The North Face Women’s Triclimate Jacket Review

Before I left for Australia, I owned several heavy winter coats but no lightweight jackets for cool mornings, windy days, and the rain. Then, one day I popped into a local store to see if I could find the ideal jacket to bring on my travels.

The North Face Triclimate jacket caught my eye, and the moment I tried it on, I knew it would be a great permanent addition to my packing list.

About The North Face Triclimate Jacket

If you look at The North Face site or a number of sites that sell their products, you will find that several styles of Triclimate jackets exist. I am writing about my particular jacket but it is similar to those you will find online or at a store.

>> See all versions of this jacket on Amazon

This three-in-one jacket offers protection from the cold, wind, and rain. The outer waterproof, breathable jacket is 100% nylon and sealed with HyVent® to keep you dry. It has a zip-off hood, two outer pockets, and an inner pocket to stash valuables. It also features Pit-zips (zippers at the armpits), a front zipper, and velcro to keep the zipper flat closed.

The inner jacket is tailored for a snug but not too tight fit that keeps you warm without bulk. You’ll find a traditional zipper and two front pockets.

Depending on the weather, you can wear either jacket on its own or zip and snap the two together to make one jacket that will protect you from the less than perfect weather.

When I bought my jacket at a local outdoorsy type store, it retailed for over $200. I stopped by the store every few days and snagged it as soon as it went on sale!

How I have traveled with the Triclimate Jacket

After briefly experiencing a cold winter in Australia in 2006, I knew I would need to come prepared when I moved to Australia for a year and arrived in the winter. To travel lightly for the first three to four months, I packed long pants and short sleeved shirts and relied on my Triclimate jacket to keep me warm.

I only packed the outer layer, however, and while it generally did the trick, when I traveled further south to Melbourne and Adelaide, I could have used the warm inner layer!

When I attended a sporting event where umbrellas were not allowed, I relied on the outer layer to keep me as dry as possible through the rain.

Recently, I also packed the outer jacket for my month-long trip to visit my fiancé in London. It can always rain in London, and the weathermen predicted that it could be the coldest May in decades.

Since returning from Oz, the Triclimate jacket has been my go-to jacket for the cold and rain.

My thoughts on the Triclimate Jacket

There is so much to love about the Triclimate jacket!

Unlike most jackets I have owned, the hood of the outer jacket provides full coverage, extending over my forehead by an inch or two. No more rain-covered glasses!

One of my favorite features is the Pit-zip. I wore the outer layer for light protection but often felt too warm after walking around a new city for hours. By unzipping the Pit-zips, I instantly felt cooler. It’s easy to zip and unzip the Pit-zips as needed.

The inner jacket is flattering to my figure and keeps me warm without making me look big. If I could only own one individual jacket, it would be the inner one of the Triclimate.

My only complaint about the jacket?

In my experience, waterproof jackets vary in the amount of rain they can take on before soaking through. The outer layer kept me dry during a storm at the sporting even mentioned above…for a while. Eventually I felt slightly gross as my arms became wet and the jacket stuck to my body. But, what waterproof jacket doesn’t have this problem (do you know one – do tell!).

Do you own a jacket from The North Face? Do you have a three-in-one from another company?