Customer Reviews The North Face Arctic Parka

It's not warm enough.

Upper chest and arms always cold.

The sleeves are way too short. Such a hassle to return to a store because I paid with paypal. The color is nice though. It's an odd fit though so I'd recommend ordering up a size or tryin it on in person. I'm. 5'7 125

I'm 5', 105lbs and normally wear a size small or US women's 2/4. I ordered a size S and it's quite large on me. It's boxy with no feminine fitting in the waist area and falls to about 4" above my knees. I can wear several layers and a thick hoodie underneath and still have plenty of room. It seems to be quite warm (it kept me toasty in 20 degree weather) and wind proof. I have not tested this in snow or rain yet. The pockets are deep with zippers and quite nice. The shape of hood is absolutely hideous when pulled on, as the way that it is designed plus the sparse distribution of the fur makes your head look like an long egg. It's a shame because I always prefer to pull my hood on versus wearing a hat. My main gripe (and why this is a 2 star rating instead of a 5) is the laughably bad quality of the zipper. It is an extremely cheap plastic that barely functions. It takes me on average 2 minutes just to zip up and it is frustrating. It's one of those double two way zippers that enables you to unzip from the bottom. The issue is that it is so poorly designed that they don't align correctly. It gets stuck and snagged as a result. Shame on TNF for charging premium pricing on their products but cutting corners in the worst ways. It's like putting a cardboard steering wheel on a luxury vehicle. What a disappointment. Overall, it's a decent function over fashion jacket that would be great if you don't mind putting up with a barely functional zipper.

Returning. Customer service brusque. Felt too busy for me. Not sure of replacement. Need warm coat. This wasn't it.

I was excited to receive this coat but upon trying it on noted that the sleeves were several inches too short and that there were holes in both hand pockets! Upon inspection it appeared that the stitching was poorly done. Not what I would expect from a $300 coat... it's going back.

This would be a perfect coat except it isn't made for a petite size women. So it feels like your wearing your big brothers coat.

I returned this coat after buying online. For me there were 2 big dislikes: 1) when zipped all the way up, it was very stiff and dug into my chin...very uncomfortable 2) the length was annoying when sitting down.. when standing it falls somewhere mid-thigh so when sitting down it rides up to about mid-bum and it feels like your sitting on bunched up or folded fabric which I found really annoying..so not long enough to cover your whole bum when sitting but not short enough to not sit on any portion of the coat. Also the sizing is a little off. I am normally a size 6-8 and wear mostly medium stuff (also 5'8"), so I ordered a medium. It was just snug enough with movement to make it feel a little small. I did try a large on in the store when I returned it but it was still very uncomfortable under the chin as I noted. Overall I'm sure it's warm and weather resistant but it was not comfortable on me. Oh and lastly the faux fur hood was a little goofy shaped when pulled up over head...looked a little like a triangle.

Cute hood. Too bulky and too large at bottom for a large.

I thought this parka was too heavy and too fitted for a winter parka. I returned it to a local retailer.

Bought for sons hockey games but will be bringing it back because of poor fit.

The concept for the design of this parka is good - sporting an around-town length and sexy fur-lined hood but, once donned, the cut is boxy and unflattering, bulky and awkward. The hood doesn't fall in a natural slump down the top of the back but pokes sideways across the shoulders. This is the mom-in-winter opinion. As a former competitive downhiller, the sportsman in me would never wear it on the slopes as it would be far too constricting. In summary: the product design is a good concept but needs some tweeks.

I bought this thinking it was like my first parka but it was light weight! it wasn't like the first one I bought It's bigger it feels like I'm wearing a mans coat and it's shaped weirdly I'm just not satisfied

Material felt very stiff. I am 5ft 2in 128 lbs I bought a medium. I was too fitted around the thoracic area to be comfortable. Arms were way too long and bulky. When completely zipped up very uncomfortable around the neck and chin. I exchanged it for another north face fingers crossed!

I received this coat today and was delighted by it's quality and feel... until I tried to put it on. I ordered the XXL (I'm a size 18W). It is far too snug and would be impossible to wear with a sweater. The coat is wonderful, but I have to return it. I wish that it came in a bigger size!

Not totally happy with my new/replacement arctic parka purchase. Instead of trusting that my replacement would be an identical match to my previous coat (aside from the color and one size larger), I should have done more research. I have to say that I'm disappointed with Northface's decision to "fix" something that was not broken. I absolutely loved my arctic parka purchased in 2011, but had to go up one size. The styling updates to the coat are not pleasing, and I will not purchase another one. There seems to be less down fill in the size small (recently purchased) compared to the xsmall (previously purchased). There are no longer top/breast pockets on the coat, which was the perfect place for change, and other small items that you may need to carry/access quickly. The top of the zipper is very scratchy. The tab added to the hood (not sure what it's for) would look much better if it was the same color as the coat. The sleeve cuffs would also look much better if they were the same color as the coat. It looks like I may have to upgrade to the Woolrich parka. Much more stylish and possibly warmer.

I had a down jacket similar to this one since 2010, the main zipper gave way from using so much. I love the jacket, during the winter month I was able to do so much out door activity with my boyfriend( husband now), when everyone would complain about the cold it would not bother us. we would be out for 4 to 6 hours outside skating, watching light shows etc. married with 3 children we go out twice as much, we made sure all of our kids have a north face so them too will enjoy the winter out door activities. I am so sad because I am afraid I will no longer enjoy the winter months with my family. so long story short, I got a replacement jacket instead of them fixing the zipper on the old one. I used it last sunday and I had to stand out door no more than 20 mins when it was only 40degrees. I was so cold, I couldn't believe it.

