Customer Reviews The North Face McMurdo Parka III - Tall

First things first: this is definitely a very nice coat. It's lightweight but you can tell it's still warm, and it's well put together with good materials. I am a student on a windy college campus with harsh winters and I have confidence this coat would have done a fine job. Now for the bad: I tried on the short version of this coat in the store and it fit like a glove, so I ordered the long (i.e. regular) version online. When it came and I put it on it felt like it was at least a size bigger. I am 6 feet tall, 180lbs and it is very rare that I find a medium that is too big for me. The other thing that bothered me is the short version I tried on in store had cuffs on the sleeves but the long version did not. Unfortunately I will be returning this coat without ever wearing it.

Great parka - warm - perfect for walk to work in cold weather.

Bought this coat because I am moving to the Midwest this summer from the mid-Atlantic. I spoke to a sales associate at the store that said that this was the most popular coat at the Chicago store. Was able to test it over the weekend and seems like it will be a super warm coat. Its a little bulky but I am not sure how you can avoid that with a parka. The pockets are a little odd style was but a super functional (warmth and good amount of storage). Overall would recommend this coat to other folks looking for a warm jacket.

This coat is very very warm, in fact I found myself already sweating when wearing just a long sleeve shirt underneath in winter! it's that insulated! good amount of pockets and I liked the color! the hood is detachable but I usually keep mines on the length is pretty good, its three quarter lengths. but be warned, this thing is huge.. you should size down one size than usual. I'm normally an M, but this thing felt like a bomb blast suit. I suggest you go in store, just to make sure.

It's a great product, but the size is quite bulky for a small person like me. It's warm, comfortable but it just slightly loose in the waist so I can feel the air run through my torso when it's windy if I don't wear thick layer inside.

Snowboarding

I needed to update to a down parka in order to battle the harsh Chicago winters. Waiting at a bus stop or strolling down the Mag Mile is a pain during the winter and even worse when you do not have a warm, cozy jacket that can battle the ice cold wind. Thus, began my journey to find the best down parka that would not break my wallet. After looking through various competitors' down parka, none of them had the sleek,clean, and simplistic look of the McMurdo Parka 2. When the time was right, I ordered a medium parka online. Not having tried on the parka before the package came to my house, I used the store's size guide to figure out my correct size. I am 5'9 and 180lbs and a medium fits almost perfect. The sleeves are a bit long. The sleeves reach the middle of my palm when i put my hands down to my side. When the two way zipper is zipped all the way up, the collar of the coat reaches the top of my upper lip. Then when i put on the hood, my entire head is engulfed in soft materials that create amazing warmth. The faux fur makes a wide n shape from cheek to cheek. At the bottom of the jacket, the bottom falls right on my mid thigh. There coords in the hood and the bottom of the jacket for adjusting tightness. The gaiter if very soft and warm and is easy to put on. It basically is a short circle scarf. The outer jacket has a soft napkin feel too it. Very water and wind proof. There are 6 outer pockets. 4 pockets on the bottom that have soft velvety materials inside. When the jacket is zipped up, I can comfortably place my hands into the side pockets at the bottom. These 4 pockets are very big and can fit like 2 water bottles and then some. The two hand warmer pockets near the chest are also very big. All pockets are comfortable to place ur hands in. No trouble from the zippers. There is no more arm pocket. There is one inside pocket that is just big enough to fit a wallet and/or a smasung Note sized phone. The inside of the jacket is silky. Overall. Great jacket

I bought this as a replacement for my trusty, worn out 15 year old McMurdo parka. Most of the changes in the design are for the better. The jacket is less bulky, but not less warm. The hood is less voluminous and offers warmth without covering my eyes. I haven't tried out the neck gaiter yet- the jury is still out on that. Losing most of the pockets was a positive thing. The zipped inside pocket is a little bit smaller than it used to be. I miss the other interior map pocket that used to be on the inside left side. The only thing that I am concerned about are the zippers- they are smallish and don't seem to be very robust. I guess that time will tell. Overall, a nice reboot. And a steal, compared to the over-hyped competitors.

