The North Face Apex Free Climb Jacket - Men's - 2006 BCS

This jacket is pretty much what I expected. I had read about the pockets being not very practical and that is true, they are cut too high on the torso IMO. Also, if a pocket is left open, the mesh lining allows your shirt or undergarment to show through - noticed by wife!
All that said, that is about the only negative. A very good jacket for fall, spring, mild winter conditions. I am 6'4" and 37" arms. This is the first jacket I have purchased that has sleeve length that works for me. Also noticed by many as a good looking jacket.

My problem is that sleeves are always too short, especially when I lift my arms. Even if they are too long with my arms down, they'll be too short when I reach forward. The North Face products are among the best I've found for this problem. Especially their "Performance Fit" products. Although the description from The North Face website doesn't mention "Performance Fit", it is. (I emailed them to confirm). All that means is that the torso is closer fitting and the shoulders are narrower... that's why they work so well for me. This jacket has really long sleeves - love it.

Since shirt sleeves don't fit me either, I decided to get a jacket that I could wear over short sleeved shirts all winter. So far so good. (I live in Tennessee) I can wear this jacket over short sleeves and have a comfortable torso well into temperatures and wind conditions where a hat is required for overall comfort. In the 20 degree range and below, I'll have to wear short sleeves (or just put my Varius Guide jacket on over it ;)

Sometimes, I just wear a t-shirt up top and this jacket to work (business casual) and keep it zipped.

I tried the Magic Jacket. I loved it, but it didn't fit in the arm pits. It has a lower CFM rating for wind, but I think the Free Climb blocks wind better.

I've had to wash it twice and it didn't effect the appearance at all. The water in the sink didn't change color at all, so washing it doesn't seem to fade it.

I'm a little concerned about tiny, elastic-like threads coming off of the seem tape, so we'll see how that goes over time. I can see tiny cracks in the rubbery "The North Face" logo on the front and back, so I'm a little concerned on how those will hold out over time too.

Overall, I'm very happy with this jacket.

i've got this jacket and love it - it's one of my favs and i'll end up buying another one in another color. i use it doin everything - fishing,hiking, wearing around town.

I wanted to buy a soft-shell jacket because of its lightweight and small storage space. I have been in London for the past month and have worn it everyday. The best word I can use to describe this jacket is sheer disappoint. I am cold with a long sleeve thermal, a sweatshirt, and this jacket in London’s downtown temperate environment. Every once in awhile little strings come out of the taped seems (poor welding I guess?) and because its London I have been in a lot of smoky pubs which the jacket traps and holds the smell, while my friends north face Denali fleece does not? All and all I think the jacket is over priced and over hyped.

So everyone is wondering how a jacket so light can be so warm? You don't need a jacket that weighs 10 pounds to warm you up. The North Face Apex Free Climb Jacket is a great addition to anyone that doesn't want to feel like that they're wearing a football uniform. The jacket keeps you warm - by trapping your body inside. You can wear it over a hooded sweatshirt - and still be comfortable - without feeling dragged down. The jacket is great for wind, rain & snow. It's also a great fit - not too big - not too small - just right!

This jacket is so hi tech I feel like I am wearing a spacesuit, and frankly I keep warm enough to be there. If I only had the 20 million it takes. I picture myself floating around the International Space Station with Valdimir the Cosmanaut saying 'zat iz a nize jakket'. I've been complimented time and again. The Free Climb will keep you nice and toasty whether it is a crisp autumn trail run, shoveling your driveway so your wife won't snip at you, or a nice spring day on the hill.

Excellent fit. Great protection. Very stylish. It could be a little warmer. Fantastic postage to Australia from the site.

I work in SF and this jacket is perfect to wear over a button down and slacks. It blocks 100% of the wind and rain and keeps me warm and dry in the stormy Bay Area winter weather. Water just beads up on this jacket. I also wear it with jeans and a t-shirt on the weekends and it's perfect. I like it because it is very light weight, looks sharp, hangs nicely and offers all the technical properties you could ask for. No problems with any fray at the seams and if there ever is a problem, The North Face has a lifetime full replacement policy. Can't beat the jacket or the guarantee!!!

I had the older version of this jacket for about 6 years and loved it.
I finally traded up to this jacket and while it is just as good at stopping the wind and the APEX fabric is much more flexible, I didn't like the fact the moved the two pockets up higher. On the old jacket they were lower and felt more comfortable. Forget about walking with your hands in the pockets on this jacket. Still a top class jacket that is durable lightweight and sharp looking.

