The North Face Technology Names Explained
Gore-Tex, HyVent, Summit Series and Apex are technology names that appear on The North Face garments. This guide explains what each name refers to, what fill power measures and what is in stock by line.
In this guide
Gore-Tex, HyVent, Summit Series and Apex are technology names that appear on The North Face garments. Each refers to a different position in the range.
This guide explains what each name refers to, what fill power measures and what is in stock by line.
A short history
The North Face opened in San Francisco in 1966, in the North Beach neighbourhood, founded by Douglas and Susie Tompkins with a $5,000 loan. The first store opened on 26 October of that year. The half dome logo refers to the rock formation in Yosemite.
The Nuptse down jacket arrived in 1992, named after a peak in the Himalaya.
Reading the technology name
| Name | What it refers to |
|---|---|
| Gore-Tex | A licensed membrane, used on shells across several decades. It therefore dates a garment only loosely. |
| HyVent | The company's own waterproof and breathable coating, used on shells positioned below the Gore-Tex line. |
| Summit Series | The brand's top technical line. |
| Apex | A soft shell family that includes Apex Bionic. Soft shells are wind resistant and stretchy and are not fully waterproof, which makes them a different type of garment from a hard shell. |
The technology name on the label shows which type of garment it is.
Leverene
Fill power on a down jacket
Down items carry a fill power figure, such as 550, 700 or 800. Fill power measures how much loft a given weight of down produces, and a higher number means more warmth for less weight.
All three figures appear in the current stock.
| Fill power | In stock, August 2026 |
|---|---|
| 550 | Chevron down jacket, hooded down puffer |
| 700 | Nuptse |
| 800 | Summit Series down |
Fill power is a different measure from fill weight. A high fill power in a thin jacket can be less warm than a lower fill power in a thicker one, so the amount of down in the garment matters as well, and loft shows how much there is. More on how down and synthetic insulation age is in Gore-Tex, Down and DWR.
What is in stock
In August 2026 the collection of The North Face counted 67 items. The table shows the lines and models recorded in the product data.
| Line or model | Items |
|---|---|
| Nuptse, of which four recorded as 1996 Retro | 6 |
| Apex, including Apex Bionic soft shells | 4 |
| Summit Series | 3 |
| HyVent shells | 3 |
| Gotham down parka | 1 |
| Denali fleece | 0 |
In August 2026 there were no Denali fleece items in stock.
What to check before buying
- Logo embroidery. The half dome logo is checked for dense, even stitching and clean edges.
- The technology tag and the model name. Both are read together to see which line the garment belongs to.
- Baffles on down. The baffles are checked for even spacing, clean stitching and fill that does not clump into the corners.
- Zips. The zips are checked for smooth running along the full length.
- The DWR surface. The DWR finish on the outer face wears off and can be renewed with a wash-in or spray-on treatment. A jacket that wets out on the surface can therefore still have a working membrane.
Every item is authenticated through LegitApp before it reaches the store. Each item is then professionally cleaned, steamed, measured and photographed individually. For sizing, the measurements are a more reliable guide than the letter on the label, and a jacket that is already owned can be compared with the measurements on the product page.
Where to go next
Background on the brand is in the guide to The North Face. The category overview is in the guide to outdoor clothing, and further outdoor brands are covered in the Patagonia guide and in Canada Goose Models Compared.
The available items are collected under The North Face, with separate pages for men and women. Related collections are outdoor, jackets and vests and coats.
Sources
- The North Face company history: founded in San Francisco in 1966 by Douglas and Susie Tompkins, first store opened 26 October 1966.
- The North Face product documentation: Nuptse, 1996 Retro Nuptse, Summit Series, Apex and fill power ratings.
- leverene product records, August 2026: 67 The North Face items.
