Women’s The North Face Hydrenalite Down Hoodie, Tested & Reviewed

Bottom Line

This jacket surprised us. While we knew from the pictures that it wasn’t the most tactical of North Face puffers (performance apparel is their Summit Series line), we were a little surprised by the cut of this jacket. The North Face calls it bomber-inspired, and our staff joked it’s a down crop-top. Honestly, it falls somewhere in between. Our gear analyst is 5’8” with what she considers an average-length torso. Still, The North Face Hydrenalite Down Hoodie will reveal your belly button if you’re ever reaching for the stars. 

The result, however, is a stylish, hip-length puffy jacket that won’t hide your cute pants and bum (if that’s what you’re into). If you tend to wear longer layers, they will stick out from under the jacket or bunch up at the bottom. The advantage of the elastic waist hem is that it effectively traps heat from your head down to the top of your hips.

Performance-wise, it instantly cuts the chill, and its hood (no cinch) and collar are functional for protecting us from chilly wind and light snow.

We ended up wearing this puffy jacket a lot more than we expected. It isn’t overkill, and we wore it as part of our regular outfits without worrying that a techy jacket might ruin the look. We also packed it on many trips that involved flying because it’s warm yet easy to pack. Of all our favorite winter coats, we love it for being stylish, not too bulky, and worthy of our trust to keep us warm.

How We Tested

Our CleverHiker gear analysts were consistently impressed with The North Face Hydrenalite. We confirmed its excellent insulation and water-repellency through laboratory testing, complementing our field evaluations conducted during backcountry hikes and snowy adventures in NW Montana.

Warmth

If you don’t mind if your hips and bum aren’t covered in goose down when you’re out and about, this puffy is a winner. Its elastic waist and cuffs trap all that precious heat your core generates and, in turn, keep your blood flowing to your lower body, where this jacket doesn’t reach. We wouldn’t bring this little number to a glacier camp, or even backpacking, because we’d prefer something that moves better, but for town trips, winter beach walks, and campfire hangs, this one gets the job done in style. 

During our warmth test, the jacket lasted a solid 56 minutes before the internal temperature dropped by 30°F, making it suitable for temperatures in the 50s and windy conditions or when moving around in the low teens. 

This jacket hits at the high-hip level, which is enough to keep you cozy whether you’re standing or walking. Dynamic movements like setting up camp, sitting, crouching to standing, or scrambling on rocks will cause the jacket’s cinched waist to rise up to our belly button. It’s not a big deal, but we do need to pull it back down to our preferred position from time to time. If you get cold and want full seat protection, we recommend skipping this puffer, even though we feel so cute in it. While the DWR finish protects the 600-fill down well in unexpectedly wet conditions, we wouldn’t wear this coat when expecting rain or heavy snow for extended periods.

Weather Resistance

This down hoodie is not meant to fight off storm-level precipitation. The North Face used a PFAS-free, durable water-repellent (DWR) finish that beads off rain and mist quite effectively. Light snow also didn’t soak through the shell or liner. However, snow did reach our lower back when we bend over to pick up our dog’s ball if we’re not wearing high-waisted pants or leggings. 

The Hydrenalite was tested by soaking it in standing water. The goose down in the down hoodie soaked through in just 9 minutes. We believe this is due to the sewn-through baffles, which make it easier for moisture and air to pass through where the thread perforates the liner. Like all down jackets, the liner is designed to resist moisture from snow and performs best in dry snow. This applies to the Hydrenalite as well.

Comfort & Functionality

Opinions on the comfort and function of this jacket depend on who’s wearing it, where they’re wearing it, and what they’re wearing underneath. It’s comfy, no question. It just doesn’t cover your hips, and you can’t pull it over your hips or bum (this is the intended style).

This jacket is a toss-it-on kind for running to the store or going from the car to the yoga studio or gym. We wear it when we have a town outfit on that we don’t want to be covered up in a sleeping bag-style parka. The exposed pocket and center front zippers are easy to grab and use. If you’re looking for bigger pockets or zippers that don’t let any moisture or air through, this isn’t our top pick.

This jacket functions best for gals who don’t mind their hips exposed for more mobility and style. However, if you plan to do a lot of bending, crouching, and reaching in this jacket, the cinched waist and (dare we say?) cropped cut won’t be very functional.

Otherwise, the liner and goose down are super comfy, and we love the three-piece hood. There’s no rubbing or awkward tightness over our head, and we can wear a beanie or trucker/ball cap no problem.

Features

The features are straightforward and practical, combining North Face’s technical expertise with their timeless retro style. Every feature enhances function and style in the Hydrenalite. It’s a down hoodie designed to keep your core temperatures warm without hiding your appeal. Just because you’re a baddie who conquers peaks and logs serious miles doesn’t mean you need to wear a puffy jacket that screams it when you’re in town.

Cinched cuffs and waist, a bomber hood, and a high collar all effectively trap your warmth. This way of covering your core and head does a great job of keeping your whole body warm without fully covering it in down. 

Finally, we can’t forget to give a thumbs-up to the North Face’s PFAS-free 30-denier liner. It’s strong enough to keep the cold out and has survived a few brushes with brambles and kittens claws.

Should You Buy the The North Face Hydrenalite?

It’s a lovely down hoodie that proves to have more uses than we initially expected when the down jacket arrived. It’s a cute, subtle, retro bomber jacket, but it ward off cold weather almost as effectively as a North Face Summit Series champion. 

Just because you’re a CleverHiker go-getter doesn’t mean you have to wear your freeze-dried meal-stained, booger snail-trail cuffs, and whoopsies patched “I get after it” jacket when you’re hobbling to the yoga studio for some R&R after a big weekend in the hills. If a bit of style and a lot of warmth is what you’re after, the Hydrenalite Down Hoodie is the winner-winner, chicken dinner. 

What Other Winter Jackets Should You Consider?

The North Face Hydrenalite is a bomber-style puffy. If that’s not quite what you’re looking for, best winter jackets for women includes a variety of options for every type of winter activity.

Arc’teryx Atom Review: The Atom is ideal for the active adventurer. It’s also lighter by a few ounces, more breathable, and uses synthetic insulation, so ripping holes in it or getting it wet isn’t a problem. It also has a few more inches in length with an adjustable cinch waist for customizing airflow.

REI Stormhenge Review: If you need a jacket with more coverage that can handle extreme cold and wetter conditions, the Stormhenge is a better choice, featuring a longer cut, waterproofing, and cuff gaiters.

CleverHiker’s Top Picks for Down Jackets: If you want a more technical-looking and performing jacket and don’t need the street style of the Hydrenalite, head to our reviews of the best down jackets.