Almost perfect

By xtekian Ranked #2371 - Men's Softshell Jackets March 11, 2009

I loved my Gamma SV so much that I wanted to try out another Arc'Teryx softshell. After some shopping I ended up with this jacket in Tarragon as it seemed to provide a different set of technical qualities than the Gamma (windproof, warmer weather). Basically, after wearing both these jackets for the fall and parts of the winter, here are my conclusions: The Venta jacket is usable in a more diverse set of conditions. Tarragon is a beautiful dark greenish color, I absolutely love it (my Gamma was in drab black). The cut of the Venta SV is slightly roomier than the Gamma (but still athletic) and slightly longer, allowing for better layering. Taped Seams makes the Venta much more comfortable to wear over just a baselayer.

Now here is the one thing I do not like about the Venta -- the Windstopper fabric has almost no stretch. This is usually ok since the cut is roomier -- however the jacket is stifling at the wrists! There is almost no way I can check the time on my watch when wearing this jacket. The wrists are so tight that I cannot layer anything more than a long sleeve shirt and maybe a thin fleece, and putting on gloves under the wrists is really a pain (especially with a watch). This problem is made worse since whenever I put on my Gamma I realize how stretch yet durable the Powershield material is. Perhaps it would have been wise for Arc to provide gussetted wrists on this one.

So yes, almost perfect, and should be fully deserving of five stars... but the lack of 4way stretch takes this jacket one notch down. I would still buy this jacket in a heartbeat!

View Details: Arc'teryx Venta AR Softshell Jacket - Men's

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes | 0 No