For decades, North Face has been one of the best-known names in outerwear. While fashionistas and style hounds don’t always know this brand, any outdoor enthusiast does. North Face is a huge brand when it comes to skiing, camping, hiking, biking, and being outdoors.
If you’ve ever shopped for any outdoor excursion, you’re probably familiar with North Face. The brand is famous for high-quality, high-performance clothing. But it doesn’t stand alone. There are many brands similar to North Face that also have great outdoor gear. Do you know about them?
That’s right: the stuff you like about North Face is available with other brands. Start expanding your shopping knowledge and start expanding your wardrobe. Soon, you can take on any outdoor adventure and look amazing doing it. It’s time to start fine-tuning your outerwear style.
The Faces Behind North Face
North Face is a brand that is well-known for its outerwear. You put on these clothes to protect yourself from harsh elements, terrible weather conditions, and the rough and rugged outdoors. North Face is famous for providing cold weather clothing, the stuff you wear to go skiing or snowboarding or mountaineering.
But when North Face first came into being, it wasn’t a brand. It was a retail store that opened its doors in 1966…from the sunny North Beach in San Fransico, California. Not far from the pretty blue waves of the ocean, North Face was selling stuff for being out in the cold.
That first North Face store was started by two friends and hikers. They sold climbing and backpacking equipment. By 1968, North Face had become a brand that designed and manufactured its own clothing and gear. Those two hiking enthusiasts had a huge hit on their hands.
By the end of the 1980s, North Face was the biggest and only retailer in the U.S. offering skiwear, camping gear, and outerwear. The North Face was the first U.S. company to specialize in rugged outdoor sports, and that’s how the brand very quickly made a name for itself.
North Face filled a market that other brands had overlooked, and it filled the need well. North Face has hardly slowed down since becoming bigger and more famous every year. This is still one of the biggest names in fashion in the U.S. and among outdoor enthusiasts.
Finding Brands Similar to North Face
North Face no longer stands as the biggest and best, and sometimes only location to get outdoor gear and outerwear. There are many brands similar to North Face and many stores that make it easier for you to enjoy the outdoors, no matter what it is you might want to do. Get to know the other brands like North Face, and you’ll always know where to go to get gear and clothing for hiking, biking, boating, camping, climbing, and basically anything that you can possibly do outside.
Canada Goose (More Expensive)
Like North Face, Canada Goose offers a huge range of clothing for every kind of weather condition. There are parkas, vests, raincoats, snow pants, and everything you might need to wear to take on the harshest or the mildest climate conditions available through this brand. Canada Goose also offers a big selection of footwear and accessories like scarves and mittens.
Like North Face, this is a well-known brand to outdoorsy types and adventurers. Canada Goose is associated with durable outdoor clothing, which is just what North Face buyers like.
Canada Goose creates hard-wearing outerwear in tough styles and classic designs. The clothes come in a mostly neutral color palette featuring a lot of soft blues, grays, and shades of black. The designs are simple and elegant, and there are plenty of popular staples, like hoodies and puffer coats.
Canada Goose makes high-quality clothing, using strong materials and good construction techniques. This brand does not make trendy items or follow fashion fads. Like North Face, Canada Goose focuses on classic silhouettes and simple designs rather than offering fashions of the moment.
Canada Goose also prides itself on sustainable manufacturing practices and responsible business practices. This commitment to excellence and the extra measures Canada Goose takes in the manufacture of their clothing causes the prices here to be a bit higher than the pricing you can find at North Face. On average, similar items at Canada Goose cost a little more than their North Face counterparts.
66North (More Expensive)
Like North Face, 66North specializes in outerwear and gear made for the outdoors. These items are made to take on the worst elements and the worst conditions, the same style philosophy followed by North Face.
You can find a big selection of clothes here, along with guides that will help you pick out the right items for hiking, skiing, trail running, and any outdoor activity you like. You can even get your swimwear here, in case more warm weather outdoor sports are your thing.
The company was founded in 1926 with the goal of making clothing to protect fishers in Iceland, who truly took on some of the toughest conditions to catch their aquatic prey. These clothes are built to last. The brand prides itself on quality design, technical innovations, and good production of clothing and gear.
Their slogan is “made for life,” and they mean it. The clothes and gear from 66North are meant to last for decades, not just for years.
