6th time in 3 years to send items back to Arcteryx. Is it me?

So I think I may have posted something similar about this before, but I love arcteryx, their mission, their passion, and their products. But I'm having some frustrations. Soon I will have sent back 6 items in the past three years to them for warranty. I'll go through a short list with the warranty's response and I would like y'alls opinion. Is it me? Is anyone else having these issues?

1. Received Alpha SV from online retailer with a hole in it. (patched for free)
2. 1 yr later- discovered leakage in the seems of that same Alpha SV (replaced for free)
3. 1 yr later- discovered delamination in the collar of that Alpha SV replacement (replaced again)
4. Same week- discovered seem separation in gamma lt pants (fixed for free)
5. Same week- discovered delamination in venta sv (replaced with cerium lt at no extra cost)
6. months later (last night)- a baffle in my cerium lt burst while I was at a house party for no apparent reason. I didn't even notice until a bountiful supply of down feathers filled the room.

My friends ask me why I keep buying from them, and I had to seriously consider this question. Right now the only thing keeping my loyalty has got to be their awesome warranty. But I don't know if they will cover the last item. Does anyone else have these issues at all with them? This seems weird. (granted item number 1 may not be Arcteryx's fault)

I've collected 4 Arcteryx pieces in the past 3 years, and had no problems. Own the Alpha AR, Cerium LT, Psiphon FL, and Alpha Comp. I don't use these for everyday stuff, so they get various amounts of use from 15 days a year to 60 days. Each one has been washed 2 or 3 times, per instructions.

I have put a few of their jackets "through the wringer" with no issues. The main item I've used from them is the atom lt and it has stood up to some serious punishment despite the light weight material. I almosy exclusively use their stuff for climbing so it doesn't go through everyday use (like going to house parties), but they've stood up to a lot.

I've worn the same pair of saloppets for over 15 years. Yeah they are showing some wear, but no holes or patches. Got them for half price too. I have a first generation soft shell that is even older. Maybe their old stuff was made better.

I've never had any problems with anything from Arteryx.

Strikes me as bad luck. They stand behind their gear. I honestly don't know who makes higher quality gear, except maybe Patagonia.

I think it's you.

Delamination is usually from suncreen or bug spray, especially around the collar or cuffs of the sleeves.
Sounds like you use them for everyday use, bringing the cerium lt to a house party. Who knows who did what to it while it was in the house. Cerium LT is one of their lightest jackets. Anything LT is going to be their lightest weight. I was told by one of the sales reps in their NYC location that he would never recommend the LT version of anything, it's an ultra light garment meant to cut weight for those counting grams, but its not durable.

I've never had a problem. I do make sure and only use their gear when the situation fits the design intent of the piece.

For what we pay, I hate to incur any extra wear and tear unless I really need the qualities of a particular item.

I've had problems but with different gear. I had tie in points wear out in less than a year when I was climbing at a gym that had us attach lockers from our belay loop to a figure-8 on a bight. However, I have also had great success with clothing. I did notice that items I was dissatisfied with were issues for other people, and that those issues were addressed with newer models.

Nat D wrote:I've never had a problem. I do make sure and only use their gear when the situation fits the design intent of the piece. For what we pay, I hate to incur any extra wear and tear unless I really need the qualities of a particular item.

It does indeed appear you are confusing excellent build quality with excellent durability, you got really unlucky with your Alpha SV purchase and lamination is kind of a gamble, on one hand it can work forever and be perfect but on the other hand it can start to peel off in a day, lamination is definitely the way forward but it's still in it's infancy so it's expected to have delam issues some time in a products life. The Cerium lt is super fragile and really best as a alpine/backpacking piece definitely not for everyday wear and out of it's element. I had a pair of gamma rock pants for for the last 4 years and have been nothing but excellent in their service with no undue wear.

that guy named seb wrote: The Cerium lt is super fragile and really best as a alpine/backpacking piece definitely not for everyday wear and out of it's element. 

Wow that's sad to hear.  Build quality and durability should go hand in hand!  Why make something "fragile" at all!?  and charge nearly 400 dollars for it to boot!?  I was looking at this jacket,..not anymore.  I've had Patagonia my down sweater and beat it to death with minimal wear showing,.. that's saying something!  

