The Arc’teryx Beta LT is a great all-rounder, combining excellent performance with a lightweight, stylish design.
Please note: Whilst this review shows as a women’s version, this jacket is suitable for all genders.
- High Breathability
- Lightweight
- 3 Layer Gore-Tex
Cons / Reasons to Avoid
- Expensive
- Doesn’t pack into a pocket
See our overall guide: 10 Best Waterproof Rain Jackets for Hiking
Verdict
The Arc’teryx Beta LT is a great rain jacket. It is lightweight and easy to wear while also looking smart. It will keep you dry for hours in all conditions with innovative features, like the Stormhood and Watertight Zipper, combined with 3-layer Gore-Tex with a DWR coating. It has high breathability, helped by pit zips and micro-seams. Although expensive, you get a high-quality rain jacket that is waterproof, hard-wearing, and comfortable.
Compare all products in our waterproof rain jackets reviews:
Arc'teryx Beta LT | Black Diamond StormLine | Outdoor Research Helium Rain | Marmot PreCip Eco | Arc’teryx Beta | Marmot Minimalist | Rab Downpour Plus 2.0 | The North Face Venture 2 | Columbia Watertight II | The North Face Dryzzle Futurelight | |
Buying Options | ||||||||||
Our Awards | Best Women's Performance | Best Stretchy | Best Ultralight | Best Men's Performance | Best Womens | Best Mens | Best Budget | |||
Weight | 13.9 oz. | 11.3 oz. | 6.3 oz. | 10.6 oz. | 10.6 oz. | 13 oz. | 13.2 oz. | 11.6 oz. | 13 oz. | 12 oz. |
Waterproof | 3L Gore-Tex | 2.5L BD.dry | 2.4L Pertex | 2.5L NanoPro | 3L Gore-Tex | 2.5L Gore-Tex | 2.5L Pertex | 2.5L Dryvent | 2L Omni-Tech | 3L Futurelight |
Pockets | 2 zippered hand | 2 zippered hand | 2 zippered hand | 2 Zippered Hand | 2 Zippered Hand | 2 zippered hand, 1 zippered chest | 2 zippered chest | 2 zippered hand | 2 zippered hand pockets; 2 internal drop-in pockets | 2 zippered hand, 1 zippered chest |
Analysis and Test Results
The Arc’teryx Beta LT rain jacket is an excellent all-rounder. It’s made from 3-layer Gore-Tex, so it is waterproof, windproof, and breathable. It has several innovations that contribute to making it extremely lightweight. These also help it to pack down to an impressively small size, but disappointingly, it doesn’t stow away into a pocket. Pit zips and small seams increase breathability, and the hood keeps you dry while not impeding your sight. The hood is helmet-compatible but doesn’t fold away into a pocket. The Arc’teryx Beta LT looks good, with a fitted design and a wide choice of colors. It has been designed to sit comfortably under a rucksack or harness while also allowing room for layering. The way the rain jacket is cut allows for full mobility. In particular, the women’s Arc’teryx Beta LT is designed to fit the female shape, which is why we chose this as our Best Women’s Performance Rain Jacket.
Performance Comparison
Type and Style
The Arc’teryx Beta LT is designed to be a multi-purpose rain jacket, keeping you dry whether you are hiking, skiing, cycling, or whatever other activity you enjoy. It is a fitted style designed to stay close to the line of your body through the chest, waist, hip, and thigh.
Water Resistance
3-layer Gore-Tex is used to make the Arc’teryx Beta LT, giving it 28,000 mm of waterproofing. It also has taped seams and a DWR (durable water repellent) coating to repel moisture. In practical terms, this means the Arc’teryx Beta LT will keep you dry for hours in both heavy rain and wet snow.
Breathability
Being made from Gore-Tex means the Arc’teryx Beta LT has high breathability. The 3-layer Gore-Tex used for this jacket has a breathability of 17,000 g/m2/24hrs. To maximize the breathability of this rain jacket, it has been designed with narrower seam tape and less glued surface area. There are also generously sized pit zips that significantly increase overall breathability.
