The North Face Ventrix Jacket is a synthetic insulated jacket with North Face’s Ventix technology. This technology aims to make the insulation more breathable by perforating it. When the user is still, the perforations are closed and the insulation is at its best. When the user is active, the perforations open with the fabric’s movement, allowing heat and humidity to travel through, thus increasing breathability.

Shop Ventrix Jacket now

Our review of this product
7 / 10
The pros are:

  • Adjustable elastic at the hem
  • Over-the-helmet hood
  • Very lightweight
  • Fabric more resistant at the wrists, elbows and hem
The cons are:

  • Low compressibility and heat compared to down
  • Few functional elements

We had the chance to test the jacket during a ski touring and cyclo-touring trip to Iceland. The temperature varied between 5 and 20°C. Being sports enthusiasts who enjoy being a little cooler than hot during our activities, we found the jacket to be a little warm.

Below: The North Face Summit L3 Ventrix 2.0 Hoodie—Men’s

Shop Summit L3 Ventrix Hoodie now

However, the Ventrix was perfect for the fresh nights and for transitions and rest times. A more adjusted fit would probably allow putting to better use the technology since the jacket would move with its user.

ventrix 1

After our test, we were left with the impression that the Ventrix technology does not perform as well as intended. The jacket is still quite warm and very light to carry, two considerable assets. Using it in colder conditions and in activities involving the upper body like ice climbing would benefit from the jacket’s attributes.

Below: The North Face Summit L3 Ventrix 2.0 Hoodie—Women’s

Shop Summit L3 Ventrix Hoodie now

ventrix 2

The Ventrix is a simple garment since the three outside pockets and the hood are the main characteristics. For a technical jacket like the Ventrix, we would have liked a few more functional elements. Despite everything, the Ventrix is an interesting jacket for excursions in colder temperatures.

ventrix 3

Summit Series Ventrix Mid Layer—Women’s

Shop now

Summit Series Ventrix Mid Layer—Men’s

Shop now

Annie is 5 foot 3 inches and weighs 115 lbs and Laurent is 5 foot 11 inches and weighs 145 lbs. We both had a medium size jacket. Annie’s jacket was a bit too large to fit under a shell, both in width and in length. For Laurent, the sleeves and the waist were long enough but the jacket was a little too wide. We recommend you to pay close attention to your choice of size.

ventrix 4

Finally, we brought the Ventrix jacket as a replacement for a down jacket. It fully met our expectations at this point and we appreciated the performance of the synthetic insulation during the humid conditions of our trip.

Shop The North Face