I do not believe that the Hyllus or Tau would be a good choice for a shell while hiking due to the following considerations: In a windier environment, the Tau and Hyllus will likely be unsatisfactory as outer layers because they are too wind permeable. In contrast, the Gamma MX, while not wind proof, is highly wind resistant. Additionally, although the Tau has a DWR treatment that will resist light rain and mist, it is not as effective (based upon my under-the-faucet tests) as that of the Gamma MX, which is quite water resistant. I cannot speak to the water resistance of the Hyllus. Finally, the Tau is just a fleece, albeit with a smooth face, so its durability will be substantially less than that of the Gamma MX. I would expect that Hyllus, would be less durable than the Gamma MX too, but I never subject my Hyllus to rough treatment, so I am not certain.

Based on the above factors, you should consider the Atom LT as a mid-layer and a Gamma MX hoody as a shell. I think that they will work well together.

The delta SV is a 300wt fleece where the Tau is equivalent to a 200wt. In practice I have found the Tau to be just as warm as my old Delta SV. It has some benefits of a smooth face fabric which slides better under a shell, plus it has a slight wind resistance so it is better as a stand alone piece (however the Delta is more breathable). Tau is a few grams less in weight but packs down much smaller. Another option is the Hyllus jacket (although a lot more pricey)
Hope this helps

thanks for the help! I currently own a MH windstopper and quite frankly i'm never warm even at 30 degrees with a longsleve shirt, the windstopper and a shell on top. I just don't want to get another jacket like the windstopper, i'm looking for something a little burlier. would either the hyllus or the tau fit this description? weather proofing is not as much as of a concern b/c if it's nasty i'll throw a shell on, i just want something that's warm. thanks!

The Tau jacket blocks about 40% of wind, so light breeze, but not a blasting. It has about the same insulation value as a 200wt fleece, but it's super for layering and slides really smoothly under shells, and way more durable than standard fleece jackets. For a bit more weather protection and insulation, you could check the Hyllus.

May I suggest the Gamma MX instead? Not much warmer, but much more weather resistant, both wind and water. I've worn my Tau for light drizzle and it does OK, but fares better when the drizzle is frozen. The Gamma MX, while more spendy will fit your needs better.Also, the styling is very similar. That being said, you won't find a "fleece" jacket that performs over a broader range of conditions than the Tau Jacket.

The Tau isn't a Windstopper. Check the Venta for a better comparison. I like the venta because it uses fleece on the inside,instead of the outside, which gives it a much broader range of use since it will shed snow and rain, as well as wind.

The Arc'teryx Tau Jacket is a super versatile/durable fleece jacket. But, being that it is a fleece jacket, the Zeta you mentioned would be a better option for the activities you mention because the Zeta is less insulating, but also more weather resistant, and a bit lighter. The next step lighter, and more breathable would be the Arc' Accelero pullover-it's super breathable, light and lightly wind and weather resistant.

Try the Leadville by Marmot for a hem cynch. It is bomb-proof Windstopper piece and just a cool tech jacket.

Linhowe, no it doesn't have a hem cinch and it's long in the back, probably too long for a cinch. Otherwise it's an incredible jacket.

Paul, I have no idea what the length on a medium but the jacket has very athletic cut so you should be fine. It has a fleece lining so you shouldn't need to layer anything underneath it. Give it a whirl and exchange it if you want a different size.

It's most similar to the Arc'teryx Gamma MX in fit. The Tau jacket doesn't have the same stretch woven face fabric, and instead, has a super thin skin of urethane, which sheds moisture, adds a touch of wind resistance (less than Easyrider), and still allows good breathabilty. It's pretty unique in that it feels like a fleece, but is a lot more versatile and durable.