Customer Reviews The North Face Gatebreak Down Jacket

I bought this jacket for my husband's Christmas gift and he his so happy with it he haven't gone a day without it.

The actual product was good - warm and comfortable. The size/cut/form was laughable. I normally buy XL for most/all of my clothes and did with this one, too. But it arrived and was huge on me. I had to return it to the local TNF store. The size was also not to allow other clothing beneath it, but just massive. The zipper also got caught in the lips from the material multiple times on the way up and down.

Have had unseasonable rain this winter. Went to shovel the snow/slush for 30 minutes and when I came in, I was soaked. Coat did not seem to repel water.

My only concern is how easily any fluid becomes apparent on the grey. Hopefully this comes out with cleaning. Love everything else about the jacket.

This is a well designed and well made jacket for the winter months. It is well insulated without being heavy or bulky. This coat has two inner pockets, although I wish it had a chest pocket on the outside of the jacket like many other North Face jackets have.

It's a great gift. The jacket is light weight which was deceptive at first as I thought it won't work in winter but it does hold up to its description of being a ski jacket. I had imagined the jacket to be a little more puffy because its suppose to be a down jacket.

It's warm and lightweight, fits well & moves comfortably.

The color is exactly what I wanted for the woods in Maine, but the fit runs small I think. The size chart recommended a men's small based on height and weight so I ordered a medium just in case, and it's snug. It fits well enough, but not enough room for a hoodie or layers underneath. Good thing it's really warm so the many layers aren't really necessary. Overall, it's a warm winter coat which is what I ordered.

It was good but not what I expected because the material was different and the size was also not fitting me

I've been using my surge II for close to a year and a half, carrying anywhere from 10lbs to 45lbs in it every day. I can easily fit my giant laptop, surface tablet, 4 notebooks, a few textbooks, and all the miscellaneous stuff that is necessary every day. I have seen no deterioration since I began using it (and I am really rough on bags). I have a few minor things that I would change- The handle is SO THIN that it feel like its cutting into your skin if you pick up the heavy bag. I'm always worried that I will snap it if I use it when my bag is stuffed. Second- the zippers are really, really loud... it might be dumb, but when you are in a perfectly silent library/classroom and are zipping/unzipping to get stuff out or pack up, it is ridiculous how much noise these zippers make.

Very rugged and well made. The only reason I gave it 4 stars and not 5 is because of the back zipper. It doesn't not open completely, stops about 2/3 of the way. This is a bit of a nuisance getting a a laptop in and out of that compartment. Otherwise it would be a perfect backpack.

The product is a sturdy backpack. I enjoy being about to put my heavy 18lb gaming laptop into it. However, I think it's a bit pricey, but what can I say, it's the North Face.

Too big for me

Over-all, a stylish, hooded jacket (I have the red/graphite combo--available 2015). It is not as warm as I believed that it would be. My middle back can feel the cold; also, there are cold spots on the arms. (I have not washed it yet, so there is no down clumping.) If I wear a mid-weight fleece jacket under it, then it can handle cold temperatures (20 deg F or colder). If worn alone, it is appropriate for 30 deg. F or higher. Also, if it gets wet or damp, it has an odor like a wet dog. Thus far, all of its features work as designed with no problems. That said, I wish that it had concealed hood storage.

I really wanted to keep this jacket, usually a normal XL in TNF gear fits me great. Thiss jacket seems to be built to match people with a much larger mid-section. I am no athlete, but this thing is cut so strange. It's like a folded in half table cloth with sleeves and a hood. Also, the cuff opening for the sleeves are HUGE, they get all bunched up to get the opening anywhere near a reasonable diameter. Unfortunately, I had to bring this back to my local TNF store, thanks for a great return policy that let me pick out something better suited for my needs.

Commuting; Shoveling and snow removal.

Jacket is light and warm, but the gray color stains easily.

The picture made it look like you could wear the jacket without Thr good but it doesn't come detached. For that reason I didn't like it.

I like this color only

The quality and style were great, but the fit was horrible. The fit ruined the entire jacket. I tried to size down, but it was too tight then.

Pros - Fashionable - Lightweight with heavy items inside - Great daypack for urban use, travel, laptop backpack, tablet. Cons - The North Face workmanship (aka quality) deteriorated compared to my Big Shot daypack purchased in late 2004. - Inside stitching coming out from two places inside the backpack. Fizzy black threads seen. This is unacceptable from a 125USD product. -Questionable durability. I purchased SURGE II because I had good experience with my Big Shot daypack. But inspecting the daypack presented itself with stitching issues not normal for a North Face product. My 10 year old North Face Big Shot daypack is going strong albeit bottom layer material falling out with black rubbery stuff. That black rubbery stuff destroys my textbooks and material inside the bag. Aside from that issue my 10 year old bag is awesome! I want to ask people at The North Face is this frizzy thread stitching issue normal? I am attaching photos for reference.