With an impending trip to Europe in mid 2014 I was in the need for a good all-round Rain Jacket to complement my light weight and pocket-less minimalist style jacket. Its main use was going to be travel so it needed to look nice, however it would also need to be breathable for active use such as trekking, some simple resort skiing (with a layer underneath) and mountain biking.

Tech Specs

The Dryzzle is a classic style that has been in The North Face range a number of years. Its constructed using the Gore-Tex’s Paclite fabric which has had a proven record with a high level of waterproofness with still a good level of breathability. The jacket rolled into its hood and packed away to about the size of a 1lt Nalgene water bottle and weighs around 320 grams.

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The Dryzzle jacket uses bluesign approved fabric. The North Face products carrying the bluesign approved fabrics contain fabrics/semi finished goods that were manufactured according to the bluesign standard and meet the highest criteria regarding consumer protection, resource efficiency and occupational health and safety. At least ninety percent (90%) of the fabric by area must be bluesign approved for the product to qualify for this label. 

Other Options?

After some searching and deliberating The North Face Dryzzle was the style I settled on. As mentioned I already had a light weight minimalistic jacket that is great for highly active uses but it didn’t have any pockets and is a bit short in length for travel. Saying that I didn’t want to go down the trench style as I still wanted the jacket to able to be used for some active use.

With that in mind and that the TNF Dryzzle comes in at a sensible $299.95 it made sense to purchase the jacket.

On the trail & around town

I have been using The North Face Dryzzle for the last 7 months. Over this time its seen the Northern Lights in Iceland and been on the mountain bike trails at Victoria’s Mount Buller.

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The jackets length was cut to around the backside which gave good coverage but didn’t inhibit movement. The adjustable hood and hem cinch-cord keep that rain from making its way inside while out for the day. There has been some talk about Paclite not being as breathable as some other fabrics, however this wasn’t an issue as the pit zips allowed perspiration and warmth to vent out and remain comfortable in warm weather or when working out hard.

The zippered hand pockets are placed high enough to allow access when using a pack with a hip belt and keep all of the essentials secure, while a zippered Napoleon pocket keep kept electronic gadgets and other valuables in place.

looking out small

The Durable Water Repellancy (DWR) has needed a couple of washes and retreatments to keep the fabric beading water off. However with the constant use that jacket has had this is understandable.

Click here to see the range at Paddy Pallin.

REVIEW: THE NORTH FACE DRYZZLE JACKET
Over the last 7 months The North Face Dryzzle has worked flawlessly, Its kept me dry, breathed well for its intended use and looks good. Overall its a winner!!
WATERPROOFNESS90%
BREATHABILITY85%
PERFORMANCE85%
DURABILITY90%
LOOKS90%
VALUE90%
88%Overall Score
Reader Rating: (55 Votes)
46%

About The Author

Zuzana Melicharova

Zuzana has lived in Europe, New Zealand and Australia while travelling extensively though out these countries as well as Asia, North & South America. Zuzana enjoys hiking, skiing, mountain biking and rock climbing.

One Response

  1. Outdooreer

    It’s quite hard to get one of these stringent sustainability certifications, like Bluesign, the commitment and the effort required by the company to be certified are massive.
    You can make an impact on the environment and society by purchasing products with sustainability certification labels… it’s always good to remember this.
    Simply, choose and take action!

    Reply

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