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Home / Travel Gear

Best North Face Jackets

Travel Gear Last Updated · Jun 26th, 2022 · Layer Culture

Are you searching for the best North Face jacket money can buy?

north face jackets
Find the perfect North Face jacket below

Great, who wouldn’t you be interested in purchasing a jacket from one of the biggest names in outdoor wear today.

Did you know the iconic Half Dome logo all started in California?


Quick Answer – Best North Face Jacket

  • Learn About The Brand – Why Choose The North Face?
  • The Best North Face Jackets – See Our Jacket Review
  • Made With Incredible Insulation – The Apex Bionic 2
  • Womens Jacket By North Face – Goose Down Jacket
  • A Truly Revolutionary Design – Made With Thermoball Technology

Which jacket is the best North Face jacket? Which one has all the features you’d need?

All these questions and more will be answered in this helpful guide.

Table of Contents

  • Best North Face Jacket
    • Why Choose A North Face Jacket?
    • Is The North Face A Good Brand?
  • Best North Face Jackets
    • North Face Men’s Apex Bionic 2
    • The North Face Men’s Venture 2 Jacket
    • The North Face Women’s Gotham Down Jacket
    • The North Face Men’s Thermoball Eco Hoodie
    • The North Face Women’s Apex Bionic 2
  • Types of North Face Jackets
    • Active Trail Futurelight™ Jacket
    • Stretch Down Jacket
    • Evolve II Triclimate® Jacket
    • Sangro Jacket
    • Thermoball™
    • Quest Synthetic Jacket
  • Best North Face Jackets: Conclusion

Best North Face Jacket

First, what is The North Face, and what makes it one of the most trusted brands on the planet?

Why has a brand that has been in the public sphere for so long become exponentially popular in recent years?

These questions take us all the way to the company’s inception.

Why Choose A North Face Jacket?

The North Face was started in San Francisco, California by Douglas Tompkins and his wife Susie.

As hiking enthusiasts living in an area vastly populated by non-hikers, they decided to open a store in the bay area and encourage those who didn’t know about the benefits of hiking to give it a try.

They started to test fabrics for waterproofing and invested in outdoor-wear technology.

It was during this time, as the store began to pick up in sales, that they started to endorse and sponsor expeditions.

These were no simple expeditions either, these were undiscovered and untouched regions that were still the frontier in the 1960s.

north face jacket review
The North Face is literally everywhere

This is a practice that the company still partakes in today, with expeditions in untouched regions such as the Towers of Tigray and Shishapangma.

Although Douglas left the company in the late 60s, most of what the company and Doug stood for together carry on today.

Wildlife conservation, expeditions to undiscovered routes, research, and development in technology.

These are all that the North Face stands for today, which originated from Douglas.

Is The North Face A Good Brand?

From the 60s leading into the 90s, North Face had developed a huge range of outdoor-wear to supply the demand from hikers and adventurers.

In the late 90s however, the company dedicated a small percentage of attention to the fashion world.

Supplying merchandise to fashion icons and pop culture icons fuelled the brand’s revitalized fashionable appearance.

North Face backpacks have been a massive hit with the masses.

Soon, North Face became the major brand for not just outdoor-wear but also for status. Not many outdoor companies that started during the boom of the 60s saw a revitalized look as North Face did.

They’re now considered the go-to company for all things jackets and rain-proofing clothing.

Why you should choose North Face:

  • Fashionable and iconic.
  • A brand dedicated to conservation and sustainability.
  • Some of the most advanced technology on the market.

Best North Face Jackets

Up to now, we’ve looked at the history of The North Face, its brand, and why you should choose North Face

Now let’s go deeper into the brand’s amazing jackets and see which will suit you best.

North Face Men’s Apex Bionic 2

north face mens apex

Jacket Features:

  • TNF™ Apex ClimateBlock
  • 100% windproof
  • Stand Collar

Check Price via Amazon

This jacket is unlike any other on the market. Upon first glance, whether online or in person, it seems to be a fleece-type jacket with the same zips and pockets. However, this is not your average everyday jacket.

Keep your warmth inside, with the incredible insulation. But also, this jacket is rated 0 CFM; meaning it is also completely windproof! Can you imagine a windproof fleece?

Doesn’t seem possible, does it? Well, this is proof enough that North Face is one of the best brands on the market right now. North Face defies the laws of nature! Whilst also conserving it, of course.

With multiple colors and designs to choose from, there’s no beating the versatility yet simple nature of the Apex Bionic 2.


The North Face Men’s Venture 2 Jacket

north face venture jacket

Jacket Features:

  • Stowable in hand pocket
  • Waterproof and breathable
  • 100% windproof

Check Price via Amazon

Similar to the current Sangro range, this is a jacket that’s only available from some online stores.

It isn’t one of the flagship designs, which is why it’s no longer manufactured and has in fact been discontinued.

However, it’s one of the nicest looking designs that North Face have ever produced. From multiple colors to choose from, the design is accommodating for fashion as well as for whatever conditions the weather and climate throw at you.

