This jacket is great. While this is the first quality jacket I've ever had, I did check out a few others while shopping around for this one. Needless to say, the Venta AR was the undisputed winner. I wear this jacket daily whether I'm going to the office or to the bar (though a midlayer is needed when the temps drop real low here in Chiacgo). After owning for months, I was itching to put it to technical use. Finally I got the chance during my annual day after Christmas hike in NW Michigan. This jacket stops all wind, sheds water very well for a 'water resistant' jacket, and is quite warm for its weight. I could not believe how much it breathes. Normally by the time we reach camp on the hike in, I'm down to a base layer that's covered in sweat. With this jacket, my temperature was regulated wonderfully and I kept surprisingly dry.
Around the time of purchasing the Venta, I also bought a Marmot Sharp Point, an Arc'Teryx Sigma LT, and a FlyLow Kung Fu. The Marmot was nice, though the pit zips made it very uncomfortable with only a t shirt on under it. Plus the fit wasn't as athletic as you get with the Arc-Teryx. So the Marmot was returned. The Sigma LT was nice, though was much lighter than I was looking for (which is what the 'LT' stands for). I got a good deal on it though and my friend was in the hunt for a great jacket of its type so I passed it onto him. The FlyLow was the only other keeper. Since it has a hood and 15K waterproofness, I thought it would be good to keep around when the skies decide to open up. The FlyLow is nice, though not as warm or breathable as the Venta AR and the build quality doesn't match up to that of Arc'Teryx.
All in all, the Venta AR is amazing. As my first Arc'Teryx product, it has solidly captured my affection and trust for the brand. Now that I'm in the market for a midlayer fleece, Arc'Teryx is the first (and maybe the only) place I'll be looking. Any suggestions??