# NorthFace Futurelight...any feedback/reviews?



## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

I'm in the market for a new jacket..have been using a TREW Cosmic jacket, its about 5-7 yrs old and has worked great...but getting a ragged. Thinking about something lighter but it needs to be bombproof...have arcteryx stuff but don't like the tailored cut and the pockets are crap. Just wondering how its working for real users. Btw, at Baker in the wet and heavy PNW poo. So it can be raining and mild temps...thus absolutely required waterproofness, breathability and pit/airflow. What say ye? Pray ye all for snow!


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## CocaCola Kicker (Jan 30, 2019)

Patagonia Snowdrifter


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## Motogp990 (Mar 10, 2013)

I ride Whistler, which is pretty similar conditions as Baker.

I currently wear a Burton Hover jacket. I'm a big proponent on goretex 3L pro. 

My list of "best" jackets are either Burton or The North Face but only the gore 3L pro versions.

I owned a TNF Free Thinker back when it was gore 3L pro and really liked it. 
I've also owned different versions of their Brigandine Fuse jackets but they were hyvent/dryvent/fuse form or whatever TNF were calling their proprietary waterproofing membrane versions. I felt they performed noticeable inferior to any Gore 3L pro jacket I've owned.

I bought a pair of TNF A-cad futurelight bibs last spring. I've ridden them a handful of times in the spring and they were good but warm spring riding is not a good test for soggy mid winter conditions.

Just going by feel, the Futurelight bib doesn't feel as bombproof as my hover jacket or gore 3L pro in general.

It is however very comfortable. It's not as stiff as 3L pro.

I'll be able to give better feedback mid season after I've slid on my ass on ice sheet groomers, crashed in the park, bulldoze through trees and sat on chairlift puddles.

That all being said, right now with my limited experience, if I could only choose 1, I'd still pick Goretex 3L pro. But if you can get get some Futurelight at a good price, I'd say it's worth a try.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Motogp990 said:


> I ride Whistler, which is pretty similar conditions as Baker.
> 
> I currently wear a Burton Hover jacket. I'm a big proponent on goretex 3L pro.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the info!


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## htfu (Mar 18, 2015)

i'm also interested in the futurelight, but it needs to be solid as i'm very hard on gear


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## Kevington (Feb 8, 2018)

I'm originally from the West coast of Scotland, it's as wet as PNW and coincidentally or not, where a lot of the place names over there come from. Last time was back I spoke to a shop guy about Futurelight and he said he'd had a lot of complaints about the waterproofing and that generally speaking it was not a good product for our climate. Its designed to be thin, soft and ultra breathable at the expense of being highly waterproof. The aim when designing it was to not even need zippered venting. He said it was for 'high and dry' activities like alpine mountaineering. If you ride wet snow and rain and want something burly then I'd look at other fabrics. As previously mentioned, Gore tex pro is the top choice.


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## Powdertrax (Jan 28, 2018)

I’ve been riding Arcteryx Sidewinders for over 20 years and swear by it, durable as hell, water and wind proof, but I totally understand the dislike of their ”tailored fit”. I run hot so luckily I don’t have to layer much keeping the fit tolerable. In recent years I think they’ve designed a couple jackets with more of a relaxed fit, I know they’re speedy as hell but as I mentioned one of my Sidewinders is over twenty years old and still bombproof.

I really like the AK 3L line as well, I believe WWS in Bellingham and Hidden Wave in Burlington carry them but with this supply shortage it may be difficult to find.

Go luck and you’ll have to keep an eye out for a lime green jacket w/red helmet at Baker, since I’m retiring on New Years Eve I’ll be at Baker more often.


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## Oldman (Mar 7, 2012)

I have a Flylow Quantum Jacket ( Quantum Pro current model ) that is older now ( 8 years in fact ), but it has been excellent. Has kept me dry and I love the number of pockets it has, 7 in total. There is a place to stash all your stuff. Almost allows you to ditch the backpack. Solid Gear


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Got a few guys around here who love the Futurelight tech. It does seem like it is the most breathable of the new tech. You won't dislike it.


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## Oldman (Mar 7, 2012)

Hey Wrath, ironically it was killclimbz who gave me the green light 8 years ago regarding the Flylow Gear. I dare say his endorsement of the Futurelight is an equally strong vote of confidence. Happy shopping!


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## juhyou (Nov 6, 2019)

second the above, my riding buddy has the green Brigandine set. 
hes been a burton Ak guy for ever ,says the new NF gear is superb., few more tweeks to it, layers up never gets too hot. cold wud not swap it for anyhting he sayd.
good style as well........,

i tired to find a jacket, impossible in XL
i ended up getting the Hagloffs Vasi pro on sale and rode in it pretty much all season alternating with the mountain hardware direct north when the wind got up a tad.

thought the pockets and high collar and venting onthe hagloffs was excellent, cant imagine not riding it now.

the direct north is ............... well its a great idea and it seems like that CO. has got a cpl of awsome designers but the quality is utter toilet!!!!!!!!!!!!
it feels like a 2c pop out job from the back of a laundry truck stuck together with masking tape, it looks graeat from far but the materials are cheap and nasty, BUT it does a great job at keeping you warm nad its felxible, riding in it is good , i just dont expect it to last more than acpl of seasons.
i have the cloudbank insulated as well, and this is similar, looks awsome but the lining is disgusting.
it gets wet and stays wet.
its crap in anything other than bone dry wind, THEN its very good , pockets are superb.


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## Etienne (Apr 2, 2021)

I've been riding with a couple of people in FutureLight gear. According to them, it's game changing for touring. Unless it's super sunny and warm, keeping your jacket on on the way up becomes the default option. I think Strafe has a similar air permeable membrane and Trew has one in Dermizax EV which also breathes way more than gore-tex. 

Those membranes are often less windproof though and will feel colder when static and windy (e.g. on the chair).


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