66North also doesn’t keep up with the trends, maintaining some styles for many years rather than constantly updating the product line with the trendiest new designs. Like North Face, 66North focuses on creating high-quality gear and clothing, not on keeping up with the newest fashion fads. The two brands are quite similar in what they offer, though 66North’s catalog of items isn’t quite as extensive as what you’ll find with North Face.
The prices at 66North are also somewhat higher than North Face. This is because 66North puts a lot of extra production value into its clothing in order to make items that have extreme longevity and durability. The brand name 66North refers to the 66th parallel north line of latitude, which runs through Iceland, the country where the company was founded.
Bogner (More Expensive)
Bogner makes outwear and sports clothing of all kinds, including clothes for golfing and less severe outdoor activities. After all, not all outdoor sportswear needs to take on the harshest conditions. Bogner offers stylish, fashionable sports and outdoor clothing that honors the latest trendy looks.
This brand is a little more stylish and trendy than the items you can find at North Face, with a broader range of clothing that’s made for many more activities. However, both brands specialize in activewear and outerwear worn by people who are on the move. Whatever you’re doing outside, Bogner has clothing for it. And that clothing has an interesting history attached to it.
The founder of the brand, Willy Bogner, is a colorful character all by himself. Part adventurer, part Howard Hughes type, Willy Bogner’s story begins in 1932. This is when Willy Bogner, Sr. founded the Willy Bogner Ski company. He sold skis, skiing equipment, and knit clothing to keep people warm while they were using the skiing stuff.
It was a family affair. Willy’s wife Maria came up with the idea in 1948 to use stretchy material to make pants and include stirrups at the bottom to hook the pants around the feet. In the U.S. dictionary, these pants would be called “Bogners.”
In 1955, Maria’s creativity struck again when she came up with the idea to finish clothes with a zipper pull that was a small “B,” rather than a standard zipper pool. The Bogner B is still present on all zippered items, and it has become a signature of the brand.
Meanwhile, Willy Bogner, Jr. was living a life made for a streaming series. He became a professional ski racer but retired in 1969 to focus on another hobby: making movies. He went on to be involved in the making of four James Bond films and created his own movies as well.
Like his dad, Willy Bogner, Jr. also got into the world of fashion. He designed a collection of skiwear called Formula W. The designs were made with nylon, still a relatively new fabric when Willy designed the line in 1971. In just a few years, he became the head of the entire Bogner brand. You could say his designs were sort of a hit.
Willy Bogner produced “Fire and Ice,” a feature-length film, in 1986 and then released Fire + Ice, a new product line from Bogner inspired by the movie. He has continued to run the brand by using the latest innovations in design and materials to create the newest, most fashionable sporting looks. Bogner has made a name for itself as a high-end brand for outerwear and outdoor wear of all kinds.
Bogner has set itself apart from other brands similar to North Face as a luxury outerwear brand, and it has been seen on the bodies of some of the most well-known celebrities and recording artists in the world. Bogner has a more luxurious and trendy look than North Face, but the two companies both specialize in creating high-quality outerwear and activewear for all kids. Like North Face, Bogner has a huge catalog of items available.
Because Bogner is a luxury brand, prices here are more expensive than the items you can buy at North Face. You pay a little extra for the exclusivity, branding, and high-end design and construction associated with the Bogner name.
Houdini (More Expensive)
The Houdini brand offers a magical shopping experience for those who like North Face…and it’s impossible not to make a pun about this brand name. Shopping for products with Houdini is all fun and games, too. There’s a huge selection of items here that includes hoodies and jackets, shirts, pants, shorts, base layers, dresses, and accessories galore.
Basically, Houdini has everything you need for the outdoors, a fear the brand has in common with North Face.
Like North Face, Houdini has a huge product line that includes all the items you might want to wear when you’re going on an outdoor adventure, from the underwear to the very outer layer you put on your body. Houdini was founded by a woman who was working as a climbing and skiing instructor, traveling all around the world to show others the ropes, quite literally speaking.
During one climb, she and her crew found themselves stranded on the mountain, exposed to the elements. Their very lives were at risk. It was a terrifying situation. In a moment of desperation, one of the climbers cried out, “save me, Houdini.” The group did make it safely off the mountain, and Lotta Giornofelice had an idea for a new clothing brand. In that moment of fear, the Houdini brand was born.
She knew what people needed to wear for climbing and mountaineering because of her experience. By this time, she had already started making underwear in fleece and created some pairs for friends and family who were also outdoor enthusiasts. They loved the undies, and pretty quickly, Lotta’s name became known in the skiing community. She built this reputation into a trusted brand that is now purchased by international shoppers and outdoor lovers around the world.
