Customer Reviews The North Face Arctic Parka II

I ordered both the medium and the large as I tend to have issues with North Face. I'm 5'6" at an athletic 160 lbs. The large was huge, and the medium was incredibly tight in the chest area. Had to return both due to poor fit for my body type.

I used to be a North Face fan of everything; but this new parka is not as expected. The insider filled down is too little and not provide enough warm for windy day in Boston; during a windy day, i can feel the cold wind come through my arms and my shoulder. The sleeves are too short and the inner linen is also too short. definitely returning. Comparing to the one i purchased 8 years ago, this one is a lot thinner (equivalent to about 30% of the down filled from my old parka) , not worth of even the sale price. Hoping North face would add more down to this parka next year so i would considered buying it.

Top was fine and reasonably fitted so wearer does not look like The Michelin Man or a Pillsbury Doughboy. But the hips were so wide, it felt as if the coat should belong to two different people. If hips were cut slimmer (not tight, just not so wide), the coat would have been great. I am 5'4", 118 lbs; size 4-6 clothing; and medium in this coat. A small would have been too tight on top.

Large was too big and the medium had a weird cut to it... I'd buy the jacket again if I tried it on first

Loved the fabric they chose for this jacket but I had to exchange it for another style. I am 5'8" and 140, I ordered a medium, it was much too short in the arms and too wide on the waist with no adjustability. I love north face an have several of their coats and I've never had a too short in the arms problem. I did however decide to splurge and go for the Shavana parka and I'm in love! It has amazing features (like built in "emergency" gloves, they're kinda like running sleeves) great fit with adjustable waist/hood/sleeves. It's is by far the warmest coat I have every put on! Id give the Shavana a 5*

A nice coat, but to bulky for me, added about 20 pounds.

Nice coat but not as warm as I expected for the price.

I did not use the product , just tried it once. Bought this online and thought to go a size up . It looked ugly on me didn't fit right , had to buy something else instead

I'm a big fan of North Face and have many of their coats as well as other items. This coat looks nice but is definitely not as warm as I expected it to be. Not worth the money.

Fits nicely except the arms are too short. I have to wear extra long gloves. Also, not many pockets. My old north face had some inside and breast pockets

I was very disappointed that the size chart dimensions were not accurate - the coat seems to be scaled for Juniors or very slim adults

I was a little bit uncomfy in collar area, just doesn't sit on me right, and zippers don't look too durable, I had hard time with them from the beginning. Arms and shoulders are good though, when you raising your hands the parka stays where it supposed to be, without gathering somewhere in your waist. I didn't test it out very carefully (in fact, I've just tried it on few times at home), but it looks to me that it's not very warm.. So keep in mind that it was not made for a very cold conditions, which makes it great for city sightseeing, casual city wearing and makes it undesirable for hiking or something like that. Overall not bad, but for that price not great either. My beliefs, activewear has to be comfortable and durable, when something you wear is bothering you every step you make - it's unacceptable. That's why I'm gonna exchange it.

I got this coat to wear for my year in Mongolia because I heard the winters were really harsh and cold, sometimes below -40F. The coat was warm until it got around -10F then it starts getting a bit cold on the shoulders and back. Overall it is a pretty good coat, it blocks the wind well, but if you plan on living in a place with truly extreme weather you might be better off with a different coat.

I saw it on the web site and thought it would be perfect. Unfortunately the large looked very boxy when I put it on. There was no accented waist and it was too wide in the hip area. It was a little hard to insert the zipper in. I returned it to the store looking for a size medium. I did preferred the way the medium looked, because it was more tailored in the waist and looked less boxy but was to tight through the chest to wear a thicker sweater under it. So I had to return it. They did not have any other parka styles at the store so I could not see if it was just this style that I was between sizes or all their coats were sized like this.

I got the jacket for mom. She is 5;4" . The jacket is really long on her. She unzips from bottom to be able to walk. Overall really heavy. I wouldn't get it for my self. But there aren't that many options in her size. If Suzzane jacket was available I would rather get her that. It is warm and so much easier to move arms without feeling locked.

