The North Face Redpoint Vest

Even though I already have a Patagonia micro-puff, I picked up this vest to match my new ski shell. (Before you judge - I got it on sale for 65 bucks!) Anyway, after using it about a dozen times, I can honestly say I wish I'd never bought the micro-puff. This vest is great - super light, extremely warm for it's thickness, and very functional for use under a shell. Here are the details -

I'm 5'10"/180, and I bought the medium - I wanted a good fit without too much bagginess (is that a word?) to use for layering. I'm not overweight, but I do have somewhat narrow shoulders and big hips (42" chest, 33" waist) with a medium torso, so plan accordingly. I am very happy with the fit - it works comfortably over a long-sleeved base layer and a size L 100 weight fleece, although for anything over 20 degrees, I've found just wearing it over a base layer and under my (uninsulated) shell is plenty of warmth. If you think you'll feel the need for more/thicker layers underneath, I'd suggest one size up just to be safe. The only issue I had with the cut was, even in a medium, there's excess space through the mid-section. I guess it's insurance against an over-sized belly, but for someone who has a fit build, the vest on its own will look a little weird when it's zipped up.

The vest zips up to a very high collar; I found that to be perfect for skiing - no need for a neck warmer or any of that crap. Also, the neck is perfectly sized - not too loose to let a bunch of air/snow/beer down it, but not so snug that it won't fit comfortably over a zip-up baselayer and zip-up fleece.

The fabric is very slick - it moves easily under a shell, even up in the neck area. I can't attest to it's durability, but it did shrug off my girlfriend's spilled cocktail après-ski! (OK, fine, the foul was on me!)

The vest is long! It easily covers the first 3-4 inches of my ski pants, maybe more. The snow skirt on my shell hits well above the bottom of the vest, so keep that in mind. I found that cinching the bottom of the vest worked pretty well to keep out snow below the skirt. Heed my warning - leave it loose and the vest becomes a chimney which will easily distribute wonderful frozen wetness all the way up to your neck!

This next item may seem a little strange, but the arm-holes on the vest seem high. I suppose that's good from an insulation standpoint, but I've never had a product that rode up into my armpits like this. They are elastic, but there's not a huge amount of stretch there. For reference - I have a Mountain Hardwear Sub-zero vest with well-fitted elastic arm-holes, and this vest (both are mediums) seems tighter in that regard.

The vest has excellent functional design - big pulls on the zippers can easily be manipulated by half-frozen, gloved hands, and the exterior Napoleon pocket is well placed, easy to open, and adequately sized. (Why anyone would make a vest with an interior chest pocket - Patagonia - is beyond me! Hello - layer!)

Finally, I love the color! If you're a slave to fashion, or just AR like me, the Asphalt Grey color matches the lining of the Arc'teryx Stingray perfectly - right down to the subtle grid pattern! Even if you're lucky enough to not suffer from OCD tendencies, my guess is that you'll still like the looks of this product.

In conclusion - great product! Way warmer than it's thickness would suggest, and, despite some idiosyncrasies, an overall excellent vest. Highly recommend, especially if you can get it on sale!

