Pros, Cons, Buyer Considerations For The North Face Papsura Jacket
Summit Series FUTURELIGHT Rain Fabric is Ultralight, 3L, & Hyper Breathable
The new-for-2025 The North Face Papsura Jacket is a true 3-layer ultralight minimalist rain shell, weighing in at just eight ounces for a men’s medium. Those attributes alone place it into an elite class of performance rainwear vying for the best-in-class-for-hiking title; a complete surprise considering how far TNF has repeatedly drifted towards gorpcore and away from technical outerwear. This review covers pros, cons, buyer considerations, and marketplace comps.
Full name: The North Face Summit Series FUTURELIGHT Papsura Jacket
- Weight: 7.9 oz
- Price: $350
- Fabric: 3L FUTURELIGHT, 15d, 100% recycled
- Consider Also: Patagonia Storm Racer, OR Helium Rain, Zpacks Vertice, Outdoor Vitals Tushar, Montbell Peak Shell.
- Fit: True to size, standard fit. Size up if in between.
- Pros: Ultralight. 3-layer. Sustainable. Toothed zipper. Highly breathable.
- Cons: No pit zips. Hand pockets instead of chest pocket. Waterproof breathability stats are withheld. No hang loop.
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About Summit Series Futurelight waterproof breathable fabric
Back in 2019, The North Face released FUTURELIGHT, a nano-spun waterproof/breathable membrane technology, boasting an exceptionally high MVTR (moisture vapor transmission rate) of 75,000. That’s 2-3x higher than Gore-Tex and eVent, and in line with the best of the best when it comes to breathability. While TNF is no longer providing MVTR breathability stats (nor hydrostatic head stats), we presume this 2025 iteration on The North Face Papsura Jacket to be in line with years past for both waterproofness and breathability. Our early wear testing backs this up.
That being said, we want to air on the side of caution so we aren’t going to make unprovably hyperbolic claims that it’s the most breathable/most waterproof unless TNF puts out the numbers to prove it. Until we have a full season of wear testing under our belt, we can only infer that it’s great, but are unwilling to say that it’s the best at anything.
Summit Series is The North Face’s name for the most technically advanced styles in their lineup. At time of publication, REI stocks a number of FUTURELIGHT-based jackets, including the much much beefier Torre Egger Jacket.
Expanded Pros: The Good Stuff
Ultralight: Sub 8-oz three layer rain jackets are few and far between, with most options in that weight class being 2.5 layer. While some exemplary options exist like the Zpacks Vertice and Patagonia Storm Racer compete with it directly, many popular ultralight options like Outdoor Research Helium Rain and Outdoor Vitals Tushar are 2.5L. The lightest 3L rain jackets come in at 6-7 ounces, with the lightest 2.5L options in the 4-6 oz range. All that to say, The North Face Papsura Jacket hits the sweet spot in terms of ultralight weight.
3-Layer Fabric: Three layer waterproof fabrics are far superior to 2L or 2.5L alternatives because they’re comfier to wear, less clammy, more breathable, and more durable, albeit a smidge heavier and definitely more expensive. A three layer WP/B fabric consists of an outer layer (most often nylon), a waterproof breathable membrane (a la FUTURELIGHT or GORE-TEX), and a thin textural mesh inner fabric (ex. tricot or c-knit).
This contrasts a 2.5L textile, which has a protective coating over the inside face of the membrane, or a 2L textile, which exposes the membrane directly. Three layer WP/B fabrics feel much less like wearing wet plastic once sweaty, and do a better a job of protecting and prolonging the lifespan of the membrane against abrasions and skin oils. This in turn prolongs and improves breathability. All of the best-in-class rain jackets are 3L, and 3L is nearly always superior to 2L or 2.5L.
Highly Breathable: The North Face Papsura is highly breathable as rainwear goes, but of course, is far far less breathable than any base layer, grid fleece, or windbreaker. In 2019, The North Face claimed FUTURELIGHT scored a 75,000 on MVTR (moisture vapor transmission rate) testing to indicate best-in-class breathability. While they have not released MVTR stats for the Papsura in 2025, we’re going to assume it’s still in the same ballpark, but won’t make any quantifiable assumptions. Subjectively, it has felt pretty good wearing it while generating heat. But like all rain jackets, it’s not a miracle worker and you still get hot and sweaty.
Sustainable: The North Face Papsura Jacket is made with an exterior face fabric of 100% recycled nylon with a non-PFC DWR. Very eco-friendly!
Toothed Zipper: We’ve always found toothed zippers to be more reliable, and preferable to coil zippers, which are more easily damaged and prone to failing. We’re glad that Papsura has a toothed zipper, and you will be too. As a minor downside, the zipper pull is a bit small.
Expanded Cons: The Not So Good Stuff
No Pit Zips: No rain jacket without pit zips can get a perfect review score from us, because they’re the single most important physical feature for user comfort apart from the fabric itself. No rain jacket is breathable enough to eschew pit zips, and it’s absurd that a manufacturer would work so hard to develop the most technologically advanced hyper breathable fabrics, while forgoing the most obvious common sense approach to mechanically venting heat. Every rain jacket should have pit zips, there’s no justifiable excuse, and The North Face Papsura is no exception. The very best ultralight rain jackets are both hyper breathable, and have pit zips – see Zpacks Vertice for example.
No Chest Pocket, Hand Pockets Instead: For a technical rain jacket designed for hiking and climbing, the chest pocket is a more valuable feature than hand pockets, which spend most of their time out of use and blocked off by hip belts. The Patagonia Storm Racer is a good example of this.
We’re curious as to why TNF chose hand pockets over a chest pocket. To be clear, it’s not that they’re entirely unwelcome; hand pockets make the jacket more useful for wearing around camp without a pack. But given our druthers on a technical minimalist ultralight shell, we would have preferred a single chest pocket.
