North Face Redpoint Jacket - Women's Review

Name: North Face Redpoint Jacket - Women's
Brand: The North Face

North Face Redpoint Jacket - Women's Review — Credit: The North Face

Price: $149 List

Manufacturer: The North Face

By McKenzie Long ⋅ Senior Review Editor ⋅ Apr 29, 2010

View at The North Face

Our Verdict

As of 2014, the Redpoint Jacket is Discontinued

REASONS TO BUY

Stuffs into hand pocket and has biner loop

Warm and really practical for the price

50 percent recycled insulation

REASONS TO AVOID

No big inside pockets

No cozy material in pockets

On the heavy side

When deciding on an insulated jacket, The North Face Redpoint and the Patagonia Nano Puff have many similar features that compete head-to-head. They are both fairly basic mid-layer jackets that stuff into a pocket and have a carabiner loop to clip to a harness. The Redpoint is thicker, warmer, made with recycled Primaloft Eco, as well as less expensive but the Nano Puff, which is insulated with Primaloft One, stuffs easier, weighs less and fits better under other layers. If you prefer a thin jacket, the MontBell Thermawrap is the lightest weight. If you want a thick, hooded layer, the Arc'teryx SV is the warmest jacket in this review.

Our Analysis

Likes

A first I wasn't so sure about this jacket. It seemed really basic, kind of crunchy, and without any special extras like cozy material in the hand pockets. However, this turned out to be a jacket that I reached for most often because of its functionality. This jacket stuffs into one of its hand pockets and has a little carabiner loop to clip to a harness. The Nano Puff jacket does that as well, but the Redpoint Jacket is thicker and warmer. I started bringing this with me on multi-pitch ice climbs to curl up in when belaying. It was easy to bring along, quite warm, and I never had to worry about it losing its loft if it got wet.

This jacket is insulated Primaloft Eco, even though the hooded version of this jacket is insulated with Primaloft One. It is refreshing to have companies concerned about making items with reused materials instead of new material, and as a consumer it is nice to support this. The fibers are not quite as fine as in other types of insulation, so it is not quite as soft and does not stuff as easily as other jackets, but it still seems comparably warm. The insulation in the Mountain HardWear Compressor is also made out of this 50 percent recycled material.

Dislikes

One of the Redpoint's best features is that it stuffs into a pocket, but since it is a thicker jacket, it doesn't stuff in there very easily. I find myself jamming and cramming and straining to get the zipper pulled, while other jackets such as the Patagonia Nano Puff stuff into themselves very easily. The Redpoint is unique because rather than stuff into an interior pocket, which tends to be the norm, it stuffs into one of the hand pockets, which means one of the hand pockets is bigger and has a lot of extra material floating around. This isn't a disadvantage in any way, it just is a noticeable difference, and the design doesn't seem as streamlined as the Nano Puff.

Best Application

My personal favorite use for this jacket was on multi-pitch ice climbs since it could be clipped to my harness, was on the thicker side, and was decently water-resistant. The Redpoint is very versatile and it would be a great basic layer for any other cold-weather activity.

Value

The Redpoint is the most affordable jacket that stuffs into itself. The MontBell Thermawrap, which stuffs into a sack, is much thinner and even less expensive. For the price, you get a very functional and warm jacket with the Redpoint.

— McKenzie Long