Arc'teryx Sabre / Sentinel Sustainability Report

The Sabre features an 80-denier nylon shell paired with a 3-layer Gore-Tex membrane, creating a balance between durability and lightweight comfort. Arc’teryx’s attention to detail, including strong stitching and premium materials, contributes to its reliable construction. Expect dependable performance for multiple seasons of regular skiing.

Choosing durable outdoor gear is perhaps the most effective way to reduce environmental impact—the longer it lasts, the less it needs to be produced. Our proprietary longevity rating evaluates overall build quality based on factors such as materials, fabric denier, component durability (including zippers and toggles), real-world performance as reported by our field testers, and our experiences with the brand. Overall, we feel strongly that reducing overall consumption is a cornerstone of sustainability.

The Arc'teryx Sabre will keep you dry with a PFAS-free durable water repellent (DWR). As of 2025, Arc’teryx reports that it has phased out intentionally added PFAS from its DWR treatments.

The DWR (Durable Water Repellent) finish is a product’s direct defense against outside moisture, and commonly contains PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). These synthetic compounds, known as "forever chemicals,” are found in a range of gear categories, from jackets to footwear. They resist water, oil, and heat exceptionally well, making them ideal for outdoor use, but their nearly indestructible nature also means that they take an extremely long time to degrade in nature, if at all. PFAS can eventually end up in everything from soil to drinking water and have been linked to a range of health issues.

The Sabre jacket has a PFAS-free waterproof membrane. Arc’teryx reports that it has phased out intentionally added PFAS from its materials, including transitioning its Gore-Tex products to newer membranes made without intentionally added PFAS chemistry. The brand also monitors manufacturing controls at raw-material suppliers to reduce the risk of PFAS contamination.

The membranes of certain waterproof products, including rain jackets, ski jackets, ski bibs, hardshells, and hiking footwear, commonly contain PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). These synthetic compounds, known as "forever chemicals,” resist water, oil, and heat exceptionally well, making them ideal for outdoor use, but their nearly indestructible nature also means that they take an extremely long time to degrade in nature, if at all. PFAS can eventually end up in everything from soil to drinking water and have been linked to a range of health issues.

The Arc'teryx Sabre features a recycled nylon face fabric. In 2025, Arc’teryx used 50% recycled or low-impact nylon and 61% recycled or low-impact polyester (up from 31% and 47% in 2023, respectively). While the company fell short of its interim goal of reaching 75% recycled polyester by 2025, it met its 2025 nylon goal and anticipates being on track to achieve 100% recycled or low-impact nylon and polyester by 2030.

Outdoor gear can be made partly or entirely from recycled materials, the most common being nylon, polyester, wool, and down. Some products include a single recycled component or a partially recycled fabric, while others are 100% recycled (generally excluding accessories like zippers, Velcro, toggles, etc.). For our sustainability ratings, we evaluate the amount of recycled materials in a particular product and assign points accordingly.

Arc’teryx lists the Sabre as containing Bluesign-approved materials, but it does not identify which materials those are. Arc’teryx became a Bluesign System Partner in 2013, signaling its commitment to reducing its environmental and chemical impacts. Since then, the brand has adopted Bluesign’s Restricted Substance List across its supply chain. While Arc’teryx does not publish the overall percentage of Bluesign-approved materials it uses, the majority of Arc’teryx products reviewed by Better Trail incorporate them.

Bluesign Technologies, based in Switzerland, operates a third-party textile certification system that ensures materials are manufactured to strict environmental, chemical, and worker safety standards. A Bluesign-approved material indicates that it has undergone a rigorous vetting process based on the criteria above. A Bluesign Product goes the next mile, containing at least 90% Bluesign-approved fabrics and at least 30% Bluesign-approved accessories.

The Sabre is not manufactured in a Fair Trade Certified (FTC) factory. In 2025, 83% of Arc’teryx products were made in Fair Trade Certified facilities, surpassing its 80% target, with five additional factories earning certification during the year. FTC partner brands receive a point in this category for all their products, as participation in the Fair Trade system positively influences a brand’s entire supply chain—even if not every product is made in Fair Trade Certified factories. Since partnering with Fair Trade USA, the brand has supported more than 25 facilities through the certification process, including one of the first-ever FTC footwear factories. Fair Trade Certification ensures that factories adhere to rigorous social and environmental standards, including fair wages, safe working conditions, and sustainable resource management. FTC partner brands also pay into Fair Trade Premiums, a fund owned by workers who collectively choose how to use the money to improve their communities.

This criterion evaluates a brand's commitment to fair wages, safe working conditions, and reducing its environmental impact throughout the production process. Responsible manufacturing is most commonly demonstrated through certifications and membership in programs such as Fair Trade Certified, Fair Wear Foundation, Worldwide Responsible Accreditation of Production, and the Fair Labor Association. We also recognize brands that prioritize local production, such as those that manufacture primarily in the United States or Europe, to reduce carbon emissions, maintain better oversight of working conditions, and comply with strict social and environmental regulations.