I remember North Face when they were just beginning. They had a serious product for the serious outdoorsman in winter then, and they still have it today. They still haven't sacrificed functionality for style. Kudos, North Face. There a reason why I turn to them when I want to stay comfortable as the weather drops to the single digits and below.

I needed a serious winter coat to replace my old one. This seems to do the trick. Good stuff: 1. It's warm. Goose down is great. 2. The hood with the mini-face mask attachment is awesome. The faux fur is detachable too. 3. Lots of pockets. Four exterior pockets with zippered side entry. Two more pockets sewn onto the bottom zipper pockets have velcro closures and top entry. Also one interior breast pocket -great for keeping your phone or device but the zipper is hard to work. 4. Black color throughout. I'm so glad TNF gives me that option. I almost went with another brand but the only colors were bright blue or orange with grey. Blech. Won't work well in my profession. 5. Length goes down a little below the belt, which I like. Downsides: 1. Sizing. The small would have been ideal for me except it pinched my shoulders bad. My medium is okay, but a little too loose in some areas. We'll see how it does in Minnesota winter. 2. That inside pocket zipper... I don't understand why it is so hard to pull up or down. 3. Could use one more large bulky pocket inside, like for goggles or other item.

Cold weather coat that is light weight, comfortable and warm

I plan to use it on a daily basis when the weather turns cold enough. Everything from walking the dog to being out and about in the mountains.

Would definitely buy again ! Love the jacket

Gift for my boyfriend. He works out in the cold often.

I needed a new coat for the winter, particularly needed to be waterproof and warm for the snow (NYC area). After browsing online and checking out all different brands of coats, this seemed the best for me. I'm male, 5'4" 135lbs for reference. I bought the Medium, but now I wonder if I should change it to a Small. I've tried out other Small-sized Northface coats though, and they seemed uncomfortably tight. If you're a slim person, I would get the Small. The extra room I have is fine since I can layer up underneath. The sleeve length is a bit short, but I expected so, as my dress shirts ideal length would be 31-31.5" , whereas they only make them up to 32" without specific tailoring. The overall coat length is longer than I'm used to, and it covers my pant pockets, but I like that since it protects my pockets from getting wet in the rain. The hood I actually like. The fur is removable (thank goodness), but so is the hood! The hood's tightening mechanism also makes it fit snugly on your head, unlike some hoods that are way too big and end up just catching wind. The location of the tightening thing is a bit weird though; it's on the back of your hood. The coat also has a pair of mid-level pockets to put your hands, but also some front-pouches I guess for larger things, and another pair of lower-side pockets presumably for your hands again depending on which position you prefer. My biggest criticism of the coat is that the lower-side pockets are too low and too much on the side, AND they have zippers on them so they feel uncomfortable when you slide your hands in. Would not use those pockets ever, but if that's the biggest criticism of the coat, I think that's fine.

I haven't been able to fully use this jacket because it's hasn't gotten that cold right now in New Jersey. However I do know that in the next 2-3 months this will become my everyday jacket. The only problem is that the wrists come with a Velcro patch that allows you to fasten the jacket, unfortunately it doesn't wrap around your wrists to accommodate to individuals with larger or smaller wrists. As a result I'll have to take it to get customized at a tailor sometime soon. Other then that the jacket itself is amazing. I purchased the black Mcmurdo and honestly it's nothing like the photo. It's a nice deep black color, no gray whatsoever.

Generally it is good but it definitely requires flexible wrist bends inside to prevent cold wind. There are cuff adjustments outside, but they are not enough and not good details. Honestly they look cheap. One small detail drastically degrades the quality of the whole jacket. I hope you modify these details next year.

Very happy with this coat, warm, waterproof, and windproof. A two way zipper would be a very good improvement as it gets pretty tight when sitting down.