Even though I already have a Patagonia micro-puff, I picked up this vest to match my new ski shell. (Before you judge - I got it on sale for 65 bucks!) Anyway, after using it about a dozen times, I can honestly say I wish I'd never bought the micro-puff. This vest is great - super light, extremely warm for it's thickness, and very functional for use under a shell. Here are the details - I'm 5'10"/180, and I bought the medium - I wanted a good fit without too much bagginess (is that a word?) to use for layering. I'm not overweight, but I do have somewhat narrow shoulders and big hips (42" chest, 33" waist) with a medium torso, so plan accordingly. I am very happy with the fit - it works comfortably over a long-sleeved base layer and a size L 100 weight fleece, although for anything over 20 degrees, I've found just wearing it over a base layer and under my (uninsulated) shell is plenty of warmth. If you think you'll feel the need for more/thicker layers underneath, I'd suggest one size up just to be safe. The only issue I had with the cut was, even in a medium, there's excess space through the mid-section. I guess it's insurance against an over-sized belly, but for someone who has a fit build, the vest on its own will look a little weird when it's zipped up. The vest zips up to a very high collar; I found that to be perfect for skiing - no need for a neck warmer or any of that crap. Also, the neck is perfectly sized - not too loose to let a bunch of air/snow/beer down it, but not so snug that it won't fit comfortably over a zip-up baselayer and zip-up fleece. The fabric is very slick - it moves easily under a shell, even up in the neck area. I can't attest to it's durability, but it did shrug off my girlfriend's spilled cocktail apr�s-ski! (OK, fine, the foul was on me!) The vest is long! It easily covers the first 3-4 inches of my ski pants, maybe more. The snow skirt on my shell hits well above the bottom of the vest, so keep that in mind. I found that cinching the bottom of the vest worked pretty well to keep out snow below the skirt. Heed my warning - leave it loose and the vest becomes a chimney which will easily distribute wonderful frozen wetness all the way up to your neck! This next item may seem a little strange, but the arm-holes on the vest seem high. I suppose that's good from an insulation standpoint, but I've never had a product that rode up into my armpits like this. They are elastic, but there's not a huge amount of stretch there. For reference - I have a Mountain Hardwear Sub-zero vest with well-fitted elastic arm-holes, and this vest (both are mediums) seems tighter in that regard. The vest has excellent functional design - big pulls on the zippers can easily be manipulated by half-frozen, gloved hands, and the exterior Napoleon pocket is well placed, easy to open, and adequately sized. (Why anyone would make a vest with an interior chest pocket - Patagonia - is beyond me! Hello - layer!) Finally, I love the color! If you're a slave to fashion, or just AR like me, the Asphalt Grey color matches the lining of the Arc'teryx Stingray perfectly - right down to the subtle grid pattern! Even if you're lucky enough to not suffer from OCD tendencies, my guess is that you'll still like the looks of this product. In conclusion - great product! Way warmer than it's thickness would suggest, and, despite some idiosyncrasies, an overall excellent vest. Highly recommend, especially if you can get it on sale!

You can't always tell what a product will look like online. You read all the product details and even go to the manufacturers’ site to read the marketing babble and try and make a decision.

When I received this vest and broke it out of the box the first thing I said was "you got to be kidding me" this isn't gonna be warm. This thing is thin and like they said in other reviews you can roll this thing up and pack it and not even notice it, so I was skeptical to say the least.

I put it on and wore it around the house for a about a minute and could feel the warmth starting to set in, and then I said "no shit" it works. I have only used it in the mid to low 50s so far and it does the job nicely. This thing is just right for taking the chill out of a morning hike without getting too warm once you get going. Impressive insulating abilities of the recycled fibers for this weight. Just right for layering, but seems to work best with the vest closest to the body and other fleece or sweaters on top. Warmth without sweat, that's a good thing...

You can't always tell what a product will look like online. You read all the product details and even go to the manufacturers’ site to read the marketing babble and try and make a decision. When I received this vest and broke it out of the box the first thing I said was "you got to be kidding me" this isn't gonna be warm. This thing is thin and like they said in other reviews you can roll this thing up and pack it and not even notice it, so I was skeptical to say the least. I put it on and wore it around the house for a about a minute and could feel the warmth starting to set in, and then I said "no shit" it works. I have only used it in the mid to low 50s so far and it does the job nicely. This thing is just right for taking the chill out of a morning hike without getting too warm once you get going. Impressive insulating abilities of the recycled fibers for this weight. Just right for layering, but seems to work best with the vest closest to the body and other fleece or sweaters on top. Warmth without sweat, that's a good thing...

i bought the redpoint vest as a layer for my technical shells. And it works wonders. i've had an icebreaker 260, redpoint vest and shell on in 15 degrees and been warm. not bulky and very warm. i find myself wearing it on it's own on brisk mornings/nights.Light, no bulk and warm. Looks good too!