Now, Houdini is known for its comfortable, high-performance outdoor clothing. Like North Face, this clothing is made with quality materials designed to insulate you without overheating you. Houdini focuses on quality over trends and classic style over fads, much like North Face.
The prices at Houdini are a little lower than what you get with North Face. Shoppers who like North Face for its selection and performance will find that they enjoy fashion from Houdini, too.
Icebreaker (Similar Pricing)
Outerwear is often made in more neutral tones and Earth tones. There’s a lot of gray and black, tan and olive green, and shades of gentle blue. Icebreaker has all that stuff, too, but then they have vibrant, eye-catching colors that demand attention. If you’ve dreamed of having a bright orange set of thermal underwear or a bold yellow performance T-shirt made out of wool, this is where you should be shopping.
Icebreaker doe not have the same huge selection that you can find at North Face, but like North Face, this brand focuses on simple, high-performance clothing. Merino wool is used in many items to provide lightweight insulating power and moisture-wicking warmth. Quality materials like this ensure that Icebreaker clothing performs well and keeps you protected from harsh outdoor conditions.
Those who like the simple, classic styling and pricing at North Face will like Icebreaker’s line of products as well. The bright colors at Icebreaker set this brand apart and inject a bit of fashionable fun into clothing made for the outdoors. Icebreaker has similar pricing to North Face, so you’ll pay the same amount for similar items across both brands.
Jack Wolfskin (Similar Pricing)
U.S. shoppers might not recognize the Jack Wolfskin name right away, but this is one of the biggest retailers in Europe. Jack Wolfskin is as successful at selling outdoor gear and clothing in Europe as North Face is in the U.S. The two brands are extremely similar, with Jack Wolfskin offering a huge range of products designed for just about every outdoor activity imaginable.
Jack Wolfskin even makes mosquito-repellent clothing, along with a line of packable outerwear and items with all sorts of other features. Like North Face, John Wolfskin uses the latest in clothing technology to create high-permeance wear. The company also takes a strong stance on social and corporate responsibility. In other words, you get a lot of features with every item from Jack Wolfskin.
The North Face of Europe, Jack Wolfskin, even has similar pricing to North Face, in addition to the similar products. Both brands focus on quality, high-performance outdoor clothing that is fashionable but in a timelessly stylish way. If you like North Face, it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll like what you find at Jack Wolfskin, too.
Mammut (More Expensive)
Specializing in clothing, footwear, and equipment meant to help you take on nature and win, Mammut sells many similar items to the stuff you can find at North Face. This brand even sells skiing and hiking backpacks, something that North Face has been specializing in for many decades. Mammut relies on classic styles and high-performance features to keep customers coming back to the brand, qualities it shares with North Face.
Mammut is recognizable for making clothing that has distinct coloring. Contrasting color accents and little pops of vivid color make the designs here stand apart from other outerwear brands. Mammut also uses a lot of branding for its gear, so the brand name is clearly emblazoned on most items. Label hunters enjoy this extra bit of flair.
The company has reason to be proud of its name. Mammut is a very old company that was founded in Switzerland in 1862 with the goal of dressing sporting enthusiasts of all types. Mission successful. Mammut continues to make high-quality outdoor wear for people engaging in all kinds of different adventures more than a century later.
In today’s more modern times, the company continues to keep up with the changing world. Mammut is working on becoming net zero by 2050 as part of its pledge to responsibility, a feature that appeals to many outdoor sporting fans.
The prices for items at Mammut are more expensive, on average, than the items you will find at North Face.
Moncler (More Expensive)
For those who want to wear designer outerwear, there is Moncler. This French brand specializes in creating high-end and highly fashionable outerwear. Like North Face, Moncler has a huge catalog of products that includes every type of jacket, coat, and piece of outerwear imaginable.
However, Moncler doesn’t stop at performance wear. The catalog of items you can find under the Moncler brand includes stylish, everyday cold weather clothing as well. Moncler has everything from motorcycle jackets to vests to bomber jackets and blazers to cardigans and long parkas to trench coats. In other words, you can find it here if it’s worn outside.
Moncler has fashions for men, women, and children and puts a lot of focus on sustainability initiatives, including responsible sourcing and manufacturing. Moncler was founded in 1952 in France with the idea to produce clothing for wear in the mountains. Today, the brand has expanded far beyond this to include all outdoor clothing.
