Arc'teryx  Alpha SV Jacket - Men's

I use the Alpha SV on wet cold days and cold frigid days on the water.At speeds above 60mph on my Bassboat,I stay Dry with Zero Windchill,which has been Tough in years past without this Hardshell.Since purchasing the Alpha Sv,I purchased a Arc'teryx softshell from REI also.I have purchased many Hard and Softshell jackets and have never had the comfort from windchill that the Alpha SV delivers.The online staff at REI took a great amount of time with me and several phone call helping me get the right product.

The Alpha SV is simply a great jacket. It's bombproof for that 5-10% of the time you are in freezing cold, 50+ mph gusts. Seriously, I only need to wear 1 or 2 thin smart-wool base layers, when in the low teens. But I also have the full Arc'teryx Alpha SV bib that helps keep me warm. You can also wear the Alpha SV in warm rainy weather as well, it really breathes well. You won't regret this purchase. The articulation in the arms is increadible, the jacket won't creep up on you, which doesn't matter for me, as I have the full Arc'teryx Alpha SV bib. The hood also gives you full range of motion and I'm shocked how high the collar goes, it really protects your whole face. My only gripe is that with a helmet, you need to unzip in order to get the hood on and off over the helmet, but it's really no big deal. I got the Yellow in a small. Absolutely love the color and will wear it downtown and it fits me great, some-what of a trim fit for me, with room to layer.

This makes my third Arcteryx shell, my first was the Beta AR, second was Alpha SL hybrid. Had I known the features of this jacket it would have only bought this one. The Alpha SV with the N80PX material has two inside pockets chest level which stay closed and are great for cell phones and wallets. The seams are a work of art, the stitching ranges from 19-24 stitches per inch and are so well put together they are hard to see. The jacket is so beautiful it should be displayed inside out. he two front pockets are great but are cross draw pockets only, your left hand will not go into the left chest pocket without a 90 degree bend. This is my first jacket with hem-locks and it ROCKS. If you are looking for the one and only jacket for any condition this is it. I have even been wearing it around the office and don't get hot, it breaths wonderfully. It's on the pricey side but if you get it on sell its worth it. The sleeves are a little long but for range of motion.

I have the Alpha SV jacket in the dark blue color, the correct name is escaping me right now. This is among several Arcteryx jackets that I own, and I find myself using this jacket for more technical adventures. The Hem-lock feature is great (foam inserts that secure it from coming out of your climbing harness if climbing in inclement weather), and the pockets are positioned well to be able to carry and access a bunch of gear. Gore rates products differently, and this one qualifies for extreme wet weather protection. Believe me, it holds up to the moniker. Lastly, the micro grid backer on the inside of the coat is great when layering and is meant to also help the durability of the jacket. *please note that I was given this jacket as a part of the MountainTechs program. I was not give the jacket for the purpose of writing a review, and the review would be the same if I would have purchased the jacket. Arcteryx makes an incredible product and coupled with Gore-Tex technology, this is a slam dunk.

I have been a fan of Arc Teryx since I purchased their Theta ski bibs 9 years ago. There are many reasons to choose the Alpha over any shell out on the market. Most high end shells have gortex pro which is an excellent product. Basically it creates an excellent shell around your core to keep the weather out whether it is rain, snow, wind, etc...But what seperates Arc Teryx, as far as I am concerned, is how light their products are and how well they fit. I am amazed at how light the Alpha SV considering how well it protects one from intense weather conditions (45+ mph winds, horizontal snow, below 15 degrees most recently). I felt totally protected but not bogged down by a hefy shell that would add to the weight of my insulation (In this case a long underwear, REI brand and a Rab microlight jacket with hood) I was absolutely cozy and also comfortable and able to move freely with ease. The hood can sinch up tight yet allow for excellent range of vision and the fitting of this jacket made it so it did not flap like a flag on a flag pole which was grand (some of those wind gusts tried to push me over!). Lastly, being made in Canada, the workmanship is outstanding. Everything was sealed up tight and functional. No tight zippers or freying seams. Being out in the cold is just fun, when protected, and this jacket makes that possible in a way that is light, comfortable, and if it matters to you stylishly.I also know because of those Theta pants I own this jacket will last a decade at least which makes it well worth the money to stay warm and cozy when need be. If you can swing it you will not be dissapointed. It is as fine an outdoor product as you will find anywhere.

