I bought this jacket and ended up selling it. I couldn't believe how light it was when I got it. and its sure good-looking and fits like a glove. However after the first run, I was burning up, wearing only a Patagonia capilene base layer and a heavy fleece underneath. At one point I had to take the whole jacket off because I was too hot. My recommendation.... these jackets made with Primaloft ? They should all have core venting. Add more pit-zips and I'll buy a couple. I DO have my eyes on the Fission SV though, wish they made it in more colors though.

The Fission AR is my very first Arc'teryx product and I am EXTREMELY impressed! As a former elite soldier that has had to endure extreme climates all over the world, I only wished the US Army had a jacket that was made exceptionally well like this! I have had jackets from other competitors and the Arc'teryx is hands down the BEST of the Best! When it comes to a great product I have no problem spending extra money knowingly that this is an investment to be used as a tool (to keep me dry and warm) and not to be worn for as a mere fashion statement Recently used this jacket in the Himalayas (above 17K ft) with sub zero temps and was not sorry that I took it with me. It is light weight, very easy to compress and pack especially when you are limited to space and weight. The Pros: It keeps you TOTALLY dry and warm! The 2 front pockets (with water-tight zippers) are nice and roomy. They keep your hands dry and warm. There is enough room for mobile phone/PDA, keys etc¦ This is an athletic cut jacket. It is made with a great deal of attention to detail with very good quality of the components, craftsmanship and composition. Primaloft filling is a big plus since I think it easier to maintain and keeps me warmer than only a down filled jacket. The Gor-Tex keeps you dry. Superb look and excellent fitting. I did a lot of research when buying this jacket. I talked to friends that owned other Arc'teryx products and even went to the store to try this and other jackets on. The money spent was so well worth it! You do not need to wear several layers underneath at all in most environments. I usually wear a T-shirt or a regular button down shirt as a base layer with this jacket. The waistband cinches to keep wind and snow out. Truthfully, no other layers are necessary in most normal urban environments. Experiment to test the water-proofness and the wind blocking qualities: I put my arm outside of my truck during a heavy downpour going 65mph approx. I could feel the rain hitting the sleeve but could NOT feel the wind nor the wetness through the jacket. I was amazed and happy that this jacket was a good investment. During my several travels, it has kept me dry during several downpours and warm in the subfreezing temps. I love how the jacket is not 'poofy' like a lot of down filled jackets. Plus It compresses very easily. It is very simple to clean and maintain as well. My wife tried out my jacket when we were out hiking and loved it! I ended up buying the Fission SV jacket for her as a surprise gift. The Cons: Only has 2 external pockets. The Desired: My only wish would be if this jacket had 1 or 2 interior pockets that were zip-able or had Velcro to keep items like a small camera/iPod/wallet etc... secure. The Bottom Line:
All in all, I would highly recommend this jacket for all outdoor activity whether it is in cold or wet environment. HANDS DOWN, THIS IS THE FIRST AND LAST JACKET YOU WILL EVER NEED TO BUY!

I really like this jacket. The sizing was excellent. The jacket is very windproof and warm. I work the front door at a bar and I sat outside all evening(10pm-1am) with temperatures in the mid 30's with about a 10mph wind and I was comfortable with just a T-shirt underneath. It would be nice if it had an interior pocket and some sort of lining around the inside of the collar which irritated my neck when the jacket was zipped up. I have not had it out in the rain for more than 25 minutes but there were no signs of any moisture getting through the jacket. The hood is also excellent with a great deal of adjustment. Overall an excellent winter jacket that excels in damp windy conditions. I would recommend it to anyone.

The Fission AR is my very first Arc'teryx product and I am EXTREMELY impressed!

As a former elite soldier that has had to endure extreme climates all over the world, I only wished the US Army had a jacket that was made exceptionally well like this! I have had jackets from other competitors and the Arc'teryx is hands down the BEST of the Best! When it comes to a great product I have no problem spending extra money knowing that this is an investment to be used as a tool (to keep me dry and warm) and not to be worn as a mere fashion statement.
Recently used this jacket in the Himalayas (above 17K ft) with subzero temps and was not sorry that I took it with me. It is lightweight, very easy to compress and pack especially when you are limited to space and weight.

