Just bought the jacket and will use it for walking/hiking
in extremely heavy rain, high winds at the Oregon Coast.
Will let you know if it'll keep me dry.
Tried this in my Columbia "guaranteed waterproof" jacket
and was soaked through in no time. Yikes!

bought this jacket , spent close to 30 hours in the heavist rain ive ever seen , i work securety at music festivals
unbeliveably dry
psydelics + mountian bike + badd ass rain + arcterix made for one hell of a good safe time

Arcteryx Theta AR Jacket. I bought mine in Keswick. I have used it twice the last being in Snowdon, Wales.I headed back off the mountain having endure extreme conditions.I discovered that all the pockets had filled up with water and my wallet was soaking wet. The zips were nowhere near water tight and found along the zip line my base layer was wet. You can't pull the neck in and found that rain just flows straight into the jacket. I returned the product and had to pay a tenner for it to be sent back to the manufacturer, that was six weeks ago and i'm still waiting for a replacement. I have been passed from pillar to post when speaking to so called customer service staff chasing up it's whereabouts. Maybe i am just unlucky if i could get my money back i would. This jacket is overpriced and way over rated don't bother in my opinion.

Customer Service

Shocking to say the least.

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Beanie hat

After many years of gracing the hills and trails with North Face, Patagonia and Mammut on my back, I decided to go with this much talked about Canadian-Made brand. As my first Arc'teryx Jacket, and someone that needs the extra rugged protection for Ice Climbing, I was on the line between three jackets; The cheaper Beta AR (which was too short and ill-fitting in the shoulders for me), the ultra pricey Alpha SV (At $599 and only two color options available I thought Arcteryx could have given a little more for the price beside the safe design and Canada-Made origin), and third the Theta AR which, at $350-$450, was the most economical, best fitting and well designed for me.
In my opinion, it offers all the Alpha SV offers and a little more; More pockets, more Hem length and a much, much better slim/stream-lined athletic fit which actually works better with my climbing harness. The only advantage I can see of the Alpha SV is the extra stiff nylon outer shell and slightly bigger hood. Things that are not important to most people with normal sized heads and those that don't wear rain gear to sword fights.

INITIAL THOUGHTS:
Most reviewers suggested sizing up for the size. At 5'8"/150lbs I normally wear Medium and found Small in this Jacket fit perfect with plenty room to layer my Patagonia Micro Puff Pullover or R4 fleece Jacket underneath. I think the Arcteryx GoreTex XCR shells used to fit on the small side, but the newer GoreTex Pro Shell Theta and Alpha definately fits on the big side. So either get your size or size down.

FIRST TEST:
I just got my Theta AR over the New Years weekend and during a first quick climb on the ice I find it works well with my Harness and definately does not ride up or bunch up during climbs. The Theta's collar/hood combo takes a little getting used to since most jackets have hoods either stow away or hang openly. But this was not a problem since the extra collar keeps out wind and ice melt.
All the pockets are small on this jacket (No water bottle and mitt warmer pockets here, just lipbalm and car keys). You could argue that they should be bigger with handwarming-fleece lining but that would add weight and subtract versatility so its not necessarily a 100% bad thing.
I miss having the dual belay zippers that you find on virtually all other alpine mountain jackets. On the Theta and most Arcteryx brand jackets there is only one one-way front zip, so you either have to zip up or just leave the zip open. I kept it zipped up and tucked the hem inside my harness and wore the jacket like a shirt. Goodthing the ProShell material breathes really well (better than XCR) so I didn't find myself unzipping the front zippers to vent at all during my climb.
Another thing that took getting used to is the ultra-thin shock cords and tiny pull tabs. They seem so frail like they will pull right off, but then you soon see that the quality of this the jacket is for real.
BOTTOM LINE:
Great Jacket with minor gripes about it. Expect it to last a long time and for the price it should!

Recommended for Serious Adventurers! Urbanites stick with your TNF and save your money for Lattes!

Customer Service

good!

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Excellent item, all of the Arcteryx items are expensive, but worth the price, used it on 3 extended backpacking trips in wet weather, the latest in the North Cascades, kept me dry at all times. I got the XL model and I am tall; 6"7" tall and it was long past my rear end. I own 4 other Arcteryx items and all of them of the highest quality!

You're paying for the technology, a top of the line outdoor jacket, and of course, the brand name. It's clearly not worth $450, just like designer clothes are not worth excessive prices. Arc'teryx is the designer clothing label of the outdoor world, but at least its the best. On ebay you will pay about 25% less, just be patient.

