If you are
into outdoor sports, you probably recognize the name The North Face. I have been using their gear for over 20
years. Founded in 1966 in San
Francisco’s North Beach area, two hiking enthusiasts decided to follow their
passions and founded a small mountaineering retail store. The little shop became known as The North Face, a retailer of
high-performance climbing and backpacking equipment. The North Face gets its name from the
coldest, most unforgiving side of a mountain.
It moved across the bay to Berkley in 1968 and began designing and
manufacturing its own brand’s gear. The
rest is history. After about 50 years, The North Face has grown to deliver an
extensive line of performance apparel, equipment, and footwear. Their motto is “Never Stop Exploring.”
The North
Face Flight Series Shirt is a quick drying, fitted running shirt that is
super light and is made to reduce chaffing.
It has a breathable material that helps improve temperature
regulation. The North Face uses their FlashDry
material that is engineered to accelerate the removal of moisture and speed up
the evaporating process. The FlashDry
properties will never wash out and doesn’t add weight or bulk to the
fabric. The Flight Series shirt has
360-degree reflection for added safety and has an athletic/fitted shape. It fits true to size.
I took this
shirt out on a hard tempo run and I was sweating a lot. What I noticed from the start was how well
the shirt fit. It really conformed to my
body without being too loose or tight.
The material was very comfortable and it really did keep me dry
throughout my whole run. The Flight
Series Shirt retails for $80 on The
North Face website. While this may
seem a little pricey, it’s one of the most comfortable shirts I have ever put
on.
Pros:
360-degree
reflective material
Breathable
and moisture wicking fabric
Feels great
and moves with your body
Helps
Regulate body temperature
Ultralight
construction to reduce chafing
Cons:
$80 is a
little steep for a shirt (but well worth it)
The Better
Than Naked Shirt is an extremely light weight shirt that also has the FlashDry
material for great wicking and fast drying.
The stich free construction reduces chafing and there is a back mesh
panel that improves breathability. The North Face uses body-mapping to
specifically place ventilation where it is needed most to keep you cooler and
like the Flight Series shirt, there is reflective material all around the
shirt.
The Flight
Series shirt conforms to your body where the Better
Than Naked Shirt is more light weight and provides a feeling like the shirt
isn’t even there, like the name suggests.
I was really comfortable in this shirt, even when trail running up a 3
mile steep hill. I was able to stay
relatively cool and dry. The shirt fits
well and after looking at reviews, both on TNF’s website as well as other
websites, I couldn’t find a bad review.
If you give it a try, I think you will love it too. The Better
Than Naked Short Sleeve Shirt retails for $50 on The
North Face website, but you may be able to find last year’s shirt for
cheaper if you look around. It’s worth
the $50 though.
Pros:
Extremely
light weight
360-degree
reflective material
Breathable
and moisture wicking fabric
Feels great
and moves with your body
Helps
Regulate body temperature
The Better
Than Naked 7” Short is light weight like the rest of the BTN lineup. It is very breathable and wicks moisture
away. There is a quick-drying knit brief
inside that is extremely comfortable and the shorts are stitch-free on all
critical seems. There is a zippered back
pocket and it has two pockets on the sides.
This short, like the other products I tested have the FlashDry
fabric and I really like how it feels.
I have never
run in a pair of running shorts with an inner brief that I have liked, until
now. I usually cut them out and just
wear compression shorts underneath, but the brief in the BTN
7” Shorts is so comfortable, that I will be keeping them in the
shorts. Everything about the shorts felt
awesome! I was more than surprised to
find out that the back pocket will actually fit my Samsung Galaxy S6 with a
case, which is almost unheard of. The Better
Than Naked 7” Short retails for $58 on The
North Face website, which is more than most of the shorts I have tried, but
it is also way more comfortable.
Pros:
Reflective
Logo
Breathable
and moisture wicking fabric
Feels great
and moves with your body
Zippered
back pocket and two side pockets are awesome
Best inner
brief ever!
Take all of
the best features of the BTN
7” Short and then add a few. What do
you have? The Better
Than Naked Long Haul Short. The BTN
Long Haul Shorts have an inner compression short instead of the brief like
with the BTN
7” Short. Like all of the other
products that I tested, it has the FlashFry
material, which is breathable and moisture wicking. The BTN
Long Haul Shorts have 360-degree reflectivity and a 7” inseam. The really cool thing about this short is
that the zippered pocket is a little bigger than the BTN 7” short, which still
fits my big phone with the case on it.
It also has
a wide waistband with a draw cord. The
coolest part about these shorts is that the waistband has pockets sewn all the
way around it. The pockets are great for
storing gels, electrolyte pills, an ID, or your car keys. This is one of the most innovative features I
have ever seen in a pair of running shorts.
Even loaded with gear, the shorts feel great and move well with your
body.
I absolutely
love these shorts. They not only feel
amazing to run in, but they will keep you stocked with gear for a training run
or a race. You can now leave your
running belt at home. I can’t tell you
how awesome these shorts are. Add the
lightweight FlashDry
material for reduced chafing and you have yourself a winner. The Better
Than Naked Long Haul Short retails for $65 on The
North Face website, which is absolutely worth the money. These are my new favorite shorts, hands down!
Pros:
360-degree
reflectivity
Breathable
and moisture wicking fabric
Feels great
and moves with your body
Zippered
back pocket and pockets all around the waistband
Attached
compression shorts
The North Face Better
Than Naked Jacket is as light weight as you can get for a jacket. The material is so comfortable that I forgot
that I had it on. The BTN
Jacket has reflective materials all around for added safety and has
breathable woven underarm areas for improved ventilation. It also has a zippered front pocket which you
can stuff the jacket into and zip it back up.
It can be stuffed into a pocket at that point with ease. The BTN
Jacket has an athletic fit, which does fit true to size. You also get articulated sleeves and elastic cuffs.
If you are
looking for a full waterproof jacket or even a water resistant jacket, this
probably isn’t the jacket that you are looking for, but that’s not its
purpose. The BTN
Jacket is made for those crisp morning (even with a little mist in the air)
where you need an extra layer, but need something that won’t make you feel like
you are in a sauna suit. I absolutely
love the BTN
Jacket for a few reasons.
Even the
water resistant jackets that I have retain too much heat for me. I start overheating within the first few
miles. This jacket is so extremely
breathable and comfortable that I forget that I have that extra layer on, even
when I tested it out in 65 degree heat. The
Better
Than Naked Jacket retails for $120 on The
North Face website and if you are looking for something to wear as an extra
layer that you can easily stuff in a pocket or tie around your waist when you
warm up, this is the jacket for you. You
might even be able to find last year’s model on sale if you look around.
Pros:
Reflective materials
Breathable
and moisture wicking fabric
Feels great
and moves with your body
Zippered front
pocket also can be used to stuff the jacket
Extra ventilation
under your armpits
Extremely
light weight
The North Face’s Social Media Links:
The North Face makes exceptional gear
and while it may be a little more pricey than some of the running gear out
there, the quality and feel makes them well worth the price, especially if you
can find them on sale. The North Face offers a lifetime
warranty against any manufacturing defects in materials and workmanship. They will repair or replace the product at no
cost to you. All you pay is for is the
shipping to The North Face. You can pick up all of your gear from The North Face website or find a
retail location near you (click here for
locations). Take a chance on some
gear from The North Face and you
won’t be disappointed. Be sure to let me
know what you think.
Note:
I received this product in exchange for a review. The review is my
personal opinion of the product and I was not required to give a particular
opinion of it. I am not a doctor, so
please use all of the products that I review at your own risk.
