North Face vs Berghaus
1 | Brand Profiles — Two Giants, Two Histories
We stock both The North Face and Berghaus at OD's Designer Clothing in St Helens. We sell both every week. And the most common question customers ask in the shop is a simple one: which is better?
The honest answer is that they're not really competing for the same customer — even though they look like they are. Understanding where each brand comes from goes a long way to explaining which one is right for you.
The North Face — American Outdoor Icon
The North Face was founded in San Francisco in 1966 — the same year as Berghaus, as it happens — by Doug Tompkins, a passionate climber who wanted to serve the serious mountaineering community. The name came from the coldest, most challenging aspect of a mountain: its north-facing wall.
The brand rapidly became the go-to outfitter for extreme expeditions. It equipped teams on Everest and K2. It made the Nuptse down jacket, which remains one of the most recognisable pieces of outerwear in the world. It invented FUTURELIGHT, its proprietary nanospun waterproof membrane. It sponsored athletes who operate at the absolute edge of human endurance.
Today, The North Face is a VF Corporation brand with a global footprint — and that global presence has made it as much a streetwear brand as an outdoor one. The Nuptse puffer is worn in cities from London to Tokyo. The half-zip fleece is a campus wardrobe staple. The brand straddles outdoor performance and lifestyle fashion more confidently than almost any other.
The North Face At A Glance
- Founded: 1966, San Francisco, USA
- Owned by: VF Corporation (global conglomerate)
- Known for: Expedition performance, global streetwear icon, Nuptse puffer
- Flagship technology: FUTURELIGHT nanospun membrane
- Price range: £80–£600+
Berghaus — British Heritage, Pentland Group
Berghaus was founded in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1966 by Peter Lockey and Gordon Davison — two mountaineers who were frustrated with the quality of outdoor equipment available in Britain. They started importing quality gear, then began designing their own. The name is German for "mountain house."
Berghaus has always been rooted in British conditions: persistent rain, changing weather, the specific demands of hill walking in the Lake District, Snowdonia, or the Scottish Highlands. Its innovations — the internal-frame rucksack, the zip-in fleece system, Hydroshell waterproofing — were all practical solutions to real problems encountered in British outdoor environments.
Since 1993, Berghaus has been part of the Pentland Group, a privately-owned British company that also owns Speedo, Ellesse, and Mitre. That private ownership has allowed Berghaus to invest in long-term initiatives like its Repairhaus free lifetime repair service and its B Corp certification — commitments that might not survive the quarterly earnings pressure of a publicly traded conglomerate.
Berghaus At A Glance
- Founded: 1966, Newcastle upon Tyne, England
- Owned by: Pentland Group (private, British)
- Known for: British hill walking, technical hiking, practical waterproofing
- Flagship technology: Hydroshell Elite waterproof membrane
- Price range: £80–£400
2 | Technology Compared — FUTURELIGHT vs Hydroshell
Both brands invest heavily in proprietary waterproof membrane technology, and both claim significant performance advantages. Here is an honest look at what the technology actually delivers.
The North Face FUTURELIGHT
FUTURELIGHT is The North Face's proprietary nanospun waterproof-breathable membrane, launched in 2019 after several years of development. The process creates an ultra-thin membrane by forcing nanofibres through tiny holes at high speed — the result is a membrane that is claimed to be both more waterproof and more breathable than traditional laminate membranes like GORE-TEX.
Independent testing has confirmed FUTURELIGHT's breathability credentials. For high-output activities — ski touring, technical climbing, trail running — the improved moisture management is genuinely noticeable. The membrane is also exceptionally lightweight, which matters for summit packs and performance layering systems.
It is worth noting that FUTURELIGHT appears only in The North Face's performance tiers. Many TNF products use DryVent, the brand's more accessible waterproof technology, which offers solid performance for everyday use but does not match FUTURELIGHT for breathability at high exertion levels.
Berghaus Hydroshell Elite
Hydroshell Elite is Berghaus's proprietary waterproof membrane — a 2.5-layer construction that bonds the waterproof membrane directly to the outer fabric, eliminating the need for a separate inner liner. This makes the fabric lighter, more packable, and faster to dry.
Berghaus has been deliberately specific about what Hydroshell is designed for: sustained British weather. The membrane excels in the kind of persistent, moderate-to-heavy rain that characterises hill walking in the Lake District or Snowdonia — exactly the conditions Berghaus products are tested in. In independent waterproof testing, Hydroshell Elite consistently achieves above 20,000mm hydrostatic head ratings.
For extreme cold or ultra-high-output expedition activities, FUTURELIGHT has an edge in breathability. For everyday British outdoor use — hill walking, camping, commuting through rain — Hydroshell Elite is entirely fit for purpose and arguably better suited to the conditions most UK buyers actually encounter.
