REASONS TO BUY
Low price
Impressive water resistance
Folds up into a fun fanny-pack
REASONS TO AVOID
Not very breathable
Heavier and bulkier than most other options
The North Face Fanorak Review
A streetwear-inspired jacket that might also appeal to the mountain bike crowd
Credit: The North Face
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Our Verdict
Not necessarily your go-to choice for fast and light mountain travel, but rather for stylish weather protection, The North Face Fanorak is a pull-over wind jacket built for adventures in and out of the city. This jacket is an affordable option for the urban commuter or the trendy enduro rider, and earned its spot in this category as our Best Buy. The Fanorak's coolest feature is that it stuffs into its kangaroo pouch and can be carried around as a fanny-pack — one that also sports an additional small, exterior-pocket. While this jacket has pitfalls in terms of breathability and venting, it offers legitimate wind and weather protection in a fun, relatively lightweight package.
Our Analysis and Test Results
Although The North Face website lists the Fanorak as a jacket designed for an urban lifestyle, we put this jacket through its paces right alongside more technically designed pieces. While compared to other options, this jacket is neither the most lightweight or packable, but we found it comfortable to wear when running around town.
Where the Fanorak does impress is in the jacket's water resistance. While we think that this jacket does an adequate job of blocking the wind, we found it to be hot to wear for anything more than easy-going activity.
Performance Comparison
Stylish enough for the library, this jacket is well-suited to the daily activities of urban life and bike commuting.
Credit: Jill Rice
Wind Resistance
Despite a double-layer polyester fabric over much of the jacket's body, the Fanorak was quickly penetrated by cold, gusting winds during our side-by-side testing. For a jacket that is heavier than most its single-layer counterparts, we were surprised that this jacket was noticeably colder in a consistent wind. The extra material of the kangaroo pocket does a good job of protecting your core, and the zippered hand pockets are helpful in keeping hands warm.
We chose a particularly cold and windy day to take this jacket out on a ski tour, just to be sure to thoroughly test its wind resistance.
Credit: Jill Rice
When pelted with snow or sideways rain, we liked being able to tuck our faces into the high collar, which is soft against your face. The hood on the Fanorak has an easy-to-pull cinch system, but with no cord lock, we found that gusting winds can slowly loosen the drawcords.
Breathability and Venting
With its additional material, it is no surprise that the Fanorak is not nearly as breathable as other much lighter-weight options. We found that during anything other than casual activity, such as hiking, this jacket is overwhelming.
With the daytime temperature flux of the desert Southwest, we found the fanny-pack option to be a great feature while out exploring the back roads of Santa Fe.
Credit: Jill Rice
This jacket's construction does not sport any venting, but this is not really necessary as you have the option to turn the jacket into a fanny-pack when temperatures rise past the point of comfort.
Weight and Packability
Although this jacket is heavier than many others in this review — it nearly triples the weight of the lightest jacket in this review — when turned into a fanny-pack we were impressed with how light it was to carry along on bike rides.
On even the most technical — read: bumpy — mountain bike rides, we hardly ever even noticed the Fanorak comfortably strapped to our backs.
This jacket weighs 9.25 ounces (shown on the scale as 262 grams) -- more than many in this review -- but still very light to wear as a fanny-pack.
Credit: Aaron Rice
Fit and Functionality
The colorways of the Fanorak are clearly streetwear-inspired, and we believe it is designed with the urban-user in mind. It is super soft when worn over just a t-shirt, very comfortably sized to throw on over a casual sweatshirt, and has a large hood to easily accommodate a bike helmet.
If you wanted to go out for a read in the park, this jacket's kangaroo pouch is large enough to accommodate most small books.
Credit: Aaron Rice
The fanny-pack is a style that is actually making quite the comeback among designers of mountain bike accessory packs — they are lightweight, less bulky than backpacks, and hold enough to support shorter-distance rides.
For mountain bikers, the fanny-pack feature is great -- light enough that you hardly notice it on your back, easy to break out and throw on for the descent portion of your evening ride.
Credit: Jill Rice
In this same vein, the Fanorak gains points in terms of functionality. As stated above, we found the fanny-pack option to come in super handy when wanting to ditch the jacket during the hot part of a ride, and break it back out at the end of an evening ride when the descent got too chilly.
Water Resistance
This jacket impressed in terms of water resistance. Water beaded up and ran off better than any other jacket, and at the end of our hose test, the Fanorak was only slightly damp across the shoulders.
This jacket's through-pocket is big enough to keep all of your essentials with you on the go. Just don't forget to zip each side shut!
Credit: Aaron Rice
Value
The Fanorak is one of the more affordable options we have in our review, earning it our Best Buy award. From the casual hiker in the foothills around LA, to the bike commuter in NY, this jacket is sure to keep you looking stylish on your urban adventures. However, if you are looking for a jacket that will keep pace in the mountains, we suggest looking to the Patagonia Houdini — our Editors' Choice award winner.
A little too heavy for most strenuous activities, this jacket is great for a casual hike -- even in the sun of the Southwest.
Credit: Jill Rice
Conclusion
A jacket with flair, the Fanorak is a great option for the price-conscious commuter who is looking for a little extra protection from the elements. It also has appeal for the enduro mountain bike crowd — those who want to carry a jacket just in case, but also don't want to unnecessarily weigh themselves down with a backpack.
—
Aaron Rice
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