The North Face Freedom Insulated - Women's Review

The North Face Freedom Insulated Pant offers average performance across all metrics at an unbeatable price, making it a perfect option for someone who is unsure if they are ready to invest in a more technical and expensive pant. It is a great option for an average day at the resort, especially if you are someone who wants the additional warmth of an insulated pant. That being said, the fit of the pant can be tricky to nail down.

Performance Comparison

On-hill testing in the Freedom Insulated Pant.

Weather Resistance

To help these pants fight the elements, The North Face implements 2L DryVent waterproofing, which boasts a waterproof rating of 25 pounds per square inch (PSI) minimum after 20 launderings. This means that the pants were designed to withstand water for at least 20 washes, and potentially longer.

We put this to the test with our two-minute shower test and were impressed with the results. We focused on seams, pockets and zippers, testing the anticipated weaker parts of the pant. We found that they repelled liquid well, with no noticeable leaks through its zippers, seams, or fabric. It did not feel like the insulation inside of the pant was soaked through as they did not feel waterlogged. For a pant at this price point, we were impressed.

Throughout our testing period, the DWR treatment on the Freedom pants did its job well, as water beaded up and slid off the pant surface readily.

Fit and Comfort

The fit of The North Face Freedom Pant may be the hardest part of your experience if you choose these pants. We recommend trying them on in person, if you have the opportunity to do so. Before ordering the pant, we read multiple reviews claiming that the sizing was difficult to perfect, with different reviews saying that they ran large and for some, small. Based on our research, we decided to downsize when ordering the pant, opting for a small instead of a medium. The small fit very well on our lead tester, but had they been any smaller, would have been too tight for us to ski comfortably in. Other women with different body types noticed them to be tight, too, in some cases too tight to get on.

In the future, we would have maybe gone true to size with a medium pant, to allow for layering underneath. We found them to feel tight along the waist rather than in the leg, and the material is not very stretchy. Thanks to generous, adjustable waist tabs, the Freedom Pant would be easier to adjust a larger pant to fit smaller than vice versa.

Ventilation

The Freedom pants come with what The North Face has dubbed Chimney Venting. Essentially, this means that these pants rely on the combination of two standard inner thigh vents, paired with each leg of the pant's mesh boot gaiter. This combination is meant to direct air flow from the boot, up the leg, and out through the vents, assisting in temperature regulation when things warm up on the hill. These vents run from below the crotch to just above the knee, offering just enough ventilation to keep one comfortable in a variety of temperatures.

These vents are not highly effective for dumping large amounts of heat created during strenuous activity but can be useful when a cold morning turns to a pleasant afternoon and temperatures increase. The vents both have an inner mesh lining which helps keep snow out while skiing with them open, but these mesh linings also mean that the vents are less effective when it comes to dumping heat quickly. Because of this, we would not recommend these pants for backcountry skiing, but rather for fun days at the resort.

These vents have a mesh liner to help keep out snow. This vent design doesn't allow for the greatest amount of heat dumping.

Warmth

If keeping your legs toasty on the mountain is high on your list of priorities, then you may want to consider the Freedom Pant. The North Face implements Heatseeker insulation for these pants, aimed at providing exceptional warmth for the coldest among us. We found these to deliver upon that goal, keeping our legs warm when tested with cold temperatures and fresh snow. For those extra cold days, we would recommend pairing these pants with a base layer for optimal warmth. For its wallet friendly price point, these pants met our expectation with ease.

That being said, the warmth generated by the Freedom Pant is not ideal for backcountry shredders who are performing more strenuous activity. This pant likes to stay warm and was built to do so.

Features

The Freedom Insulated Pant is fairly basic when it comes to features, keeping things simple with two zippered thigh pockets and one velcro cargo pocket. The cargo pocket is a nice touch, and is just big enough to fit a phone, wallet, or small snacks. However, it comes with a velcro closure, meaning it is best to be wise about what one puts in it—we prefer all pockets to have a zipper closure for greater security.

The pant also comes with a mesh boot gaiter, which is part of its Chimney Venting system and was unique in the pants we tested. This allowed for ventilation from ski boots up, but also meant that if one is walking in deep powder in the pants, there is a chance snow might melt and get inside. Other than those features, the pant is fairly basic in its design.

The cargo thigh pocket is held closed by two strips of velcro. Without a zipper closure, we don't recommend securing important items here.

Style

This pant comes in a large variety of vibrant colors and sizing options (short, regular, tall), providing the opportunity to find a color that fits one's personal style. This, paired with the stylish addition of the cargo pocket, make the pants stand out from other more basic styles around its price-point. We were impressed by the overall look of the pants and received multiple compliments from across the resort while putting them through testing.

We loved the pop of color these pants provided.

Value

The price is right for these pants, coming in at the low end while still providing reliable features to get you on the hill. Unless you demand a truly high-performing pant for your resort skiing objectives, this pant will get you some bang for your buck. Its weatherproofing is good for the price, and is a great option for someone who is not ready to commit to something more expensive. Our Best Buy Award winner packs in a lot of value.

Conclusion