The North Face ThermoBall™ 2.0 Jacket Review

Lightweight, warm insulation jacket in men’s and women’s styles.

Updated with 100% recycled insulation and a new quilting pattern that minimizes cold spots, The North Face’s ThermoBall™ 2.0 Jacket is perfect for cool and cold weather. 

Design and Fit

I’ve been wearing this jacket for everything the past month. I wear it out around town to run errands, and I wear it to the park, too. I think of The North Face ThermoBall™ 2.0 Jacket as the jeans jacket version of my cold weather gear because it is so comfortable and unfussy. I like the simple design: not too boxy, not curvy, but somewhere in between. It’s the perfect length for a jacket; the hem hits at my hips, and the back of the jacket is a bit longer. 

I tested a women’s jacket, and found a good fit in my usual size. The sleeves were a bit short on me, which I only noticed when driving or lifting up my arms. Most women will not have this problem. (I’m 6’ tall and have very long arms, and often wear men’s jackets to get the extra length I need.)

Performance

The North Face ThermoBall™ 2.0 Jacket is ideal for drizzly Seattle weather because it has some level of water repellency (non-PFC DWR finish) and still provides warmth when wet. I seem to get caught in the rain a lot, so I appreciate that I can still stay warm. The North Face ThermoBall™ 2.0 Jacket keeps me warm without bulk. It’s the puffy jacket for people who don’t want to look puffy. The jacket’s lack of bulk makes it ideal as a warm, insulating layer under my rain shell for cold, windy nights on the pier when I go fishing for squid. It gets very cold on the water (close to freezing), and not much activity happens, so it’s reassuring to know I will stay warm if I wear The North Face ThermoBall™ 2.0 Jacket.

On most outings, I wear The North Face ThermoBall™ 2.0 Jacket over a short- or long-sleeved cotton or merino wool top in temperatures hovering between 40^oF and 45^oF. On windy days when the temps feel much colder, or when it dips into the 30s, I might add a thin merino hoodie underneath. I tried exercising in The North Face ThermoBall™ 2.0 Jacket, and found that I got too warm (except out outings where the temps are hovering in the low 30s F). With temperatures closer to freezing the North Face ThermoBall™ 2.0 Jacket is an ideal jacket for low- to moderately-paced hour-long urban hikes and power-walks.

The main zipper has a wide flap underneath it to keep the cold out, and the collar does a great job of protecting my neck when fully zipped. The two zippered front pockets are large and hold a lot of my stuff, including: an iPhone 12 in a chunky case, an asthma inhaler and a spacer, and snacks. There’s also a large, deep zippered pocket on the inside of the jacket. I love using this for my wallet so I know it is safely out of reach. The entire jacket can be packed into this pocket for easy packing. All of the zippers have nylon cord pulls, making them easy to locate.

Bottom Line

I really love this jacket because it keeps me warm and dry, it’s lightweight, and it’s more comfortable and versatile for my daily use than a parka-length jacket. I also appreciate the use of recycled materials and the extended size range.

Details

Men’s jacket is available in sizes S-3XL in TNF Black, Meld Grey, Shady Blue, Midnight Petrol, and Forest Olive. Women’s jacket is available in sizes XS-3XL in TNF Black, Midnight Mauve, Gardenia White, and Forest Olive. 

  $230 (on sale now for $161 at Amazon. Click here for men’s, women’s.)