Arc'teryx Men's Venta SV Jacket

This is a nicely designed jacket-- not bulky (substantial, but not too heavy material). Windstopper makes it a decent shell for cold days, and the excellent pit zips let you ventilate when needed. The hood is quite large, so it can accommodate a helmet; without a helmet it is still workable, thanks to adjustment clips. The inside zip pocket is smaller than I anticipated-- not quite big enough to hold a wallet, but plenty roomy for a few credit cards and a key. The two outside pockets are quite capacious, tho.
The lining appears to be a high-quality, short-nap fleece, almost like the felt on a pool table. If you are wearing any sort of a flannel or fleece sweater, it is grabby when you try to slide your arms into the sleeves. Not a huge deal; on the plus side, the lining adds a bit of warmth without being at all bulky.
I am 5'11" and 198 lbs with a 36" waist. Was gonna get a Large, but decided to go XL so I could wear a sweater and lightweight down jacket if needed. Glad I did! Even with just a shirt on, it is not over-large at all (though the sleeves are 2-3 inches longer than my 36" arms need; the velcro straps at the end solve that issue), yet I have enough room to add layers if I need them. The Large would have been too tight.
Some companies' XL sizes are huge, but not so with Acr'teryx.

Just received this jacket today in Nightshade after looking at it for several months. I am 5'5" and 145lbs, 40'chest. After reading several reviews, I ordered the small and it fits perfectly with the right amount of room to move. The Nightshade has a little tinge of deep blue to it where I thought that the jacket was more gray on-line, all good though. This jacket replaced an old workhorse Patagonia jacket of the wind blocking variety, and I can say that I already like the lighter weight of this jacket better.
Either way, the fit was spot on and the construction of the jacket looks correct. (read a lot of negative reviews about the fabrication in China and some disappointment) The seam taping is on center and stitching is tight. The tail of the jacket does drop about 3" from the front, but that is fine by me if I am sitting on a skilift. The light weight and brushed inside gives the feel of a lighter shell, which is what I was looking to get. Arm movement is not restricted and the cuffs synch up nicely. I will test drive this over the next couple of weeks and see what happens.

I have had this for a season and what has been a blip of a season on the east coast in 2012. I basically ski no off piste so no need for the powder skirt etc etc.
I ski in this with an icebreaker 200 or 260 long sleeve and a t-shirt underneath. If it looks like being particularly bitter I will add a fleece. I have never been cold. The breathability is magnificant too.
I am 5'10 and 190lb and I got the medium. Maybe a snug fit for some but after spending time in europe that is how I prefer it. If I used for climbing I would maybe have gone bigger.
I went the blue and could never believe at the time that I spent this much on a jacket but its great.

By far the best soft shell I've ever owned. I'm a jacket junkie and this is truly my favorite one. It's super light, great fit (I'm 5'9" 145 lbs) medium, soft and bombproof. It's looks and feels great. The temperature was 30 degrees and some wind and I wasnt cold at all. Wasn't warm either but I had a loose knit, very thin long sleeve on underneath(you can almost see through it), practically like wearing nothing underneath. I didn't give zippers much thought until I put the venta sv on. Super easy and fast and started noticing why people keep mentioning how great the zippers on this thing. All around a perfect jacket. No wonder it was awarded the editors choice soft shell by outdoors gear lab. Highly recommend and worth every penny!

What's awsome:
-the jacket is completely windproof
-keeps out snow and all but the worst downpours.
-hood is truely helmet compatible, and can be forgotten easily if you want due to design of drop hood.
-breathable. Pit zips give you added control over your temp.
-cuffs cinch down nicely without bunching up and getting uncomfortable.
- included pockets are good sized and well placed.
- material is soft and flexible and downright comfortable.
- fit is really nice throughout body, unrestricted arm movement
-zippers move real smooth, even pit zips.
Critiques:
-Drop hem is very pronounced, could lessen the difference in length between front and rear hem.
-exterior chest pocket would be nice
Lots of weather protection and a solid set of features with spot-on fit. Good luck finding a better softshell.

It seems companies are developing so many different kinds of jackets for everyday weather situations. However, I find myself a little lost in all these new technologies coming out every season and they all appear the same to me (personally). But, I must say the the Arc'teryx SV stands alone in the gear race. The jacket's fit is perfect, weight is perfect, weather protection is perfect, range of motion is perfect, and the manner has a simple rustic look.

This past winter was one of the coldest and driest on record for northern Utah. I'm glad I had this jacket for the winter because it was perfect. For this climate this jacket is perfect. Keeps me protected from the elements so I can enjoy the outdoors!

If you're beside yourself between the Venta MX & SV ,the SV has better internal installation and when ice climbing in my opinion that's a major plus.