Plenty of hardcore skiers faux they don’t care about outerwear aesthetics. They’ll speak about breathability scores and options and (possibly, beneath their breath) admit that they just like the look of a ski jacket.
Sure, efficiency issues in relation to your ski jacket, but it surely additionally issues for those who like how a package appears. Look good, really feel good, ski effectively. The North Face Dragline Ski Jacket appears good.
Appears to be like are subjective, and I’m hardly a vogue skilled. However of a dozen jackets I examined this previous winter, the Dragline package is the one one I recurrently obtained lift-line compliments on. A staffer from a rival attire firm even stated to me, “I hate how good that package appears.”
It additionally stands out for the way mild, versatile, roomy, and cozy it’s. The brand new DryVent Mono material isn’t a stretch material. However the match and smooth materials make it straightforward to maneuver in.
Due to how mild it’s, you’ll need to layer beneath it on chilly days. And also you’ll be glad it’s not heavier on sunny spring snowboarding days. On the flipside, the material isn’t as sturdy as beefy GORE-TEX Professional shells and may not final as lengthy.
In brief: The North Face Dragline Ski Jacket ($450) is a light-weight and roomy resort-skiing shell that performs nice and appears sharp, particularly when paired with the Dragline Bibs ($410). Although mild, it’s nonetheless too heat and saggy for backcountry touring, however it’s going to preserve you dry, heat, and searching sharp from couloir to bar.
Learn our full assessment under or the Greatest Ski Jackets Purchaser’s Information to see how The North Face Dragline Ski Jacket compares to our different favourite ski shells.
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Delicate, snug material -
Roomy reduce for layering and mobility -
Loads of outsized pockets
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Material not as sturdy as stiffer jackets
The North Face Dragline Jacket Evaluation
The very first thing I observed once I obtained my arms on The North Face Dragline Jacket is the way it feels nothing like a conventional ski shell. It’s not stiff, it’s not noisy, and it really appears like malleable material as a substitute of plastic. The face material has a tarp-like look while you get shut sufficient, but it surely’s smooth as a substitute of slick.
I examined a Dragline jacket years in the past (it’s been round since 2010), which used DryVent 3L, and it felt like just about some other shell jacket. The 2025-2026 Dragline makes use of a brand new DryVent Mono membrane that replaces the three-layer sandwich building of GORE-TEX-style jackets with a single polyester material.
The North Face began as a distinct segment technical climbing model, however over the previous few a long time has grow to be mainstream in vogue and streetwear. It nonetheless produces largely out of doors attire and tools, together with severe expedition-grade gear, however has leaned into excessive vogue, too — exemplified within the collaboration line with the Kardashian Skims model.
Subject Testing Situations
I examined the Dragline for 25 days or so over 3 months of on-and-off testing. I reside and ski above 10,000 toes, the place snow and air are chilly, and rain is usually not a factor. For me, modest waterproof-breathability efficiency is loads for resort driving. And I discovered myself reaching for the Dragline package over a half-dozen different “higher” outerwear choices, due to the consolation and freedom of motion, to not point out the plethora of pockets.
Should you reside or ski someplace extra coastal, such because the Pacific Northwest, you would possibly need to spend a bit extra for a jacket with beefier waterproofing from GORE-TEX or one in every of their rivals. The North Face Summit Sequence Verbier Jacket suits the invoice when you have an additional $300 for the improve.
Match & Model
I’ve heard folks counsel that the acquisition of TNF by out of doors conglomerate VF Company and the deal with vogue has led to a decline in technical efficiency. It’s the sort of factor that sounds good on a chairlift, however is difficult to show a method or one other.
Whereas I’ve a couple of considerations in regards to the sturdiness of the Dragline package, I’m pleased to see some affect from the style division of the corporate. As an expert ski gear reviewer who checks dozens of items of attire annually and compares the specs and building, there’s not a lot that differentiates the choices from endemic ski manufacturers apart from the aesthetics. So it’s refreshing to see some completely different appears within the market.
That stated, the Dragline jacket isn’t avant-garde or some nice departure from the norm. Among the extra high-contrast, neon coloration choices communicate louder than the black and brown package I examined.
Outsized pockets on the entrance stand out. It sort of jogs my memory of a much less steezy model of one thing the now-defunct Saga would’ve launched within the 2010s.
The match is relaxed with out being too saggy. Should you’ve skied lately, you’ve seen that the JNCO-style ultra-baggy pants are making a comeback with the youth. The Dragline package is just not that.
Additionally, I wouldn’t need to go backcountry ski touring within the jacket, as a result of the looser match would bunch up beneath a pack. However I beloved it on lift-served terrain. The mix of the relaxed match and smooth, versatile material permits most freedom of motion.
Supplies & Development
I’ve already talked about the DryVent Mono material, which is absolutely the headline right here and is what offers the jacket its character. What’s that character, precisely? Gentle, versatile, and loads of efficiency for resort driving, however not on the extent of beefier mountaineering-style shells with dearer three-layer membrane programs.
The North Face wouldn’t provide particular waterproof or breathability scores for the brand new DryVent Mono building. However the model highlights the truth that as a result of every of the three layers making up the shell is polyester, it’s a lot simpler to recycle — one thing they provide to do for purchasers in-house.
Regardless of utilizing PFAS-free DWR (which is much less sturdy than conventional DWR however extra environmentally pleasant), I had no points with the face material wetting out. Water nonetheless beaded up on the jacket even after greater than 25 days of discipline testing in loads of climate.
As a result of TNF doesn’t record waterproof or breathability scores for DryVent Mono, I’ve to imagine. Based mostly on the jacket’s value relative to GORE-TEX choices within the model’s lineup and the efficiency of earlier iterations of DryVent, I’d guess it’s middle-of-the-road in waterproofing and breathability — doubtless one thing like 15K/15K.
Loads of Pockets
There’s nothing earth-shattering in regards to the pockets. However they’re large and there are quite a lot of them, which I realized to like.
The 2 spacious, cargo-style sq. pockets on the entrance may maintain a field of granola bars for those who wished them to. Behind every is a safer, zippered pocket that’s a bit slimmer. Under are two zippered hand pockets.
Inside, you get twin mesh stash pockets. And the left sleeve has the requisite go pocket together with a helpful tethered goggle wipe. In whole, we’re speaking 9 pockets whole, which is on the higher finish of jacket storage.
Sturdiness Issues
What I like most in regards to the Dragline jacket can also be most likely its greatest draw back. The skinny, mild, and versatile polyester material is a breath of recent air in comparison with stiff shells. Nevertheless it doesn’t really feel bulletproof. Regardless of the Dragline jacket holding up effectively all season, solely time will inform if that softer, lighter material will maintain as much as long-term abuse.
The jacket nonetheless appears like new, however I’ve a couple of cuts and abrasions on the Dragline Bibs. And one of many elastic cuff cinches pulled fully out.
Whilst you save a bit upfront by going with the comparatively cheaper Dragline than top-of-the-line shells, it’s more likely to have a shorter usable lifespan. The North Face does have a restricted lifetime guarantee for manufacturing, but it surely received’t cowl put on. Although the model does provide a small kickback credit score while you submit a product via the take-back recycling program — between $10 and $50, primarily based on the merchandise’s eligibility.
The North Face Dragline Ski Jacket: Conclusion
The departure from high-contrast colours makes this piece extra palatable for much less trendy sorts. And the center-ground price ticket makes it approachable for mortals.
For people that don’t want to face up to heavy rain and moist snow recurrently, the relaxed type and luxury of the Dragline Jacket pairs properly with the middle-of-the-road resort-riding efficiency of the DryVent Mono building.