The Good:
It keeps you TOTALLY dry and warm! The 2 front pockets (with water-tight zippers) are nice and roomy. They keep your hands dry and warm. There is enough room for mobile phone/PDA, keys etc

This is an athletic cut jacket. It is made with a great deal of attention to detail with very good quality of the components, craftsmanship and composition. Primaloft filling is a big plus since I think it's easier to maintain and keeps me warmer than only a down filled jacket. The Gore-Tex keeps you dry. Superb look and excellent fitting.

I did a lot of research when buying this jacket. I talked to friends who owned other Arc'teryx products and even went to the store to try this and other jackets on. The money spent was so well worth it! You do not need to wear several layers underneath at all in most environments. I usually wear a T-shirt or a regular button down shirt as a base layer with this jacket. The waistband cinches to keep wind and snow out. Truthfully, no other layers are necessary in most normal urban environments.

Experiment to test the waterproofness and the wind blocking qualities: I put my arm outside of my truck during a heavy downpour going 65mph approx. I could feel the rain hitting the sleeve but could NOT feel the wind nor the wetness through the jacket. I was amazed and happy that this jacket was a good investment. During my several travels it has kept me dry during several downpours and warm in the subfreezing temps. I love how the jacket is not 'poofy' like a lot of down filled jackets. Plus it compresses very easily. It is very simple to clean and maintain as well.

My wife tried out my jacket when we were out hiking and loved it! I ended up buying the Fission SV jacket for her as a surprise gift.

The Bad:
Only has 2 external pockets.

The Desired:
My only wish would be if this jacket had 1 or 2 interior pockets that were zip-able or had hook-and-loop closures to keep items like a small camera/iPod/wallet etc... secure.

The Bottom Line:
All in all, I would highly recommend this jacket for all outdoor activity whether it is in cold or wet environment.

HANDS DOWN, THIS IS THE FIRST AND LAST JACKET YOU WILL EVER NEED TO BUY!

Not much else to say here other than what has been written already. I'd make a request for a slim inside pocket and velcro cuffs, but love everythign else. Use this jacket on cold and windy days on the mountain and have never gotten cold, even on sub zero. Primaloft is primo in my book

hands down, best jacket i've ever owned. so versatile i've kicked many of my other guys to the curb in favor of this jack of all trades. simplistic, light weight and SUPER WARM. stow away hood gives your neck some extra protection when you aren't being blessed with a little frozen liquid sunshine. not a ton of pockets, but it's stream lined and well fitted. it handles anything and i love it!

I won’t review gear unless I’ve owned it for at least a full season of hard, everyday use. The Fission AR is one of the most indispensable winter products I own. It’s astoundingly lightweight, compresses easily and holds in an incredible amount of warmth without overheating. I wear it climbing in all weather, snowboarding and around town on cold days. I live in Maine and it’s usually perfect with no insulating layer under it, just a wicking base layer. The hood is a bit big for my needs (I wear a helmet, but don’t put a hood over it), and I do wish it had interior pockets. Sleeve gaskets seal nicely over my wrists. The waterproof zipper does its job nicely without a bulky storm flap. If it had a powder skirt it’d get an A+. As is it gets a strong A.

This is a trim cut jacket so it does not allow for many bulky layers beneath, FYI. Thin microfleece or perhaps a single long sleeve shirt of some type is all I need. The build quality is outstanding, what I expect of the brand. The materials are top notch and the style is just different enough without being dated. Very warm, the ability to completely stow the hood is a plus. Not overly crinkly, I recommend this jacket for outdoor activity with little restriction, or cold wet situations.

