The North Face Fleece Jackets For Women presented here are top rated and very popular models, some of them are in fact best-selling items on Amazon.
I present the following models, given in no particular order:
- Girls The North Face Denali jacket.
- The North Face Women’s Glacier 1/4 zip.
- The North Face Women’s Khumbu Jacket.
- The North Face Women’s Oso Hoodie.
- The North Face Radium Hi-Loft Fleece Jacket for women.
Why Fleece
Fleece is here to stay, regardless how you feel about it. It is lightweight, soft, and warm fabric, very hydrophobic, and with great insulating features. For vegans and for those sensitive to wool, fleece is a great alternative. You should also know that:
- It is not flammable, it just melts instead. Yeah, I have some of my own melted sleeves, the result of my clumsy outdoor kitchen activities.
- It keeps its insulating features even when wet.
- Typically it is not windproof, but this depends on how it is built, on the thickness of fibers which can be micro, or with the numbers 100, 200, 300. These numbers also determine its weight.
- Breathability is different from model to model. This depends on how they are built; some come with baffles, some with a gridding structure, and some with holes.
Why The North Face fleece jackets
The North Face is famous for its fleece jackets and many of them are top models on Amazon, with great rating and popularity. For example, their Osito II jacket is the top bestselling model in the moment of writing this text. It is so popular that I have presented it in a separate text in this site.
On the other hand, the North Face Radium fleece jacket is The Editor’s Choice jacket, the number 1 in the Outdoor Gear Lab list of fleece jackets for women. Of course, the Osito jacket is in the same list, together with the Denali jacket.
Zip-in compatible
Perhaps you are not familiar with the meaning of this term, so let me say a few words about it. There exist so-called 3-in-1 jackets, sometimes also described as interchange jacket. You can see some described in this site, like the Columbia Bugaboo jacket.
They have an external rain shell, and an internal fleece layer zipped to the outer shell. So you can unzip the fleece and both elements (the rain shell and the fleece jacket) can be used separately or together, hence the name. Some of the jackets presented here can be used with The North Face rain shell jackets.
So here below are all 5 models, please have a look.
1. Girls The North Face Denali jacket
The Denali jacket belongs to the group of heavyweight jackets because of its Polartec 300 fleece (remember what I mentioned above regarding the fleece type). This has both negative and positive effects, see the Pros & Cons below.
This is one of the warmest jackets of this type on the market. This is due to its 300 weight fleece and the construction which includes a cinch cord hem, and elastic cuffs. It is very windproof and quite water-resistant, which is something you do not see frequently with fleece jackets. The main role in this water resistance play the panels on shoulders and on the chest.
The jacket is comfortable, but it is below the Osito and Radium jackets with respect to this feature. You have three zippered pockets in total, two hand pockets plus one chest pocket.
I would say this is a perfect choice for around town use and when you are in the camp. For dynamic and technical activities, better check some other models.
The Denali jacket is with zip-in compatibility, but it is rather bulky and you might not feel perfect if you use it as an under-layer with a shell jacket. But its style is such that it allows layers underneath it.
This jacket is available in several departments on Amazon, and at least 27 different color combinations currently exist. Practically all models are in 2-color combinations, this is what makes the jacket so distinctive.
Note, there exists the Hoodie version of this jacket as well, with very similar features. It is very popular and with great rating by customers. You will see it if you follow the link.
Pros & cons – users’ experience
At the North Face site, the fit for the length of this jacket is 98%, and the fit for the sleeve length is 96%.
The average rate on Amazon is 4.4/5, based on more than 300 reviews (but remember, it is sold in several departments so you can find some different statistics as well). Fit as expected statistics on Amazon is 82%.
| Pros | Cons |
|
|
Features & specifications
- Standard fit.
- Material: Polartec 300 fleece.
- Avg weight: 450 g (15.9 oz).
- Center back: 21.75 inches.
- Body: 360 g/m² 100% recycled polyester fleece with durable water-repellent (DWR) finish.
- Overlay: 118 g/m² 100% nylon Taslan.
- Zip-in compatible.
- Abrasion-reinforced shoulders and elbows.
- Napoleon chest pocket.
- Two zippered hand pockets.
- At least 27 colors available.
- Lifetime warranty.
- Machine wash.
2. The North Face Women’s Glacier 1/4 Zip
The material used in the construction of this jacket is the Polartec Classic 100 microfleece. So from this, you realize this is a very lightweight jacket, perfect for layering and to be used under a shell jacket.
Such a material makes it very breathable and a great option for dynamic activities. It contains over 90% blue sign approved fabric, a standard for environmentally responsible production.
Pros & cons – users’ experience
This jacket has received great reviews on Amazon, with 4.3/5 average rate. Note, due to its construction with 1/4 zip, it is sold also in the department Pullovers.
At the North Face site, the fit for the length of this jacket is 94%, and the same fit number is for the sleeve length.
| Pros | Cons |
|
|
Specifications
- Polyester classic fleece, 150 g/m², 100% recycled.
- Average weight: 220 g (7.76 oz).
- Pill-resistant face and back.
- Unique microfibers for an unparalleled soft feel.
- Quarter zip for venting.
- Dries quickly to minimize heat loss.
- Pill-resistant face and back.