The prices at Moncler are much more expensive than similar North Face items because Moncler provides high-end luxury outerwear that reflects the latest trends, the highest quality materials, and all that designer fashion flare you get with the Moncler name. If you want your outerwear to be a little more luxurious and give your outfits more of a designer gloss, Moncler is where you should be doing your shopping before your next outdoor adventure.
Patagonia (More Expensive)
Patagonia is a well-known name in outdoor clothing. Like North Face, Patagonia has a huge catalog that contains hundreds and hundreds of items. They have everything in the way of outerwear here and even provide clothing by activity type, such as mountain biking, fly fishing, and climbing. There are even clothes for children and infants under the Patagonia label.
The clothes from this brand are made with high-tech fabrics designed for performance, something Patagonia has in common with North Face. Like North Face, Patagonia focuses on creating clothing that performs well and enhances physical performance even as it protects the body from harsh outdoor conditions.
Patagonia has strong goals for improving the climate, and the company has made many efforts to move closer to this goal through climate-friendly initiatives. The high-quality materials that go into Patagonia clothing, along with the highly recognizable brand name, make the prices here somewhat more expensive, on the whole, than similar items you can find at North Face.
Snow Peak (More Expensive)
Snow Peak makes stylish outerwear in a small range of neutral colors. Like North Face, this brand focuses on integrating technology into outerwear. They also maintain a catalog of stylish outerwear styles made for all different kinds of weather. Snow Peak offers a huge selection of clothing, like North Face, and uses a lot of tech, like North Face, too.
Snow Peak distinguishes itself from other companies by offering a lifetime guarantee. These clothes are truly designed to last for a lifetime, taking you through many different adventures of all types. However, Snow Peak has focused most of its brand on providing outdoor gear and equipment rather than clothing.
Snow Peak has an even larger product range than North Face when it comes to outdoor gear. Those who are looking to outfit their weekend plans with clothing and equipment will find a broad selection at Snow Peak and likely find all the items they need, no matter what they have planned.
The brand was founded in 1958 in Japan and, from there, spread around the world. The goal was to bring climbing equipment to people who needed it. Snow Peak expanded in many different directions from there, providing everything people needed for all sorts of outdoor fun.
Due to the lifetime guarantee, which comes with a lot of extra care in the construction of all Snow Peak clothing, prices here are higher than what you’ll find at North Face. You will spend more for similar items at Snow Peak, but in this case, you’re paying for a piece of clothing designed to last a lifetime.
In many ways, the two brands are very similar. Those who like the simple, stylish clothing and the gear at North Face will find themselves drooling over the selection of stuff at Snow Peak, too.
Stone Island (More Expensive)
Beautiful colors and classic style rule the catalog at Stone Island, a company that focuses on comfortable outerwear and athletic clothing of all kinds. You can find classic T-shirts in beautiful colors, stylish cargo pants, and lots of outerwear options here, just to name a few of your shopping choices.
Stone Island has a big range of items made in materials like fleece and knits, items made to feel good, look good, and perform well. Like North Face, Stone Island also offers accessories to go with their fashions to get you fully outfitted for your next big adventure.
Stone Island is more of a high-end outerwear brand that actually authenticates every piece of clothing it sells, which adds a little extra layer of fanciness to its fashions. Since it was founded in 1982, Stone Island has focused on using the most innovative materials. Integrating tech into their designs is something Stone Island has in common with North Face.
The beautiful colors of Stone Island clothing are an extension of the company’s commitment to exploring clothing science. The brand has devoted a lot to dye tech as well as to performance tech.
The high-tech and high-end appeal of Stone Island apparel make this brand more expensive, on average than similar items you can purchase at North Face. But if you like extra attention to detail and a little extra luxury with your outdoor clothing, Stone Island might be exactly what you need in your closet.
Templa (More Expensive)
Selling jackets, vests, tops, pants, and accessories, Templa offers the latest looks in outerwear for young, stylish people who want to look cool even as they’re protecting themselves from the cold. While North Face strives to provide accessible and fashionable outerwear for all, Templa is a luxury fashion brand with the luxury prices to match. These clothes are made in the latest trendy styles in hot colors and patterns.
Templa clothing does cost more, on average, than North Face. Part of that is the extra time and care that goes into construction, a feature Templa clothes must have in order to justify the luxury branding. Like North Face, Templa clothing is made with performance fabrics like waterproof materials.
While North Face appeals to a wide demographic of people, really anyone who wants to adventure outdoors, Templa focuses more on a young, stylish buying audience. Those who like the selection and performance of North Face items but want clothing that’s trendy and luxurious will love Templa.
