Arc'Teryx prices??

Anyone own there stuff?? They are miles above there competition in price? Is there stuff that good? they have insulated shell jacket for $900.00 are people buying $900.00 coats?!?!?

arcteryx.com/product.aspx?c…

Has been discussed quite a bit but yes people do buy their gear. If low cost products are your goal or have less of an income to work with, there are many better brands with better feature/price ratios. That being said, they make bomber gear and their warranty is top notch. Most who do buy Arc or dead bird products buy it when on sale or discounted.

We cal it dead bird shit around here. There is another good thread about it from about a month ago or so

My buddy had an Arcteryx jacket that was delaminating after wearing it for 5 years and they replaced it with a brand new one. He stated that it wasn't a hassle to get it replaced.

as an employee at an outdoor retail company (REI) I can definitely say that there is a huge difference between the $100 rainshell and the $400 rain shell. Durability, lifetime of waterproofness, breathability, etc are all huge factors in the $ of clothing along with overlooked factors like lifetime guarantees (Outdoor research, Patagonia, etc).

That being said I always inform the customer that they should try and think about how and how much they will use that gear vs how much they want to pay.
Do you backpack 3 weekends a month year round or 2x a year?
No reason to buy a $400 rainshell if you are just walking from the car to the grocery store or if you are packing up shop and not hiking in the rain.
Worth it to spend that money if you are using that gear all the time in hard conditions and you need it to be reliable? that's up to the consumer to decide.

Lastly I will say that Arc'Teryx stuff is definitely, without a doubt, way more expensive than it needs to be. I own 1 Arc'T rain shell ( the Alpha I think) because I was able to get it on a huge clearance and I had a gift card so I paid about $97 for a $400 jacket. Its great and has taken some serious abuse but I don't think Id pay full price for it. Im still a sweaty bastard no matter how much my stuff vents.

cheers

There are many solid options at much better price points. But if you want the absolute best, you are usually buying Arcteryx.

I have two Arcteryx pieces that I got for about half price. I like them quite a bit but the full prices are just shocking.

I don't know who buys their $500+ at all much less at full price.

As always, value is subjective.

I own several items from Arcteryx, (jackets, pants, pack, harness) and have been more than happy with how they preform. That being said, I have never paid full price for any of their items and never would. Wait till things go on sale or find a buddy who can hook you up.

Also, Arcteryx is not alone in the expensive apparel department. Patagonia's new Grade VII parka is $900.

It's all about showing off or keeping ahead of the joneses
I buy all my stuff used on eBay

Arc'tyrex my be pricey, but there are more expensive brands, you get what you pay for. It comes down to quality, a $100 jacket will not be anywhere near the same as any Arc'teryx jacket. Any item that has GoreTex automatically puts a premium price on the item as well.

I worked at a ski shop for many years and Arc'Tyrex was the cheap brand. If you want to be sticker shocked check out Parajumpers, Canada Goose, Mountain Force, Kjus... to name a few.

I own several jackets from various of companies and Arc'Teryx and Mammut are my go to brands. My all time favorite brand is Mountain Force when I can get pro deals.

I own a few pieces of Arc'teryx gear and I even went to their grand opening in Denver. I'm not an Arc'teryx hater, but in my opinion their gear is definitely bling.

I have traded my friend's $750 Ceres with my Patagonia down product while outside in Wyoming. I liked some features such as an extra cinch cord, longer back and a possibly more durable outer material, but I don't think it was worth twice the price... I'm actually wearing a pretentious $90 dollar Arc'terx tech polo right now. It's my "go-to" shirt when I don't want look like i've been living in my car and I haven't done laundry. In reality, I would be embarrassed to wear this at the crag or in any outdoor setting.

I'm sure their warranty is great, but is their quality and performance proportional to the price? No way, not a chance.

A lot of my gear is Arcteryx and I haven't thought twice about whether or not they were worth the price. They seem high, but they are actually pretty similar to other high end clothing manufacturers. Check out Mammut, those prices are high!! Anyways, if you are thinking about buying their gear, check it out in person before buying. Everybody's "value" levels are different, so you don't want to be stuck with buyers remorse.

Usually you can find the stuff on sale. Most of my Arcteryx stuff I purchased for 25-40% off.