- Active fit.
- At least 40 different colors available on Amazon. Note, the black contains 100% recycled material; all other colors contain 50% recycled content by weight.
- Lifetime warranty.
- Machine wash.
3. The North Face Women’s Khumbu Jacket
This jacket is designed for activities in cool conditions. You will see descriptions with the word midweight, but this is a heavyweight garment in a true sense.
In the specifications below you will notice TKA 300. The meaning of TKA is Thermal Kinetic Advancement, this is a fleece fabric created by The North Face. It offers a superior insulation and wear-resistance. In their categorization, there are three different weights, 100, 200, and 300. So this model is in the heavyweight and this is a high-performance fleece. It is suitable to use as a layering piece or to be used by itself as a warm, casual outer layer.
Pros & cons – users’ experience
At the North Face site, the fit for the length of this jacket is 98%, and the fit for the sleeve length is an incredible 99%.
On Amazon, fit as expected statistics is 88%, and the average rating based on more than 50 reviews is 4.5/5.
| Pros | Cons |
|
|
Specifications & summary of features
- Avg weight: 453 g (15.98 oz).
- Center back: 25.5 in.
- Fabric: 275 g/m² TKA 300, 100% polyester classic fleece.
- Heavyweight.
- Quick-drying fleece.
- Relaxed fit.
- Modern A-line silhouette.
- Secure-zip hand pockets.
- Zip-in-compatible integration with complementing garments from The North Face.
- Lifetime warranty.
- Machine wash.
4. The North Face Women’s Oso Hoodie
As the name tells you, this is the only fleece jacket of the hoodie type presented here. The material is a silken fleece, very soft on touch, crafted with a stretch hem and cuffs, for a flattering fit that hugs the body.
Pros & cons – users’ experience
Great rating by Amazon customers, with 4.4/5 average rating. At the North Face site, the average rating is 4.7/5. The fit statistics is simply excellent, as follows:
- the fit for the length of this jacket is 91%,
- the fit for the sleeve length is 93%,
- the chest fit is 99%.
| Pros | Cons |
|
|
Specifications & summary of features
- Best use: outdoor, casual.
- Avg weight: 550 g (19.4 oz).
- Center back: 26 inches.
- Relaxed fit.
- Body: 65D 315 g/m² 100% polyester Silken fleece.
- Taffeta overlay: 30D 50 g/m² 100% polyester.
- Cuffs and bottom hem: 265 g/m² 93% polyester, 7% elastane double knit.
- Lifetime warranty.
- Machine wash.
- Raschel Silken fleece with woven overlay for weather protection.
- Stretch smooth-face cuffs and hem.
- Zip hand pockets.
5. The North Face Radium Hi-Loft Fleece Jacket for women
The Radium jacket is in the midweight group. It is built with 200 g/m² Polartec Thermal Pro high loft fleece in the main body (96% polyester, 4% elastane) and with Polartec Power Stretch Pro fleece on the sides and on arms.
This is a technical tool, designed for very dynamic activities. The jacket is far less bulky than the Denali, it is very soft and cozy, with an excellent breathability achieved through 1.5-inch baffles (I mentioned them in the beginning). This jacket has received the Editors’ Choice award from the Outdoor Gear Lab.
Only three colors are available, so this makes it very different from the Denali model and from some other models presented above. You have two zippered hand pockets as compared with 3 in the Denali model. This is a great jacket to use for layering, it allows for under-layers, and it is equally good as a layer under a shell jacket.
As mentioned above, the Radium jacket comes with stretch panels on the sides and inner arms, and this all makes it very suitable for technical activities. All in all, this is a great jacket and there are many reasons for its award.
Pros & cons – users’ experience
My summary looks as follows:
| Pros | Cons |
|
|
Specifications
- Fabric:
– Body: 200 g/m² (5.90 oz/yd²) Polartec Thermal Pro High Loft; 96% polyester, 4% elastane 0.75” baffles.
– Stretch side panels: 241 g/m² (7.11 oz/yd²) Polartec Power Stretch Pro, 53% polyester, 38% nylon, 9% elastane smooth-face jersey fleece. - Avg weight: 365 g (12.9 oz).
- Lifetime warranty.
- Active fit.
- Great for backcountry skiing, alpine climbing, and mountaineering.
- The highest warmth-to-weight ratio of any The North Face high loft fleece.
- Exclusive Polartec low-density knit fabric minimizes weight and maximizes compressibility.
- High loft fibers trap air, retaining body heat.
- Harness and pack-friendly handwarmer pockets.
- Summit Series collection is harness and pack-compatible.
- Bluesign approved fabric.
Summary
To conclude this text about The North Face Fleece Jackets for women, there are 5 very different models presented here. So how to choose?
- If this is about a jacket for technical use and/or as a layer under a shell jacket, then think about The North Face Women’s Glacier 1/4 Zip model (the number 2 above) or about The North Face Radium jacket (the number 5).
- Need something for casual use at home or in camp, and something very warm? Then this is the Denali (the number 1), the Khumbu (the number 3), or the Oso Hoodie (the number 4).
Above all, do not forget the NF Osito II jacket described in my separate text.
Thank you for reading. I shall be happy to hear from you, there is a comment box below. Have a nice day.
Leave a Reply