The North Face Kalix Down Hooded Jacket Review

My Honest Review Of The North Face Kalix Down Hooded Jacket

Quick Info

Price: $650 AUD
Sizes: Women’s: XS – XXL | Men’s: S – XXL
Shell Material: Body: 38 g/m² Pertex Quantum – 100% recycled nylon woven ripstop | Overlay: 30/40D 53 g/m² 100% nylon woven Cordura | PFC-free DWR finish
Insulating Material: Main body: RDS 700 fill goose down | Yoke, upper sleeve & draft flap: 140 g Heatseeker 70% post-consumer recycled polyester
Weight: 563 g (women’s small)
Fit: Relaxed, standard fit
Colours: Women’s: Midnight Petrol / Black | Men’s: Black, Meadow Grass / Black
Sustainability: Recycled materials
Warranty: Limited lifetime warranty
Activity: Hiking

Positives

• Incredibly warm
• Larger size fits over layers easily – great for cold summit days
• Much more durable than your average down jacket

Negatives

• Heavy
• Doesn’t pack down very small
• Sizes run large

Who Is The North Face Kalix Down Hooded Jacket For?

If you’re searching for a durable and warm layer you can rely on when the weather turns south, you’re going to love The North Face Kalix Down Hooded Jacket. While it may not be as versatile as options like the Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody, this jacket truly shines when temperatures plummet, making it an essential companion for cold-weather adventures.

Additionally, The North Face designed the Kalix with all the essential features for technical mountain adventures. It includes extended zippers on the handwarmer pockets for easy access with a harness or backpack, a helmet-compatible hood with adjustable cinch cords, a zippered chest pocket, an internal stash pocket, and a cinched hem and draft flap for added wind protection.

Warmth Of The North Face Kalix Down Hooded Jacket

The North Face Kalix Down Hooded Jacket is designed for superior warmth, featuring large horizontal baffles filled with 700 fill-power RDS-certified goose down. Goose down offers better insulation than duck down due to its larger clusters, which trap more air and provide exceptional heat retention.

To enhance performance in wet conditions, The North Face has strategically incorporated Heatseeker synthetic insulation into the yoke (upper shoulders and chest), upper arms, and the draft flap behind the front zipper. Unlike down, synthetic insulation maintains its insulating properties when wet, ensuring reliable warmth even in damp weather.

But how does all of this technical jargon hold up in real-world conditions?

I’ve tested the Kalix jacket on several alpine adventures this summer in New Zealand, and honestly, it was almost too warm over a light microfleece! As someone who’s perpetually cold while camping in alpine environments – even in summer – this was a surprising and welcome change.

During a summit push to Hochstetter Dome in Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park, I found myself freezing while belaying Dylan up a steep section. However, once I had the chance to throw on the Kalix jacket – designed to layer easily over my rain jacket – I warmed up instantly. Its performance was nothing short of impressive.

I have no doubt that the Kalix Down Hooded Jacket will continue to perform exceptionally throughout autumn and winter, but rest assured that I’ll update this review with any new findings.

Size

The North Face Kalix Down Hooded Jacket is built on the larger side. This is great to allow you to throw it over your layers in a pinch – as I had to do in the above example – but they may have gone a little too far.

I usually wear medium or size 12 jackets, but I had to replace the medium Kalix with a small as it was far too big. The small is still roomy enough to fit a light fleece and rain jacket beneath – or just a heavy fleece.

I recommend sizing down for the Kalix, even if you’re after a larger fit.

Fit Of The North Face Kalix Down Hooded Jacket

The Kalix jacket features a relaxed fit, providing plenty of room for easy movement and layering. It’s designed with a drop hem for added back coverage, and the jacket falls just below the hips – which is the perfect length in my opinion. Too often, women’s jackets are cut shorter, which can be impractical when you’re constantly moving or wearing a harness or backpack. 

Unlike some other women’s down jackets, the Kalix opts for a standard cut rather than a fitted silhouette. While it does feel a bit bulky, this is to be expected from a jacket designed for maximum insulation.

My only critique of the Kalix Down Hooded Jacket’s fit is its collar design. When fully zipped, the collar feels restrictive and limits movement, making it uncomfortable. In harsh conditions, it would be ideal to zip the jacket above the chin while still maintaining full range of motion for the head, like you can with the Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody.

Comfort Of The North Face Kalix Hooded Down Jacket

Wearing The North Face Kalix Down Hooded Jacket feels as if you’re wrapped in a cosy sleeping bag. The comfort level is off the charts, enhanced by its roomy shoulder design and articulated elbows, which allow for natural movement. 