Yeah, I feel like I missed something with the whole dead bird thing. They opened a retail store in Chicago and the local Moosejaw is full of their stuff, but I don't get it. I first heard of them for their harnesses...is that where they built their brand? Or did they start with jackets and climbers only started giving a crap when they made harnesses? I've seen they even make approach shoes now, but...no actual climbing gear besides harnesses. It seems like they occupy a really weird share of the market.

Ted Pinson wrote:Yeah, I feel like I missed something with the whole dead bird thing. They opened a retail store in Chicago and the local Moosejaw is full of their stuff, but I don't get it. I first heard of them for their harnesses...is that where they built their brand? Or did they start with jackets and climbers only started giving a crap when they made harnesses? I've seen they even make approach shoes now, but...no actual climbing gear besides harnesses. It seems like they occupy a really weird share of the market.

I believe they tailor their products more for use in ice and alpine climbing.

DCarey wrote: I believe they tailor their products more for use in ice and alpine climbing.

+1

It's all about their clothing systems. The harnesses, backpacks, shoes, and street clothes are not their main product lines at all.

Arc makes high quality gear. It tends to fit a tall/skinny/broad-shouldered athletic body better than most North American brands, which is nice for typical climbers.

Some of their stuff is competitively priced. For instance the Proton LT is right in line with the Nano Air and Uberlayer at $300.

On the other hand there is no way a $600+ Dually offers twice the performance of a $300 DAS (or all the other comparable synthetic parkas on the market). Is it a little better? Sure. Bit more insulation, that fancy Climashield Prism with built-in DWR.

As far as the $900 jacket I assume we're referring to the Firebee. It uses that new Gore Thermium stuff - taped seams, integrated insulation. I guess we'll wait for the reviews but it strains the imagination to think it'd be much warmer than a box-baffled bomb shelter like a Feathered Friends Volant which has 40% more down fill and comes in at less than half the price. Prettier? Yes. Better tailored for someone who didn't play college football? Almost certainly.

Watch for sales and jump when you see a deal. No denying Arc makes good stuff, but shop smart - in many cases there is a significantly cheaper alternative that doesn't suck.

It's all about the details with high end clothes like the dead bird. I've had several jackets and a pair of gore stretch ski pants. The basic fabric - gore-Tex pro shell - is essentially the same between arc and other high end brands. What makes them stand out in my opinion is the details of the jackets. The way the hoods cinch down, the ease of grabbing a zipper pull with gloves, the way the collar juts out just enough around your face and comes up just right with the hood up to be tight but not constricting.

I have also worn a few jackets into the ground and returned them for warranty. They have ALWAYS replaced or repaired them no questions asked. My ski pants took a beating and broke down within 3 months of purchase. Arc authorized a full money back return for broken gear. Probably had 45 full days of harsh condition skiing on them, inbounds and backcountry.

All that said, I sold most of the arc gear I owned. The crew on this site actually buys the gear for it's designed intent: maximum shelter when all you have is what you wear and the weather will kill you if your gear fails. But a lot of wealthier people buy it because it's expensive and has become a status symbol. Like someone else I got my stuff used or on deep discounts. I've found other brands perform just as well, and depending on the membrane fabric, better in some cases due to stretch and breath ability.

I only buy my climbing outerwear at the Goodwill. I don't understand how you guys can spend more.

chrisccc wrote: +1 It's all about their clothing systems. The harnesses, backpacks, shoes, and street clothes are not their main product lines at all.

I was told multiple times that their LEAF program is the biggest money maker.

Ray Pinpillage wrote:I only buy my climbing outerwear at the Goodwill. I don't understand how you guys can spend more.

Goodwill on Long Island is probably teeming with last season's Arc'teryx :-)

jdejace wrote:.... On the other hand there is no way a $600+ Dually offers twice the performance of a $300 DAS (or all the other comparable synthetic parkas on the market). Is it a little better? Sure. Bit more insulation, that fancy Climashield Prism with built-in DWR....

I bought my Dually ten years ago after the second day ice climbing. I wore it Saturday and Sunday as the temps were between 10-20 degrees. The belay jacket is just as warm and waterproof as the day I got it. I've worn the Dually in -21 temps. I've worn it after the jacket got wet. It's always warm.

Could I get a better deal or two $300 coats? Sure but I look good.

Ray, haha..