Head-to-Head: Technology Summary
| Feature | The North Face | Berghaus |
|---|---|---|
| Flagship membrane | FUTURELIGHT (nanospun) | Hydroshell Elite (2.5L laminate) |
| Breathability | Industry-leading at high output | Excellent for moderate activity |
| Waterproofing | Excellent (DryVent on entry tiers) | Excellent across range |
| Insulation tech | ThermoBall, PrimaLoft, 700-fill down | Hydrodown, Polartec Power Fill |
| Fleece technology | TKA (Thermal Knit Architecture) | Polartec partnership range |
| Entry-level tech | DryVent waterproof shell | Hydroshell (standard grade) |
Technology claims are based on manufacturer specifications and independent testing reviews available at time of writing. Actual performance varies by specific product and conditions. Trademarks are property of their respective owners.
3 | Price & Value — Similar Range, Different Sweet Spots
At first glance, The North Face and Berghaus occupy a similar price territory. Both have entry-level pieces around £80–£120 and premium technical pieces pushing £400 and beyond. But where each brand puts its best value is different.
The North Face — Where to Spend
The North Face's best value sits in its mid-range: fleeces, hybrid jackets, and softshells at £100–£200. The Nuptse is genuinely worth £280+ as a lifestyle-performance hybrid that holds its appearance over years. FUTURELIGHT hardshells above £400 are exceptional — for serious technical use, the price is justified.
Berghaus — Where to Spend
Berghaus delivers excellent value across its entire range. The Tephra stretch jacket at around £150 is a standout buy — the waterproofing and stretch performance at that price is genuinely impressive. Hardshells at £200–£280 offer GORE-TEX or Hydroshell Elite performance that would cost significantly more from some competitors.
The Price-to-Performance Reality
For most UK buyers, Berghaus consistently offers slightly better waterproof performance per pound spent. The North Face offers better value in lifestyle and streetwear contexts where the brand name carries genuine social currency — which is a legitimate consideration for many buyers, not just a superficial one.
4 | Best For Which Activities
This is where the two brands genuinely diverge. The North Face and Berghaus are not the same brand in different packaging — they have meaningfully different strengths based on their heritage and design philosophy.
Choose The North Face If You...
- Do high-altitude mountaineering, ski touring, or technical climbing
- Want a jacket that performs outdoors and looks credible in the city
- Prioritise breathability at very high exertion levels
- Want globally recognised outerwear with strong resale value
- Need extreme cold weather insulation (Nuptse, McMurdo)
Choose Berghaus If You...
- Walk, hike, or run in British conditions — Lake District, Snowdonia, Scottish Highlands
- Want the best waterproof protection for sustained rain at a fair price
- Value practical, functional design over streetwear appeal
- Want free lifetime repairs (Repairhaus service)
- Prefer supporting a British-heritage brand with B Corp certification
The Honest Summary
The North Face is the better choice for extreme expedition use and dual outdoor-lifestyle wear. Berghaus is the better choice for British hill walking and day-to-day outdoor use in UK weather. Both are genuinely excellent at what they are designed for.
5 | UK Weather Performance
UK weather is not the same as Alpine or North American mountain weather. British rain is persistent, often sideways, and often accompanied by wind rather than extreme cold. The ideal UK outdoor jacket needs to handle sustained waterproof performance rather than occasional downpours — and it needs to breathe enough to keep you comfortable when you're working hard uphill.
On this specific measure — sustained British waterproof performance for hill walking — Berghaus has a genuine edge. The brand was founded to solve exactly this problem, and decades of testing in genuinely British conditions show in the results. Hydroshell Elite performs excellently in the horizontal rain and wind that you encounter on a Lakeland ridge.
The North Face is not bad in UK conditions — far from it. FUTURELIGHT and DryVent both provide solid waterproof protection. But the brand's design priorities have historically leaned toward Alpine and North American conditions: extreme cold, heavy snow, and the breathability demands of high-altitude technical climbing. For a day walk in the Peaks in October, Berghaus is more precisely engineered for the task.
For UK Hill Walking Specifically
- Berghaus Tephra Stretch — purpose-built for British mountain weather
- Berghaus Hillwalker GORE-TEX — a Lake District staple for good reason
- TNF Dryzzle FUTURELIGHT — excellent if breathability at pace is your priority
- TNF Resolve 2 (DryVent) — reliable entry-level for general UK use
6 | The Verdict
There is no objectively better brand between The North Face and Berghaus. What there is, is a better brand for you — and that depends entirely on what you need the jacket to do.
Buy The North Face if:
You want world-class expedition performance, you want a jacket that works outdoors and in the city, or you prioritise breathability at very high output. The Nuptse, the FUTURELIGHT hardshells, and the classic fleeces are genuinely iconic pieces.
Buy Berghaus if:
You walk in British conditions and want the best waterproofing for sustained rain, you value practical function over lifestyle branding, or you want free lifetime repairs on a product built to last a decade. The Tephra and Hillwalker ranges are hard to beat at their price points.
At OD's, we carry both because both deserve a place in any serious wardrobe. Come into the shop at 44 Barrow Street in St Helens and try both on — we will help you find the right one for your needs.
Shop The North Face at OD's
Every piece below is in stock at OD's Designer Clothing — authorised UK stockist.