The North Face Summit Superior FutureLight trail running jacket Review
The North Face Summit Superior FutureLight trail running jacket is one of the most impressive coats we’ve ever worn to run in: It keeps you dry, offers excellent breathability, weighs next to nothing and looks damn good. Could this be the best waterproof trail running jacket on the market right now?
The North Face Summit Superior FutureLight trail running jacket
Ideal for: trail running, road running, hiking, bikepacking
The Good
Lightweight
Tiny pack size
Doesn’t look overly technical
Excellent breathability
The Bad
One of the most expensive trail running jackets on the market
Summit Superior FutureLight Jacket
The Summit Superior FutureLight waterproof trail running jacket is a sleek and expertly-designed jacket from one of the most renowned brands in the space, The North Face. Which, despite being a household name these days, have become a largely forgotten player in the UK outdoor gear space for us — predominantly down to their ubiquitous marketing. Are they a high-street fashion brand? Is their kit suitable for mountain use? Naturally, their Instagram and ambassador-driven ad campaigns would tell you it is, yet the slew of ‘Never Stop Exploring’ hoodies you see in the pub on a Friday night tends to argue the opposite — to me at least. And for us at the GBAC, we’ve long wondered whether the brand has become more of a fashion label than a genuine manufacturer or quality mountain kit. Well, sorry for ever doubting you, The North Face. The Summit Superior FutureLight puts a stop to those thoughts in one wear, for it’s such a phenomenally well-designed and considered garment for high-output activities and mountain use.
Weighing in at 230 g, the Summit Superior FutureLight jacket is a lightweight waterproof and breathable jacket for running trails or training hard outdoors. It packs down into its own stuff pocket (which comes with a handy strap for easy carrying while running), comes with a fully adjustable hood complete with a duckbill peak to keep the rain out of your face, and features fully taped seams for maximum waterproofness.
The Summit Superior is manufactured using The North Face’s proprietary FutureLight technology. Promising enhanced breathability and industry-leading waterproofness (despite the brand not releasing any hydrostatic head ratings for the material yet), the membrane is created using, “A nanospun polyurethane fibre structure which allows air to permeate through the garment while maintaining waterproofness, improving temperature regulation and reducing overheating in changing weather conditions.” And while — granted — that fancy marketing speak doesn’t necessarily help us to understand what FutureLight can truly do, we can speak to the impressive breathability of the jacket and the lovely feel of the FutureLight membrane.
One downside to the jacket is the price, however. When bought directly from The North Face, the Summit Superior FutureLight costs a whopping £270. That puts it at the top end for trail running jackets and makes it something that — naturally — only a certain type of end user can afford. And while we wish that this jacket could cost a fraction of the price (as every trail runner deserves a Summit Superior) we ultimately need to appreciate the incredible quality of this product. It’s the most comfortable trail running jacket we’ve ever tested, and considering the weight, breathability and levels of waterproofness the Summit Superior FutureLight delivers, we can see why this tiny raincoat costs more than many winter down jackets, such as the Mountain Equipment Lightline.
Our experience using The North Face Summit Superior FutureLight trail running jacket
We’ve had the Summit Superior FutureLight in the office for quite a while now. Before writing this article, we used it out on numerous runs and hikes, including some longer trail runs through several UK national parks, a handful of rainy 5ks, and 2 reasonably long jaunts in the Swiss Alps. We wore it on windy outings in near-25-degree heat, and we had it on during early morning escapades where the temperature in the wind was hitting a chilly 6 degrees. We’ve put it up against driving wind, pouring rain and beating sun. All this is merely to illustrate that we’ve put this jacket through some rather miserable weather. And it's kept us nothing but dry and comfortable every time (comparably speaking; how comfortable can you really be on a rainy summit in single-digit temperatures? But let’s not blame The North Face for British summer weather).
Every time we used the jacket, we found it comfortable, well-considered and very much fit for purpose. We especially rate the FutureLight membrane which allows for increased breathability versus similar jackets while still keeping the rain out in stormy weather. Soft and malleable, the material feels much more like a fleece-like softshell rather than a crinkly hardshell, and it doesn’t make a sound when you move in it. Additionally, due to the soft inner, the jacket doesn’t stick to your skin anywhere, which is often a gripe of ours when wearing waterproof layers. We’ve been used to donning long-sleeve running or hiking tops in expectation of inevitable British rain, as without them, we’ve found that sleeves especially can become sticky and uncomfortable, even when using highly-rated and pricey Gore-Tex hardshells. Thankfully, that’s not the case at all with the Summit Superior, and we’ve enjoyed getting out in just a t-shirt, safe in the knowledge that we’ll remain comfortable should the heavens open and The North Face Summit Superior go on. To that end, we’re looking forward to testing out more FutureLight kit, as we think The North Face have nailed it so far.
Weighing 230 g, the jacket is very lightweight and packs down to about the size of a large grapefruit. This makes it ideal for just tossing in your backpack when you head outside, and you don’t even notice it in your trail running pack. The inner pocket works as a stuff pouch for easily packing it away, and it even comes with a clever hand strap so you can still carry this thing when running without a pack on. In our experience, however, the hand strap is quite long and didn’t sit very snuggly around our hands. It still adds an additional layer of stability when carrying it on a run, but we’d love to see a smaller strap here.
Durability
When it comes to durability, this jacket is definitely something you’re going to want to be careful with. It weighs about the same as a billiard ball, after all, so it’s bound to be a little temperamental. The lightweight materials could be easily damaged if you trip on the trails or get the jacket caught on some overhanging branches. And we wouldn’t suggest you wear this under a heavy pack (if you’re thru-hiking or doing a multi-day backpacking trip, for example) for fear of wearing down the membrane under the straps. That aside, the tighter fit minimizes flapping (and any chances of snagging onto things) and the YKK storm zipper on the front is solid and easy to use, and never snagged once the whole time we tested this coat.
The North Face Summit Superior trail running jacket FAQs
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The North Face Summit Superior FutureLight is constructed out of The North Face’s proprietary FutureLight membrane. No hydrostatic head ratings for this have been released, but we found it to be very waterproof and on par with — if not better than — equivalent lightweight waterproof jackets.
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The North Face Summit Superior FutureLight is constructed out of The North Face’s proprietary FutureLight membrane. This is a highly breathable, waterproof membrane, that guarantees improved performance in high-output situations and enhanced breathability. We found this to be true: The jacket remains highly breathable even when running hills in warmer weather, and it does a great job at mitigating perspiration build-up inside. In fact, we think The North Face Summit Superior FutureLight is the most breathable lightweight running jacket we’ve ever tested.
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The North Face Summit Superior FutureLight performs as well in the wind as it does in wet conditions. It cuts out any and all gusts and, due to the tight fit of the garment, it doesn’t flap about. Additionally, as the hood can be cinched down tight, you can also cut out all wind getting into your ears.
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The North Face Summit Superior FutureLight costs a whopping £270 when bought directly from The North Face. That makes it one of the most expensive trail running jackets out there. When you compare its price versus performance, however, you get a market-leading product for your money.
Conclusion
Overall, we think The North Face Summit Superior FutureLight is a fantastic little trail running jacket. It looks beautiful, works wonderfully, and delivers everything you want out of a lightweight waterproof coat. It can be used on all of your trail running or hiking adventures (as long as you’re not carrying a super heavy pack), whilst looking good enough to wear on your rainy morning commutes. We love it and are glad to have been given the chance to test it as comprehensively as we did. We’re also looking forward to continuing to use it on all of our wet and windy runs around the UK, as we think it’s one of the best jackets out there right now.
