The North Face has developed an innovative new jacket designed to keep us more comfortable in the outdoors, and to celebrate the company has teamed up with singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers to help launch the new product. The jacket, and Rogers’ new single will release later this week, but we get a sneak preview of both today.
The jacket is called the Ventrix, and what makes it so special is a unique design that reacts to current conditions to help keep the wearer as comfortable as possible. To achieve this, TNF designers incorporated perforations in key areas of the jacket that can expand to allow heat to vent out or contract to trap warmth inside. That means when a trail runner is moving uphill and starts to get warm, the perforations will open to allow the venting process to take place. After the runner has crested the top of the hill and begins to descend down the other side, the vents close up again, keeping the athlete warmer.
You can see this process in action in the YouTube video above. It features North Face athletes Jimmy Chin, Alex Honnold, and Emily Harrington using the Ventrix on climbing and mountaineering expeditions. You can clearly see the jacket venting out excess heat, which turns to steam in the cold air.
The video also features Rogers and her new single Split Stones. The North Face says that the track, which is scheduled to be officially released on all major streaming services on Wednesday, was inspired by the outdoors. A special digital experience, meant to inspire movement, will go live on thenorthface.com tomorrow, allowing fans to unlock the track a day early using their mobile devices.
As for the Ventrix itself, it will go on sale on the TNF website tomorrow. The new jacket will be available for both men and women, and will be priced at $220 with a hood or $199 without. The jacket offers a light level of insulation and is made from a stretch fabric designed to provide a greater range of mobility. That fabric has been treated with a durable water repellent finish to help provide protection from rain as well.
