Why is Arcteryx so expensive?

What if excess accumulation of capital for the transaction to acquire their goods was environmentally wasteful?

Marc801 C wrote:

It's also shockingly easy to buy counterfeit Arcteryx on eBay. There's a thread here expressly about that. Be careful

Not really. The counterfeit stuff is so poorly done its really on the buyer... 

NateGfunk wrote:

Not really. The counterfeit stuff is so poorly done its really on the buyer... 

It’s more complex than that:

NateGfunk wrote:

Not really. The counterfeit stuff is so poorly done its really on the buyer... 

If you don't have an eye for details (which many people don't) it can be easy. 

Some of this is personal taste but I'd definitely say arcteryx is at the top or very close when it comes to style, fit, function, and durability.  Maybe Patagonia is close but seriously, OR doesn't even come close...look at the stitching for one.  Does Patagonia even match Arc'teryx stitch count per inch?

As far as standing behind their product I've been impressed with Arc'teryx customer service.  I had an alpha lt jacket for 10 years that saw heavy use backpacking. It was close to trash but I sent it in to see if they could fix the back hem that had come unglued.  Instead of a repair they said it was a manufacturing defect and gave me $400 towards a new jacket of my choice.  That's more than I spent on the original jacket, and honestly that jacket was just at the end of it's useful life.

And as far as the denier a 40D jacket may get you through some storms but good luck when the factory dwr wears off and your home applied dwr doesn't perform.  That's where a higher 70d or higher jacket will perform better in the long run.  And Gore Tex is really a half scam anyway but I digress...

Is Arc'teryx really worth the extra dough?  For most probably not, but they are very well built items that have had more thought put into them then most other manufacturers down into the smallest details.  I have two of their hardshells two different atom jackets and some other odds and ends.  It's all great stuff that performs well and looks great.  Their colorways are always interesting too.  

Lena chita wrote:

This one

He has a short sleeve and a long sleeve version. 

Wife liked the one I grabbed on sale so much, she made me get another for when the first one fails.   I wear it to work all the time,  but does show some piling where my backpack straps rest over the trapezius muscles (not readily observable touch by someone at non-intimate distances).    

Most of the goods come from china. no thanks.

Jeffrey Constine wrote: Most of the goods come from china. no thanks.

What wrong with goods from China?

Lena chita wrote:

LOL! yeah, there is that. Like I said, I can't see how it would be considered a piece of technical outdoor clothing by any stretch of imagination.

But I don't think it is. I think this shirt is a clear case of them taking the technology they have, and making a "lifestyle" piece.

And if weren't for the gift of the first one, I would have never considered buying one. But my husband got it as a gift, and I realized that i love it, that it looks good, is durable, easy to care for, and not that much more expensive than a good business shirt that requires fussy dry cleaning. And so they got a repeat customer for that particular item.

The funny thing is I actually do occasionally forget to change or don't have time so I have more than once taken laps on an offwidth in button down shirts

This "Jacket" is out of control. There is just absolutely no way they can justify that price to anyone other than some gullible yuppie.

Danger-Russ Gordon wrote: This "Jacket" is out of control. There is just absolutely no way they can justify that price to anyone other than some gullible yuppie.

Lol to each their own I guess

I happen to have picked up one of their 1000$ Veilance jackets at a used gear sale for 160$.  It's nice and it looks good, but it isn't MUCH better than a 250$ Atom LT.  That being said the Atom LT is an incredible piece of gear and is one of my all-time favorite jackets.

Arcteryx also has a pretty insane repair policy.  They repaired a pair of their SV climbing pants for me without any problems after I tore a hole in them with my crampons.  They were many years old at the point, but I have them back and they are like new.  My roommate got a small hole is his Atom LT and he sent it in and they apologized for not having the color material needed to repair it anymore so they offered to give him any new jacket he wanted 500$ or under.  That is service!

Danger-Russ Gordon wrote: This "Jacket" is out of control. There is just absolutely no way they can justify that price to anyone other than some gullible yuppie.

I love it. I bet the margin they make on these is absurd - imagine what they'd charge for their functional stuff if they didn't have these!

Also, since I moved to Switzerland I've been blown away how many people here use high-end gear. I climb with the equivalent of dirtbag climbers here sometimes (not that there is a direct equivalent - people are always so fashionable) and they all use Arc'teryx or Mammut harnesses, shells, pants, etc. They love to pay for quality.

Sportmachen in Europe is no joke! You should see how decked-out the people are at my gym in Berlin. You don't just go for a hike or a quick run after work. Doing Sport is a distinct effort.

Yes Arc’teryx is expensive. More so than comparable pieces from other companies? Not so much. Like others have said, Arc’teryx is only in the high end market, while other quality brands (Patagonia, etc.) make budget-oriented jackets in addition to professional-grade. Personally, I own a number of arc pieces and they consistently fit me MUCH better than similar offerings from other brands. That said, I don’t think I could bring myself to pay full price for any of it, but that’s usually not necessary. Shop sales/clearance and it will be well worth the investment. 

