The North Face Verbier GTX Jacket and Bib

Light is right for many in the backcountry. But not for all. Some prefer gear that’s heavier duty. Gear that’s burly, that’s bombproof, that’s truly functional. Perhaps more to the point though, many backcountry skiers or boarders—probably even the majority of them, myself included—enjoy time in lifted resorts as well. They want gear that can pull double-duty, gear that’s at home both inbounds and far beyond resort boundaries.

If that’s you, you’re who The North Face’s Verbier Gore-Tex Jacket and Bib is aimed at. Designed for equal parts resort and backcountry, the Verbier combo (you can buy either item singly as well) is a bit of the outerwear equivalent of a one-ski quiver; it does it all.

Starting with the jacket (I managed to snare the yet-to-be-released Spring 2025 version to test out in the last northern-hemisphere season), it has a progressive, relaxed, modern styling that’s at home on the lifts. That doesn’t mean it’s new-skool baggy though; you won’t feel out of place in it on a skin track. Speaking of which, when you’re on the climb, well-sized pit zips—a reminder that it is not a purely resort-focused jacket—offer solid amounts of ventilation. The jacket is articulated for ease of movement, too. The hood is huge; I had no problem fitting this over my ski helmet. And it’s adjustable; cinching it tight was easy. Both the cuff flaps and the chin protector are burly, and the latter has a soft tricot finish that was really nice on days that had high winds and/or freezing temps. For deep days (unfortunately, I didn’t get any of these while testing the jacket), there’s a partial powder skirt, too.

And then there are the pockets. I counted eight. You will not find yourself short on storage space with the Verbier. There are six exterior pockets: Two chest pockets; two hip pockets; a phone pocket high on the chest (which includes a mesh pouch to keep your device upright; it’s a surprisingly nice feature); and a sleeve pocket suitable for RFID ski passes for when you’re in a resort. On the interior, there are two stretch pouches (without zips) that are roughly chest high and are large enough to contain skins.
The bib pants have four huge pockets of their own, too. They also have four venting zips for the climb: two generous side zips and a pair of crotch-venting zips. Honestly, I’ve never seen these on other pants. That’s not to say they don’t exist though; maybe I just need to get out more. Speaking of zips on the bib pants, though, it brings me to a complaint, truly a minor one; I wish the front-fly zip was two-way. With it being just one-way, if you’re a guy wanting to take a pee, you must unzip the jacket as well to access the top of the zip. Ladies, I know what you’re thinking: Suck it up, buttercup.

In terms of the materials, both have 75D x 40D 165g/m² 3L Gore-Tex, using recycled polyester with a non-PFC DWR finish. (For reference, at the other end of the scale, the material thickness and weight for the The North Face Papsura Jacket we reviewed in the last issue has 7D x 15D 71g/m² material.) The pants also have super strong 500D kick patches, so your skis don’t cut up the insides.

Here are two more things that are worth noting. Firstly, the sizing: While I went for a medium in the pants, the jacket is definitely on the roomier side; I went for a small. Secondly, there’s the price. Neither items are cheap, but on the flip side, both are tough enough that you’re likely going to be able to get several seasons (or more) of use from them.

With the jacket weighing 713g, and the bib pants 939g (small and medium sizes respectively), perhaps the heavy-duty Verbier combo will be overkill for gram-conscious crew who purely spend their snow time in the backcountry. But for anyone who prioritises robust gear, or who wants outerwear that’s at home inbounds and out, The North Face’s Verbier Jacket and Bib could be just what you’re after.

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