Excellent choice!

By Colorado_Rocks Ranked #353 - Men's Technical Shells April 28, 2011

I got this jacket cheap in january and figured it's time to write a review. I'm really picky with jackets and have tried a whole bunch of different ones...and usually end up just selling them and moving to the next one. Then I found this jewel! It fits so well. I am 5'6" 150lbs and the medium fits PERFECT. Big enough to wear a base layer and my north face redpoint underneath for the cold days, but surprisingly not too baggy with just a t-shirt for those mild/cool days.

I know a common complaint with the beta ar is the shorter length...but for me it's great. The back comes down far enough to cover my entire bum, but doesn't feel like I'm wearing a dress like the theta ar. Probably due to a combination of my shorter height and the slightly-longer 2010 version...so if you're a little on the short side this should be the one for you.

I've worn this skiing in some pretty bad weather...sub-zero temps, windy, snowstorms and rain/sleet...and water/ice/snow just falls right off without a drop getting in. The collar is great also, because it's short enough to not get in the way when fully zipped up, but long enough to protect from the elements quite well. When things get crazy on the ski lift, I can just tilt my head down and bury half my face behind it. The hood doesn't fit over my ski helmet but I wear an xl size helmet so it's understandable...and I've never had a need to wear a hood over my helmet anyways so no big deal to me.

Bottom line is: if you've been searching high and low for the perfect shell and just can't seem to find 'the one', give this one a try and your search may be over! Heck, I liked it so much I bought another...now I have one in 'big sky' blue for skiing and one in black for climbing, hiking and everyday use. No, I didn't pay retail for them so it didn't break the bank TOO bad!

View Details: Arc'teryx Beta AR Jacket - Men's

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