Outstanding jacket and loaded with features. Two way front zipper for excellent temp regulation. When im moving in this jacket and things heat up I bring up the zipper from the bottom and the jacket stays snug around the body and vents super. This is a feature found on some high output jackets for running and cycling and it works great, sure wish more jackets had this. Pit zips are very long and cover just above elbow and go all the way to bottom of rib cage, and they have 2 way zippers as well, A+. Primaloft insulation is lightweight, breathable, very packable and quite warm. Jacket is waterproof and is fully seam taped. So not only will you stay completly dry in the snow but the rain as well. Hyvent Alpha is breathable so it does a good job of letting out your persperation so you dont get sweaty and feel like your in a sauna, and it is also very abrasion resistant. Pockets are great, their is pleanty of them and they are not popping out noticable when you carry something in them like on some jackets. Hood is very effective and does not get in the way. There is an extra stitch put in the elbows to give you unrestricted movement. This works very well and no matter how much you move your arms in this jacket it does not get tight on you. I have snowblowed my drive way in this jacket with just a tee shirt on under in 10 degree weather and i was very comfy. Like another reviewer said this jacket is very compressable. Put in a stuff sack and shrink it down to a football. This is one Northface jacket I have nothing neg to comment on. Just outstanding.

The plasma thermal works great for most winter conditions with a decent base layer. When the temp drops below zero and the wind picks up you will definitely need a mid layer unless you carry a flask.

This jacket is great! Really light and not bulky-feeling at all. The primaloft insulation (my personal favorite) is very thin for the warmth it gives. I recently wore it in CO during our cold spell when the temps got down to well below zero and it was very nice. I can wear just a t-shirt under it down to about 10 degrees F (probably lower when I'm moving around a lot and creating more of my own heat). I'd say that with just a bit a layering, like a thermal and a very light fleece it can be worn to well-below-zero temperatures. And of course the pitzips help tons when things heat up, which isn't hard to do in this jacket. The outer material feels nice and smooth, repelling pet hairs...I have 3 cats and a dog, and my BLACK plasma thermal never gets "hairy"! Unless you're intent on a 3-in-1 jacket, I would highly recommend this one!

I bought The North Face Plasma Thermal Jacket for my winter camping trip. The trip involved a 3-mile hike both in and out and 2 nights in a lean-to & tent. The jacket was obviously too warm to wear for the hike in, but while I was there it kept me nice and warm. I also use this as my winter jacket for cold (Central New York) days and it keeps me perfectly warm day to day. The only thing cold about it is on the really cold days the material on the inside is chilly against your skin, but that’s the case with any jacket without fur. As long as your skin is covered with a shirt or anything at all you’re fine. And again, this is only on the really cold days. I was not a fan of the hood at first but it really does its part in keeping you warm up or down! Even down, it really keeps your neck nice and warm. The hood tensioners work fine except for when one of mine came undone internally. I called Backcountry and they are replacing the jacket with a new one. I would presume this is a fluke, or The North Face needs to get their stuff together! Other than that, my only complaint would be that the main zipper does catch a bit but if you take your time when you zip it up it shouldn’t be a problem. Don’t let these things sway you from buying it though. This jacket does employ PrimaLoft which in my opinion is the warmest stuff around for its weight. The jacket is extremely thin for its performance capability. This was the cheapest winter jacket I could find that had PrimaLoft and was waterproofing. For somebody on a budget who is looking for a serious winter jacket, I would definitely recommend this.

Comfortable and warm. Recently went skiing on a cold day at Whiteface Mt. Temps were less than 10 degrees at the base and much colder at the top of the mountain. I had on a thin base layer, a fleece, and the Plasma jacket. I was never cold (besides my hands but I can't blame the jacket for that) and was actually borderline to warm when I was skiing the glades. I also wear the jacket walking my dog and wear only a t-shirt under it down to 20 degrees with no problems. Does a great job stopping the wind. I would buy the jacket again in a second.

This is really a great coat. I live in Chicago, and for Chicago winters you have to layer, so as long as you are layered(long sleeve shirt or sweater) this Jacket is pretty solid against the elements.

I was at first very weird about buying this when it was $300 on here but I went to the local north face store here in germany and I tried it on and let me tell you how nice this coat is warmth wise and out in the coat. I am 5'6 and I was afraid of getting a medium and it being to small for me but it first perfect its not to puffy as you would say with the thermal material in the inside.. its very nice. highly recommend.

I bought this because I wanted a jacket that was waterproof and insulated but also light. It delivered on all counts. It is the most versatile piece of gear I own. While it would be a little too warm for say summer hiking in the Smokies, anywhere else I can leave the plain rainshell at home and just bring this one jacket to keep me both warm and dry.
If you get too cold, you can put a fleece on under it (I have a medium, and it firs just right, with or with out a fleece) and if you get too hot, just adjust the side vents. Those go practically down the whole length of your arm and body and feature 2 zippers so you can put the opening right where you want it.
I love that the hood is insulated too, although if you are wearing a hat, like my MH dome, then you can forget about hearing anything anyone says to you when the wind is blowing.
Another nice thing about this jacket is that you can put it in a compression sack (not included) and is will pack down smaller than a football.

Great jacket well worth the money. It is light very warm and but isn't bulkly at all.

Great jacket. I was worried how warm it would be when I saw how thin it was but that's the exact opposite from the truth. It's light and warm. Haven't tried it snowboarding yet but it's done great in windy snow. I would go a size larger if you wanted to wear more than a light sweater underneath.

I love my XXL one because it is warm and keeps the water out for normal winter days (around 20°). ALso it is well length to sit quit comfortable with in the car. But for really deep winter temps I prefer my McMurdo ! This gear works great in the normal winter temps here in mid europe. Would buy it again...

I wanted to find a deep winter jacket (NYC winters) that didn't make me look like a marshmallow man. This one is great: full water repellency, not bulky, great style. Just not as warm as I expected. With a sweater or fleece layer, it is fine.

comfy and warm. even through chicago winters. great on the slopes too. my only gripe is "performance fit" is usually slimmer, more fitted. this jacket is pretty loose (not terribly poofy though) and the arms and neck openings are wider than i hoped theyd be. but otherwise, a very solid jacket.

I live in Wisconsin and this jacket has held up in well below zero conditions with just a light midlayer. The fully sealed zippers and seams make this jacket great in both cold/windy conditions and wet conditions.

This jacket does very well in wet and windy weather but it is not anywhere near as warm as I expected. The hood is nice and it is warm when worn with a hat but the arms could use a lot more insulation. I think this is a great jacket for late fall or early spring but I wouldn't use it for an entire Chicago winter.

I don't freeze here in Greenland. Is it very cold I just wear a TNF fleece jacket inside.