"Could have been better" - Review of Arc'teryx Delta AR Jacket - Men's

Arcteryx Delta AR Jacket Review This is a very stylish and handsome jacket. I love the red color and the high-loft Polartec Thermal Pro material is very light and warm. I'd like to add a few critiques however, mostly from a style perspective, that made me decide to return the jacket in the end. The collar: I like the fact that the only Arcteryx logo (aside from a small tag on the front pocket) is on the back of the collar. Initially I was worried it would be too big, but its really rather tasteful, thin, subtle and not gaudy. You can turn the collar down and cover the logo if you like, but the jacket loses a little luster. Unfortunately in practical terms the collar suffers from the same defect as the Maverick jacket. In the nice product photo above, you see a collar that is straight and fully zipped. However when you zip the jacket all the way up in person, theres a crease, or bend, in one of the sides that prevents the entire collar from giving off a straight, aligned and uniform look. Since my 30 dollar Columbia Steens mountain sweater does this no sweat, I was a disappointed that the Delta jacket didnt. After all, you want to look good and stay warm on those frosty days, right? I tried gently massaging the collar kink out, but to no avail. The chin guard also seems to catch a lot when zipping the jacket all the way up. Overall Fit: Arcteryx tends to cut their clothes athletically�, meaning that they are generally quite true to size. Im 6ft, 170 lbs, and found the Large to fit well, but almost a little too close. There wasnt much room left beneath, and I cant imagine wearing anything under it but the most fitted t-shirt, or a slim wool/capilene base layer. I think Arcteryx technically bills the Delta as a mid layer, but compared to my TNF Scythe jacket, it was disappointing not to have just a tiny bit more room. Hem: As with the Maverick, Arcteryx cuts the hem of their jackets in a downward sloping pattern from front to back, in order to prevent gusts of wind getting underneath from behind. My TNF Scythe jacket does the same thing, but not nearly as dramatically as the Delta, in which there is quite a prominent difference vertically between the front hem and back. So much so, that I almost suspected that my particular jacket was a factory floor anomaly. For outdoor/hiking/climbing use this wont be much of an issue, but from a style perspective this means that anything you wear under the Delta and dont want to tuck in will either stick out from under the jacket or run perilously close, creating a bit of a sloppy look. Once again, not a big deal for those looking for pure functionality, but for a jacket I wanted to wear both on and off the mountain this was a bit of a bummer. Conclusion: Ive made some mention of The North Face's Scythe Jacket as a comparison because I was very pleased with the way this jacket fit and because it uses exactly the same Polartec Thermal Pro High Loft material, only for substantially less than what Arcteryx charges for the Delta. Ive no doubt Arcteryx paid attention to quality with this jacket, but the annoying snags I mentioned above, coupled with the fact that other makers offer similar jackets with the same amount of attention to quality AND the little details makes this jacket hard to recommend.
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