Compared to two hand pockets, a single chest pocket is more accessible, ergo more useful, while also saving weight and reducing manufacturing cost. Notably, it does stuff into its own pocket, and there is a mesh-sub-pocket within the lefthand pocket that secures a phone and prevents it from bouncing around.
Waterproof Breathability Stats Not provided: Most international and Ultralight Cottage Industry brands provide waterproof breathability stats (MVTR and hydrostatic head) in the product descriptions of their rainwear, shout out to Zpacks, Outdoor Vitals, and Montbell for this, for example. While we acknowledge that stats alone are not an end-all-be-all, providing them allows customers to quantifiably compare products and make more informed purchasing decisions.
But for whatever reason, most American brands including TNF, Patagonia, Outdoor Research, Marmot, and Mountain Hardwear do not. This holds true for The North Face Papsura, so the best we can do is infer breathability based on an interview between TNF and Gear Junkie in 2019, in which they claimed FUTURELIGHT’s MVTR score was 75,000.
While we cannot confirm that Papsura scores 75k, it is built on the same nanospun membrane tech, which we presume has only gotten better with 6 years of refinement. So the odds are good that it’s statistically highly breathable. Nonetheless, shame on you, The North Face, for withholding that information from your customers.
No Hang Loop: Admittedly, this is a really minor con, but it’s annoying to not have a hang loop. That means you have to have a coat hanger, or hang it up by its hood, which can damage the interior of the garment over the long term of repeated hangings on abrasive hooks.
When & When Not To Choose The North Face Papsura Jacket
When To Choose The North Face Papsura Jacket
- When high breathability is desired for active use cases to reduce clamminess, such as hiking and mountaineering in the rain or snow
- When low weight and high packability matter, such as for ultralight backpacking
- When you want the best of the best, most advanced high tech gear
- If you want the best north face rain jacket for hiking and trail running in the FUTURELIGHT summit series lineup
When To Avoid The North Face Papsura Jacket
- For static use when breathability and low weight aren’t meaningful beneficial; such as standing around at camp
- In high abrasion scenarios such as bushwhacking or rock climbing; in which case choose a thicker more durable jacket. For something in that vein, consider the Torre Egger Summit Series FUTURELIGHT jacket.
- When shopping on a budget, in which case many less expensive-but-nearly-as-good options exist. The Outdoor Vitals Tushar is only $230, for example.
TNF Papsura Jacket’s Ultralight Marketplace Comps
Patagonia Storm Racer vs TNF Papsura
Patagonia Storm Racer is the most obvious direct comparison to The North Face Papsura, because both are 3-layer ultralight rain shells without pit zips in the 7-8 ounce range with 100% recycled fabric from a mainstream outdoor brand. Between them, the major difference is that Papsura is more breathable and has hand pockets, while Storm Racer is less expensive, .7 oz lighter weight, and has a chest pocket. The North Face Papsura is a slight winner here.
Zpacks Vertice vs TNF Papsura
Ultralight darling Zpacks makes a pretty incredible 3-layer ultralight rain shell called the Vertice, which is lighter weight, less expensive, its fabric is approximately as breathable (56k MVTR), and it has pit zips. Conversely, the North Face Papsura is more durable, potentially slightly more breathable, and has hand pockets. Papsura is much more sustainable than Zpacks Vertice, as it’s made with 100% recycled fabrics while Vertice is made with 0% recycled fabrics and contains a highly effective yet environmentally unfriendly C6 DWR with PFAS chemical treatment (yes – with those chemicals). The Zpacks Vertice is the better performer, but we won’t fault anyone for ruling it out based on sustainability ethics.
Montbell Peak Shell vs TNF Papsura
Montbell, based out of Japan, has been a dominant force in the ultralight rainwear niche for decades, and their 3L, seven ounce, Gore-Tex Peak Shell Jacket is pretty sleek. Compared to Papsura, the Peak Shell is priced similarly and weighs similarly, but is more reliably waterproof (because Gore-Tex), and has adjustable cuffs and pit zips. The North Face Papsura has a significantly more breathable and sustainable (100% recycled) base fabric and includes hand pockets, but lacks pit zips and a chest pocket. This one is too close to call. Neither is sufficiently better than the other to make a recommendation other than by which features/benefits you prioritize.
Outdoor Research Helium Rain vs TNF Papsura
Another easy comparison to make in the ultralight rain wear niche from mainstream brands is Outdoor Research Helium Rain vs The North Face Papsura. Between them, the Outdoor Research Helium is about half the price and has a more durable exterior fabric (Pertex Shield Diamondfuse), but at the cost of being 2.5L and far less breathable and less waterproof. Unless you’re shopping on a budget, the North Face Papsura is the clear performance winner between the two.
Outdoor Vitals Tushar vs TNF Papsura
Outdoor Vitals Tushar is similar to the Outdoor Research Helium Rain, only it has pit zips and better waterproofness, which is majorly beneficial. Compared to the Papsura, Tushar’s fabric is far less breathable, less sustainable, similarly waterproof, and it’s significantly less expensive. The North Face Papsura is a better performance pick, but we love pit zips and saving money with Tushar.
The North Face Papsura Jacket Review Conclusion
We’re thrilled about the North Face Papsura Jacket, which immediately jumps into contention for one of the best ultralight rain jackets currently available thanks to its highly breathable, 3-Layer FUTURELIGHT fabric. While the lack of pit zips preclude it from winning a gold medal, the overall quality and sub-8-ounce stat line make it an incredible option for any active use case where low weight and high breathability are prioritized. Thanks for reading and happy trails!