Although waste from packaging and operations represents less than 1% of Arc’teryx’s total emissions, the brand is working to reduce its impact. In 2025, Arc’teryx assessed its waste footprint and began tracking waste generation and diversion to identify areas for improvement. It also increased its use of recycled-plastic polybags, reduced plastic in some packaging, replaced some physical samples with 3D product renders, improved packaging recyclability, and reduced ink use on footwear boxes by 80%. The brand also uses FSC-certified paper for items including hangtags, hang cards, and footwear boxes.

Packaging can add significant waste to an outdoor gear purchase and often ends up in landfills. Many brands are using recycled packaging and/or making efforts to reduce packaging altogether. For example, they may use a certain percentage of recycled cardboard or make efforts to use less plastic or paper across their packaging operation. In some cases, brands also use Forest Stewardship Council-certified paper products, which helps to ensure sustainable sourcing of forest materials.

Arc’teryx offers robust repair services through its ReBird program. Most repairs are free, while others are provided for a small fee. Simple repairs can be handled in-store at ReBird Service Centers, while more complex repairs can be mailed into the brand. In 2025, Arc’teryx opened 17 new ReBird Service Centers globally. The brand reported repairing over 50,000 garments the same year, constituting a 27% increase in total repairs. Arc’teryx also prioritizes education by publishing washing and waterproofing tutorials to ensure people can keep their gear functioning properly.

Repair services extend the lifespan of outdoor gear and reduce overall consumption. Some brands offer comprehensive repair programs that can fix a wide range of issues, while others have more limited capabilities. If a brand's warranty policy only covers replacement, rather than repair, these programs usually do not meet this criterion.

You can trade in your old Arc’teryx gear or buy used products from the company’s ReBird Resale program. Additionally, if your used gear is beyond repair or too battered to sell, the company’s repair technicians will repurpose the old material to make or repair other products. Arc’teryx also partners with Debrand and Ambercycle to find responsible end-of-life solutions for unusable products, including recycling, textile-to-textile recycling, and waste-to-energy incineration. In 2025, Arc’teryx expanded its ReBird circularity program to 42 service centers globally, while resale purchases grew 24%. The brand also helped pilot the new Testex Circularity Label, a third-party standard evaluating product durability, repairability, and recyclability, with one Arc’teryx product qualifying for the certification.

Resale and recycling programs help keep outdoor gear in circulation for longer and out of landfills. The most common form is a trade-in program, where consumers can exchange items for store credit, which is then resold. Some brands accept products back for recycling at the end of their life, thereby reducing waste. Occasionally, some do both.

Arc’teryx has been tracking its environmental impact using Higg Index tools since 2014—and we love its thorough and transparent reporting. The brand is targeting net-zero emissions by 2050 (which it defines as a 90% reduction in emissions compared to its 2022 baseline). In the short term, Arc’teryx plans to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 90% and its Scope 3 emissions by 42% by 2030. These targets are verified by the Science Based Targets initiative, which ensures that reduction goals are aligned with Paris Agreement warming thresholds. In 2025, Arc’teryx reported a 9% increase in total greenhouse gas emissions from 2024. However, Arc’teryx saw a 17% decrease in emissions intensity from 2024 and a 41% decrease since 2022, indicating that its emissions are growing more slowly than its business. While this is a positive sign, the brand acknowledges that reducing its absolute emissions remains its primary goal.

This criterion evaluates whether this brand measures its greenhouse gas emissions, along with its commitment to reduction and transparency in reporting. Typically, we require brands to follow established frameworks such as the Higg Index, Greenhouse Gas Protocol, or The Change Climate Project. Most companies use the widely recognized scope categorization system for measuring brand emissions. Those who earn the most points in this category have emissions reduction goals verified by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), a global organization that helps companies set greenhouse gas reduction targets in line with the goal of limiting global warming to well below 2°C. To verify their goals through SBTi, companies undergo a rigorous assessment process and continual follow-up to ensure consistent progress towards achieving their targets.

Arc’teryx has published a comprehensive annual impact report each year since 2019, covering nearly all of Better Trail’s sustainability criteria. These reports provide year-over-year data on key initiatives, including responsible material sourcing, greenhouse gas reduction, and circularity initiatives. Unlike many brands owned by parent companies, Arc’teryx publishes its own independent impact report in addition to the annual report released by its parent company, Amer Sports. This ensures that we have highly detailed data about the brand’s emissions reduction progress, among other topics.

An impact report is an important step toward transparency and accountability on the sustainability front. These reports vary in form but generally cover topics such as material sourcing, greenhouse gas emissions tracking, waste and water usage, supply chain analysis, and packaging efforts. For our sustainability ratings, we evaluate this criterion based on the depth and quality of the information provided in the report, and how often it is produced. Some brands produce their own impact report, while others are published by their parent company. In practice, we’ve found that reports produced by individual brands include more detailed information about their sustainability efforts.