10 Best Arc’teryx Jackets in 2025
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Arc’teryx is widely known throughout the outdoor industry for cranking out gear that is the top of the line and Arc’teryx jackets are highly designed and high quality. With cutting-edge outerwear that will not only outperform and outlast its competition but look good while doing so.
The brand’s stand-out name is inspired by Archaeopteryx lithographica, a genus of avian dinosaurs that are the ancestors to modern avian species. The name represents what the brand strives to achieve: where Archaeopteryx lithographica accelerated evolution, Arc’teryx helps push the limits of what humans are capable of in the outdoors.
As the name suggests, Arc’teryx jackets are unmistakable, simple yet futuristic in appearance and function. As a product of countless hours of tinkering and testing, Arc’teryx has built a reputation for creating some of the most desirable outerwear on the market, albeit expensive.
Arc’teryx has a jacket for every purpose, so let’s take a dive in and see what’s in the lineup for this coming season.
The Top 10 Arc'teryx Jackets in 2025
All Arc'teryx Jackets We've tested:
A (very) Brief History of the Brand with the Bird
Founded in 1989, Arc’teryx (originally called Rock Solid) has been pumping out cutting-edge gear for the last two and a half decades. Designers, material experts, pattern makers, and product developers work in unison to create simple solutions to complex challenges, using a minimalist approach to create garments that enhance the outdoor experience.
Based in North Vancouver, Arc’teryx headquarters sit at the doorstep of British Columbia’s North Shore mountains, attracting a group of like-minded individuals who know why quality outerwear is so important.
Through years of trial and error, it is apparent in Arc’teryx’s current product line that they have accomplished their goal of creating “equipment that enables a person to be immersed in the moment of doing, regardless of external conditions.”
Arc’Teryx Jacket Innovative Technologies and Obsessive Design
With technologies as seemingly simple as high stitch counts or articulated fits to the complex patterning and design required for the StormHood™, Arc’teryx jackets are stacked with innovative features that make them stand out.
- Articulated fit: Arc’teryx jackets are designed to mimic the shape of the human body, creating garments that allow for enhanced freedom of movement, offer more protection, and are more comfortable. Complex patterns and intentional seam placements reduce resistance in high-wear areas like the shoulders, elbows, and back.
- StormHood™: Turns out that sometimes complex problems require complex solutions, but the good people at Arc’teryx have pulled it off in good form. The StormHood™ is a helmet-compatible hood that offers full protection that does not compromise your field of vision. A futuristic pattern, an ingenious compression system, and a laminated hood come together to create a hood that twists and turns with you.
- WaterTight™ Zippers: A zipper, it’s easy to take for granted, but it has the power to ruin your day. Arc’teryx’s signature WaterTight™ Zipper successfully broke the mold that was the status quo, creating a zipper that effectively keeps water out and warmth in.
- Stitch count: A jacket is as strong as the thread that holds it together, that’s why Arc’teryx uses double the industry standard stitch count. Increased stitch count boosts strength by reducing the amount of exposed threads while increasing resistance to abrasion, keeping your jacket bombproof when the going gets tough.
- Micro Seam Technology: Introduced in 1998, Micro Seam Tech not only reduces the overall weight and material used, but it increases both mobility and durability. Smaller seams mean enhanced mobility, which leads to less wear and tear on the fabric.
Arc’teryx Jackets and GORE-TEX
Arc’teryx introduced their first jackets featuring GORE-TEX in 1996, a union of innovative design and a groundbreaking textile. The pairing of the two companies has created a mutually beneficial relationship that has made the brand with the bird into an industry leader that continues to push the limits of what outdoor apparel is capable of.
From the big mountains to space, GORE-TEX goes all the way back to 1958 when after years of tinkering in their basement, Bill Gore and his wife Vieve founded W.L. Gore and Associates.
Over the next 64 years, GORE-TEX proceeded to revolutionize the outdoor industry, but what’s all the hoopla surrounding GORE-TEX? Simply put, it is a textile that is waterproof, breathable, and durable, a combination that is surprisingly difficult to achieve.
Generally being a 3-layer laminate, GORE-TEX is a sandwich consisting of an outer face fabric, a backer (inside layer), and a Teflon membrane (the secret sauce). This combination allows body perspiration to escape while inhibiting external moisture from penetrating, effectively creating your very own shelter.
Useful Link for Arc’teryx Jackets
- Arc’teryx naming guide: info on product families and categories.
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Frequently asked questions
Perhaps the only downside of Arc’teryx apparel is that little price tag with a larger-than-life number on it. So why is Arc’teryx so expensive?
First and foremost, these jackets aren’t meant to be purchased every season. Designed and sewn with durability in mind, Arc’teryx products are in it for the long haul.
With articulated fits, innovative technologies like StormHood™, Cohaesive™ hood adjustments, RECCO®, durable/breathable GORE-TEX fabrics, WaterTight™ Zippers, and ethically sourced insulation, it’s no wonder that the price tag starts to run so high.
Additionally, there is more that goes into the production process than meets the eye. For example, to create an Alpha SV, there are 190 steps that take a total of 259 minutes to accomplish, passing through the hands of 67 different operators. (A note to the reader, sewing is skilled labor, have you ever tried sewing your own clothing?)
Arc’teryx outerwear generally fits true to size. This is, however, dependent on the intended purpose of the layer that you are purchasing.
For example, if you are buying a garment that is intended to be worn as an outer layer, it will have a looser fit that is meant to fit over other pieces of clothing.
Conversely, if you are buying a base or mid-layer in the same size, the garment will have a tighter fit because it is designed to hold heat close to your body.
When compared to a brand like Patagonia, it’s hard to say which takes the cake for best outerwear. Both companies produce a product that is top tier, but each attains unique benefits that might cater to your particular taste.
It’s next to impossible to deny the benefits that Arc’teryx comes with. Their ingenious technologies come from two and a half decades of obsessive design, engineering, collaboration, and testing.
Their relationship with GORE-TEX has put Arc’teryx in a unique position: engineers and designers from both companies are able to work hand in hand to produce the highly specialized materials that are found in Arc’teryx products.
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