Customer Reviews The North Face Outer Boroughs Parka

The temps in the NE dropped below zero & I bought this coat for my daughter. She liked it so much that I bought one for myself. This coat is very warm and looks cute on. This is an extreme cold weather coat that's completely waterproof, so it is a little restrictive. That said, it's lighter weight and slimming than I expected. My daughter and I both got it in a small. The coat has a tight fit, but does not feel too small. The neck of the coat is down and is so warm and comfy. Also, the hood is lined and snug and very warm. Again, the coat is waterproof which is great.

Love the look of the coat. same as many reviews, this coat was not made with a woman's body in mind. Very tight in the chest and hip areas, perfect everywhere else. I originally purchased a medium, which was a little snug, then tried a large, which was huge in the arms and had no shape.

I am between a XL and 2X, slightly broad in the shoulders, w/ a full bust. The jacket runs a little narrow at the top and restricts arm movement. At the same time, it's a has more room in the mid section. I use the adjustable straps on the sides to take in the extra room in the mid section. So I purchased the 2X. I tried on the jackets with a hoody and that's how I made my final decision on the bigger size. Not made like the Artica Parka which is generally a bigger fitting jacket.

This is a solid coat and I stand by all my NF gear, this was a gift for the wife while she stands on a train platform in NYC's Outer Boroughs. Coat looks great, the comments on the sizing are good to pay attention to, and it is warm. My (15%) haircut to perfection is that the coat requires that you do still layer up under it. This last Snow Storm in NYC with single digit wind chills beat the coat. Nonetheless, I would still buy this coat again.

Coat is very nice! Warm for this Chicago weather! Length is perfect!!!

I really like this parka and I think it's the warmest one I've ever had out of many other Columbia and North Face Jackets, and it looks good too. I think it is on par with the much more expensive Canada Goose parkas (and for half the price!). The temperatures in New York are in the single digits, negative with wind chill, and I live in a part of the city that is a total wind tunnel with winds that regularly blow people back on the sidewalk. This coat kept the parts of my body that it covered completely warm and toasty on my entire 1 mile walk to work. My only gripe is with the parts of my body that it DOESN'T cover and I think it should. Specifically, the coat ends about 3-4 inches above my knee and, as a result, the about 6" area between where my boots end and this coat begins were frozen by the time I got to work. If I were a bit shorter (I'm 5'6) or the coat a bit longer, I think it would be perfect. I also wish the hood were a bit tighter (or had the option to be tightened) as the sides of my face got a bit chilly, which could have been fixed by a tighter hood that I could pull in around my face to leave less of my face exposed. I'll fix this in the future by adding a fleece headband. I'm 5'7, 135 pounds, hourglass shape, and got the medium as recommended, which is also my normal size in tops. I didn't find it tight in the shoulders at all and have plenty of room in the arms. I tightened the waist and like the more tailored look but I wish I could pull it in a bit tighter for even more shape as there is still extra room in the waist area on my coat. I overall think this is as flattering on an hourglass shape (and probably a pear) as any winter parka could be, as they're normally very boxy and make people with hourglass figures look dumpy ;) I'm also hoping that the zipper holds up - it seems sort of flimsy and has already unzipped itself from the bottom once when I sat down.

have difficulty zipping up, hoping this is because the coat is still relatively new - hopefully it will become smoother with more wear

The zipper could be better. It needs to be more sturdy.

I have lived in northwest Montana for 12 years, and this coat is the warmest one I have owned since I moved here from the North Bay Area of California. I love the style of this coat too! Sometimes it is hard to get the zipper going, but it seems like a sturdy zipper. The main complaint I have about the coat is that, when it's all the way zipped up with the hood in place, it's not comfortable. I think the coat should have been made with more room in the head and face area. I usually don't zip it up all the way because of this problem. Overall, it's worth any idiosyncrasies. It's breathable and blocks the wind really well! I own it in New Taupe (basically army green), and I love the color!

