The North Face Apex Bionic Vest - Men's

Vest was great. Bought it for my dad. He wears an XL normally but heard it ran large. Large was too small, XL was a little big. Overall, looks good.

A great vest, I have taken several spills on rails and boxes and there are no tears or wear spots visible. Remarkable how well it blocks wind. If you have an athletic build, size down if you want it form fitting. I am 6'3", 46" chest, 34" waist and the medium fits comfortably over medium weight base layers.

This vest is great for people who are active outdoors in the winter. I bought it to play ultimate frisbee in the rain / snow this winter --> I like my arms free if possible so this vest seemed like a good choice. It is GREAT vs the wind so it keeps your core toasty even on those days where the wind is whistling all around you. I happened to have it as a mid-layer when I went sking w/ my son. It turned out that he had forgotten his ski jacket, so he wore mine and I wore an old coat w/ a broken zipper (which was just flapping open) and the vest underneath. While I won't say I was exactly roasting chestnuts underneath, I was doing okay even though the outside temp was in the mid-twenties. I couldn't have made it through the evening w/o this vest.

A couple notes, the vest is not very stretchy so the fit is important. I normally wear a large shirt, but the medium vest fits snugly (maybe slightly tight when zipped). Its not exactly a fashion statement, but functionally is a fantastic and versatile piece to have in your closet.

If you play outdoors in the winter, you'll never regret buying this vest.

No matter what I'm doing outside, my arms are usually the last to get cold - and the first to get all funky. I swear by vests when it comes to mid-layer protection. I usually stay away from The North Face, but I was impressed by the fit, material, and windblocking features of this vest. I got it on sale, so I'm not sure it would be worth the 100 dollars, but if you're looking for a windproof layer under a wool or simple fleece, this is a great option. The smooth surface reduces friction, the high pockets are great for backpacking, and the collar goes nice and high. Great choice.

Excellent gear for winter, Remarkable windstopper. My husband usually wears size L but M fits him perfectly.

excellent bit of gear.

The sizing is very strange. I bought an XL which is my normal size and it was miles too large for me so I sent it back and got a large. But large is a little on the small size, so the difference in adjacent sizes is too great. Also there is no chest pocket as in the jacket. Another feature that I don't like is the zip pull being on the left side as I am right handed like the majority of people and would prefer it on the other side. Overall rating - fair.