The Beta LT Jacket Hadron by Arc’teryx is a shell that checks every box for a functional, lightweight rain jacket — and it could last you the rest of your life.
The air was cold and filled with misty rain. Everything was wet: the rocks, the mossy hills, the sheep. But I was dry as a bone.
Beads of water rolled off the Arc’teryx Beta LT Hadron Jacket’s hood, onto my shoulders, and tumbled down the hydrophobic GORE-TEX shell.
So far, the jacket was handling the cold, wet, and windy climate of Iceland in late October pretty well. But this was only the first of 9 days — and the weather wasn’t forecasted to get much better. If ever there was a gauntlet for rainwear testing, this was it. If this shell could perform well in this environment, it would perform almost anywhere.
In short: I took the Arc’teryx Beta LT Jacket Hadron to the “Land of Ice and Fire” and wore it almost nonstop every day for 9 days straight. I wore it in blustery winds, rain storms, on cold snowy mornings, and even hiking into sopping wet gorges. It did not fail once.
It proved impenetrable to both wind and water. And paired with a midlayer or two I was warm enough to hike around in freezing temperatures on top of snow-capped mountains. It’s an expensive piece of gear (at $450), but for anyone who takes advantage of Arc’teryx’s “Rebird Program” it could, quite literally, last a lifetime.
To see how the Beta LT Hadron stacks up against the rest of the hardshell jackets on the market, check out GearJunkie’s Best Hardshell Jackets Buyer’s Guide.
Arc’teryx Beta LT Jacket Hadron: Review
Construction and Weatherproofing
Arc’teryx’s Beta Series is “all-round” mountain apparel, designed to perform in a variety of different climates and geographies. The Beta LT Jacket Hadron is made with 3L GORE-TEX utilizing Arc’teryx’s proprietary Hadron LCP (Liquid Crystal Polymer).
All that fancy gear jargon basically means it’s waterproof, windproof, and breathable to boot. So much so, I could stand under a waterfall with the hood up, confident I wouldn’t get soaked. The seams are taped, and the zippers are watertight. And for the sake of overkill, the jacket is also DWR (durable water repellant) treated.
That all also makes this a great piece to layer with. Because it’s impervious to wind and water, I only had to wear one or two midlayers underneath, and I stayed warm in every kind of weather the near-arctic climate threw at me.
The two hand pockets on either side of the jacket were also clutch, acting like little built-in windshields. When I didn’t have gloves, they worked just fine to protect my digits from getting chilly. I did, however, find myself wishing for internal pockets for storage, even if they would have made the jacket a little heavier.
You could wear this jacket skiing (and come springtime, I probably will), as it even includes a Recco reflector for emergency snow situations. And, with brushed microsuede on the inside of the chin-guard, the tall collar felt soft on my face when it was zipped up all the way.
Durability and Weight
Some GORE-TEX jackets (especially lightweight ones) catch, snag, or rip on rough, sharp surfaces. But this jacket is a tank. For a shell that weighs just 9 ounces, the Beta LT Jacket Hadron felt more bombproof and was lighter than any comparable shells I’ve worn. That stood out to me.
For example, my North Face Meru weighs just a little more (at 12.8 ounces), but is not nearly as solid of a piece of gear. That sometimes makes the Beta LT Jacket Hadron look stiff (see image above). But I never once worried about it tearing when I scrambled over jagged rocks or hiked through thick brush.
And it didn’t feel like I was wearing cardboard, which is a win in my book.
The 3L GORE-TEX breathes as designed. But it would have been nice to have pit zips to dump some heat when temperature swings caught us mid-hike.
Product Specs
- Price: $450
- Weight: 9 oz.
- Waterproofing: 3L GORE-TEX, DWR
- Pockets: 2
- Pit zips: No
- Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL
Fit and Style
Arc’teryx designed the Beta LT Hadron Jacket to have a slim, trim fit. It hugs the body nicely and it would have hugged my body even nicer, if I’d gotten a medium instead of a large. However, I wanted to make sure I had ample room for layers underneath (and I like a little baggier fit, anyway).
A slight drop hem protects your booty from getting cold or wet when you sit down. I’m also a fan of how this looks, giving the jacket a little extra length in the back. It’s easily cinched or loosened with two lower hem adjusters.
And the hood: I love helmet-compatible hoods, not just because they’re great for skiing, biking, and climbing, but because I think they look cool as well. A laminated brim provides shade from the sun and shelter from the storms, while an adjustable drawcord makes it easy to lock down over a hat, helmet, another hood, or just your head.
(The internal drawcord release was a little hard to find at first, but once I realized where it was I liked the design. It maintained the jacket’s sleek look, while keeping the button safe from snagging.)
Sustainable Design
Like so many brands, Arc’teryx has recently started designing its products to be as sustainable as possible. The brand’s “dope-dyed” fabric uses less water and energy in the dyeing process.
ReBird: Help Your Shell Last Forever
For $450, the Beta LT Hadron Jacket is pricier than a lot of rain jackets. Part of that is the brand name. But it’s also a high-performance piece of gear that Arc’teryx spent a lot of time, money, and brain power designing.
Still, all that may not be enough to justify that price point for you. But consider this: with the Arc’Teryx “ReBird Program” you can bring this jacket back to an Arc’teryx store with a ReBird service center and it will be able to refurbish, repair, or replace whatever needs to be fixed over the lifetime of your jacket right there.
It’s part of the brand’s effort to increase the longevity of its products, so fewer of them end up in landfills over time. The program’s slogan sums that up: “Waste Less. By Design.”
That earns this jacket extra sustainability points. But it also makes a difference when you’re mulling over the price. If you treat this jacket well, and bring it into a ReBird service center when necessary, you could legitimately make this the last rain jacket you ever buy.
Or, at least, the last one you buy for a long time.
Arc’teryx Beta LT Hadron Jacket: Conclusion
I’ve worn plenty of rain jackets in my day, but this was one of the most comfortable, stylish, and effective I’ve come across. The design is simple, it looks great, and it’s durable, lightweight, and versatile.
There are a lot of rain jackets out there that you could get your hands on for cheaper. That’s a fact.
But when you start using the Beta LT Hadron Jacket, it makes sense why the price point is so high. Even for what it lacks in pit zips and internal storage pockets, this is a rad jacket. I love it. I will continue wearing it.
And, if it ever fails or falls apart, Arc’teryx will fix the problem at a ReBird service center without batting an eyelash.
Check Price at Arc’teryx