The first day i had this jacket, i almost ripped the back coming out of a cab! It resulted in a long sratch on the back like a thread-pull on a sweater. This will probably effect the waterproof. How can this jacket survive in the mountains climbing and skiing etc, when it cant survive one night in Boston climbing out of a taxi!

Pros: best of the best, period
Cons: way overpriced, not THAT durable.

Customer Service

got lucky on ebay
avg price is about $325-360 on ebay
give yourself a few weeks to watch though for your size and color.

Just to kick off I want to mention I'm a bit of a 'gearhead' if there is such a word! Never knowingly underkitted if you know what I mean. I have a tendancy to keep buying the next step up, usually well before I need it! This is why I shelled out for a Theta AR. I figured if I just bought the 'best' it would put a stop to my spending. JOB DONE! This jacket does it all and then some, they don't call it the All Rounder for nothing. I've taken it Skiing, hiking, camping and up mountains all over the world. The fit is spot on, structured but flexible and the build quality is bullet proof. I except it's a bit over engineered for some persuits but for a jack of all trades weekender like me I'd give it full marks. That said I have since picked up a Sidewinder SV but that's really more for the slopes. It's Arc all the way.

Customer Service

Never needed it so far so fingers crossed!

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A mix of TNF & Patagonia, though I do like using my old school brands like Paramo, Rab and my special 6 Buffalo.

This is an update of my previous review. I've worn the jacket enough now...OK, did an hour-long walk in absolutely torrential rain, 40 degrees, w/ a fleece pullover under. Got hot, had condensation on the upper back of the jacket, but othrewise dry. far superior to other W/B jackets. XCR is wonderful. The hood seemed very skimpy to me-when i cinched it down to fit my head the sides seemed cut away. that said, it kept the rain out fine. You have to cinch all the cords down all the way to get it to fit your head, cause it's sized for a helmet. but it works OK. I love being able to slide the hood up or down even when the zipper's done up all the way. the front zipper does seem kinda flimsy, though, like others have said. no problems yet though. I love the tuck-stitched seams-I didn't notice that before. this means the stitching on most seams is hidden away, just like a really good down bag. the waterproof zippers are stiff but work and are easier to get at w/o flaps and velcro. I hate velcro all over my jackets. The eclipse color is muted, but the two-tone scheme is really cool but subtle-it's definitely not flashy, just really classic. This is a jacket that looks good in 20 years. The 3-layer fabric is stiff and crinkly but hey that's any jacket. I think this is one of those that is really mediocre around town and only shines when ya really need it. I'm going to do fourteeners in may so I'll be glad of it then. for now, it's rain, wind, and the odd snowflake. never forget: fat people are harder to kidnap.

Customer Service

good. I guess. see other reviews

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see previous

Alright, here's what happened: a scotsman at travelcountry offered me the theta AR for 350, plus a free Camelbak HAWG, and express shipping. so I bit, and it all came properly. so travelcountry redeemed themselves. in the end. the Arc'Teryx Theta AR: !@#@%@#@ brilliant! I haven't really used it that much, will repost when I have, but I've worn it in the shower and on a vigourous walk about. It IS waterproof, at least in the shower, except the velcro on the cuffs got soaked. Waterproof zippers are, though. On the walk: it was 32 degrees, clear, wore a Arc'teryx covert fleece sweater under. had to unzip pitzips, but was not hot a'tall-very surprising for me. Got back, checked for condensation buildup-it was a very quick pace walk for 50 minutes. ZERO condensation except on the seam tape. that meant the non-permeable seam tape stopped the moisture from escaping, but the lovely gore-tex XCR let it right through. the difference was profound: the seam tape was distinctly wet, but the gore-tex fabric on each side was bonedry. AMAZING! it really breathes! (the seam tape being wet is no big deal. arc'teryx's is thinner than everyone else's.) I couldn't be happier w/ the jacket. layers good, pockets are easier to get at w/o flaps and velcro, seems durable, hood is fabulous, quality...I can't think of anything i'd change. I wish I'd had one before...

Customer Service

Arc'teryx is pretty good for a manufacturer. like I said before, they can be sardonic. treat americans pretty dumb-like. But I did insult their national healthcare...

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Just wanted to let y'all know Rock Creek has eclipse and sangria in all sizes for 360!!!! Hallelujah! Get'em while you can! I haven't actually got mine yet, just ordered. Also: TravelCountry.com is HORRIBLE! I ordered a Theta AR from them and they sent me a WOMENS gamma SV in RED. What the DEUCE???? So, never deal with them. But go to Rock Creek and save 90 smackers.

Customer Service

Arc'Teryx's is awesome. Very helpful, a bit sardonic to americans. maybe that's cause i said 'eh' a lot to tick 'em off.

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MTHW