With so many options on the market, it’s hard to know where to look when shopping for a new ski jacket. The decision gets infinitely easier when looking for the best, but that often means forking out more than a thousand dollars for a state-of-the-art jacket made from premium GORE-TEX PRO material. It’s not for everyone, but for those looking for an investment-level upgrade this ski season, your search could start and end with the Arc’teryx Rush jacket (AU$1,150).
This premium ski and snowboarding jacket is designed for those who love backcountry adventures. Deep powder, trees, unpatrolled, unmarked, and ungroomed runs are all highlights of backcountry touring, but Australian skiers and snowboarders wouldn’t know a thing about them. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get very cold in this part of the world, meaning versatility is a key requirement for any jacket we test. One day, you could be braving 100km/h winds, sleet, and -4°C weather, and the next day, the sun might be out with a top of 8°C. That’s exactly why a high-quality shell jacket is always our go-to.
During our testing of this jacket, that was exactly the weather we faced. The Arc’teryx Rush was never phased, but we did learn a few things about it during our week of testing. It’s perfect for Australian conditions, on-mountain, off-mountain, and everywhere else. Still, how did it compare to our favourite Arc’teryx Beta AR and other more affordable jackets we’ve tested? Let’s find out!
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Is the Arc’teryx Rush Warm?
No, this is not a warm jacket. It’s a shell jacket, which means there’s no insulation layer to keep you warm, but that’s how we prefer it in most conditions. Depending on the conditions, the idea is to layer a base and mid-layer with this jacket. We’ve used the Arc’teryx Delta Jacket and a simple white T-shirt in the past, but if you need some extra warmth, a thermal could be added, too.
The purpose of a shell is to deflect the elements and keep them outside the jacket. In the case of the Arc’teryx Rush, it uses GORE-TEX PRO, which has proven itself to be the best shell material. Naturally, the elastic around the base of the jacket and the high collar will help keep in some of your body temperatures, but that’s only good for conditions from 8-16°C with a basic mid-layer. Prepare to layer up if you’re heading into the backcountry with this jacket.
If you need the extra warmth, check out the insulated version of the Arc’teryx Rush (AU$1,300). This jacket swaps out GORE-TEX PRO for GORE-TEX INFINIUM and the brand’s Hadron face fabric for durability.
How Weather Resistant is the Arc’teryx Rush?
We’ve been wearing the Arc’teryx Beta AR for more than 16 months, and this Arc’teryx Rush jacket we’re testing has the same GORE-TEX PRO three-layer construction with Most Rugged Technology on the outer shell. While the Beta AR does a great job every day with rain and wind and would be perfectly suitable for skiing ‘on mountain’, the Arc’teryx Rush is physically longer and does a better job of keeping snow out from around your waist. Because of this, it’s better suited to the backcountry.
Even with our large head and equally large Oakley MOD1 helmet, the StormHood on the Arc’teryx Rush fit easily. It has three pull-tab adjustment points to create a secure fit between the head and hood, meaning less snow down your back and less warmth around your neck.
We’ll also give a special shoutout to the fully waterproof zippers, which are easy enough to use with mittens and gloves. There’s also a particularly high collar to protect the chin (higher than that on the Beta AR) and a powder skirt to keep snow out. Finally, the sleeves are the perfect length for those with longer arms, and the velcro closures are large enough to fit over gloves and easy to use for taking gloves and mittens on and off.
It would be great to test this jacket again in deep snow, but even in Australia, we encountered 100km/h wind speeds, -4°C weather, and sleeting ice. We couldn’t find a fault in the Arc’teryx Rush.
What’s the Fit Like on the Arc’teryx Rush?
Even with an average body type, we had no trouble fitting in the Arc’teryx Rush. That said, it’s quite clearly designed for an athletic fit, with a contoured shape, a high collar, long sleeves, and a good width through the shoulders, chest, and waist. We selected an XL size to match the fit of our Beta AR jacket, but the Arc’teryx Rush is a little larger by design, and we could’ve easily gone down a size to an L. Considering the cost of this jacket, we highly recommend trying it in-store before purchasing.
If you plan on wearing the Arc’teryx Rush as a fashion item, we will steer you toward the Arc’teryx Beta AR jacket instead. The jacket’s high collar and length are accentuated and unsuitable for casual wear, but a suede panel on the inside of the zipper flap stops your chin from being itched, which is a nice addition.
NOTE: Arc’teryx sizing is true-to-size and designed to work as a one-size system from base layer to outer shell, e.g. if you’re a size L, buy every product in size L.
What About Pockets and Storage in the Arc’teryx Rush?
The features of the Rush jacket will be familiar if you’ve worn an Arc’teryx before. There are long zips for ventilation under the armpits, which allow you to expel heat and a powder skirt on the inside, but the highlight is the storage, which is perfect for the backcountry and just enough for resort skiing. Pockets include:
- Two hand pockets, smartly positioned above the backpack waist strap or harness belt
- Two internal dump pockets, large enough for GoPros
- One internal zippered pocket, perfect for your keys and room key
- One sleeve pocket on the upper left arm for an RFID ski pass and/or goggle wipe
- One chest pocket with a zip, especially useful for holding your phone
It’s worth noting that the newest version of the Arc’teryx Rush jacket, which we tested, now has a chest pocket with a zip. We also found the two internal mesh pockets particularly useful for storing our keys and phone, and they were large enough to hold our DJI Osmo Pocket 3, too.
Man of Many’s Verdict on the Arc’teryx Rush Jacket
With recent changes to the model lineup, the Arc’teryx Rush now represents surprising value for a shell jacket of this quality, and with these features. It’s perfectly suited for a mixture of resort and backcountry adventures. If you’re cross-shopping, the Arc’teryx Sabre SV (AUD$1,450) is a better choice for those who want to ski and snowboard in trees because of its more durable N100D face fabric. However, the N80D face fabric found in the Arc’teryx Rush is still exceptional and durable enough for most.
If you’re more of a resort skier and want to wear the jacket casually off the mountain, consider the more affordable Beta AR jacket. This has a shorter collar and length but is a step down in durability with N40d face fabric. It also misses out on the powder skirt, chest, sleeve, and internal mesh pockets.
The short answer is this: If you can afford the Arc’teryx Rush and you do a mixture of resort and backcountry skiing, purchase this jacket.
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