The North Face Futurelight review: better than Gore-Tex? 

Thank you, Evan, for the review. Been looking for ages to find a review for that jacket. Going full in on the testing with the shower haha!

Thanks for the review! I'm leaning more and more toward futurelight!

This review tells us that the DWR coating on a brand new jacket, can withstand rain for 45 minutes. Nothing else.

Great review and good production for such a small channel👍

The issue is breathability, not just bone dryness. Lots out there will keep you bone dry. And, if you move around much at all, you’ll be soaked in your own perspiration. I’ve worn arc’terex on hikes and came back soaked, not in rainwater but sweat. Not just me, but the layers between me and the raincoat soaked too. And then you stop. Let the chills begin. So, if you were hiking over uneven terrain, moving along at a three mile an hour pace, burning some calories, would it let that moisture out, or are, you going to be wet, and your layers wet too?

Nice review! Plan to buy the blue one.

Nice review, do these jackets run small or large?

Goretex will only start moving moisture from the inside of the jacket to the outside once the humidity inside the jacket is greater than the outsides, hence why a goretex poncho probably wouldn't work too well.

i dont know for the waterproofness but it definetly breath better than gore-tex. i also use my futurelight as a windstopper.

Futurelight is really incredible. Prefer it over goreTex not just for breathability but just how dry i stay. Shame there isn't more models with it and futurelight isn't used in other products outside of North face! Hope they get more recognition!

A reasonable review - but why compare an old heavy Gore-Tex jacket with the latest new fabric from North Face? Surely the question should be is it better than modern Gore-Tex Pro?

I love your video man. Can you show us your other jackets please. What about the ARC'TERYX ZETA SL??

I was looking at this jackets for hiking and since I already have a super light goretex rain jacket and would like something still waterproof but more "soft" I got a futurelight jacket but I still find it stiff. Would it get softer over time? I need it for urban and light hiking in countryside, right know it feels too rigid not sure if I should return it and look for nothing else

Is this video sponsored by northface or real honnest review

My future light pants were extremely non waterproof. I primarily ski on Cypress Mountain in North Vancouver Canada which has quite a bit of slushy rain and the pants just did not do well in that environment. After sitting on a wet snowy chair for one trip up my butt was already soaked and I was also getting water coming in through the front crotch region as well. It could've been just a bad pair of pants and I am returning them to North face but even at that their return policy is pretty lame. They've had the pants for over a month now and I haven't give me a response yet to whether they are going to give me my money back or give me a new pair.

Good review!

can you do a test on breathability ? maybe take the jacket on a long walk of a few hours without rain see if you sweat o lot inside ? or if you have done that, can you write your reviews ? it is indeed expensive as you say so how does it perform when walking in it in terms of sweat discharge from inside the jacket to outside ? thank you so much

Whats the fitment on it ?

Very good!

What about long term use? I used a TNF Tente Futurlight jacket... good at the beginning but after a few months... rain passed through the jacket... quiet upset...

I want a rain jacket but I can't stand some that are a bit heavy, making loud swooshing noises over the slightest movement and this my biggest pet peeve STIFF AND BOXY LOOKING! I'm a cyclist. I love windbreaker they're extremely light and all around comfortable when it comes to mobility. Most rain wear is all those things I said and makes riding feel a bit uncomfortable.

how warm is it? wondering if it would holp up in -30

Where did you get your future light stuff from? The stores or online?

Pues yo me compré el equipo completo de futurelight justamente porque necesito lo mejor del mundo, pero siento que con una lluvia normal ya comienza a humedecer toda la demás ropa por dentro. Y se supone que debe de ser arriba de 30000 mm lo que aguanta. Pero que pasa con tent que anuncian 5000mm? Pues esas aguantan tooodo lo que he conocido. Entonces??

I looked at some of the NF Futurelight products today at their Seattle store. Was impressed by the quality of the product (all seams are hand sealed) but the price was prohibitive. I live in Alaska in a temperate rain forest and can tell you that just about all these materials will leak after several hours in the rain. Especially as the fabric wears over the years. The spacing between the threads becomes larger from normal wear and tear, and will eventually leak. I race sailboats in Alaska sometimes and have to spend about half my time on-deck and even my Gill triple gore-tex offshore gear will eventually leak a bit, especially as it gets older. So, if your time in the rain is a short period, or it's not raining heavy and you have to stand in it for work or for recreational endeavors, I'd imagine the Futurelight would work.

What size are you wearing?

Seems it doesn't have a wire hood and that's a big deficiency in my opinion on a jacket that is meant for heavy rain and strong wind. Wire hood is what separates the "high street" jackets from genuine outback jackets.