I live in Michigan and knew at the start of the winter season that I wanted to invest in a good parka. I did a lot of research on different brands, and initially ordered a parka from Columbia. I was very dissapointed that the parka did not match the stock photo, so I returned it and ordered this Northface parka instead. I am 5'9 and 170 lbs so I went with the XL because other reviews said it ran small and I wanted to be able to wear a sweater underneath. I was again dissapointed when I received the parka, as the size was much too large, and even with cinching the waist in, it looked like I was drowning in it. I exchanged it for a Large, which I kept, although it does feel a bit more snug then I would've liked. The parka is pretty heavy, but it does keep you very warm. I just shoveled snow outside today, came back inside, and I was sweating underneath. I think the pockets on the front are not in the right spot.. they are too far up, so it makes it a little difficult to take things in and out of them. Although I am tall, I was also a little dissapointed with the length too, as I wish it had come all the way to the knees, but instead comes a few inches above the knee. Overall, I liked the coat enough to keep it, but there was also lack of options for a name brand, heavy-weight parka that didn't cost $1,000. I do think NF could improve the fit of this coat for how much it costs.

Great jacket but way too tight in the chest area.

I love this jacket. It has a bit more style than the Arctic Parka. Lots of pockets for hands and storage. I love that you can chinch the waist to give it a more definition in the waist. I'm 5'11" with long legs and arms. This hits just above my knee, and the sleeves go all the way to my wrist. My only complaint is that the sleeves near the hands are very loose. I worry about wind blowing up my sleeves if I don't have gloves on.

like it just big for me

This is a very stylish parka. The hood is warm and the collar helps with cold winds (I live in Michigan). I wish the pockets were located a bit lower for more comfortable use. The coat is warm, especially with the hood on, but because it is loose on the bottom, the wind can get under it easily. I am 6 foot 1, so most coats are too short with sleeves that are not long enough. This parka is perfect for a tall girl with long arm and the cuffs leave my hands warm. I usually wear size 8 but got a Large for extra length and room for a sweater. Overall, I would recommend this coat!.

I have always owned TNF parkas, but this one is hands down the warmest. The only cons to the jacket are overall fit. I ordered a small since that is what I always wear, but the small was tight in the chest and short in the sleeves. The medium is a little big overall, but I don't care what I look like when it's freezing outside.

Good choice for tough winter

This winter coat is fashionable and perfect for the weather in Chicago because it's extremely warm! I love love big coats although I thought this one was a little bigger than what I was hoping for :( I purchased it online so I was not aware. I will be taking a trip to Michigan Avenue and exchanging it for a new one. Hopefully one size smaller will help if not I will look around in hopes to finding a similar one :)

Runs small, super heavy, and super stiff

I had to return it. As other reviewers have commented, the shoulders are cut small. I am typical a solid medium in all North Face jackets, coats and tops. The shoulders were too restrictive. A larger size would have been too big in the hips. The cost is very heavy and stiff, but seems very warm. The urban navy is a really great color! Side note, I compared this to the defdown. The defdown had no shape/tailoring.

I was so looking forward to receiving the jacket. I love the way it looks, very stylish for a super warm parka. Love the style, the feminine hourglass shape with belt. Unfortunately, the shoulder and arm sections are weirdly tailored. I am petite and proportionate (this means that I have normal sized arms and shoulders :) ) but this parka just doesn't fit right in the shoulders and upper arms. Normally, I am size S so I tried M but that didn't help either. If they could design it with a little more room in arms in shoulders it would be perfect. For a coat of this price I expect more comfort. So sad to have to return this coat!

This coat is very fashionable and flattering, however, I wish they had made more adjustment options for the belt. There is plenty of room in the coat for there to be "one notch" looser. Unfortunately, there are only two snap options for adjustment and is just a tad snug around the middle only because of the belt. As someone else mentioned the side pockets are low for hands but hands can easily go in top pockets with the flap in a comfortable position. The coat is very heavy to lift but once it is put on, it doesn't feel terribly bulky for heavy winter coat. I haven't tried it in weather yet but feels high quality and waterproof material. Two days after I purchased this, it went on sale and I called and was refunded the difference. Otherwise I would have returned because of the belt issue. The coat is very flattering and fashionable with super fun hood, will keep.

The jacket was very comfortable and true to size; however the placement and size of the pockets didn't work well for me. I'm 5'3" and about 125 pounds and didn't find the pocket placement to be very comfortable. The jacket also flared out a little on the bottom making me appear wider.

I absolutely love the weight, feel, construction, details and color of this coat, however, I wear a lot of black clothes and when I take this coat off, I have to pluck a lot of down off!

Love the jacket, it is my second one just needed a size change. Warmest jacket I've owned. Only con was ordering/shipping issue.

I ordered a medium and it was way too restrictive. I would have tried a large because it is definitely a nice coat but my store doesn't have this product. I decided to go with the defdown coat but it is heavier than what i am accustomed to.