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The North Face Summit Breithorn Hoodie Review

This all-condition jacket stands out most for a level of comfort and warmth that will keep you cozy all winter
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The North Face Summit Breithorn Hoodie Review
Credit: Sam Schild
Price:  $430 List
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Manufacturer:   The North Face
By Sam Schild ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Jan 23, 2024
81
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#2 of 16
  • Warmth - 30% 9.0
  • Comfort - 30% 9.0
  • Portability - 15% 5.0
  • Weather Resistance - 15% 8.0
  • Breathability - 10% 7.0

Our Verdict

The Summit Breithorn Hoodie boasts an impressive combination of 800-fill hydrophobic down insulation and awesome comfort features. The incredibly soft lining material, along with the stretch-knit wrist cuffs, create a comfort that's a joy to put on every time. This model has seven pockets and a comfortable helmet-compatible hood. This isn't the lightest jacket, so it's likely overkill for summer backpacking or mild climates. But if it were lighter, it wouldn't be as warm, and then it wouldn't be one of our favorites for everyday winter wear. This model is perfect for cold walks in the city, frigid nights around the campfire, long days spent ice climbing, and epic mountaineering expeditions.
REASONS TO BUY
Warm
Soft lining material
Hydrophobic down insulation
Excellent pockets
REASONS TO AVOID
Pricey
Not the lightest

Compare to Similar Products

 
Awards Top Pick Award
Ultracomfortable Warmth
Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall Down Jacket
Best Buy Award
An Affordable Alpine Jacket
Best Buy Award
Best Value Down Jacket for Everyday Use
Best Buy Award
Good Value on a Very Limited Budget
Price $379.95 at Backcountry
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$325.00 at Backcountry
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$129 List
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$66 List
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Overall Score Sort Icon
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Bottom Line While not the lightest, this cozy and warm jacket is an all-around top performerThis jacket is one of the warmest in our test and offers great weather protection in cold weatherThis midweight down jacket features excellent weather resistance and solid warmth in an affordable packageThis lightweight hoodless option has a basic set of features, is comfortable, and looks greatYou'll probably do a double-take when you look at the price of this jacket
Rating Categories The North Face Summ... Rab Electron Pro Rab Microlight Alpine REI Co-op 650 Down Wantdo Packable Dow...
Warmth (30%)
9.0
9.0
8.0
5.0
5.0
Comfort (30%)
9.0
9.5
9.0
8.0
5.0
Portability (15%)
5.0
4.0
5.0
8.5
8.0
Weather Resistance (15%)
8.0
9.0
9.0
6.0
5.0
Breathability (10%)
7.0
8.0
7.0
7.0
5.0
Specs The North Face Summ... Rab Electron Pro Rab Microlight Alpine REI Co-op 650 Down Wantdo Packable Dow...
Down Fill 800 fill ProDown with water repellency 800-fill European goose down with Nikwax hydrophobic finish Recycled 700-fill Down with Nikwax hydrophobic finish 650-fill down 90% duck down
Responsible Down Standard (RDS) Certified Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Outer Fabric 20D recycled nylon ripstop 20D nylon Pertex Quantum Pro Recycled 30D nylon Pertex Quantum Recycled ripstop nylon 20D 400T nylon
Weight (Size Small) 15.2 oz 16.1 oz 14.9 oz 10.1 oz 10.6 oz
Hem Type Straight Drop hem (large) Drop hem (large) Drop hem (small) Straight
Fit Standard Standard Standard Standard Standard
Pockets 2 zippered hand, zippered external chest, 2 internal stretch mesh pockets, 2 internal slip in pockets 2 zippered hand, 1 zippered internal chest 2 zippered hand, 1 zippered external chest 2 zippered hand. 2 internal slip in pockets 2 zippered hand, 1 zippered external chest, 2 internal slip in pockets
Hood Yes Yes Yes No, hooded option Yes
Cuff Construction Stretch-knit cuffs Two stretch-panel cuffs Elastic cuffs Elastic cuffs Elastic
Adjustment Points Hem shockcord, hood shockcord Hem shockcord, hood shockcord, hood velcro Hem shockcord, hood shockcord Hem drawcord None
Stow Option Zips into interior strech pocket Stuff sack Stuff sack None Stuff sack
Features Helmet compatabile hood, harness compatible hand pockets Harness compatible pockets, helmet compatible hood, stiffened bill, hydrophobic down Stiffened hood bill, recycled hydrophobic down N/A N/A

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Summit Breithorn Hoodie is one of the warmest and most comfortable jackets we tested. This thick puffy jacket has excellent pockets and comfort features, is very weather-resistant, and is a consistent favorite among all of our male testers. It's made of 20D 100% recycled nylon ripstop fabric with a DWR finish and RDS (Responsible Down Standard) certified 800-fill hydrophobic ProDown insulation.