Like that color

Argh! gore-tex is a waterproof breathable membrane. There are many different varitions of Gore-Tex, with varying weights of outer shells, to number of layers, to inner liner, to integrated liners. Don't just say is futurelight jacket x better than gore-tex or vice versa, or comparing a legacy gore-tex product to newer futurlight while ignoring newer gore-tex tech. you need to make equivalent comparisons and not lump all gore-tex technologies as the same thing, or lump all products that use gore-tex the same. tell me how unamazing the gore-tex shakedry jackets are. if you want to compare weight, compair TNF Mountain Light 1994 retro with futurlight 784g vs the original mountain light gore-tex 742g or the revised mountain light gore-tex 586g, then talk about weight. Your LL Bean gore-tex shell is also much heavier than today's ll. bean gore-tex jackets. So, off my soap box. To sum: there are many different variations of gore-tex from gore-tex pro, paclite, shakedry, 2L, 2.5L, 3L, 40D, 70D, 80D, etc. As far as I know, TNF does not guarantee dry like gore-tex either. also, all these rain or simulated rain tests aren't really testing the waterproofness of the membrane, but the DWR. The wet pots where water isn't beading, is where you test the waterproofness of the membrane, since it has penetrated the DWR finish as well as the outer shell. Moreover, waterproofness is best done when you compress water like where a backpack strap sits on the jacket or where your greasy hands touch the jacket. don't get me wrong, futurlight is a nice technology, but many of these comparisons of futurlight vs gore-tex are simply off the mark in comparing disparate things.

Can you use the futurelight as a winter jacket? (European winter)

Hi, thanks for this video, I search a water proof jacket, so I found and bought a dryzzle futurelight jacket for 115€ in an online store, I hope it works ad you say🤞

I've done those shower tests too lol, but I'm not psychopathic enough to film it lol

As Adam described here, I had the same experience: my Futurelight jacket soaked in water like crazy. Standing still with a new jacket outside watching a bicyclerace, I got completely soaked in a little over 12 minutes. Pure waste of money, hence why no one use them and TNF has gone down the drain from being a good company, to a streetwear fashion brand. No more exploring or adventuring, I'm afraid. Also, their socalled life time warranty is non-existing and they won't honor your claims now a days, like they used to. Sad story. Kind regards.

Gotta wait until dwr wears off

I'm not convinced by futurelight yes it might be good but I don't think you've tested enough goretex to compare, there's loads of variations of goretex and there's a reason why Arc'teryx still use Gore Tex and make better products than The North Face, I have an arc'teryx jacket with goretex Pro which is highly breathable and has kept me dry for hours in very heavy downpours.

Nobody is disputing or is surprised by futurelight's waterproofness. The entire selling point and issue in questions is its claimed breath-ability being significantly better than goretex. You can go spend $20 and get a vinyl raincoat that is significantly more waterproof than either goretex or futurelight, but it will of course be completely non breathe able and you'll be soaked in sweat if you do anything active. I hate to sound like a dick, but this is essentially a pointless review. Please go for a good jog or bike ride next time there is a heavy rain and compare the breathe ability of this fabric to goretex. Also as others have pointed out, comparing this brand new fabric to a 10 year old goretex fabric is kinda useless as well. Not only have their formulas changed but also all waterproof fabrics degrade over time. They lose their DWR coating so don't bead water droplets up, and as the fabric collects dirt its pores are clogged and cannot expel moisture as well. So a real comparison would be get a brand new goretex jacket and brand new futurelight, then go jog a couple miles in each in the rain.

$350 ain’t nothing. I just paid $637 ($750 - 15% discount) for a NF Summit Futurelight Tsirku jacket. Ouch!

Not actually waterproof. Got hypothermia twice in the stuff. The first time was a surprise, the second time it was me refusing to acknowledge such expensive pants and jackets would be leaky.

but the new fabric is not as strong as gortex and is not suitable for shoes, it quickly wipes to a hole

“I’m obsessed with waterproof jackets” Doesn’t understand that gore tex isn’t air permeable

Nice even went in the shower…DEDICATED 👍🏼

No way as good as gore-tex. They just don't want to pay gore anymore which is understandable. I do think they are releasing the old school jackets because people will purchase based on the 90s jackets but not realising they are not gore. Which has to be said is a little sneaky/good strategy pr! By the way any product that uses gore has to go through gore-tex quality control and be to standards or they don't get to use the name.

I see a footage of you being rained and showered on, but I don't see any footage of the jacket being dry inside after the process. You're just suggesting me to take your word for it... I say -- this video has zero value.

You sound like Sam Harris

just for sake of saving people's hard earned money. I am just reporting my wife's and my futurelight rain jacket gets soaked. no activity literally standing in rain.. it's not sweat. just rain coming through. I gotta say fabric itself is more comfy than gore tex but, if it does not do what it is supposed to do.. maybe better off with xl cheap garbage bag as a make shift poncho

why this g.y color

Color for girls

why is having a tropical storm a lucky thing? hmmmm.. check your privilege again?