The North Face Tek Approach Review

While hoods are an invaluable jacket feature, they aren't always necessary in friendlier climates or when a garment is used as a mid-layer. The North Face Tek Approach is a great example of a quality hoodless option that's both friendly on your skin and friendly to your wallet.

Weather Protection

While it came as no surprise to our team when we got wet wearing the Tek Approach, since rain was able to enter our underlayers from above, it still offers some decent wind protection and moderate warmth. This wasn't its strongest metric, but The North Face didn't intend for this layer to be the most bombproof jacket out there.

Anybody needing some water repellency should think twice before purchasing a hoodless jacket, since rain and snow can soak you from the uncovered head and neck areas. The Tek Approach's material has a PFAS-free DWR treatment that was only effective at warding off very light precipitation, so you'll need a rain shell if venturing into a downpour. We love the inviting fleece inner, which offers a moderate amount of warmth on chilly summer nights in the mountains and during the shoulder seasons of the spring or fall. We found this midweight jacket kept us a bit warmer than some of the lighter-weight and unlined softshells we tested.

Breathability

The Tek Approach offers excellent ventilation throughout a variety of outdoor adventures. There are a few ways this jacket achieves its breathability. First, and most obvious, the lack of a hood removes excess fabric around the neck and head areas, allowing one to shed heat more easily. Secondarily, the grid-patterned fleece allows body heat and moisture to travel between the fleece squares when you start warming up.

While there are a few more breathable models in the review, this is an excellent option if you intend to wear your softshell jacket for high-output activities in colder weather.

Mobility

The North Face gave the Tek Approach a moderately relaxed fit that didn't restrict most upper body movements. While there were a few nit-picky complaints we had, this model scored well after concluding our testing process and quantifying our results.

We had a decent range of motion with arms overhead and were able to wear the Tek Approach for high-mobility activities like rock climbing. Where we began to feel restricted was when crossing our arms or leaning side to side. The fabric of the Tek Approach is very stretchy, so it's crucial to note that our qualms with some tight fabric are minor. If you're thinking this is the jacket for you and want a looser fit, consider going up a size if you aren't squarely one size or another.

Weight

While some may not put as much emphasis on the weight of their softshell jacket, we always encourage you to take a look at the weight of your prospective gear. We found the Tek Approach to land on the lighter side of the midweight category, scoring quite well when pitted against other softshell models in our tests.

It's fairly light at 11.3 ounces, especially when considering it's built with a fleece inner and feels quite durable. It compresses fairly small, too, so you can stuff it in the corner of your daypack and it won't take up a ton of room. There are certainly lighter jackets out there that pack down smaller, but the Tek finds a nice balance between weight and functionality.

Versatility

We found the Tek Approach to be a capable layer in a variety of settings. While other softshells are more versatile in the mountains, we found the Tek Approach to be at home in a mix of outdoors and urban settings, sporting a nice “mountain casual” style.

Without a hood, this isn't as ideal as a winter jacket, though we enjoyed wearing it as a midlayer. However, we were able to wear the Tek Approach more seamlessly from the hike to the social get-together, and its breathability had us reaching for it even for summer adventures in the mountains. There are more do-anything jackets out there, but the Tek Approach is a great layer for a long list of needs.

Should You Buy The North Face Tek Approach?

If you're looking for a hoodless softshell to work as part of a layering system where your other layers already have hoods, this is a good option. We like the Tek Approach for adventures in all seasons, as a standalone piece or layered over or under other base layers or jackets. It's not super weather-resistant, but it provides some protection from wind, and its gridded fleece inner provides some warmth and allows some heat to escape when you heat up.

What Other Softshell Jackets Should You Consider?