North Face Khumbu Jacket - Men's Review

Fine for saving a few bucks and getting a perfectly serviceable garment that can add 30 degrees to a shell. The Khumbu provides much less wind protection than the Mountain Hardwear Windstopper Tech Jacket - Men's and is $100 cheaper. Unlike the Mountain Hardwear Monkey Man, it's not crazy form-fitting and cuddly, but it will zip into other North Face products, which the others won't. It scores zero eco-groovy points, making the Ortovox and Patagonia yellow fuzzy better options for overall sustainability.

View our complete Fleece Jacket Review to see how this product compared to others.

Likes
The Khumbu exemplifies the best of no-frills design. It has two pockets (four if you count the baggy cargo ones inside), no color panels and no unnecessary layers. The fabric is a good, balanced thickness that gets it done without going to extremes. A reassuring lack of seams suggests good longevity. The side pockets have nearly hidden zippers and the zipper backing has a smooth surface that keeps the zipper from gnawing away at the precious fleecy goodness.

Dislikes
If want to carry much more than a wallet and phone you're kind of out of luck — the inner cargo pockets have no zipper and don't inspire confidence that things will stay inside. There aren't any pit zips (not surprising for a zip-in liner) so thermoregulation can be a challenge. The material of the zip pockets is pretty thin and might be a durability issue down the road.

Best Application
At either end of the spectrum it works well. Throw this on alone whenever you're headed out for a regular day without a heavy agenda or a bunch of gear. Or add it to your burliest hard shell for skiing when it's down below zero.


Value
A much better jacket than the Columbia for $50 more, it does most of what the North Face Denali Jacket will for half the cost. Worth buying if you already have the middle covered.

Other Versions
North Face Denali Jacket - Men's