The McMurdo is a very nice jacket. I ended up snagging it in the Grey tweed color after I bought and then returned the Gotham in the same color (was not a fan of the fit/number of pockets on the Gotham). I am far happier with the McMurdo. The number is pockets is excellent, although the two upper chest pockets are essentially useless as handwarmer pockets, as they are very small and have zippers on them that dig into your wrist when your hands are in the pockets. The two bottom pockets are far more practical for use as handwarmer pockets, and they are partially lined (on only the front portion of the pocket-not fully lined, for reasons unbeknownst to me) with soft fleece. The only problem with this is that they are fairly low on the coat, and so if you have short arms using them could be problematic. The sizing on this coat is pretty much spot on. Contrary to what TNF's sizing chart recommended (Medium), I went with my usual size Large after reading others' reviews regarding the sizing (I am 5'9, around 185 lbs with broad shoulders) and the fit is excellent: not too loose, but also not too tight so I still have room for layering on ultra cold days. The coat is fairly long, but that is to be expected when buying a parka like this so the length is just fine. The lack of a two-way zipper had me worried when initially buying the coat, but it hasn't really been a problem; had I purchased the Medium as the site recommended, it might have been too tight around the hips and then I could see the zipper being a problem when kneeling down, getting in the car, etc. Bottom line-go with your usual size on this one, don't listen to people who say it runs gigantic-it doesn't. The jacket is very warm-I have worn it as far down to 2?F so far (-10F with windchill) with a T-shirt underneath, and it kept me warm. It is not quite as "puffy" as it used to be (I have an older 2002 McMurdo model that definitely has at least a little more down in it) but the warmth feels similar (the older one is probably marginally warmer). But the new version feels less gigantic on your body, and is definitely easier to move around in, so I'm fine with that tradeoff. As far as I can tell so far, the jacket is VERY wind resistant, and as close to windproof as pretty much any jacket I've owned. The waterproof factor is also excellent-water beads right off. The hood keeps your head warm, and although it is detachable (for some reason), it does a good job keeping wind out compared with detachable hoods I've seen on other jackets. Overall, this jacket is a very good deal. I managed to get it for $230 on one of TNF's authorized online dealer sites, but even for the original price of $330 it's still a lot of jacket for the money

I've had this jacket for about 2 months and this jacket is really warm, comfortable and a good looking jacket. The shortcomings I find are the lack of a two way zipper. Because it is a little longer jacket (competitor's jacket) on me , it is inconvenient when reaching for my billfold or entering the car or starting the zipper when zipping up. It would be nice if it had more inside pockets than the one pocket. Otherwise it is a very nice jacket.

Warm and good quality build. And the "not enough insulation in the arm area" issue already been addressed by NF in 2014 ver. Today Toronto temp was -20c, and I have to stay outdoor for almost an hour, this jacket and a 100 lvl fleece as a mid layer able to keep my body warm. And my only complaint is why no 2 way zipper? MCMURDO PARKA is a long jacket, and I just don't understand why the designer took away the 2 way zipper??? Or North Face want to cut cost??? It is so inconvenience when you need to get in/ out from car; take something from your pant's pocket OR as simple as bent down to pick up something on the floor.....

The McMurdo is a very warm parka. Plenty of good and well placed pockets, sturdy outer fabric and zippers. It's very good for a dog owner in a cold climate. It's big and heavy, but that's to be expected. There are two negatives: The main one is the hood. Why have a detachable hood on a parka? The hood is lacking in possibilities to adjust it. It falls over your eyes, especially if you try to use the fur attachment. I will probably stick a wire (an electric cord) into the chanel of the hood, to make it adjustable. The other drawback is the collar. It's too low, under your chin. Should be up to your nose. The wind is chilling around your neck as a result. Still, the parka is good all-in-all, and the hood is surely big and warm enough.

good quality but seems a little heavy and bulky, the quality is comparable to canada Goose which is top notch

I'm 5'9 215... XL fits perfect..needs a 2 way zipper & lining in the hand warmer pockets

There isn't as much down in the arms as the rest of the parka so my arms get cold, not so great for traveling by snowmobile. The material is loud and noisy when it's in the extreme cold. Other than that- it's an okay parka.