Helpful Positive Review

by Michael T., Updated on February 16, 2020

I have an Atom LT hoody and found it warm down to about 40F. Lower than that, and I need to use both a warm base piece and a shell to stop the wind. So I thought the AR might be what I needed. Since I just purchased it in May, I can't yet make that determination, but I can say that I immediately felt the extra insulation, especially in the arms and shoulders. I'm 5' 8" and 150 lb, and the medium is just right, tho there is just a bit less room in the AR because of the extra insulation. I like the fact that the outer fabric and the insulation go all the way around the body of the jacket instead of the stretch fabric side panels on the LT. The latter may be better if you are active, but for walking or standing, I'll take the full insulation. I bought the AR in bourbon. It looks nothing like the Arc'teryx stock photo used by all retailers. Rather than gold, it is a medium, warm brown, like, well, a bottle of bourbon! From past Arc'teryx purchases online, I was a little suspicious of the color. The very nice Campsaver rep was kind enough to go out to their warehouse to check it, so I knew what I was getting. I have found that Arc'teryx has a habit of overexposing their product shots to show detail at the expense of color accuracy. Basalt, for example, is much darker and browner than their photo, and Nautic Grey is nowhere near as green as their photo. If you can't see a color in person, you can get a better idea of what it looks like by checking a number of owner photos on the web rather than relying on the manufacturer.