This parka offered everything that i was looking for, great quality, perfect length, super warm but after trying it on I was left disappointed and unsure. The size small fit my 5'4 115lb body wonderfully- with a t shirt, but as soon as I layered a thicker sweater underneath it became quite tight. The medium accomodated the heavier layers but looked very boxy and big around the middle. With a belt or waist toggle I would have purchased it on the spot. The two-way zipper was also a bit tricky if not lined up exactly.

I wear a medium jacket. This was very tight. I have returned it for a size large. The zipper was difficult to zip. My daughter has the same jacket and has no problem with the zipper.

Don't get me wrong. This is a great product, but unless you have an hourglass shape, you must purchase the next size larger. Unfortunately, I wear a 2XL and North Face does not make any larger sizes. I highly recommend North Face consider rethinking the outerwear to run true to size with a little extra room to move around in it and add a 3XL to their line like Columbia has done. Actually, I like North Face better, but I will buy the Columbia parka

I keep reading how warm it is and I don't know what went wrong with mine then! Looks great, perfect fit I am 5 ft tall, 110 pounds and XS fits perfect but, it is not warm enough for Chicago winter. I will have to buy something else, unfortunately. I do recommend it if you will be dealing with a milder/kinder winter weather.

I've been looking for a warm winter coat with fur trimmed hood. This coat was so cute in the pictures and overall the reviews were very positive, so I decided to order it online. I am 5'7 and 125 lbs, slim build. The sizing guidelines told me a small, so this is what I ordered in the Weimaraner brown. I tried it on and as hard as I wanted to love it... not so. It was too bulky in the shoulders and hip but snug in the armpit and chest region, also super long on my arms (went past the palms of my hands, not quite to fingertip). So, returned that and ordered the XS. The XS was a more attractive fit in the shoulders/hip and great arm length... but, to be expected, super tight in the chest/armpit area to the point of uncomfortable and limiting what I could wear underneath. The weimaraner brown was more drab brown/olive than the picture shows. I have seen the black ink green in person, and this was a nicer color. Apart from my experience, this is a super cute coat and definitely warm. However, I will be returning the XS and looking elsewhere. Just not satisfied with the sizing of this coat... :(

The online "size recommendation" said I should buy an XS (i'm 5'5' and 115 lbs) but I bought the Small because I wanted to be able to wear a sweater underneath. Even the S is snug and I can manage a thin sweater, but nothing heavier. Unfortunately the M was way too huge, so I'm in a pickle about the fit. The front zipper is also circumspect, it's definitely not easy to get it latched, especially in the cold and dark parking garage. And the hand pockets are at an odd angle that make it tough to slip my keys or cell phone into. It's warm in 30 degree weather, but I'm not sure it will be when the weather in Cleveland dips below 20 with a big wind chill.

I loved the red color and thought this jacket was very warm, but the arms were too short for me. I also ordered a small (even after the site recommended an xs for me), and still thought the coat fit too snug to wear many clothes underneath it. I'm 5'7" and 120 lbs.

The coat is warm and it looks good. Unfortunately, the shoulders are small - I started with a Large, which fit beautifully except at the shoulders, and had to order the XL instead. I tried an XL at the store in a different color. The XL in the dark grey, which I ordered online, seems a size larger than the same size in black. The biggest problem with the larger sizing is that I get a draft up the bottom of the coat. I think I'm going make a belt to add a belt to the ensemble. I'm too tired of returning orders (this is the second coat style I've tried, and the last one was built small in the shoulders as well) to find out if the grey large would fit properly.

I was soo excited to see this offered in my size XXL. I've wanted this style for a couple years now but the price did deter me from purchasing. Finally splurged & got it. For the cost, the arm & shoulder area could be warmer. I think i would have preferred a past season of this coat..it was heavier and longer. I do love the tailored look if it.

I tried this parka on in black at a North Face store. It had nice definition around the waist, giving it a shape that is much more flattering to a woman's body, which seems rare in parkas. I wanted gray so I ordered the gray online. When the gray parka arrived, it fit nothing like the black. The waist was shapeless and the jacket was bulky all over. I returned it and purchased the original black one I tried in the store. So, be careful if you order this online after trying one on in the store. I believe the ones online are from a different batch, made later this season than what's in the store, and they do not fit the same.