Lauren reviews her North Face Nuptse Jacket after putting it to the test over a 3-month stint above the Arctic Circle.

The North Face Retro 1996 Nuptse Jacket is hands down my favourite winter jacket. After all, “There's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing” - Alfred Wainwright.

Inspired by their original 90s range, this jacket features the boxy shape that’s synonymous with 90s style. It’s made from water-resistant fabric and packed with 700 fill down to keep you warm and toasty whatever the weather.

My North Face Nuptse Jacket was put to the test above the arctic circle in Lofoten, Norway where temperatures average around -1ºC (but when the wind picks up it feels like -11ºC). The days were spent hiking in the mountains and the nights were spent standing around in the cold waiting for the Northern Lights to put on a show. Not once did my torso feel the cold.

The North Face team are notorious for putting their products to the test in the harshest environments and it shows in the quality of this jacket. That’s why the Nuptse has stood the test of time, remaining a must-have piece of kit, from hardcore mountaineers to pavement pounding city dwellers for over 25 years. 

I wore my Nuptse pretty much every day for over 3 months and didn’t find a single feather floating around my room like some of my other down jackets. I wasn’t precious with it, regularly packing it down into its pocket when I needed to store it away (I love this feature!). The only issue I have with it is that because I wear the yellow colour, there are some dirt marks forming around the wrists and arms from leaning on tables and general adventure grime - nothing a quick wash won’t fix.

If you need to wash any down gear, I recommend using Nikwash Down Wash to ensure you don’t damage the water repellency.

Overall, this Nuptse jacket is exactly what you’d expect; great quality, warm and comfortable. It runs true to size but I’d recommend going up one if you’re heading to the snow as you’ll want the room to wear base layers and hoodies etc under there.

Features of the North Face Nuptse Jacket

• Stowable hood packs into collar 
• Stows into its own hand pocket (like a small sleeping bag size)
• Secure-zip pocket on the inside to fit credit cards change etc 
• Classic, down insulated jacket with high-loft baffles and a boxy silhouette 
• Standard fit inspired by the iconic design lines of the 1996 Nuptse Jacket 
• Original shiny ripstop fabric with DWR finish 
• Adjustable Velcro® cuff tabs 
• Bungee cinch at hem 

Check out our full range of The North Face and Nuptse Jackets. 

You can catch Lauren over on Instagram @milky.jpeg.