The North Face Summit L5 Ultralight Storm Jacket Review
The North Face up Summit L5 LT Futurelight Review
Shoddy cuffs and an junior hood compromise an otherwise quality hardshell
Cost: $450 List
Pros: Lightweight, breathable Futurelight fabric, packs down small
Cons: Fragile, unreliable wrist cuffs, excessively long waist drawcord
Manufacturer: The Northward Confront
Past Jack Cramer ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ November 8, 2020
Our Editors independently enquiry, test, and rate the best products. We simply make coin if you purchase a product through our links, and nosotros never take free products from manufacturers. Acquire more
Our Verdict
The Elevation L5 LT Futurelight is a long name for a simple jacket. Weighing in at only eleven.8 ounces for a size large, information technology has been stripped of all extraneous features, such as underarms vents or manus pockets. Our hard-charging testers are huge fans of this weight-savings but were disappointed with some of this jacket'south other design elements. The hood, in detail, was ineffective at keeping h2o out of the jacket during our shower exam, and the wrist cuffs wouldn't stay reliably closed when we were moving around. Both of these problems detracted from what is otherwise a pretty impressive hardshell. We hope they can go straightened out presently because we really like The North Face's new waterproof-breathable Futurelight fabric incorporated into this shell.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Due north Face currently makes two men's Summit Series L5 Futurelight jackets: a standard and a lighter "LT" version. This is our review of the LT version. Nosotros haven't had an opportunity to test the burlier standard version.
Performance Comparison
Our testers found the Futurelight fabric to be fully waterproof during wet activities similar ice climbing.
Credit: Jack Cramer
Atmospheric condition Protection
Our testers weren't very impressed with the conditions protection supplied by the Summit L5 LT. The master consequence is the hood, which features a flimsy brim and a unmarried drawcord for aligning. During our shower examination, water poured off this brim and down into the chin of the jacket. We also dislike the wrist cuffs because the hook-and-loop closure flap is besides long, leaving excessive material that can snag and cause the cuffs to open up accidentally. Finally, the durable water repellent treatment on the Futurelight material seemed to habiliment off quickly, which acquired the trounce material to wet out before the conclusion of our three-month test.
The L5 LT Futurelight packed within its included stuff sack with the inspiration for The Due north Face logo in the groundwork.
Credit: Jack Cramer
Weight
At simply 11.viii ounces for a size big, the Summit L5 LT is among the lightest jackets in our men'south hardshell review. In fact, the slight weight savings you lot tin can go with the accented lightest model is so small that it's probably not worth considering in your purchasing decision. This jacket is likewise extremely packable and is one of only a couple models to come with its own nylon stuff sack.
The mobility bug we had with the Summit L5 LT wrist cuffs were more than apparent while wintertime climbing than skiing.
Credit: Jack Cramer
Mobility and Fit
1 positive affair we can say is that the Futurelight fabric feels great to move around in. It'due south too non noisy or stiff like some of the heavy-duty hardshells made with Gore-Tex Pro fabric. Even so, the unreliability of the wrist cuffs negatively affects mobility because you tin't trust the sleeves to stay in place. Fit wise, this jacket feels a little baggy in the torso. With a more than athletic cut, secure wrist cuffs, and the comfortable Futurelight textile, the Height L5 LT could be a standout in this performance surface area. As it stands now, still, it'southward a disappointment.
The hood features a single drawcord on the back for adjustment. This seemed effective enough but the flimsiness of the hood'southward brim acquired water to pour in during our shower test.
Credit: Jack Cramer
Venting and Breathability
The biggest drawback to the Acme L5 LT's ultralight blueprint may be the absence of pit zips, which reduces your options for venting when you're charging uphill. This issue is somewhat negated, withal, past the in a higher place-average breathability of the Futurelight material. In our stationary bike test, we plant this fabric to be noticeably more breathable than the Gore-Tex Pro fabric found on many other hardshells.
When tightened, the wrist gage has a lot of excessive fabric that extends upward. This excess tin easily catch on other objects and cause the gage to open up unexpectedly.
Credit: Jack Cramer
Features and Design
The Meridian L5 LT boasts a pair of internal pockets that are great for stashing a pair of gloves or skins. It besides sports a unmarried external chest pocket with a reliable taped zipper. Beyond that, the features are fairly express. This jacket lacks underarm vents, and the hood and waist hem both employ merely a single drawcord for adjustment. The waist drawcord is specially disappointing because it becomes excessively long when it'south cinched downwards. Not just does this compromise your style, but it'due south long plenty that information technology's probable to snag on tree branches or harness carabiners.
The waist drawcord on The North Confront Superlative L5 LT, seen here snagged on a carabiner, is ridiculously long. Our testers found information technology embarrassing around town and annoying when climbing.
Credit: Jack Cramer
Value
This jacket comes with the ultralight design and propriety fabric y'all find on many affordable hardshells, merely not a similarly low cost tag. At full MSRP, it costs effectually average for a hardshell, which is a couple of hundred dollars more than than the about affordable models out there. After factoring in its middle-of-the-road performance, we don't think information technology presents an exceptional value.
An ultralight hardshell is great for activities that are often dry out but you even so need weather protection for emergencies. They're also slap-up for cutting the wind on a brisk big-wall forenoon.
Credit: Jack Cramer
Conclusion
In the competitive landscape of today'due south hardshell market, it doesn't take much for a jacket to autumn behind the competition. In the case of the Meridian L5 LT, The North Face deserves praise for their new Futurelight fabric, just the comfort and breathability advantages of this material practise non outweigh this jacket's other design flaws. Our testers' chief complaints are the ineffective hood and wrist cuffs that don't provide reliable weather protection. The Summit L5 LT is still a great jacket, only in that location are a few other jackets that we like more.
— Jack Cramer
sartainnothavehou.blogspot.com
Source: https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/reviews/clothing-mens/hardshell-jacket/the-north-face-summit-l5-lt-futurelight
0 Response to "The North Face Summit L5 Ultralight Storm Jacket Review"
Enregistrer un commentaire