Great jacket, but buy the parka

By carlyyy Ranked #57 - Women's Rain Jackets October 10, 2009

So far I'm really happy with my jacket. I haven't had any really heavy rain to try it out in so far, but in moderate rain it has been great.

Pros:

-Great hood. It's huge without any cinching (haven't tried it, but I bet you could wear a helmet underneath) and you can both tighten it around your face and tighten a cord in the back so it pulls back from your face. With this adjustment my face doesn't get rained on, but my hood also doesn't hang in front of my eyes and obstruct my vision.
-Nice features for being as light as it is. Pit zips, double flap over front zipper, lots of adjustors.
-Pretty good for avoiding clamminess.

Cons:

-Kinda short. The proportions in the photo are very misleading... the width has been pulled in on the sides which makes it appear longer. It hits me at the top of the hips and exposes my stomach when I raise my arms above my head. I definitely wish I had bought the longer parka version.
-The fabric around the cuffs is super stiff. The first time I wore it with the wrists tightened, it chafed my wrists big time. After breaking the fabric in a little it's better, but still not highly comfy.

As for fitting, I'm 5'6'' 125lbs with a small torso, and I bought an extra small. I can layer and layer and layer underneath, I can even fit my down jacket under it. I usually buy a small or extra small in jackets. Unless you don't mind a baggy jacket, size down.

View Details: The North Face Venture Jacket - Women's

Helpful Votes: 1 Yes | 0 No