Comfort and Mobility
Thought has been put into the design of the Arc’teryx Beta LT to make sure it is comfortable to wear. They have carried out extensive research to create dynamic seam placements. According to designer Greg Grenzke: “Every seam is driven by function and designed to optimize how you move.” The Arc’teryx Beta LT also has micro-seams (1.6 mm) that reduce the stiffness of the jacket and make it less restrictive when moving.
Attention has been paid to the little things, too. You get a tall collar that can be zipped right up, and Arc’teryx has added a chin guard with brushed microsuede facing for added comfort. There are also long sleeves, with low-profile Velcro wrist closures, to ensure you don’t have any gaps around your wrists.
This rain jacket can easily fit layers underneath, but its material is also comfortable against your skin.
Materials
The main material of the Arc’teryx Beta LT jacket is N40p GORE-TEX fabric with 3L tricot technology. This is a “durable plain weave face fabric that uses a textured warp yarn and a false twist textured fill yarn, backed with a polyester knit fabric for comfort.”
All zipper sliders are made from either nickel-plated or powder-coated YKK.
Appearance
The Arc’teryx Beta LT is one of the better-looking rain jackets available. Its fitted design gives a nice silhouette. The zips are the same color as the jacket, and there is only one logo sewn on in white thread, so it looks quite stylish.
There is one full-length zip down the middle of the front, with an angled pocket on each side, also with zips. The back is slightly lower than the front, and there are two hem adjusters.
Arc’teryx produces the Beta LT rain jacket in a wide range of colors. For women, you have Black, Black Sapphire (dark blue), Yukon (orange), Euphoria (neon yellow), and Storm Glow (lilac). Men have even more colors to choose from, including Solace (blue), Black, Sprint (neon yellow), Black Sapphire (dark blue), Phenom (orange), Bordeaux (red), Blue Tetra, and Smoke Bluff (beige).
Durability
This is a very well-made, durable rain jacket. It is made from high-quality materials and has an intelligent design. There are no seams on the shoulders, a vulnerable area due to the friction caused by shoulder straps. The micro-seams provide increased flexibility, which reduces the stress on the fabric and causes less friction. The chin guard protects the material around your face that can otherwise suffer from delamination caused by sweat.
Arc’teryx has a Practical Product Lifespan guarantee. This means that any faults will be replaced or repaired during ‘the usual and customary wearable life of the product’.
Weight and Packability
Unlike some rain jackets, the Arc’teryx Beta LT does not pack down into a pocket or hood. However, it can be folded and compressed into a very small space. This is a lightweight rain jacket. This has been achieved by using modern materials and small seam tape to reduce bulk and weight. The Arc’teryx Beta LT weighs:
Men
394 g / 13.9 oz.
Women
350 g / 12.3 oz
Features
As well as the features already mentioned, the Beta LT rain jacket also has some of Arc’teryx’s trademarked innovations.
One of these is the StormHood. This hood has been designed to give full coverage without impeding sight lines when you turn your head. It has a laminated brim to keep rain out of your eyes that does not collapse or crease when the jacket is folded up. The hood can be adjusted and cinched using a one-handed drawcord, and it stays put. The Arc’teryx Beta LT’s hood is big enough to fit comfortably over a helmet. The shape of the hood means that it rotates with your head without obstructing your view when turning from side to side.
Arc’teryx has also spent years researching and developing its Watertight Zipper. They use a reverse coil design and then laminate the teeth and slider with a urethane coating. This creates a highly water-resistant, long-lasting, and smooth operating zipper that does not need storm flaps.
Sustainability
Arc’teryx’s fabrics are bluesign-approved, meaning they’ve been certified as safe for workers, consumers, and the environment. The Arc’teryx Beta LT is made in a Fair Trade Certified facility. Arc’teryx also has a trade-in department where they inspect, clean, and repair products and then resell them.
Conclusion
The Arc’teryx Beta LT is expensive, but it is worth the money. Its intelligent design features will look good and keep you dry and comfortable in any circumstances.
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