Columbia vs The North Face: Everything You Need To Know

When it comes to choosing an outerwear and sports apparel brand, it’s important to take a few factors into consideration, including technology, durability, function, and style. And while there are many outerwear brands to choose from, Columbia and The North Face are two of the most well-known and well-respected brands in the industry, and for good reason.

Both Columbia and The North Face have proven to be top contenders when it comes to outerwear and sports apparel, thanks to the brands’ dedication to creating new technologies to keep consumers warm, dry, and protected from the elements. While you really can’t go wrong with either Columbia or The North Face when it comes to picking out the right outerwear for you, there are a few key differences between the brands and their products, including price range, technology, style, and more, which we’ll dive into below. 

What Is Columbia?

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Columbia is a sportswear and outerwear company that was founded in 1938 and continues to be one of the leading brands for outdoor apparel today. While the brand has an entire line of clothing and accessories, including shirts, fishing gear, bottoms, a Big & Tall section, and more, they’re best known for their jackets.

Whether you’re looking for a piece of outerwear that can keep you warm, dry, protect you from the wind, or all of the above, Columbia is a trusted brand that will undoubtedly have something for any and all of your outerwear needs. In addition to their outdoor apparel, Columbia also offers a wide variety of footwear, including hiking boots, boat shoes, sneakers, sandals, trail running shoes, and more. 

Bonus: Their online store has the option of shopping by activity, so if you’re new to outdoor gear and need a little help finding the right jacket, shoe, or other garments for a particular activity, be it hiking, fishing, hunting, golf, or even just staying warm while you walk to the mailbox in the freezing cold winter, Columbia’s user-friendly site will be a big help to you. 

What Is The North Face?

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The North Face is another well-respected outerwear brand that specializes in outdoor apparel. The brand was founded by two hiking enthusiasts in 1996, and like Columbia, The North Face has a vast amount of clothing items available in their collections.

You can find everything from base layers, t-shirts, and even polo shirts to fleece pullovers, active bottoms, and footwear. And like Columbia, The North Face is also known for its stunning outerwear, including down jackets, vests, windbreakers, softshell jackets, rainwear, and more. The North Face website also offers a “shop by activity” option, and all of the site’s different verticals are laid out nicely, making the shopping experience pleasant and easy for both sports apparel newcomers and season vets alike. 

What Are the Key Differences Between Columbia and The North Face?

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While Columbia and The North Face are two of the most trusted sports apparel and outerwear brands around, there are a few subtle differences between the two, and depending on your preferences and needs, those subtle differences will really come into play when choosing the right brand. Style-wise, Columbia offers a more classic style to their jackets and apparel and prides itself on the construction of the garment, while The North Face takes a more modern approach to style and function, along with a focus on the technology of their fabrics.

Some of the technology The North Face incorporates into their apparel include Goose Down Thermal Insulation, FutureLight, which keeps you dry and makes the garment ultra-breathable, and Thermoball, a synthetic alternative to down that insulates even when the garment is wet. That’s not to say that Columbia lacks in the technology department, though, as they’ve actually created multiple technologies over the decades, including TurboDown Wave, Omni-Heat Insulation, Omni-Wick, Outdry, and more to ensure that their clothing keeps customers warm, dry, and protected. 

Columbia also has a wide variety of colors, fabrics, and cuts to choose from, as does The North Face; however, if you gravitate more towards puffer vests and jackets, The North Face may be the brand you want to take a gander at. If you want a more classic, close-fitting style that’s more about function than fashion, Columbia is right up your alley. 

Another difference between Columbia and The North Face is the price; Columbia is the less expensive brand in general, and it’s widely available at retail stores, while The North Face is definitely the pricier option, and although it can be found in stores, your best bet is to look online for all your The North Face needs. While both The North Face and Columbia’s outerwear essentially do the same thing – keep you warm, dry, and protected from the outer elements – whichever brand you opt for really depends on these minor differences between style and price. 

How To Style Columbia Gear

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Of course, styling Columbia gear depends on what kind of jacket or piece of outerwear you go with, but typically, you can wear a Columbia jacket with pretty much anything casual or sporty, ranging from activewear, snow pants, joggers, or even denim when you’re out on the town and need something to keep you warm and stylish while you hop from bar to bar. 

Some of the jackets we recommend to take a look at include the PHG Trophy Rack Omni-Heat 3D Hooded Jacket which will keep you warm and comfortable and is perfect for hunting, the Mechan Pass Interchange Jacket, which is ideal for cold, stormy days, the South Canyon Long Down Parka, which will keep you warm in Arctic-like temps, and the Steens Mountain 2.0 Full Zip Fleece Jacket, which serves as the perfect in-between season jacket that can be worn as a base layer under a shell. 

How To Style The North Face Jackets

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The North Face jackets can be styled as both streetwear and cold weather sportswear. Again, it all depends on the jacket you purchase, but The North Face coats can be worn with athleisure, casual bottoms like denim, sweatpants, or even chinos, and of course, in cold weather climates and for outdoor activities, like skiing, snowboarding, or just walking from your cabin to the ski lodge bar. 

Some of The North Face jackets we recommend include the Tour Triclimate Jacket, which is an outerwear essential and can be worn through multiple seasons, the HMLYN Down Parka, which will keep you warm in the harshest winter temperatures, the Class V Fanorak, a windbreaker that boasts a huge zipper storage pouch on the front and will block the elements on the windiest of days, and the 1996 Retro Nuptse Vest, which will give any spring or fall outfit the perfect element of retro nostalgia with its eye-catching color block design. 

Whichever brand you decide to roll with, just know that you’ll be purchasing quality outwear that will last the test of time.