Although we believe that lighter weight jackets are the ideal choice for the vast majority of outdoor activities, there are still some circumstances when you might want something a truly tough, such as long expeditions to remote places with severe weather. Enter the Arc'teryx Alpha SV, which is a durable heavy-duty hardshell with an outstanding track record.
Performance Comparison
The Arc'Teryx lineup of Alpha clothing is designed for "minimalist climbing and alpinism" and those are the situations where our testers were most happy wearing the Alpha SV jacket.
Weather Protection
The SV in Alpha SV stands for severe and that's exactly the type of weather this jacket is good for. It's 100-denier Gore-Tex Pro fabric is exceptionally waterproof and the durable water repellent treatment continued to consistently bead water three months into our tests. At first, the hood may feel a little baggy without a helmet on, but tighten the rear drawcord, and it snugs right up.
Water continued to bead on the 100-denier Gore-Tex Pro fabric throughout our entire three months of testing.
In our shower test, the hood proved effective at directing water away from the tester's face in part thanks to the sturdy reinforced three inch brim. The hook-and-loop wrist cuffs also provide a reliable closure that kept the sleeves in place during a variety of movements.
The Alpha SV weighed in at 18.4 oz for a size large, making it one of the heaviest jackets in the hardshell review.
Weight
One of the drawbacks to the Alpha SV's considerable weather protection is some added weight and bulk. At 18.4 ounces for a size large, it's one of the heaviest jackets in our hardshell review. This is obviously a problem for long-distance adventures or drier climates where you end up carrying a hardshell more often than wearing one. The added weight shouldn't be a problem, however, for this jacket's intended use: full-on wintry expeditions.
The Alpha SV offers great wind and snow protection on the downhill, but you'll probably want to take it off for the uphill because it's not especially breathable.
Mobility and Fit
The Alpha SV has a noticeably more baggy cut than most other hardshells and its Arc'teryx relative, the Alpha FL. This can make it look less than stylish on skinny folks or anyone only wearing thin baselayers underneath. Our distaste for this billowy fit disappears, however, when we add extra mid layers or tuck it into a climbing harness. In these cases, the fit of the Alpha SV feels a lot better and our climbing testers praised the freedom of movement it offered while remaining tucked in.
The Alpha SV has a pair of underarm vents for shedding excess heat. These are a nice feature for moderate levels of exertion, but inadequate for sustained uphill charging.
Venting and Breathability
At 100-denier, the Gore-Tex Pro fabric on the Alpha SV feels thicker than lower denier Gore-Tex Pro fabrics found on many other hardshells. In our stationary bike test, this thicker fabric also seemed to be slightly less breathable. This jacket manages to negate this drawback to some degree with the inclusion of underarm vents for shedding excess heat. These help a bit, but for sustained high-intensity activities, choose a different shell or plan to get sweaty.
A small piece of felt on the inside of the zipper protects your chin and lips if you need to keep the Alpha SV fully zipped up for anything length of time.
Features and Design
Without the restrictions of ultralight weight targets, the designers of the Alpha SV had the freedom to add a few nice features. The most useful is probably the pit zips that boost your venting options. Another design feature we appreciated is all the storage space — the Alpha SV has no less than five pockets: two external chest, one internal chest, one on the left sleeve, and an internal mesh stash pocket. What it doesn't have is hand pockets, but that's okay because it leaves the jacket smooth across the waist where a backpack belt or climbing harness rubs.
Without a belt or harness to tuck it into, the Alpha SV can feel a little billowy in the front.
Value
This jacket's astronomical price tag is sure to raise eyebrows, especially when you pick one up and realize it's just a thin, uninsulated shell. The cost could be justified, however, if you can appreciate the sophistication of its design and the 217-step process that is needed to manufacture one. We believe that most shoppers don't need a jacket this serious, but for those that do, its high cost probably still represents a decent value considering the substantial performance it provides.
A hardshell jacket is an important piece of clothing, but without good insulating layers you'll end up like these icy stalagmites: frozen.
Conclusion
The
Alpha SV has been a cornerstone of the Arc'teryx technical clothing lineup for more than twenty years, and it's easy to understand why. This jacket is extraordinarily high-quality and offers weather protection that few other models can match. The 100-denier Gore-Tex Pro fabric is also sturdy enough to hold up to extended abuse. If your ambitions demand clothing for the harshest conditions on planet earth, the Alpha SV remains a worthy choice.