Performance Comparison


the north face summit breithorn hoodie - the summit breithorn hoodie is comfortable enough that you'll want...
The Summit Breithorn Hoodie is comfortable enough that you'll want to keep wearing it after a long day in the mountains.
Credit: Sam Schild

Warmth


The Summit Breithorn Hoodie is an extremely warm jacket. This is one of the puffiest jackets we tested. It's stuffed with high-quality 800-fill ProDown that retains its loft and seals in your body's heat.


It has wider-than-average baffles, which allow for more down loft and fewer spots for cold air to seep in. It also has more down than most jackets. While this means it isn't the lightest jacket, it does make it one of the warmest.

The torso is also longer than average to provide more coverage over your waist. This keeps you warmer when you raise your arms or are otherwise moving around. It has a small drop hem that provides even more coverage on your backside, too. There is a single toggle to tighten the waist hem and seal in heat.

the north face summit breithorn hoodie - the longer torso and slight drop hem in the back provide great...
The longer torso and slight drop hem in the back provide great coverage to seal in the heat as you move.
Credit: Sam Schild

The helmet-compatible hood is large enough to layer a beanie or two underneath, or a helmet and a beanie. It's also very adjustable, with a single toggle that wraps around the front of the hood and around to the back of your head. So even if you're only wearing a thin hat, you can securely lock the hood in place. The stretch-knit cuffs, which we'll discuss more below, are tight enough to trap heat in the sleeves as well.

the north face summit breithorn hoodie - the helmet-compatible hood is large and adjustable enough for...
The helmet-compatible hood is large and adjustable enough for layering.
Credit: Sam Schild

Comfort


The Summit Breithorn Hoodie has an extremely soft, cloud-like feel. The fit of the men's version of this jacket worked well for all our male testers, and it was a consistent favorite right off the bat due to its high level of comfort.


The lining feels more comfortable than most jackets we've worn. It's incredibly soft and doesn't have the slippery feel we've come to expect from lightweight outdoor gear. This jacket feels as comfortable as our favorite cotton hoody.

The Summit Breithorn Hoodie features a relatively slim, alpine cut, but it's not nearly as tight fitting as other jackets. We've had several of our male testers use this jacket for extended test periods, and they all found this jacket fit them really well — not too tight but not too loose, either.

the north face summit breithorn hoodie - the summit breithorn hoodie has extremely comfortable knit wrist...
The Summit Breithorn Hoodie has extremely comfortable knit wrist cuffs.
Credit: Sam Schild

The sleeves don't restrict your range of motion, so you can climb, bike, ski, or sled in this jacket without issue. The wrist cuffs are a soft knit stretch material that easily fits under gloves and feels good against your bare skin.

This jacket has seven pockets, and the two zippered hand warmer pockets are deep in just the right place. These pockets are also big enough that you can get into them when wearing a climbing harness. Along with a zippered chest pocket, it also has four internal pockets: two interior stretch mesh pockets with drop-in pockets behind those stretch mesh pockets.

the north face summit breithorn hoodie - the summit breithorn hoodie has two big, deep front hand pockets, a...
The Summit Breithorn Hoodie has two big, deep front hand pockets, a zippered chest pocket, and four internal pockets.
Credit: Sam Schild

Portability


The Summit Breithorn Hoodie, at 15.2 ounces in a men's size small, is on the heavier side. It packs into its own pocket, so it's relatively portable in that regard, but this isn't the ideal candidate for ultralight endeavors.


