THE NORTH FACE Women's Arctic Insulated Parka

I needed a winter raincoat to wear all day on the sidelines durning Pacific Northwest fall and spring soccer seasons. Rain, snow, sleet, hail. 28 F-65 F. Unzip if too warm when it’s dry. This fits the bill perfectly. I searched and search, glad I tried this one. It doesn’t quite cover my knees when sitting, so I still use waterproof pants some days. Wish it were a bit longer. I’m a NF size between L and XL. NF L never fits my boobs. I went w XL and glad I did. It is plenty roomy and I can easily fit a boxy loose hoodie under it which is all I need to stay warm for the cold days. I love NF length of arms, which just end at my first knuckles of my hand instead of my wrist. But easy to wear gloves still. I wish I could tighten the waist a bit, an adjustable waist would have been a good option to include with the elastic band at back. I’m not impressed w just Velcro to close it up when I don’t want to have it zipped. Three snaps at the waist would have been appreciated. I went ahead and sewed on three 1/2 inch metal hook-n-eye closures: Breast, waist, high hip. I do love this coat. The side slash pockets are so much better looking and more useful than the cargo pockets of the other NF model winter long coat. Of course it’s waterproof, and good quality. And a pretty great price point for all it offers. I’m very please with my purchase.

I LUV everything about this North Face Parka II. I purchased the Navy Blue and the color is very eye catching and beautiful. I am 5' 2" and the coat hits at the top of my knees. I would have preferred it to be just a tad bit longer like at the bottom of my knees for coverage, but the length is okay and not a problem at all, because this coat does what it's supposed to do KEEP ME WARM. This coat is a KEEPER, extremely warm for the very cold and freezing temperatures we get in New York City. The coat is not bulky while wearing. (I've had the Metropolis North Face for 3 years and I'm always FREEZING in that coat on freezing temperature days, and I always feel the air going straight through it, so i have to add multiple layers for warmth and that is not ideal on any day). THIS North Face Parka II, you DO NOT need any layers because you will definitely be overheated. I LUV the design with the stretched gathering on the sides of the coat to give it a fit definition look instead of looking straight cut plain with no definition. I also like the way the inside of the sleeves are made with the stretch elasticized inner liner to prevent air from going up your arms. This coat is EVERYTHING! You can wear this North Face Parka II with a bathing suit underneath and still be very warm. REAL TALK!

When my old winter coat fell apart on me after many years of use, I wanted to do my research and find something really warm for the frigid New England winters. I read some good reviews of this coat and was able to try it on at a North Face shop in my area. They didn't have the color I wanted in my size, so I bought it from Amazon. Lucky for me, North Face had updated this style, so this one was considered "old" and "out of date" which meant a HUGE savings! Once I received it, I would have gladly paid full price for this exceptionally warm and high quality coat. It really does an excellent job of keeping me warm and looking good while doing it. A wonderful women's coat that manages to be warm and not make the wearer look like a sleeping bag. My one complaint would be the double zipper on the front. It took me some time to get used to it. My coat is black, so the black zipper can be hard to see in bad lighting and sometimes hard to thread since it is not located at the bottom of the coat front like most zippers. Once I started wearing the coat every day, I got used to it pretty quick, so not worth losing a star over.

I absolutely love, love, love this coat! I bought one a few years ago when I was in my early months of pregnancy in the heather grey, Size large (because it was the only size left) And even though it was kinda big on my short 5’2 frame, and had longer arms that bunched quite a bit, I kept the coat because it was super warm. .. fast forward to today. Ive been wanting a black coat and saw this on sale. This time when ordering, I opted for a medium instead of large. I have absolutely no complaints! It fits perfectly. I don’t look like a sleeping bag. It’s not heavy. It’s the perfect length. It’s flattering to my figure. It fits close to the body but i still have room for layering. The hood is deep but not too much... etc. I love the colder months and can’t wait to see how it holds up this winter. So far so good with the two way zipper. I’ve read others had issues with it but not in my case so far and this is my second arctic parka. If your a busty woman, you might want to go a size up for more room. This was my biggest concern. I only wish this coat had more pockets, and a better faux fur trim. But, I can always get new fur made for my hood if I really wanted to. I do like the fact that the fur is black and not grey like in the newer edition of the same coat. The hood also has a drawstring. It might be hard to find at first, but it IS there!