I bought this coat for Canadian winters, and it has been a bit of a bust. The cut is too wide around the waist and allows freezing air to gust up inside the coat. It has been handed down through family members ranging in size from 6 to 14 in an attempt to find someone who can wear the coat comfortably to no avail: if it fits, it lets cold air up the bottom, otherwise, it is too small. If I invest in another TNF coat, I'm holding out for one that allows for cinching at the waist.

*I have only tired it on in the store.* I ogled over this coat online for over a year, and finally tried it on and was really disappointed! I am petite (5'3" - size 8) and I could not button the Medium, and the Large looked massive on me. Maybe I do not have the body for this jacket, and it would perhaps look better on someone taller/slimmer. I could tell this would be very warm in the winter if you were not going for style, which I was. I found the Metropolis Parka to be a lot more slimming.

The first time i paid so much for the jacket. I was really happy with the quality and thought its worth it. However, when i first washed it, all the down inside got quilted in one corner. I had to spread it to the empty parts and it is not easy and very annoying. Took me hours to figure out how to do it and more hours to pinch the downs and spread it to the empty parts. My Jacket is no more like it used to when i wore it for the first time and I have only washed it for twice and with so much care.

Pros: -Fabrication seems sturdy enough to contain down and prevent shedding. -Even with larger sizing, sleeves are not excessively long. Cons: -Photo on website is deceptive in that it doesn't show how much the coat flares starting from the lower ribcage down even with the slightly cinched waist. I ordered the L because many of the other reviewers reported tightness in the chest region of the coat only to find that I would have to trade comfort in the top half for severely ill fit in the lower half. I'm normally a M in all apparel and have average width hips, yet I looked like a giant bell from all profiles! The design is better suited to maternity wear. -The length could be a bit longer in proportion to the width of the size L coat for a more slimming effect, or the waist could be dropped to lengthen the appearance of the torso (other sizes could be better proportioned, don't know). -The fur trim is weirdly conspicuous because there's just so much of it. If you're like me and have a large head and face and do not wish to draw extra attention to it, I would not recommend wearing the hood with the trim. -Exterior pockets are placed a bit high. I have short arms so this isn't a big deal. However, those with long arms may have to keep their elbows bent if they wish to use the pockets for hand-warming. Final remarks: I really, truly wanted to keep this coat because of the weather-proof features but the design flaws were just too overwhelming considering the price.

Was surprised at how little down is in there, but kept it based on the reviews. Bought it for walking my dog and walking around Manhattan. Now that it's cold, - about 30 degrees - I am freezing. it's more like a shell with a little thin patches of down inside. Almost zero insulation in the shoulders or sleeves. I need to wear another thinsulate coat, sweater & long sleeve t-shirt underneath to stay warm. It's looks attractive - nice slim fit since there is minimal insulation. Beautiful fur ruff, hood fits well. Great pockets. If you want style, this is your coat. If you want serious warmth below 30 degrees, don't get this coat. Sorry I bought this, esp for the price. Just another shell.

I??ve been wearing this coat for about two weeks now, and I have to say that I don??t understand how so many people can say this coat is warm because it??s not. For the money I spent on this coat, I expect it to keep me warm in -4 Celsius weather, but it doesn??t. Even with layers I can feel the cold. On top of that, I can feel the wind blowing through the coat. I find it warm enough when the weather is hovering around freezing, but once it gets colder than that, I need to wear a warmer coat. This coat also fits very small. Last year I bought the Tremaya park in a medium and had room to fit three layers underneath it. With this parka, the large is snug, and I have not gained weight in the last year. On a positive note, this is a nice looking coat, and it??s light to wear, but what I??m looking for is a coat that??s going to keep me warm in below freezing weather, and this is not it!

I live in Nunavut, Canada. The temperature can drop to -50C at times, with the wind gusting to 90km/hr. I needed a warm, wind-proof jacket that still allowed me to be active during walks without feeling uncomfortable. I bought the Graphite Grey - which is much lighter than I thought - in a Large. I simply got the large because Northface told me I should, and because I did read some of the reviews that said it fit small. I really should have gotten a Medium. I am pretty curvy, so I thought that the large would fit nicely. I am 5'8", I weigh approximately 165lbs, I use a 36C bra, and this jacket is much too big and bulky for me. This jacket leaves me with tons of room EVERYWHERE, which is uncomfortable! I could wear 2 sweaters and it would fit perfectly. I was hoping for a more snug fit, that would keep me warm, and still allow me to move comfortably. I look huge and bulky in this jacket. I'm pretty disappointed, but it wouldn't be worth it to send it back because it will cost me a bunch of money to ship it back to northface, and I would have to wait another month to buy a new jacket. :( I would definitely recommend trying this on before buying it. On the plus side, the jacket is very warm, it has quality material that feels wonderful on the skin, it's light-weight for activity. I absolutely love north face jackets, and will continue to buy from Northface, but I'm pretty disappointed in this jacket.

I bought this coat mostly to stay warm, secondly, to look good. The down is too thin, not even close to the thickness and warmth of a coat I bought at Cabelas 3 years ago with the same label of down. I am thinking of returning it.