Patagonia vs North Face Side-by-Side Comparison: Complete List [2023]

When it comes to Patagonia vs North Face, it is really compelling to pick the right gear. Both companies are the most popular ones in the market place and produce great products. So, which one is worth buying, Patagonia or North Face? Here in this post, we would like to end this debate once and for all.

Let’s take a look at the main differences between these two companies and the products they produce.

Related Article: Patagonia vs Arc’teryx: Complete List of Comparison.

Patagonia vs North Face: Main Differences

Both Patagonia and the North Face produce highly recognizable gears and they are mainly focused on the customer feedbacks and technological innovations to deliver the best jackets. So, what are the main differences between Patagonia and North Face.

Here is the list of key differences between them. Although their products come with a very close price tag, Patagonia seems to be in better shape than the North Face in terms of performance. The science behind Patagonia’s material quality and product development is better than the North Face. Finally, Patagonia is more environmentally friendly company than the North Face and designs its products accordingly. Although we think you can’t go wrong with these two companies, our personal preference is to choose Patagonia.

So, is Patagonia better than the North Face? It is up to you at the end, but you can keep reading in this post to learn the key differences between their Rain Jackets, Insulated Jackets, Fleece Jackets and the Down Jackets.

Rain Jackets Side-by-Side Compared:

The Patagonia or North Face Rain Jacket, which one is better? Here is the answer of which company produces the best rain jacket and why:

Patagonia Torrentshell 3L vs North Face Venture 2

We compared Patagonia Torrentshell vs North Face Venture and here is table we have put together to help you understand the key differences between them.

The Venture 2 has DryVent 2.5-layer waterproof fabric which performs not as well as Torrentshell 3L’s 3-layer H2No Performance Standard shell. Therefore, the Venture 2 is less breathable and waterproof then the Torrentshell. Both models have pit zips, and we did not have any ventilation problem. Also, the Venture 2 has a packed size similar to the Torrentshell 3L. Unlike the Torrentshell 3L it is possible to wear the Venture 2 under a helmet, which is a plus.

About the durability, the Patagonia Torrentshell 3L’s outer fabric is made of 50-denier nylon, whereas the North Face Venture is 40-denier. Generally speaking, higher the denier, better the durability and the rip-stop performance is. So, from the durability perspective the Torrentshell 3L is more long lasting in comparison to the Venture 2.

If you want to compare the features of these two jackets, you can check out the table below:

North Face Venture 2 Rain Jacket Features

• Waterproof membrane DryVent 2.5-Layer
• Layer construction is 40-denier ripstop nylon.
• Number of Pockets: 2 hand pockets
• It has Pit Zips
• Its hood is Compatible with Helmet
• It can stow into pocket

Patagonia Torrentshell 3L Rain Jacket Features

• Waterproof Fabric is 3-layer H2No Performance Standard shell
• Layer construction is 50-denier 100% recycled nylon
• Number of Pockets: 2 zippered hand pockets
• Its lower pockets are NOT hipbelt friendly
• It has Pit Zips
• Its hood is NOT Compatible with Helmet
• It can stow into pocket

To sum up, although the Venture 2 is one of the most affordable rain jackets in the market place, the Torrentshell 3L performs better in overall, it is also a better option for climbing-specific activities.

Related Article: Patagonia Torrentshell 3L Review

You may also want to take a quick look at our Arc’teryx Zeta SL vs Patagonia Torrentshell 3L comparison.

Insulated Jackets Compared:

The Patagonia or North Face Insulated Jacket, which one is better? Here is the answer of which company produces the best insulated jacket and why:

Patagonia Nano Puff vs North Face Thermoball

Both Patagonia Nano Puff and North Face Thermoball Eco are pretty similar. However, there are some small differences between them. For instance, the Nano Puff can stow into its chest pocket whereas, the Thermoball can be stow into its hand pocket which is not a deal breaker. But, when it comes to the warmth rating, the Nano Puff does a better job than the Thermoball. Both jackets have synthetic 100% recycled insulation of Primaloft. However, the Nano Puff has Primaloft Gold which is even way better than the iconic Coreloft insulation of Arc’teryx.

So, in terms of warmth level, the Primaloft Gold of Nano Puff is better than the Primaloft of Thermoball. In wet condition, the Nano Puff with Primaloft Gold insulation can trap heat inside almost around 90% which is great.

Here is the table we have put together to help you compare Patagonia Nano Puff vs North Face Thermoball ECO:

The similarities between the Nano Puff and Thermoball:

• Both products are made from 100% recycled materials and Bluesign-certified.
• They are DWR (durable water repellent) finished which is a kind of water resistant layer. But, it is good to note that neither Nan Puff nor Thermoball is 100% waterproof.
• Both Nano Puff and Thermoball are made of 20-Denier Ripstop fabric material, which is not the most durable one out there.
• They both have zippered front pockets, internal chest pocket, elastic cuffs and hem adjusting cord.