The cut of this softshell lends itself to be worn slim style. I ordered down a size and it's perfect. I'm 190, 6'1" and the M is fine for a trim fit. Otherwise I would have found it too large. Beads up any rain and is surprisingly warm.

The best jacket I bougth, simple, warm and usefull, if you like to climb.

Before I bought the jacket, I read both good and bad reviews. In the end, I bought the jacket because it was on sale (too much at regular price). It had all the luxurious features which are expected for the price you pay (taped seams, tight zippers, power shield, etc.) Even though it sounded great on paper, I returned it. Why you may ask? Because it looked poorly made and was about to fall apart. The taping on the seams looked like they were cut with a dull knife and would fray with the slightest bit of friction. This really wasn’t a surprise considering the other reviews I read. Take my review with a grain of salt because I never tested it out in the cold. For all I know it could be a great jacket, but I wasn’t going to take that chance. I ended up with the Sharp Point jacket from Marmot. It may be like comparing apples to oranges because of the different fabrics, but I am extremely happy with the Sharp Point for both its durability and its quality construction.

It keeps me warm, but then I am a warm person. The pocket vents work great when I am biking. The sleeve pocket is handy. I use it to store my lip balm.
Its sleeves are a bit long for me but, I am 5'-3" and I got a size small. It's not bad. Works when I'm climbing and reaching for a high hold. The extra room allows for insulation which I usually use under my usual shell. This is a shell, just soft. I believe an TNF Optimus insulation would work well.
I use it every day when it's cool. Comfy. No problems with material so far.
If I get really cold I could use my MET5 jacket under it.
Overall I like it.

When I initially received the jacket, I thought it was too thin and that it could not possibly keep me warm in cold weather. I just completed a ski trip and used the jacket every day. It was plenty warm as I layered with a long sleeve shirt and a fleece underneath it. I received a number of compliments on the sleek and lightweight look of the jacket as well. No regrets. I would buy it again.

Very nice jacket. i was a little worried about sizing after reading some reviews so i thought i would help others out. I am 6' tall and 180lbs with fairly wide shoulders and have a 40 inch chest. size large fits very nicely. athletic fit but still very roomy. i wear dress shirt length of 34/35 and the sleeves on this jacket fit perfectly.

I got this as a gift for someone and I was not quite sure that he would like it; however he wears the coat ALL the time. I thought the size was too big, but then it turned out to fit perfectly. It is great for the wet weather!

I look forward to wearing this jacket as much as I can. It's very lightweight so you can wear it for hours, but at the same time, it has the warmth needed for colder temperatures. The jacket is also very attractive, take it to the mall on Friday and then bring it along on the weekend for early morning hikes. For sizing, I'm 5'7" (130lb) and the small fits me perfect.

The Apex Free Climb Jacket is a good jacket, but it gets snags in the fabric and little strings are constantly coming off of it. It could be a better jacket! If knew what know now, I would not buy it.

Just a little pricey.. but one of my best buys so far!!

Although I haven't used this jacket in cold weather as yet, it has been great for chilly weather thus far. I look forward to our 6 months of snow to really test it out. It’s very comfortable and fits perfectly.

I bought this jacket thinking it would be warm enough for Cleveland winters. let me tell you it does not even come close. Sure it looks great, but it is a fall jacket at best. Plus, little stringy things keep coming off the seams. Any anything will stain this jacket, so be careful when eating while wearing it. I only recommend buying it if you are wealthy and want to you use it only in the fall.

I am happy with this product, and I'm sure you will be too... but you need to know some things before you buy it. It can be very warm, you zip it up and tighten the wrists, because it retains your body heat very well, but if you unzip it and loosen the wrists then it is cool enough that you can wear it indoors for long periods of time. The downside is that the taped seams detach in certain areas, and there are little strings that come out of the taped seams, which can be annoying. Overall good buy.

I bought this jacket and it looks great. Great fit and I found the materials to be of good quality overall. However, the drawbacks are that the logo is screen printed which was chipping out of the package and the jacket is not as warm as I'd like. For the price I'd look elsewhere.

This jacket I use to layer snowboarding, alpine climbing, and backpacking. It keeps you warm and the venting is great! it is worth every penny and the seam sealed feature is amazing! This is a not pass up jacket for sure!

I like this apex jacket allot with the adjustable wrists, taped seams, and zipper garages. Hasn't let me down yet!

This jacket would be good for a cool day in the Fall but definitely not for winter. I was expecting much more for the price I paid. I'm a student and all I needed was something to keep me warm for the 10 minute walk to class. This wasn't it. I returned it and got the North Face Navarre instead. I'm very happy with the Navarre, which is a little cheaper but A LOT warmer.