North Face advertised this jacket as being for the ‘backcountry’ since it brings design and comfort into the same descriptive sentence.

If you are looking for a North Face jacket with all the technology of the current range as well as a bit of color to flash at passers-by, this is the jacket you should try and go for before it sells out completely.


The North Face Women’s Gotham Down Jacket

north face gotham jacket

Jacket Features:

  • Heatseeker insulation
  • High-fill RDS (Responsible Down Standard)
  • Removable Faux Fur Ruff

Check Price via Amazon

One of the more fashionably feminine products in the North Face range has a number of capabilities.

However, waterproofing is not one of them. Due to the nature of the jacket being more fashionable than practical, the notion of waterproofing goes out of the window, unfortunately.

If you’re looking for a fashionable goose down jacket with all the mod cons minus serious waterproofing, go for this one.

Although it used to be available in multiple colors, the only current color available is white.

This may be the reason you end up purchasing this fashionable number, or it could be the sole reason you don’t buy it.

Either way, it suits a very specific purpose and sacrifices the versatility that most other North Face jackets have.


The North Face Men’s Thermoball Eco Hoodie

north face thermoball eco hoodie

Jacket Features:

  • Completely stow-able
  • Water repellent
  • Made from recycled content

Check Price via Amazon

Thermoball technology has taken the world by storm. Never before had a powerfully insulating down jacket been able to fit into the palm of one’s hand.

A truly revolutionary design, it’s caused a stir in the industry due to so many conveniences that become inherent to the design.

If you want an emergency weather-proofing hoodie that can stash away in a suitcase, this is the one for you.


The North Face Women’s Apex Bionic 2

north face apex bionic

Jacket Features:

  • TNF™ Apex ClimateBlock
  • 100% windproof
  • Stand Collar

Check Price via Amazon

The women’s version of this incredible jacket is just as versatile and singular as the men’s.

There’s really no comparison to other brands when it comes to this particular product. It’s flattering on the figure and it’s a great value-for-money price. An all-rounder!


Types of North Face Jackets

Active Trail Futurelight™ Jacket

Although this jacket can come in many iterations, it’s the most common jacket available for men on the North Face website.

It is one of the most fashionable and iconic jackets in the domain of outdoor-wear. Not many jackets rival this one, but it could be perceived as being too pricey compared to competitors.

Did you think that North Face was all bark and no bite?

See some of this jacket’s features:

  • Breathable-waterproof
  • Adjustable hood
  • Draw-cord adjustments
  • Reflective logos
  • Insulation

Stretch Down Jacket

This is the down jacket for all the down jacket lovers out there. This puffer is puffier than ever, with all the best in insular technology.

Whether you’re looking for a hooded version or not, this is an amazing jacket.

Here are some features:

  • Down fill
  • Lightweight
  • Packable
  • Water repellent

Evolve II Triclimate® Jacket

Made from 100% recycled materials, the Evolve II is for the most extreme conditions.

It has all the necessary technology to handle snow and ice, but with all the comfortability of a down or insulated jacket.

Here are some of the features that make it unique:

  • Two jackets, one insulated inside and one outside shell
  • Fully adjustable
  • Both warm and weather proof
  • Made from recycled polyester

Sangro Jacket

The Sangro is the classic affordable waterproof that proves itself essential to those who are looking at the North Face range for the first time.

Here are some features:

  • Impenetrable moisture barrier
  • Loads of pockets
  • Velcro cuffs
  • Adjustable and stowable hood

Thermoball™

This completely packable technology is inclusive of a few different ranges, including gilets. Imagine a full-sized down jacket fitting into a trouser pocket. That’s the power of Thermoball.

Here are some features:

  • Stays warm when wet
  • Great down alternative
  • Made from recycled materials
  • Plenty of cords for adjustments

Quest Synthetic Jacket

For windy conditions, try the Quest. It has incredible wind-resistant technology as well as powerful insulation.

Here are some features:

  • Zipped pockets
  • Elasticated cuffs
  • Nylon fabric with wind resistance
  • Lightweight

For us, the best North Face jacket available has to be the ever-versatile Apex Bionic 2.

Get the Apex Bionic via REI

If you have to buy a warm, waterproof, and lightweight jacket to suit all weathers, styles, and climates.

This is the jacket. Although it’s true to its word, it has everything spot on except for the price.

For what the jacket offers, it has all the bells and whistles you’d need for baseline.

If you want a more advanced jacket or a combination of insulated downs or waterproof shells, go for something different to this jacket.

However, this is the essential all-rounder that a beginner to the brand can grab with both hands. It’s available in both men’s and women’s, so anyone can cop themselves with this great designed jacket.

Best North Face Jackets: Conclusion

So that was the best jacket! Hopefully, this guide has been helpful to a first-time North Face purchaser looking for their first jacket.

The North Face brand has become a status symbol for a lot of people nowadays, but the technology and practicality of the jackets deserve some recognition too.

Check out the rest of the range and get yourself a new jacket!

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north face jackets
best north face jackets
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