When you’re looking for a new outdoor jacket, you come across a wide range of technologies. Who could ever know them all? What benefits do certain brands and jackets have?

We want to help you by sharing what we know about different materials and introducing you to the perfect jacket for your next outdoor adventure.

We’re going to start off by talking about two technologies offered by our partner The North Face: DryVent and ThermoBall. So, what is The North Face DryVent? What is The North Face ThermoBall? What’s behind the names and how good are these technologies really? Which jackets come with DryVent and which ones come with ThermoBall? Not to worry, we’ll explain everything.

The North Face DryVent

The first technology we want to introduce you to is The North Face DryVent, which derives from HyVent technology. What is DryVent and what does it do?

The technology

First, a simple question: What do you want from your outdoor equipment? It should be waterproof, windproof and breathable, right? Some manufacturer’s answer to these requirements is a Gore-Tex membrane, but The North Face has designed something of its own with these same features. Up until last year, these functions were performed by a PU layer called HyVent. HyVent technology was then developed further and turned into The North Face DryVent. This PU layer is microporous, which means that there are microscopic holes in it.

The holes are so small, that drops of water from the outside of the garment can’t pass through. But water vapour molecules (i.e. evaporating perspiration) from the inside of the garment are small enough to pass through the holes. In other words, a The North Face jacket with DryVent is waterproof and breathable at the same time. There are different kinds of DryVent fabric - they come in different weights and structures, and with various performance properties. Choose the appropriate type of fabric to match your intended use of your The North Face jacket. The main difference between varieties of DryVent is the number of fabric layers used for each garment.

The jackets

TNF jackets with double-layer DryVent fabric are extremely versatile. Whether you’re on a snowy piste, on a hiking trail or on a city street, you’re guaranteed to stay dry all the way to your destination. The North Face Quest functional jacket is a perfect example - both the men’s and the women’s version. Moisture simply pearls off the jacket’s surface. The TNF jacket is also super comfortable and boasts timeless chic.



Another example of a double-layer DryVent jacket is the North Face Stratos. This comes with great features, like the mesh lining, the waterproof zips and the ventilation pit zips.

The men’s and women’s The North Face Keiryo Diad II functional jackets come with 2.5 layers of DryVent. These two and a half layers make this jacket an alpine classic for hiking or practising winter sports. Check out these awesome TNF outdoor jackets for yourself.

The North Face ThermoBall

Next up, we want to discuss The North Face ThermoBall technology - this is what you need to look for if you want a warmer jacket. This is what ThermoBall technology is and what it can do:

The technology

ThermoBall was developed in 2013, and it’s the fruit of collaboration between The North Face and PrimaLoft. The US company PrimaLoft specialises in creating synthetic, insulating, microfibre fabric. The brand’s aim is to find an alternative to animal-sourced down that provides either the same properties or better ones. The result, ThermoBall, consists of small, round balls of PrimaLoft synthetic fibre. It’s not by accident that the structure of these balls is very similar to that of down. The small air pockets within these ThermoBalls store body heat and don’t let it escape. The North Face ThermoBall technology actually offers the same heat output as traditional down, but the brand wasn’t content with just that.

Apart from heat output, ThermoBall also boasts the same low weight as goose down. However, if down gets wet, it loses its structure. It balls up and stops insulating you properly.   This doesn’t happen with ThermoBall - the balls of synthetic fibre will maintain their original structure even when wet, so they’ll keep you warm in the rain. Several tests have also shown that the synthetic down as the same bulk volume and compressibility as natural down.

In short: the same heat output, the same weight, but no animal products involved. ThermoBall even beats down in some aspects! We absolutely love The North Face’s ThermoBall technology. We can’t think of better sports than hiking or skiing on cold days, and quilted jackets will keep you warm throughout, while also being light enough to store easily when they’re no longer needed. They dry quickly too!