The North Face Nuptse Review

The North Face Nuptse Overview

The North Face Nuptse is the outdoor giant’s go at a cool, urban down jacket. And they’ve pulled it off spectacularly. The shiny exterior has large baffles, which bring to mind the streetwear puffies of the 1990’s, while the ethically sourced down in the interior means you can feel confident that you’re putting your money in a respectable product.

Because of the jacket’s good design, simple yet sufficient features, and outstanding comfort, we’re awarding the Nuptse our Classic Pick down jacket for the Urban Hiker.

This competitive spot — a Classic Pick down jacket for Urban use — has been held previously by the REI Magma 850. REI Is in the process of updating this piece, and while it’s still great, we find the oversized baffles, comfy fit, and excellent style of the Nuptse gives it a leg up for most people who want an urban jacket.

Find The North Face Nuptse jacket review below, and see where it falls on our Best Down Jacket guide

The North Face Nuptse Specifications

Gear Review of the The North Face Nuptse

Origins: Easing You In

As a down jacket for the Urban Hiker category, my first concern was: would I use such a big coat on my morning bus commute? And boy did I! There’s nothing quite so enjoyable as waiting for the bus in the Pacific Northwestern cold swaddled up in the Nuptse. Throughout this review you’re going to hear me talk a lot about the comfort of this jacket. And I want you to know that even after reading this entire review you’ll still be amazed at how comfortable the Nuptse is. It’s just that good.

The North Face Nuptse: beyond comfortable and puffy in any scenario.

The Nuptse’s warmth and hilariously big shape made me inclined to reach for it every time I was out walking around town. Furthermore, because it’s cut with what The North Face calls a “relaxed fit”, the jacket is roomy enough to throw over any work attire I wanted. The real joy here is that because the puffy is intended to be fashionably boxy, I never felt like I was drowning in material, like can happen when you accidentally get too large a size. In the Nuptse, that big size is the whole point.

You can layer nearly anything under the Nuptse, and the giant baffles of down are engineered for maximum comfort.

Revelation: The Moment I Knew

I knew I loved this jacket from the moment I put it on. Simple as that. The fit is boxy and comfortably roomy. The color is great. And there is so much down stuffed into a single jacket that I felt insulated from anything the world could throw at me.

The Nuptse is capable on most adventures, including the ultimate puffy warmth for any cold car-ride to the trailhead.

I found myself reaching for this jacket again and again for adventures around town or even for chilly mornings in the car on the way to the mountains. The Nuptse came to feel like a comfy pair of sweatpants that you can’t wait to throw on at the end of the day.

Digging Deeper

The Nuptse’s 30-50D exterior is crammed full with soft 700-fill down. And for all you animal lovers out there, The North Face ensures that their down is certified to RDS standards. Add in the fact that the jacket is made from post-consumer recycled content and you’ve got a comfortable jacket that you can feel good about buying.

All the down, all the puff.

The features on the Nuptse are a little light on the ground, but nothing key is missing. There is a standard center zip closure on the front of the jacket, but no storm guard so it’s not super waterproof. The cuffs adjust with Velcro tabs, and a bungee cord cinches the hem. Up top you’ve got an uninsulated hood.

A solid center zip.

Finally the Nuptse claims to pack into its own pocket. And while this is technically true, getting such a large jacket into such a small space was more effort than this reviewer was willing to put in. In fact, I managed to get the entire jacket into its stow pocket exactly once.

The Nuptse’s interior zippered pocket works well for stashing small items. Not so much for stuffing the jacket though.

Comfort – 5 Stars

This jacket’s retro styling makes me emotionally uncomfortable because it informs me that I was alive at a time which is now considered retro: 1996. That’s uncomfortable. However, the actual jacket is like being swaddled by the soft, downy arms of the Michelin Man. You wanna feel like you’re walking around in a cloud? I sure did in the Nuptse.

Again: so much puff.

Durability – 4 Stars

Compared to the tissue-paper-thin nylon that is used in most backpacking puffies, the Nuptse’s 30-50D fabrics feel positively robust. That being said, maybe don’t climb through any rose bushes.

The fabric is thicker than most puffies, the zippers are YKK, and have decent pulls. Overall well constructed — but still a down jacket, so don’t take a scissors to the thing.

Warmth – 3.5 Stars

Chilly mornings in Seattle typically dip no lower than the low 30’s. At that temperature with a standard work outfit on I would be perfectly warm while waiting for the bus. At lower temperatures the jacket’s short torso, which hit me just above the hips, would start to feel drafty.

Packability – 2 Stars

Sorry Nuptse, but packable you are not. The jacket austensibly fits into a pocket sewn into the interior, but the effort required to do so meant that I rarely bothered. Then, in both my office and my front hall the jacket took up a lot of space just hanging there.

You can try to stuff it in the interior zippered pocket, but it’s not worth the time.

Fit

This jacket is cut on the roomy side, but not excessively so. For most of my adult life I’ve been a pretty consistent size medium across most brands, and the Nuptse was cut a little bigger than most. I actually like that feature for a jacket like this because I could easily layer it over a blazer for the office, making it ideal for a commute.

Grievances

If I was going to pick a fight with this jacket it would be about the hood. It’s flimsy, it looks a little silly, and it’s not insulated (another reason I deducted stars for warmth). However, the hood is easily concealed by rolling it into the collar. Meaning you won’t have to look at it, but it will be there if it starts raining.

On the other hand, if it starts snowing you’d better have a hat.

The Nuptse has a very lightweight hood for being such a puffy, robust jacket. It’s not insulated, so won’t do much to increase your warmth. That said, it’s thin and easy to pack away, so won’t cramp your style when not in use.

Final Word

The Nuptse Jacket from The North Face is a downy ball of retro nostalgia. The luxurious comfort of the jacket is almost enough to make you forget about your childhood reaching retro status.

Where to Buy The North Face Nuptse

We tested a women’s North Face Nuptse down jacket, specifically in the “1996 Retro” line. This jacket is the same for all genders, except for fit and color.

The North Face has also offered the Nuptse in slightly different styles over the years, sometimes with slimmer baffles. The Retro version is current, and what we recommend.

It also comes as a vest.

Compare The North Face Nuptse prices below.

Kara Kieffer

Kara grew up a grubby tomboy in Boulder, CO, where she spent most of her time outside collecting rocks in her pockets, much to her mother's chagrin. Now, as a Los Angeles based art director and writer she still loves being outside and exploring every chance she gets. On any given weekend, you can find her backpacking, hiking, or running ridiculous distances up and down mountains. You can follow her blog, Wild Country Found, and Instagram, or check out her personal website for more information.