REASONS TO BUY
Warm
Stylish
Durable
Weather-resistant
REASONS TO AVOID
Heavy
Boxy
Lack of ventilation
The North Face Denali Review
This classic fleece features plenty of pockets, warmth, and style with a boxy cut
Credit: Zach Lovell
RELATED: Best Fleece Jackets for Men of 2024
Our Verdict
The North Face Denali 2 is the latest version of the iconic Denali fleece, which first appeared over 30 years ago. While the Polartec fleece supplies plenty of style and warmth for around-town hangs or mountain hikes, it is less of a performance piece, with poor breathability and layering. It's possible to wear this skiing and during heavy physical activities, but it's better as a single jacket. It does fight the conditions better than many of the other jackets in this review because of reinforced areas in the chest and sleeves, but overheating is likely for high-output days. Ultimately, this jacket excels as a stand-alone piece for casual wear in colder climates when a bulky hardshell jacket is a bit too much.
Editor's Note: This review was updated on April 24, 2024, after our Spring testing cycle to ensure accuracy and better represent our testing metrics.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
The North Face Denali | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Overall Fleece Jacket |  Best Technical Layer |  Best Bang for the Buck | Best on a Tight Budget | |
| Price | $129.73 at REI Compare at 4 sellers | $159.00 at Backcountry Compare at 4 sellers | $200.00 at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | $71.97 at Amazon Compare at 3 sellers | $26 List $25.72 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | From a cold walk around town to a casual hike, this fleece provides plenty of warmth | A stylish and comfortable fleece that is lightweight yet warm | A year-round layer for any of your technical mountain pursuits, even in stormy conditions | This lightweight and breathable fleece with excellent performance at a price that's hard to beat | A breathable fleece that’s several times cheaper than the competition |
| Rating Categories | The North Face Denali | Patagonia R1 Air Fu... | Rab Ascendor Summit... | Outdoor Research Vi... | Wrangler Authentics... |
| Warmth (25%) | |||||
| Comfort (25%) | |||||
| Breathability (20%) | |||||
| Layering Ability (15%) | |||||
| Weight (15%) | |||||
| Specs | The North Face Denali | Patagonia R1 Air Fu... | Rab Ascendor Summit... | Outdoor Research Vi... | Wrangler Authentics... |
| Measured Weight | 17.1 oz | 12.8 oz | 11.6 oz | 13.2 oz | 12.5 oz |
| Type | Heavyweight | Lightweight | Lightweight | Lightweight | Midweight |
| Main Material | Body: 100% polyester Accents: 70D nylon, DWR (durable water repellant finish) |
Body: 100% polyester | Body: 20D Pertex Quantum Air, Thermic G fleece, polyester knit | Body: 94% polyester, 6% spandex | Body: 100% polyester |
| Hood Option? | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| # of Pockets | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Features | Hem cinchcord, DWR (durable water repellant finish) | Slim-fit hood, quick drying | Body mapped fabric positioning, flatlocked seams, wind resistant zipper, under helmet hood, thumb loops | Thumb holes, UPF 30, 3-panel hood with binding | Quarter-length zipper, double fleece layering on back |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
Constructed with Polartec 300 Series fleece with “Repreve” fibers (fleece derived from recycled soda bottles) and made with 85% recycled materials, the Denali offers significant warmth in a jacket with two handwarmer pockets, two chest pockets, and great weather resistance. The two-ply nylon reinforced chest, shoulders, and elbows fight abrasion and the weather. The jacket also has a zip cord hem and elastic-bound cuffs, which further trap the heat. The great features of this fleece and the warmth make it a solid piece to consider for casual wear.
Performance Comparison
This stylish jacket has a nice around-town look and kept our testers quite warm. It earns the highest score in our weather resistance metric.
Credit: James Lucas
Warmth
We tested this jacket by putting a water bottle with boiling water inside the fleece, measuring the time it took for the water to get below 150°F using a thermometer. The Denali excelled in this metric and was one of the warmest fleeces in our review.
This jacket was incredibly warm as a stand-alone layer.
Credit: Danielle Cicka
A drawstring cinched hem, a high collar, and snug cuffs help trap the thick Polartec 300 series fleece's warmth, and the reinforced panels on the chest and across the back of the shoulders prevent cold air from getting in. The warmth of the Denali makes it a great jacket to wear around town and as a standalone piece. It can handle colder temperatures better than most of the jackets in this review.
The Denali comes with a lot of warmth but a boxy fit that makes movement difficult. The thickness of the fleece helped with keeping our testers warm.
Credit: James Lucas
Comfort
The Denali has a decent amount of comfort. The Polartec fleece feels smooth on the skin, though it has a bit of a heavier feel. The cut of the jacket feels a bit boxy and loose, which is nice for layering under but less than ideal for constant wear. After a bit of use, the Denali softened and conformed to our testers' bodies more, but off the rack, the jacket felt a bit stiff.
The North Face Denali comes with four pockets that make stashing extra keys, wallets, snacks, phones, and other sundries easy. Out of the store, the jacket felt a bit boxy and stiff. Our testers thought some of this came from the reinforced areas of the fleece.
Credit: James Lucas
Breathability
The Denali is a relatively thick fleece and not intended for heavy physical exertion. Though our testers were able to pull down the full-length zipper to better ventilate, they tended to overheat in the piece, and the best option was to take it off entirely. The Polartec 300 isn't form-fitting or permeable enough to breathe very well. If you're looking for a fleece to run in, charge up steep ski hills, or climb in, then the Denali isn't the best choice.
The Denali does well in terms of warmth but it lacks in terms of breathability. It's a better jacket for getting cozy in then for running or athletic use.
Credit: James Lucas
Layering Ability
While the Denali has zip-in-compatible integration with The North Face's Mountain Jacket and Mountain Light Jacket, it doesn't do as well with other brands. The jacket lacks thumbholes to keep the sleeves in place, and the loose, boxy feel makes the garment feel a bit cumbersome under other pieces. It does provide ample space for wearing a long sleeve underneath, which added to this jacket's ability to keep our testers warm. Luckily, this fleece serves better as a standalone jacket than many of the others reviewed.
The Denali tends to be a bit large, making it hard to fit under a shell but easier to put over a lighter layer.
Credit: James Lucas
Weight
The Denali is a pretty heavy jacket at 17.1 ounces. It's bulky and much harder to pack than many of the other fleeces in our lineup. Polartec fleece has a unique DWR coating, and with the 70D nylon overlay in the chest, this jacket can withstand the elements better than any other fleece in this review — so the extra weight is a trade-off that may make sense for you. Despite the weight, our testers wished this jacket had a hood to better batten down when storms came in. Overall, the weight isn't a huge factor if you're just planning on car camping or making short hikes around town.
While this jacket tens towards the heavier side, the iconic look makes it appealling.
Credit: James Lucas
Should You Buy The North Face Denali?
Reasonably priced, this jacket's warmth, weather resistance, and durability make it a solid choice for around-town and casual camping wear. The Denali also has a great style and ample color choices. While it's not the best performance piece on the market, it does well to provide warmth and fight small storms, making it a reasonable choice for low-key adventure use.
What Other Fleece Jackets Should You Consider?
The North Face Denali delivers an iconic look while keeping you warm and the wind off your back. It's by far the most weather-resistant fleece in this review. Due to its lack of breathability, we don't recommend it for endurance activities, and it doesn't score well in layering ability because of its stiffness and bulk. Unless you've decided to purchase this classic fleece, higher performing products, like the Patagonia R1 Air Hoody or Outdoor Research Vigor Full Zip, cost less and provide exceptional performance.
—
Zach Lovell and James Lucas
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