The North Face Impendor Down Hybrid Hoodie

From a top-notch brand family, North Face, the Impendor Down Hybrid Hoodie has a reputation to live up to. To put that reputation to the test, we flew half-way around the world to Hokkaido, Japan. Put simply, this is another quality North Face product. I love the look and feel of this down jacket – not only did I feel good wearing it, but I got lots of compliments (and who doesn’t like those?). I opted for the TNF Black color, which is really tasteful – it’s not straight jet black, it’s a black base with light grey lines that give it the illusion of being textured. Making it the perfect piece for both the wild mountains of Hokkaido and the urban streets of Tokyo. 

As a skinnier 6’1” male, my favorite part of this jacket was the cut—it’s stated as a ‘slim fit’ which is rare among men’s down jackets. The sleeves are long enough for lankier body types and the fit is not too tight around the torso. The slim cut actually gives the jacket a sleeker profile which I found advantageous for layering under shells and other ski jackets. During the 10-day trip to Japan, it was my go-to warmth layer and held up against everything I threw at it. Only a few loose feathers managed to escape, which is pretty good for most goose down jackets.  

Filled with 800 fill goose down, it’s WARM to say the least—significantly warmer than my last down jacket which was also stated to be 800 fill down. As someone who ‘runs cold,’ I found this jacket to keep me warm even when temps got into the low teens. On the colder ski days, I wore my base layer, this jacket, and a shell, which was sufficient. Treated with a water repellent DWR finish, it performed quite well when subjected to Japan’s relentless snowfall. It probably wouldn’t hold up against the wetter, PNW snow, but in a light sprinkle or drier snowfall, the DWR coating kept the down filling completely dry. Plus, that’s what shells are for. 

The underarms have a breathable fabric which helps regulate body temperature, especially when skiing or walking. I also really liked the interior breast zipper pocket, the well-fitting hood, and the waist cinch to keep wind out. The jacket is extremely light (only 13.4oz) and can easily be packed down into a stuff sack or backpack for easy storage and transportation. 

This jacket is best suited for those who want a do-it-all down jacket that’s functional in both the mountains and the city. The technical features give this jacket the ability to perform in below-freezing temps, while the stylish, slim cut give it the illusion of being a trendy urban hoodie. In 10 days of rigorous testing, I never encountered a thing I didn’t like about the jacket. It fully performed in every application tested – North Face really outdid themselves this time. Highly recommended for just about everyone!