Toread (Less Expensive)
Toread focuses on extreme outdoor clothing made for outdoor adventures, climbing, and skiing. Their product lines include running shoes, tents, masks, and outdoor clothing of all types, even full snowboarding suits. Like North Face, Toread puts its energy into creating high-performance outerwear that protects wearers from even the most extreme conditions.
Also like North Face, Toread uses a lot of technology to craft its clothing. Toread has developed several special fabrics made for performance. Toread has materials for waterproofing, insulating, keeping skin dry, and performing all sorts of other functions. That’s what this clothing is made to do: function. Fans of North Face’s commitment to high-performance clothing will find a lot to like about Toread.
Toread clothing is more affordable, on average than similar items from North Face. Toread is not a well-known name like North Face, which means items here are generally less expensive.
Wearing Brands Similar to North Face
If you want high-quality outdoor clothing that will help you take on any weather conditions and enjoy any adventure involving nature, you may already know that North Face can get you there. But there are many brands similar to North Face that share features with this brand, sometimes with a few differences.
Expand your collection of outdoor clothing and experience even more adventures in outdoor style with these different brands that are a lot like North Face but still have their own distinct features and styles. Play around with your fashion and create new looks because, as they say, the right clothing can take you far. Who knows where your style will end up taking you?
FAQs
North Face is a huge name in outdoor style, and this brand uses a lot of technology to create performance clothing. There’s a lot to know about this brand and the clothes it provides, to say nothing of the many brands similar to North Face. We’ve found the most commonly asked questions about North Face and have the answers, so you know the stuff you need to know about wearing this brand and brands like it well.
Where is the north face? What does that mean?
The “north face” of the mountain is the most severe. This is usually the coldest, iciest, and most dangerous part of the mountain. Climbers who take on the north face of any climb are truly going to an extreme.
North Face was designed to help outdoor enthusiasts handle even extreme conditions, so this is where the name came from. Now, even people who know very little about climbing are familiar with the term north face because of the popularity of the brand.
Can North Face outerwear be machine washed?
North Face clothing is meant to be rough and rugged and to take on the harshest of environments. So it wouldn’t really be good outdoor clothing if it couldn’t be machine washed, right? Part of the North Face philosophy is to provide something that is easy to care for, as well as something that performs well.
That’s why North Face items can be cleaned without too much hassle. Every item from North Face will have instructions on how to properly care for the garment on the tag. Look for this tag, and you will know how to machine wash your North Face items and keep them clean for every outdoor activity.
Most of the time, all you’ll need to do is zip up all zippers, fasten all snaps and wash the item in cold water with a mild detergent on a gentle setting. You can usually dry your North Face items on low heat in the dryer.
Why is North Face so expensive?
While North Face items are certainly more affordable than some similar outerwear brands, the prices at North Face can be surprising at times. Many people wonder why there can be a noticeable price difference between North Face items and other outerwear labels. There are several reasons why your North Face jacket or another piece of clothing might cost you more than an equivalent item from a discount brand.
First, North Face is a well-known brand name, and its branding is very recognizable. Sometimes, you will pay a little more for a famous name.
However, North Face has earned this name recognition by providing high-quality, high-performance clothing, with is why their items cost a little more. North Face uses good materials to create their clothing, fibers like down, and waterproof materials. You’re not paying for the name but for the quality associated with the name North Face.
Another factor that determines price is time. North Face invests a lot in testing and designing its items to provide outerwear that truly performs well. This extra time and attention do cause the price of items to go up.
North Face is also known for making clothing that lasts a long time and items that are tough and durable. This level of quality means that North Face can ask for more for their clothing, and people pay the price because they know they’re getting a lot in return.
Do North Face items have a warranty?
Every item from North Face has a Limited Lifetime Warranty, which means that it is fully guaranteed against all manufacturer defects, such as problems with the fabric or construction of the item. Many products have additional warranties and guarantee in addition to this product-wide warranty. Check your warranty when you purchase North Face items to find out what guarantees you are getting.
Sources:
The Cold Wire – Why Is The North Face So Expensive? (Top 10 Reasons)
High Snobiety – Around the World in Techwear: Every Outdoor Brand You Need to Know
History of Branding – History of The North Face
Medium – How ‘The North Face’ Got Its Name
The North Face – Product Care
The North Face – Return & Warranty Policy
WikiHow – How to Wash a North Face Jacket
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