I really wasn't quite sure what to expect when I bought this jacket as they "stepped out of the box" in designing a filled jacket in an arena where their hard shells are already legendary. Already own several other Arcteryx products and this one really impressed me. Makes my mid-layer Delta fleece pieces unnecessary as this jacket seems to be warm enough with just a base layer. PrimaLoft eaily beats down fill. Trim fitting with typical attention to detail. True fitted sleeves more street friendly. I agree that an interior pocket would have been nice but exterior pockets are roomy. Otherwise they pulled out all the stops in designing this piece. This is definitely a winner. Show me a better filled jacket!

This Jacket is VERY warm and comfortable - I am very pleased with it. I live in ATL and it's perfect for those rainy & windy 33 degree days [very waterproof] - but it also worked great in CO in snowy conditions with the temps in the teens. My only 2 complaints are the hood/collar combo makes the collar stick up in your face a bit and the material is a little loud when moving around. A removable hood would be great.

No review in the world can do this jacket justice due to its superb quality, flawless finishing, and outstanding protection against rain, wind, hail and snow. The Primaloft filling (which I think is better than down) is a big plus. It keeps you warm but never sweaty. Apart from this it has two zipped side pockets which are enough to hold a few things. You don't want to stuff this jacket anyway. So if you're looking for a jacket with lots of pockets then this is not your jacket, but if you're looking for the best hardshell that also isolates you from the elements then this is your jacket. It is by far the best winter jacket I have ever owned.

The Arc’teryx Fission AR Jacket is a really nice insulated jacket that is stylish enough for everyday wear yet burly enough for just about any mountain condition. The materials can't be beat: Gore-Tex to keep you dry and Primaloft insulation to keep you warm and dry. The hand pockets have watertight zippers.

The streamlined fit will be appreciated by snowboarders looking for an alternative to the ultra-baggy styling of most insulated jackets. The waistband cinches but doesn't have an internal powder skirt to keep out the deep snow. Likewise for the wrist cuffs that have smooth knit cuffs that don't cinch down. For these reasons, we'd choose the Fission AR for just about any day except big dump days. It's even great around town.

Right from the very first wear of this jacket I have been impressed. When it first arrived we had some pretty fowl weather, cold, wet and icy and it was exceptional. I have used it on my dog walks of between 1-2hrs a day and it has been great. I've not yet got wet or cold even on the coldest and wettest of days. It really has made walking in really fowl weather quite enjoyable. In fact the one thing I quickly realized is that (even at 4:30am, shift working dog walker!) All I have to wear under it is something like a Helly Hansen pro wool top. I like the fact it that it keeps you warm (comfortably so) as well as dry and snug. I also like the things like you can fold the hood up and inside the neck, but that’s a personal thing as I don't normally wear hoods. The jacket has been well made and well thought out e.g. zips, lining, outer shell, stitching etc. I've often pondered on whether an inside pocket would be nice and am still undecided, maybe a nice to have but not a need to have. It didn't put me off buying the jacket, and now I am very pleased.

This jacket is ultralight. Warm.
I think the Fission AR Jacket is the Best of Best.

This jacket only has two pockets and nothing on the inside. Its extremely warm and looks very casual. A very nice piece of kit. would recommend this item. If you need more pockets then not the coat for you. Very light.

I like the way this fits - it is quite close fitting, and not too long on the body. It looks and feels very well made. I haven't tested this in the wet or cold yet, but by all reports it excels in those conditions. If it leaks, then I will update this review!
Only downside, as others have identified, are the lack of pockets, and the collar is a little unwieldy when the hood is stowed.
I got this at an incredible price from Backcountry, and they got it to me v. fast. Nice product and good service.

why carry a crap load of jackets when this does it all? this is seriously replacing so many of my beloved jackets. FACT: thats a problem because i dont want to let anything go out of my closet. plenty warm enough for me even though the SV is where your going to want to lean towards. i do like how this one has the shorter cut near the waist, hate feeling like im wearing a dress in these arc jackets.

He loves it! Says the weight is perfect, yet very warm. He is 38. The color looks great on him. Gets lots of compliments. He is an MD in Michigan. He doesn't know what his mother paid for it!!