Tim Opsahl wrote: I would assume they need an absolutely stellar customer service team and take little complaint for repairs at the cost, and thus the idea is that you're buying something that you'll use for 10 years. I bought an Arcteryx piece on sale and love it, but don't think it's uniquely different than anything else.

Does anyone have experience with their team on repairs of their gear?

I recently sent an 8 year old jacket back for a seam repair, and instead was given a new jacket when they discovered an issue with the gore tex delaminating in spots. I spent another $70 to upgrade to a burlier jacket.  

The process took about 8 weeks, but I thought it was handled well throughot and definitely can't complain about the outcome.

Arcteryx soft goods are high quality, both in design and materials and can't be beat for skiing.  For climbing I like their light weight windbreaker and puffy.  Only drawback is that my Arcteryx stuff never wears out.  Yes, you have to pay up to get the best.  Or get a pro deal.

I bought the the lighter weight version of Acrteryx's first gen top of the line mountaineering jacket when I was about 26 years old.  I used the hell out of that jacket.  30+ days a year skiing between backcountry and lift served.  About 10 days a year ice climbing.  One or two big peaks per year.  I took it with me as my rain jacket for spring and fall backpacking trips.  I finally retired it after catching a branch skiing through tight trees two years ago at age 47.  The fit of the jacket was excellent.  You don't understand the amount of thought Arcteryx puts into a piece of clothing until you get out and use it.  My jacket moved with me in a way that never hindered my movement.  It kept me dry in extremely adverse conditions.  It held up to hard use for over 20 years.  Arcteryx fixed the zipper for me and I still have the piece as a back up jacket.  My new jacket?  Arcteryx's top of the line ski shell.  I fully expect that this shell will last for the rest of my life.  Arcteryx gear is totally worth the price if the following applies:

You work/recreate in areas where gear failure can be catastrophic to your health.
You want clothing that is tailored to your active movement and never seems to bind.
You appreciate outerwear that has just what you need an nothing you don't.
You wear your gear for it's whole lifespan, rather than updating every few years for fashion's sake.
You are willing to choke down the high initial cost for a piece of gear that will actually save you money if you amortize it over the lifespan.

I love every piece of Arcteryx gear I have.  Shells, shell mittens, climbing harness - All seem perfectly designed to do what they are supposed to do without you ever giving them another thought.  I don't own any of their lifestyle wear stuff because I'm not willing to spend that kind of money for my normal clothes but when it comes to technical outerwear?  I'm probably going to spring for the dead bird.

Cheers

The Veilance line is for rubes and fools easily parted with their money. Comparing it to other technical gear offerings is apples to oranges. Yes it's crazy, but good for atx trying to capture that "outdoor fashion" segment. I mean, why not? You don't have to spend 1k on an atom LT, so don't worry about it. Maybe that extra money they're making will translate into better designed technical pieces for you and me...who knows.

Other than that, I find their alpine and ski gear well designed for specific purposes and situations that climbers/skiiers put the gear though and I think they put more thought into it than most other companies. Fit aside, Quality feels better to me. Comparing like pieces I've had over the years, the atx stuff is noticeably nicer than OR, a bit nicer than Patagonia and Mammut. These are just my opinions based on my own experiences with multiple pieces of like clothing from different manufacturers.

Made in Canada certainly adds some cost to certain pieces, but that's ok. I've only had to ever buy one Dullay or SV shell so an extra few $ doesn't bother me if it'll hold up. Other than an atom LT that I ripped an arm off on a snagged nail in my shed (idiocy on my part), none of my atx pieces have had to be replaced after many seasons of hard use. Can't say the same for the other stuff I've used in it's place.

In regards to their repair team; my experience was very positive as well. I had one of their harnesses and there were a few stray orange fibers around the belay loop. Only a few, definitely not a wear patch, but I took a picture and emailed it into them to get their read on it. They said it was probably OK but better to be safe than sorry. In exchange for my harness with 300+ pitches, 4 seasons, and 2-3x gym days a week on it, they sent me a brand new one. No cost. Not sure why, as harnesses wear and I would have been happy buying a new one, but it was pretty sweet. I have no doubt that they'd take care of other issues with clothing as well.

One plus side; since they change their colors so often, this stuff goes on sale ALL THE TIME. Often times you'll find certain pieces for comparable or less than some of the other more budget friendly brands. If you're paying full MSRP you're doing it wrong.

PS: The Alpha SV jacket is the best serious alpine shell. Fight me.

Thanks for all the great answers and insights. I really appreciate it. Wanted to reply yesterday but ran into the "Post limits" curse of MP.