The North Face Summit Breithorn Hoodie - Women's Review

The North Face Summit Breithorn is a thick puffy jacket filled with RDS (Responsible Down Standard) certified 800-fill ProDown. Its exterior is 20D 100% recycled nylon ripstop fabric with a DWR finish. The Breithorn has a narrow fit through the hips with a small drop hem, weighs 13.4 ounces, and packs into its hand pocket.

Performance Comparison

Warmth

The Summit Breithorn is packed with quality 800-fill ProDown. Its medium-sized baffles are slightly wider than average, cutting down on the number of seams leaking cold air onto your core. The helmet-compatible hood has plenty of space to be worn over a thick beanie on a cold day. Stretch-knit cuffs hold tight to the wrists, effectively stopping cold air from rushing up the sleeves. A longer torso with a small drop hem adds some coverage, as does the high chin guard. A single adjustment point along the hem lets you pull it tight — though the Breithorn is so narrow through the hips that we rarely needed to use it.

Comfort

A lot of the comfort of the Breithorn comes down to whether it fits your body or not. This jacket was not designed with curvy women in mind. Our lead tester is 5'4" with 36" hips. She generally comfortably wears a women's size small across the board and could barely keep the Breithorn zipped and down around her bum while walking. Some of our testers who typically wear the same size but have wider hips couldn't even fit into this very slim jacket. But for those narrow-framed individuals who it does fit, the close-to-body design of this jacket feels great. It has raglan-style sleeves offering a wide range of movement for your arms and a whopping seven pockets (four are internal).

Portability

Weighing 13.4 ounces, the Breithorn is on the heavier side of the array of jackets we tested for its loft. Yet while wearing, it feels like a soft cloud and offers excellent warmth, mobility and coverage. We think the extra few extra ounces are worth it. It compresses into its own hand pocket, with a little coaxing and squeezing. Once packed away, it becomes a long, slender package with a fabric carabiner loop located at the end of the zipper, letting it hang at an angle off of your pack.

Weather Resistance

The Breithorn's thickness and wider baffles help stop wind from coming straight through to your core. Its slender fit and tighter hem with a strong cinch cord also come in handy when you're out in blizzard conditions. The hood design is great for warmth, though when worn over a bare head, we were unable to fully cinch it around our faces to seal out the wind. The ProDown insulation is designed to retain loft (and therefore warmth) even when wet, and a DWR finish helps to seal out moisture. The reverse-coil zippers also help keep water out.

Breathability

As a thicker, warmer model, the Breithorn suffers a bit regarding breathability. It lacks venting features to make it more breathable, and its slender fit doesn't allow for easy air exchange without unzipping the whole thing. We found ourselves occasionally needing to remove it while snowshoeing the uphill sections of a trail on a mild winter morning at 8,000 feet.

Should You Buy The North Face Summit Breithorn?

The biggest consideration when purchasing the Breithorn is whether or not it fits your hips. If you have slender hips, this jacket's trim and close-fitting design may be exactly the down jacket you're after. It's warm, cozy, and comfortable for those seeking a slim-fitting layer. If your hips are average width or wider, it may not be the right choice for you.

What Other Down Jackets Should You Consider?

If you're not a narrow-hipped human but you're after a warm, technical jacket for active pursuits in cold environments, the Mammut Broad Peak IN Hooded is an excellent and mobile fit that we love. Or if you want a medium-warm jacket that's easy to layer and wear every day or on adventures, the Arc'teryx Cerium is a versatile jacket that we solidly recommend.