Even with multiple layers underneath, I never felt restricted. I effortlessly belayed Dylan on a snowy peak, moving freely without feeling weighed down – unless I zipped the collar up past my chin, that is.

As I mentioned above, the only drawback to an otherwise comfortable design is the collar when it’s fully zipped. With that said, the collar provides enough room if I’m simply sitting at camp, it’s only when I need to move around and constantly turn my head that it becomes an issue.

Weather Resistance Of The North Face Kalix Down Hooded Jacket

While down jackets in general are not suited for wet conditions, The North Face Kalix Down Hooded Jacket has been designed to perform better in unexpected wet conditions until you can throw on a rain jacket or get out of the weather. 

It features a PFC-free DWR coating as well as synthetic insulation in the most exposed areas – the shoulders, chest, upper arms, and behind the front zipper. Unlike traditional down, synthetic insulation retains warmth even when wet, ensuring reliable performance when down falls short.

You may wonder why you wouldn’t just choose a fully synthetic jacket, but the problem with synthetic jackets is their weight and bulk. Synthetic insulation is significantly heavier and bulkier compared to down of equivalent warmth.

I have yet to be caught in the rain, so I can’t personally comment on the performance of the Kalix jacket while wet, but I can praise its wind resistance abilities. The thick baffles coupled with the Pertex Quantum shell and the reinforced 30/40D Cordura overlay create a very effective barrier to freezing wind.

Durability & Build Quality

The North Face Kalix Down Hooded Jacket is designed to handle tough conditions. Its shoulders, chest, upper arms, and hood are reinforced with a durable 30/40D nylon Cordura ripstop overlay, while the body features lightweight 20D Pertex Quantum fabric. Although the Pertex Quantum requires a bit more care, I’ve been anything but cautious so far, and it has held up flawlessly.

Regarding the build quality, there is no fault that I can comment on. The zippers glide smoothly without snagging and the high-quality craftsmanship extends to the seams and finishing details.

That said, I’ve only used the Kalix Down Jacket for one season so far. I’ll provide an update if my impressions change with more wear and time.

Features On The North Face Kalix Down Hooded Jacket

Hood

The elastic-bound hood on the Kalix jacket is deep, secure, exceptionally comfortable and warm. Designed with enough room to fit over a helmet, it also features an adjustable cinch cord at the back, allowing you to customise the fit with ease.

As I’ve mentioned previously, the only issue with the hood is the limited space caused by the collar. This design makes the jacket a bit less comfortable when zipped up fully over the chin.

Pockets

The North Face Kalix Down Hooded Jacket features a zippered chest pocket, an internal stash pocket and two large zippered waist pockets. While the chest pocket is annoyingly too small to fit a phone, I am a huge fan of the extended zippers on the waist pockets that I can access while wearing a harness or backpack.

Hem Adjustment

Two easy-to-use cinch cords are located on either hip that pull the hem of the Kalix snugly around your hips to prevent cold air from moving in. I rarely use the cinch cords, finding the hem to be sufficiently snug already, but it’s a great feature to have when the weather turns seriously unfavourable.

Cuffs

The cuffs of the Kalix Down Hooded Jacket are elasticated, with baffles that extend over the cuffs for increased warmth. I find the cuffs to be sufficiently tight, without being too tight. They rarely move or ride up, which prevents cold air from seeping in.

Sustainability

In recent years, The North Face has begun to make a shift to being a more sustainable company. Among other goals and achievements, they are striving to have 100% of their main materials (polyester, cotton and nylon) be recycled, responsibly sourced, renewable or regeneratively grown by this year for apparel and by 2030 for equipment and shoes.

In regards to the Kalix Down Hooded Jacket, it is constructed with a 100% recycled nylon shell coated with PFC-free DWR, responsibly sourced goose down certified by the Responsible Down Standard (RDS), and Heatseeker synthetic insulation made from 70% post-consumer recycled polyester.

There are some fabrics in the Kalix jacket that aren’t recycled, like the Cordura overlay, but the majority has been created with recycled or responsibly sourced materials.

Value Of The North Face Kalix Down Hooded Jacket

The North Face Kalix Down Hooded Jacket is valued at $650 AUD, placing it in the mid-high range for technical down jackets. There are plenty of more affordable options out there that will keep you warm and cosy, but if durability and wind resistance are two of your top priorities, then the Kalix jacket could be worth the higher price.

In comparison to similarly designed jackets, like the Rab Infinity Alpine Jacket, the Kalix is competitively priced. The main difference with the above-mentioned jacket is that it weighs 100 g less than the Kalix.