I ordered this jacket for myself in medium, I'm 5'4" 155 pounds with busty athletic build- the fit is perfect. I'm undecided if I want to keep it as it is maybe overkill for my needs here in Seattle. The coat is thick, warm and heavy and no doubt will keep you warm in very cold weather however I am used to layering and that would be too much with this coat. I bought the Gotham parka for my daughter and that was in between the weight of this coat and a thermoball weight and I may have to exchange this coat for another one of those. This parka is one of the more flattering cuts I have tried on but with the thickness it still makes you feel huge, the elastic sinching in the sides a bit helps a tiny bit. For sure a coat for function more than looking cute. The fur on the hood is nice but it sits way back on your shoulders when the hood is down and doesn't come up around your neck which I think would have been cuter. The v slit at the bottom in the back is cute and the knit cuffs inside the ends of the sleeves are nice. Like others have mentioned the front pockets are awkward for putting your hands in and they are just sewn to the outside of the coat so your just putting your hands between two layers of the exterior coat fabric- not warm and cozy. The construction of the coat is nice quality.

This is a very warm and well made jacket. It arrived in perfect condition. Good, sturdy material, seams, snaps and zippers. I walked the dog this morning. It was 15 degrees and windy outside, and I was remarkably comfortable. I had a long sleeve t-shirt and yoga pants on underneath, and this jacket not only kept me warm but also kept the wind out. It fits small. I took the recommendations of other reviewers and ordered a size up. I’m 5’ 4”, 130 pounds, and a medium fits perfectly with room for a sweater underneath if I want layers. The only complaint I have is that the collar is very high and uncomfortable under my chin. I’ve been folding it down, but that’s been a bit awkward because the material is stiff due to the zipper, snaps and filling. Otherwise, I am looking forward to many years of warmth and wear from this jacket. Well worth the investment!

The style looks trendy and it is really good fit.. doesn’t look awkward in places. It is so light in the weight which makes it easy to carry. And keeps me really warm.

4th UPDATE: 2 months in Neither The Northface nor Amazon are responding. Both refuse to accept responsibility for the PERFECTLY VALID WARRANTY on this DEFECTIVE COAT. 3rd UPDATE: Amazon says the manufacturer is responsible for the warranty and refund while Northface says Amazon is responsible for the warranty and refund. Classic case of passing the buck and terrible customer service for both. What good is a warranty if not honored. I will not be purchasing a NorthFace product again, let alone on Amazon. 2nd UPDATE: Demoted to 1 star as the warranty department’s job seems to be to make it as hard as possible to exchange or refund a defective coat, trying to pass the buck to Amazon even though I don’t live in the country where I bought the coat anymore, then saying I should pay to ship the coat to them for an inspection and decision, despite asking for photos which I’ve already provided. What should be happening is an immediate replacement shipped to me and a pre paid label to ship the defective coat back. UPDATE: The feathers have been steadily coming out of the jacket over the last 1.5 years, often poking me in the process. It’s much flatter and not nearly as warm as when initially purchased. I’m downgrading the rating from a 3 to a 2. It’s a really nice jacket. Warm and more lightweight than I would have expected. The big issue is that it’s not cut for a woman who has actual boobs. It’s very stylish and formfitting for an effective cold weather coat. Just not enough room in the chest for top heavy women. I ordered the next size up, which will be a bit long and big for me, but being able to breathe without feeling like I have a corset on will be worth it. For reference, I’m 5ft 2 and wear a 34 G. A medium was too tight across the chest. Fix the cut and it would be a perfect 5.