This jacket is everything they say it is.

I give this 5 stars but, personally, I have some problems with this piece. The Good: The jacket is wind and waterproof and packs surprisingly well for how chunky it is. Excellent layer over the Arc' Atom SV for the cold days and goes well over a sweater for the mid-weather days. It will always end up in my packing pile wherever I am going and has held up well through backcountry, bike commutes, field work, and general wear for 3 years. The Bad: My normal jacket size is an XXL (including in the Arc' Atom SV, Epsilon AR, Gamma MX). I got the Alpha SV during the 1 year stretch when Arc' actually made "Tall" jackets (i.e. 38" sleeve on the XL and a bit longer on the XXL). I ordered both the XL and the XXL (my bank account took a major hit until the return was processed) and I ended up torn between the two. The jacket tapers excessively to the point where my chest and arms were swimming in the XXL but my waist was a bit constricted in the XL. I ended up going with the XL and I'm happy with it, still use it, and like it. Just wish I had about 2 inches of room at the bottom. Side note, I recently tried on the non-Tall version and the sleeves were too short for my liking (I like to cover at least part of the hand). I wish that Arc' would go back to making tall jackets.

I bought Alpha SV for a skiing trip in the French Alps. Although I measure about 110 cm in the chest (height 5'11) I bought size L and it fits perfectly while accommodating layers. That's what "expedition fit" likely means. For layers I used Patagonia NanoPuff jacket, Patagonia flanel shirt, and Icebreaker merino base-layer. I mention these because all these layers were NOT sufficient in the cold wind on the ski lift at 3400m. The jacket itself really protects from wind (feels like a fortress to repeat words used by other reviewers) but to address cold you may want to rethink layers. Hood is great and can be shaped to perfection by drawcords. I have also come to love the position, size, and functionality (and looks) of the crossover pockets. Sure, you cannot keep your hands in pockets, but they are great to open and close with one hand e.g. when biking, with daypack on, and so on. The pocket on left shoulder was great for my ski pass. Inside pockets are not GoreTex insulated so when you sweat their contents will become wet. Quality of the jacket is astounding, it looks like a product from the future down to the smallest details. Take a GOOD long look, then compare to popular, cheaper products and you'll see what I mean. Looks too are fantastic (I have Dark Olympus for versatility), it is simple and elegant (= classy). The jacket is so light I couldn't believe it was in the package from UPS. Overall a great, if expensive, purchase.

I'll probably be the only person on the planet that feels this way...but I can't help it, the Alpha SV is not for me. I really wanted to like this jacket (cool logo, lifetime warranty, featured in a Hollywood movie, etc) the quality is excellent all the way around - I could not find one thing about this jacket (quality wise) that I could complain about until I tried it on...and boy, disappointment set in. The rear of the jacket sits right below my butt (great!), and the front sits right below my belt (5'11 @ 175lbs) but as soon as I lifted my arms or stood up straight the front of the jacket comes up to my belly button! For being marketed as "3d fit" or w/e and an Ice climbing jacket, I figured it would have ample material to cover my stomach with my arms outstretched or at least a means to prevent it from happening. I guessed wrong. More over, when I stand up straight with my shoulders back the jacket funnels air directly into my stomach. Not cool. HOWEVER, the expedition fit is really great for layering, my MTHW Compressor and MTHW soft shell fit wonderfully underneath with plenty of room to move my arms and such. Also, the new fabric is a wonderful change of pace. I highly suggest trying it on before purchasing (REI really needs a shop in Kandahar...). Bottom line, the cut of the jacket doesn't work for me, but the rest of jacket it great - hence my four stars. I'll be returning and going with my favorite Norwegian company's ProShell. Fyi: purchased the medium, my measurements are(5'11", 175 lb, 40" chest, 39" hip, 31" waist, 16" neck).