Even though this jacket is heavier than most, it doesn't feel heavy when you're wearing it. As long as you're wearing this, it won't feel like it's weighing you down. But the fact is, some jackets weigh nearly half as much as this one. We think the extra weight is worth it for an extremely warm and comfortable jacket, but not for every application.

the north face summit breithorn hoodie - the summit breithorn hoodie weighs 15.2 ounces in men's size small.
The Summit Breithorn Hoodie weighs 15.2 ounces in men's size small.
Credit: Sam Schild

It compresses into its own hand pocket, but all that down is a bit of a challenge to stuff into this integrated stuff sack. When you do get it stuffed away, it's still pretty large.

the north face summit breithorn hoodie - the summit breithorn hoodie packs into its own pocket that doubles...
The Summit Breithorn Hoodie packs into its own pocket that doubles as a stuff sack.
Credit: Sam Schild

Weather Resistance


The Summit Breithorn Hoodie is one of the most weather-resistant of the models we tested. It's stuffed with a lot of 800-fill ProDown with a hydrophobic treatment, and the DWR coating on the ripstop nylon shell works well to repel light rain, wind, snow, and other wintery weather.


Its thicker baffles help stop the wind from cutting through the jacket. And these thicker baffles also mean fewer stitches overall, which helps with water-repellency.

the north face summit breithorn hoodie - the summit breithorn hoodie has thick baffles that prevent the wind...
The Summit Breithorn Hoodie has thick baffles that prevent the wind from cutting through.
Credit: Sam Schild

This model performed very well in our spray and rub test, keeping the water on the outside of the fabric longer than most other jackets. If the water does penetrate the DWR coating, the hydrophobic down takes longer to wet out and stop insulating you.

the north face summit breithorn hoodie - the summit breithorn hoodie has a solid dwr coating and hydrophobic...
The Summit Breithorn Hoodie has a solid DWR coating and hydrophobic down insulation that resists absorbing moisture.
Credit: Sam Schild

In our wind resistance test, this was one of the most wind-resistant jackets as well. The thick baffles stuffed with a lot of down create a large barrier between you and the biting wind.

The hood design works well to seal out the weather. It tightens easily around your face and around to the back of your head so the wind won't rip it off. It's large enough to wear over a beanie or helmet and can tighten down to most head sizes.

the north face summit breithorn hoodie - the summit breithorn hoodie blocks the wind as you speed along on...
The Summit Breithorn Hoodie blocks the wind as you speed along on your bike.
Credit: Sam Schild

Breathability


The Summit Breithorn Hoodie provides a lot of warmth, so it isn't as breathable as some of the thinner models. It doesn't have any ventilation features other than the front zipper, either.


As a thicker model, there is more material that your body heat has to fight through in order to escape. The Summit Breithorn Hoodie is one of the warmest, most weather-resistant jackets, so it isn't as breathable as the thinner, less warm models.

the north face summit breithorn hoodie - the summit breithorn hoodie is too warm for high-intensity exercise...
The Summit Breithorn Hoodie is too warm for high-intensity exercise, except on extremely cold days.
Credit: Sam Schild

It has a full-length zipper that you can vent the jacket with, but you can only unzip it from the top. The sleeves push up easily, and the stretch knit cuffs stretch better than most models.

Other than these mechanical ventilation features, this jacket doesn't have much for breathability. We found we couldn't keep wearing this when hiking uphill once the terrain got even marginally steep, except for on extremely cold days.

the north face summit breithorn hoodie - the summit breithorn hoodie is a great value overall for a warm and...
The Summit Breithorn Hoodie is a great value overall for a warm and comfortable jacket.
Credit: Sam Schild

Should You Buy the The North Face Summit Breithorn Hoodie?


The Summit Breithorn Hoodie is an extremely warm, comfortable, and weather-resistant model. It is highly versatile and will perform well in the mountains and looks stylish enough for around-town use. This is a great choice for anyone looking for a warm and stylish down jacket that doesn't need an ultralight, very packable jacket.

the north face summit breithorn hoodie - the summit breithorn hoodie is a great choice for a warm down jacket...
The Summit Breithorn Hoodie is a great choice for a warm down jacket that you can wear on the mountain and around town.
Credit: Sam Schild

What Other Down Jackets Should You Consider?


If you're looking for a more portable jacket for ultralight adventures, we recommend the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer/2. If you want a jacket that's about as comfortable and costs less, check out the REI Co-op 650 Down. If you're looking for the most weather-resistant jacket, check out the Rab Electron Pro.

the north face summit breithorn hoodie - the summit breithorn hoodie will keep you stoked as the snow falls...
The Summit Breithorn Hoodie will keep you stoked as the snow falls on you.
Credit: Sam Schild

Sam Schild