The North Face review
Updated September 30, 2026 · ThriveCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 30, 2026
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Our verdict
The North Face suits campers and hikers who want a single label across its camping, hiking and outdoor clothing range, and it is a US brand founded in 1968. Weigh that narrow outdoor focus against Decathlon's longer list and against entry prices in this category, where the median is €52.61.
Key facts
- Best for
- Campers and hikers who want camping, hiking and outdoor clothing covered by a single long established brand.
- Brand or store
- Brand (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Legal entity
- The North Face, Inc. (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Headquarters
- United States (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Founded
- 1968 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Products
- Camping, Hiking, Outdoor clothing
- Official website
- thenorthface.com
Apps and profiles
- Elsewhere
- Wikidata
Pros and cons
Pros
- The range covers camping, hiking and outdoor clothing under one label, so a full kit can come from the same maker rather than a clothing brand plus a separate gear shop.
- It has traded since 1968, so the name on a warranty claim belongs to an established company rather than a recent seller.
- The counterparty is plain: The North Face, Inc., headquartered in the United States, gives returns and warranty questions a named company to deal with.
- It sells as brand, so the gear and the warranty come from the company that makes them rather than a reseller passing a claim along.
- For trips on foot and at a campsite, camping, hiking and outdoor clothing fits more closely than KastKing's water sports and outdoor clothing, which lead with water sports.
Cons
- The range is tighter than Decathlon's, which lists camping, hiking and outdoor clothing and so adds cycling, winter sports and activewear to the same outdoor core.
- The camping, hiking and outdoor clothing catalogue has no water sports line, unlike KastKing's water sports and outdoor clothing, so paddling kit means another brand.
- Price-led buyers have room to compare: the median entry price in this category is €52.61 and the lowest entry price listed is €3.
Ready to try The North Face?
Who it suits
- Campers and hikers outfitting a full kit who want camping, hiking and outdoor clothing from one brand.
- Buyers who want a named operating company behind the warranty, The North Face, Inc. of US.
- Shoppers who would rather buy from a brand than a reseller for kit that carries a maker's warranty.
Who should look elsewhere
- Paddlers: KastKing's water sports and outdoor clothing lead with water sports and outdoor clothing, the range this brand does not chase.
- Riders and skiers: Decathlon carries cycling and winter sports in camping, hiking and outdoor clothing, beyond camping, hiking and outdoor clothing.
- Gym-first shoppers: Runmefit's activewear and hiking covers activewear and hiking, so it is the shorter route when camping gear is off the list.
The company behind it
The gear is made and sold by The North Face, Inc., a company headquartered in the United States. It has traded since 1968, which gives buyers a named counterparty behind returns and warranty claims rather than an anonymous seller. Claim paperwork names that entity, so a warranty follows the company rather than the shop front.
How The North Face compares
Frequently asked questions
What does The North Face sell?+
Its product range is camping, hiking and outdoor clothing, so tents, packs and outdoor clothing all sit in the same catalogue. That lets a camper and a hiker be dressed by the same label. It is a tighter list than Decathlon's camping, hiking and outdoor clothing.
Is The North Face a brand or a shop?+
It trades as brand, so the company that designs the gear is the one selling it. Warranty claims stay with the maker rather than a reseller passing them on. The legal entity behind the name is The North Face, Inc..
How long has it traded, and where is it based?+
The company has traded since 1968, a long history in outdoor equipment. Its headquarters is in US and it trades as The North Face, Inc.. Claim paperwork names that entity rather than a trading name.
What do entry prices look like in this category?+
Across the camping and hiking gear brands compared here, the median entry price is €52.61. The lower and upper quartiles of entry prices are €27.95 and €122.75. The lowest entry price listed is €3 and the highest is €2,385.95.
Is there a membership or renewal price to plan around?+
Buying here is per item rather than a subscription, and The North Face trades as brand, with 81.1% of the brands in this category also being brands rather than stores. A budget is built from entry prices, with the category median entry price at €52.61.
How long do returns last?+
The median return window across these brands is 30, and the lower and upper quartiles read 30 and 30. The shortest window listed is 14 and the longest is 100, so the specific shop policy matters.
Are returns free, and can worn gear go back?+
Free returns apply at 85.7% of the brands in this category, and do not apply at 14.3%. Worn returns are accepted by 20%. That is the detail to check first for boots or a shell jacket.
Do these brands offer a lifetime warranty?+
A lifetime warranty appears at 34.8% in this category, while 65.2% of the brands do not offer one. Treat any lifetime wording as item specific and read which company it binds. For a maker-led brand purchase, that is the part to check.
Is repair service widely available?+
Repairs are the more common commitment here: 94.4% of the brands in this category run a repair service, against 5.6% without one. That makes repair availability a better filter than warranty length. Confirm whether the brand or the shop handles a claim.
What support can you expect?+
Across the brands compared in this category, a help centre runs at 93.8%, email support at 68.8% and phone support at 53.1%. Live chat is offered at 34.4%. Coverage varies by brand, so the retailer's own policy settles it.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_North_Face checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Founded, Headquarters, Legal entity, Products, Brand or store
“Founded 1968 (58 years ago) (1968) in San Francisco, California, U.S.”
Compiled from 1 source page, checked September 30, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Price from.
Related by the facts
The North Face
Campers and hikers who want camping, hiking and outdoor clothing covered by a single long established brand.