JasonSH wrote:

Wow that's sad to hear.  Build quality and durability should go hand in hand!  Why make something "fragile" at all!?  and charge nearly 400 dollars for it to boot!?  I was looking at this jacket,..not anymore.  I've had Patagonia my down sweater and beat it to death with minimal wear showing,.. that's saying something!  

As mentioned above, the LT line is made as light as possible.  "As light as possible" and "durable" are necessarily at odds.  If it was durable, that means they could make it lighter by using a thinner fabric and thus wouldn't be in the LT line.  They of course make durable pieces, but that's not what the LT line is.  The Patagonia down sweaters are not made as light as possible to add durability.

Jared Casper wrote:

 The Patagonia down sweaters are not made as light as possible to add durability.

Edit, the pataguchi down sweaters are made for appearing to look good in line at starbucks.

I love my Montbell Mirage, it's light as can be and incredibly warm. You'll see me using it ski touring, you won't see me at starbucks or walking the dog with it.

i have had mixed experiences with arcteryx stuff.  i had a pack that was great and ultra durable.  i also had a gamma mx hoody that i really loved how it was laid out, but literally had to send it in on a yearly basis to get the zipper replaced.  it would always split in the same location -  a stiffness transition at the bottom of the upper chest pockets.

Nick Drake wrote:

Edit, the pataguchi down sweaters are made for appearing to look good in line at starbucks.

I love my Montbell Mirage, it's light as can be and incredibly warm. You'll see me using it ski touring, you won't see me at starbucks or walking the dog with it.

ha ha, that's what the pataguchi is for  :)

Mikeybarro wrote: So I think I may have posted something similar about this before, but I love arcteryx, their mission, their passion, and their products. But I'm having some frustrations. Soon I will have sent back 6 items in the past three years to them for warranty. I'll go through a short list with the warranty's response and I would like y'alls opinion. Is it me? Is anyone else having these issues? 1. Received Alpha SV from online retailer with a hole in it. (patched for free) 2. 1 yr later- discovered leakage in the seems of that same Alpha SV (replaced for free) 3. 1 yr later- discovered delamination in the collar of that Alpha SV replacement (replaced again) 4. Same week- discovered seem separation in gamma lt pants (fixed for free) 5. Same week- discovered delamination in venta sv (replaced with cerium lt at no extra cost) 6. months later (last night)- a baffle in my cerium lt burst while I was at a house party for no apparent reason. I didn't even notice until a bountiful supply of down feathers filled the room. My friends ask me why I keep buying from them, and I had to seriously consider this question. Right now the only thing keeping my loyalty has got to be their awesome warranty. But I don't know if they will cover the last item. Does anyone else have these issues at all with them? This seems weird. (granted item number 1 may not be Arcteryx's fault)

If you have problems with fabrics delaminating or tape on seams coming off these are issues for the fabric maker not Arc Teryx. As a former industry pro these returns always go straight to W.L. Gore etc. whoever made the fabric. The fabric vendors may work closely with the Labels, but the tech is all on them. The taping machines are virtually never at fault, but there is lots of voodoo in the laminating process as well as tape adhesives.

Baffle bursting, that is likely technique on the part of the seamstress or a poor material choice on the inside (often a different material is used for baffles as compared to the outer/inner layers). Happens.

I will tell you straight up virtually none of these companies are selling you what you need (and they know it, they use focus groups to figure out what you think you need). So they are selling you only what YOU think you need. If this uber tech light miracle crap doesn't hold up its because you don't realize that you actually don't want it to....sporty guy. You are paying for this years color (determined 3 years ago by color houses), this years trims and styles (determined 2 years ago by designers) and fabrics (determined up to 4 years previously) etc etc. When you get your first presentation by a button vendor years before they are ever seen in the market you will understand.

:mindblown:

Reviving an old thread to say I've had the same experience. I bought an Arcteryx gore tex jacket in the late 1990s; around 10 years later the urethane zippers started to delaminate. Arcteryx replaced it. Several years later the gore tex on that jacket started to delaminate. They replaced it again. Now 4 years later, the gore tex on this jacket is starting to delaminate.

Not sure what's going to happen. If they replace it again, I've lucked into getting a lifetime of jackets for one (not so) low price. But maybe one of these days they'll tell me to buy a new one.

FWIW, these jackets don't see hard use. I bring much lighter, non-waterproof shells into the mountains these days. I use the Arcteryx around town to stay dry in the rain and snow. And to look good. This last jacket looks brand new besides the bubbling. The problem only appears on a couple of the fabric panels.