Why Arc’teryx Is So Expensive? Worth The Price, or is Overpriced?

There are numerous brands out there. Some are comparable to each other regarding how durable their products are or how well their products perform in the long run. And Arc’teryx is one of such renowned brands. They promise to deliver well-made & high-quality clothing and climbing gear built to last for a long-time! But their pricing seems quite extravagant, and the reason behind it is worth knowing. Hence, we have put forth in detail why they are so expensive. So that you can eventually decide whether the money Arc’teryx charges is entirely reasonable from the standpoint of their material cost.

Well, outdoor gear and equipment can cost you a lot and there are many brands that make quality outdoor equipment, for instance, Patagonia. But for now, we will only stick to Arc’teryx – a brand that is widely known for producing innovative, beautiful, practical, and long-lasting equipment for the outdoors. The gear Arc’teryx builds are pretty much unique.

Their fabric composition makes the outdoor apparel soft and resilient. Even their outdoor backpacks and accessories are durable and sturdy but a bit expensive. And being expensive is where the curiosity lies most of the time! But is Arc’teryx superior to other brands that produce outdoor equipment?

In this article, we have tried knocking the bottom out of all the myths to find out why Arc’teryx makes expensive stuff. So, the next time you visit their website or store, you would not back off to purchase their premium items even if the price seems a bit high.

A Brief History of Arc’teryx

Let’s begin with a brief history of the brand itself. Arc’teryx is a design company that sells outdoor clothing and climbing gear. It’s headquartered in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The company was founded back in 1989, and its first line of products was climbing gear. Later on, it was named Arc’teryx in 1991 by Dave Lane, who originally founded the Rock Solid company in 1989. In January 2001, Arc’teryx was purchased by the Adidas-owned Salomon Group.

In May 2005, Amer Sports purchased the Salomon Group from Adidas. And since 2019, the Amer Sports Corporation has been owned by Anta Sports Products Limited (owned by Anta Sports Products Limited since 2019), which is a Chinese sports equipment multinational corporation. The name and logo of this brand have been derived from one of the earliest birds- Archaeopteryx, which is a transitional form between earlier dinosaurs and modern birds.

Purpose

Since the beginning, the goal of Arc’teryx was to benefit an outdoor enthusiast to immerse in the moment of his outdoor activities, regardless of the extreme condition he or she is in. With this goal in mind, the brand created and developed its products through its unique design philosophy, minimalism, and the combination of both art and science. That is what makes the products of Arc’teryx exceptional from any other available brands out there.
But how about their pricing? Why are their products so luxurious or is it just the pricing that they have set too high?

Reason Why Arc’teryx is So Expensive

We think there are three significant reasons that make Arc’teryx so expensive.

1. Research & Development

R&DArc’teryx heavily focuses on its research and development of its fabric technology. That’s one strong area where the products from the brand shine. Their obsessive and cutting-edge R&D process is applied to all the market segments to make sure they are meeting customer aspirations and needs all the time. They maintain their consistency to develop the finest products possible by merging unrivaled designs with the best quality, highest performing materials and assembling them in the most innovative and most durable manner.

2. Making

Arc’teryx uses advanced premium materials, meticulous detail, and unique construction processes. The fabric they use, for instance, Gore-Tex, along with their insulation tech makes them unique. Technically speaking, Arc’teryx uses digital die-cutting machines to cut its fabrics. This is a more expensive process than manual machines or companies whose workers cut fabrics by hand. Besides, hiring labor to design those jackets in Vancouver is quite expensive because the cost of living is so high there.

Well, quality outdoor gear is expensive. Arc’teryx quality surely delivers unrivaled performance and conveys absolute confidence in its users. Anyone using products from Arc’teryx can acknowledge this brand’s overall impression in the outdoor industry.

3. Quality Control & After Sales

It’s a company that really stands behind its products. After assembly, all the Arc’teryx products must pass through a final quality control inspection for workmanship and cosmetic flaws of any type. This quality control signifies the fact that the products are of the highest quality deserving a lifetime warranty from Arc’teryx.

Its products are field-tested in real-world conditions, which fosters insight into developing the highest-performing gear. Besides, all of their items are covered under their limited warranty program. They’ll repair your item, and even replace it if the product is damaged through wear and tear, misuse, or neglect. Price with regard to the quality, and receiving a promising after-sales service- that’s a fantastic combination Arc’teryx is providing to their customers!

So, Worth the Price, or Overpriced?

They are worth the price if you expect a longer-lasting, high-quality performance. Their fabric technology, and what they make using those technologies are second to none. We think its price point doesn’t relate to its superiority over other brands, except for its innovation and commitment. We are living in a time where you will find whimsy brands that recur are run-of-the-mill and it is always overwhelming how high their prices are.

But that should not be the case when it comes to a brand like Arc’teryx that has been here in the outdoor industry for years. Arc’teryx is not an inexpensive brand by any means. It is not cheap in its attention to detail, quality of materials, and manufacturing and it’s not cheap in its price. In our opinion, something is expensive when its price does not really match up to the quality and performance. So no, Arc’teryx is not overpriced. This is a brand that is only as good as the quality of its products