North Face Jacket for wife

I was thinking about getting my wife a North Face fleece jacket for Christmas and I was wondering if anybody had any experience or have one. We both have Columbia fleece jackets right now. Which on a windy day it goes through the sleeves. Are the North Face worth the extra cost? I want her to be warm. In NC it doesn't get too awefully cold. I was debating between the Osito fleece or the Denali but thats quite a bit more.

 

I would recommend the APEX Bionic if you're looking to keep out wind. Great jacket, have had mine for years and it's still flawless.

 

Two years back I got an arcteryx jacket. The atom lt. Northface is dead to me...

 

I've got an Eddie Bauer one that I love. It's called the Polartec Windbloc and it's water resistant and pretty windproof (not 100% though). Only potential issue would be that it doesnt have a hood, but that doesn't matter much to me.

 

My wife has a mountain hardwear monkey man jacket. Its really soft and she loves it. you should check that one out

 

I have given up on North Face. I see them as way overpriced for the quality you get.

I try to purchase most of my clothing and outerwear through L.L. Bean. Their lifetime guarantee is something that has never let me down. Granted there are people who abuse the system (my father in law is one of them; brings in jackets from the mid 1990's that are beat to shit and says they didn't meet his expectations and gets a full refund). Knowing if you ever are displeased or don't like the clothing, they just take it back no questions asked is a huge factor in my decisions.

Also, their jackets are always bomb proof and look great.

 

Yup. I have tons of LL Bean stuff. Never found anything that competes. It's a little more expensive but they guarantee it will last literally forever and you get what you pay for in terms of quality--I have never had to take advantage of their return policy.

I have their Visa card and use it for most things since I rack up store credit with them. Has some other nice perks like free return shipping if you order the wrong size.

 

I feel the same.

Bought my wife one of those high ass jackets last Christmas..

She may have worn the thing 3 times this yr.

Says her Walmart $10 hoodie
is warmer.

Wth?

 

It's "The North Face", you're welcome.

 

There are several different weaves to Polartec fleece, if you want one that's wind resistant there are a few different manufacturers who use their own name for the same material. I believe The North Face fleece you're referring to isn't especially wind resistant, neither is the Monkey Man from Mountain Hardwear AFAIK.

Lots of brands carry that type of fleece, though, so you should be able to find something on budget. The North Face is overpriced, IMO, but I have several jackets that I've had no issues with.

 

^^^ THIS! ^^^ The North Face has lost it's edge. Mountain Hardware is pretty awesome as well.

 

FWIW I think Arc'teryx was far better when it was still produced in Canada. Now that they've raised their prices while simultaneously having production sent overseas, their quality and value have both dropped IMO.

 

Found this earlier.

http://dealnews.com/The-North-Face-at-6-pm-Up-to-60-off-20-off-free-shipping/1225733.html

 

Which is wind resistant, not wind proof. If you're in 20 MPH + gusts you'll feel it penetrate. A hard shell over fleece (or down) is best for cold wind.

 

i like my helly hansen. its pretty basic but gets the job done. mountain hardware is great as well.

 

Agreed, if wind is the primary concern, the best is a wind resistant fleece combined with a hard shell.

 

My wife bought a Denali (aka 1/2 of the Sorority Girl uniform) and it's so-so. She's only had it for about two years with average wear and the color has faded and lost some of it's warmth. She's also got another NF jacket (Apex i think) and it's not very warm. Severely overpriced IMO, and not anything special besides the logo. Find one on sale/closeout if she's dead set on getting one or look for a NF outlet.

 

arcteryx...and don't look back