Bottom-line for Nano Puff vs Thermoball comparison: We would like to recommend the Nano Puff over Thermoball, unless you find a very reasonable on sale deal out there. These two insulated jackets look very similar considering the features and the overall performance. But, in terms of warmth level Nano-puff is still one of the best options out there.

Related Article: Patagonia Nano Puff Review

You may also be interested in the comparison of Arc’teryx Proton vs Patagonia Nano Puff.

Fleece Jackets Side-by-Side Compared:

The Patagonia or North Face Fleece Jacket, which one is better? Here is the answer of which company produces the best fleece jacket and why:

Patagonia Better Sweater vs North Face Denali 2

The most comparable fleece jacket of Patagonia and the North Face is the Better Sweater and the Denali 2. When we compared Patagonia Better Sweater vs North Face Denali 2 side-by-side, and here is the main differences between these two:

• Patagonia Better Sweater’s material is 100% Polyester, whereas North Face Denali 2 is 100% Nylon. The Nylon materials are stretchy and stronger than the Polyester. Therefore, the North Face Denali 2 is more durable than the Patagonia Better Sweater.
• The North Face Denali 2 has 2 chest pockets, but Patagonia Better Sweater has only one. Also, the Better Sweater does not have elastic cuffs or hem adjusting cord. On the other hand, the Denali 2 has it. So, the North Face Denali is more feature rich and easy to use in comparison to the Patagonia Better Sweater.
• Because of these factors, North Face Denali 2 is more expensive than the Patagonia Better Sweater (almost $40 difference). So, is it worth buying Denali 2 over Better Sweater? Yes, it is exceptionally warmer and offers more than the Better Sweater.

Bottom-line for Patagonia Better Sweater vs North Face Denali 2: Based on our experience, the North Face offers more with the Denali 2. It costs more around $40 compared to the Patagonia Better Sweater. However, it definitely deserves credit for its durability, feature rich and easy to use design, and high warmth level.

You may also want to check out our in-depth comparison of Patagonia Better Sweater vs Arc’teryx Covert Cardigan post.

Down Jackets Compared:

The Patagonia or North Face Down Jacket, which one is better? Here is the answer of which company produces the best down jacket and why:

Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody vs North Face Thermoball

These two insulated jackets are at the same price, but not the same thing. The main difference between Patagonia Down Sweater and the North Face Thermoball is the type of insulation. Patagonia Down Sweater has goose down insulation, whereas North Face Thermoball has synthetic insulation in it.

On the wet condition, synthetic insulated jackets are better on keeping the warmth and also, they dry faster. In this case, the Thermoball is not exceptional. If you need a down jacket that will be used in the wet climate, then it would be better to go with the North Face Thermoball instead of Patagonia Down Sweater. However, on the dry condition, the warmth rating of the Patagonia Downs Sweater is way better than the Thermoball.

Here is the key differences between Patagonia Down Sweater and the North Face Thermoball:

• Down Sweater has goose down on it, which traps the heat better than the synthetic insulation (Primaloft) of Thermoball has. But in the wet climate, the synthetic insulation of Thermoball is better on trapping the heat and drying faster.
• Patagonia Down Sweater is slightly heavier than the North Face Thermoball where the difference is around 2.8 oz or 80 grams for medium size jacket.
• Both jackets have 2 zippered hand pockets and 1 internal chest pockets.

You may also be interested in Down Sweater vs Cerium LT comparison.

Country of origin and where the products are being produced

Story of the North Face

The North Face was founded in 1968 in California and mainly focused on outdoor garments. The Tompkins, who is the founder of the North Face, was selling camping and climbing gears at that time.

In 2000, The North Face was acquired by VF Corporation in

The VF corporation acquired and wholly owned the North Face in 2000. Since, than the company continue to grow and being one of the top notch outdoor garment brand.

Story of Patagonia

The founder of Patagonia is Yvon Chouinard who is an outdoor enthusiast and environmentalist. Their origin story is interesting though! In the beginning Yvon Chouinard was creating then selling climbing gears when he was 19 years-old. In 1973, the company which was originally founded as Chouinard Equipment in California, split into two and Patagonia Inc. was born.

Patagonia has manufacturing sites in more than 16 countries and most of their products are being manufactured in Asia.

Bottom-Line for Patagonia vs North Face:

Whether you go with the Patagonia or the North Face, both of them great company and produces great outdoor garments. Generally Speaking, from price point, the North Face products are cheaper but the Patagonia products have better performance.

We thought that Patagonia is better than the Nort Face in many areas. For instance, Patagonia is more environmentally friendly company, and they are studying and testing their products to come up with great outdoor gear. Nevertheless, they are still very competitive in terms of price point compared to the North Face.

Patagonia company video from YouTube:

The Nort Face Company Trailer from YouTube