The North Face Windstream Shell Jacket review: lightweight, compact, breathable protection from the wind

Meet the reviewer

Julia Clarke

Julia Clarke is a staff writer for Advnture.com and the author of the book Restorative Yoga for Beginners. She loves to explore mountains on foot, bike, skis and belay and then recover on the the yoga mat. Julia graduated with a degree in journalism in 2004 and spent eight years working as a radio presenter in Kansas City, Vermont, Boston and New York City before discovering the joys of the Rocky Mountains. She then detoured west to Colorado and enjoyed 11 years teaching yoga in Vail before returning to her hometown of Glasgow, Scotland in 2020 to focus on family and writing.  

The North Face Windstream Shell Jacket: first impressions 

While serious mountain conditions call for a hardshell, many of your mountain adventures can be made safer and more comfortable with a simple windbreaker. This windproof jacket is built to keep you safe from windchill when a breezy summit turns out to colder than you expected, and breathable enough to wear on chilly hikes and mountain bike rides where you don't want to be restricted or weighed down.

Made using The North Face's proprietary WindWall fabric, a nylon/polyester ripstop blend, this jacket is made from strong stuff, yet it's one of the lightest windreakers we've tested. It blocks acold wind but remains breathable when you're hiking or pedaling uphill.

The elasticated hood is comfortable, but stays put when it's breezy and elasticated cuffs and hem help to block any drafts. That said, the cuffs may be a little loose on some wrists if it's not layered over a bulker fleece, and the hem might be more effective if it was adjustable. Treated with PFC-free DWR, it will repel a light rain too so it's an excellent choice for active travel where you don't need to bring a heavier waterproof jacket.

There isn't much in the way of pockets, to keep things as light as possible, but a zipped chest pocket will fit most phones, and when you're not using it, it packs away into a mesh pocket inside its own hood. It's not the cheapest wind shell we've tested, but far from the priciest. All in all, we're impressed by this lightweight approach to windproofing.

The North Face Windstream Shell Jacket: in the field

I got to test this windbreaker out on a press trip to Corsica with The North Face in early April, where conditions were still cool and while a waterproof jacket would have been overkill, a windproof layer was welcome. I ended up wearing it on an afternoon hike where we had some light rain, as well as an early morning mountain bike ride before things heated up. I've even tried it out on a few cold trail runs in Scotland when there was a light rain falling.

Here’s how it performed:

Sizing and fit

I tested a small, which is my regular size, and I think it's true to size. It has a streamlined design but still leaves a little room for movement and layering, which is obviously important.

The sleeves are quite long on me, coming all the way down to my fingertips if I let them, but when I shrug them up they stay put. The hem comes all the way down to just below my bum, which means extra protection, and it zips up to just below my chin with a snug, but not uncomfortable hood. In this jacket I'm able to reach my arms overhead and lean forward on my handle bars without any restriction.

Weight and packability

This jacket is one of the lightest windbreakers I've tested, with the women's small tipping the scales at a meager 100 grams, so I'd never think twice about throwing it in my pack for a backpacking adventure.

Better yet, it packs away into a mesh pocket inside its own hood and ends up about the size of an apple. Obviously, it squashes down even smaller than that, so you can really squeeze it into the tightest of packs no problem.

Weather protection and breathability

The ripstop fabric provides good wind protection, and I'm planning on using it to hold off the Scottish wind this summer both on mountain peaks and coastal walks, when there isn't rain in the forecast. The main issue I've discovered is that, on my wrists anyway, the cuffs aren't flush against my skin if I'm not wearing it over a fleece, while the hem isn't adjustable or flush to my hips, so there definitely is potential for a whipping wind to find its way in.

So far, I've been able to stay comfortable on the trail, and it's also pretty breathable too – something I've actually put to the test by wearing it on a couple of cold, damp runs in Scotland. It's not intended for trail running, but I figure if I can wear it for that activity then I'm more than happy with the breathability when I'm hiking and biking.

Durability and storage

Though the fabric is extremely thin and lightweight, the ripstop construction means that it's not fragile. I'm not saying you couldn't rip it up if you hit a thorny branch going 20 mph on your mountain bike, but I do think it has a good chance of staving off damage even when you're out having a really good time.

The only pocket is a zipped chest pocket, which is big enough for my iPhone but I don't actually use it. The lack of hand-warming pockets could be an issue for some, but that's the trade-off for shaving off the grams and keeping it lightweight. 

The North Face Windstream Shell Jacket: the bottom line

I'm really loving this windbreaker for its performance, fit and looks and I plan to give it plenty of action this summer. It has a few flaws in the cuffs and hem, which means that some people might get the odd draft if it's really blowing, but to be honest, this is built for fair-weather adventures and not brutal conditions anyway. If it's a very lightweight windbreaker you're in the market for, it's worth comparing this to the Montane Lite-Speed Trail Pull-On.

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