The Nuptse has seemingly been playing for two separate teams since the beginning. It first showed up on the scene back in 1992 as a legitimate expedition puffer (named after one of Everest’s neighboring peaks), and within a few years New York’s rap scene had adopted it, quickly transforming it into one of the most recognizable silhouettes in streetwear history. The North Face has leaned into that split identity for three decades, but never this literally. Meet the Pertex Nuptse Reversible Jacket, a puffer with an entirely different jacket hiding inside it.
One Zipper, Two Nuptses
In its standard format, the jacket is still everything we and love from the classic silhouette. That includes the glossy shell, oversized baffles, blacked-out yoke, and big logo hits on the chest and shoulder. It’s pure ’90s Nuptse.
Flip it inside out, though, and the whole thing transforms into something a bit more…subtle. It becomes a matte, tonal puffer with a slimmer quilt pattern and an embroidered logo that’s much less substantial.
And this isn’t some half-baked liner trick, either. The center front zip is a reversible VISLON unit, and both faces get their own rounded hand pockets with reverse-coil zippers, so there’s technically no “wrong” side here – it just comes down to preference.
The Pertex Part of the Equation
The outer shell is a 38 g/m² Pertex Quantum woven from fully recycled nylon, a featherweight downproof fabric that keeps the insulation working efficiently while blocking wind. The reverse face gets a similar recycled nylon, and both wear a fluorine-free DWR to shrug off light weather.
Sandwiched between them is the same 700-fill recycled down that made the 1996 Retro a global bestseller, backed by a stretch synthetic overlay. The North Face even deleted the shoulder seams so pack straps won’t chew on a stitch line, with articulated sleeves and fold-over cuffs to round out the affair.
Spec Sheet
Model: The North Face Pertex Nuptse Reversible Jacket
Fit: Relaxed, fully reversible
Insulation: 700-fill recycled waterfowl down
Overlay Insulation: 80% recycled polyester / 20% stretch synthetic
Outer Body: 38 g/m² Pertex Quantum (100% recycled nylon)
Reverse Body: 39 g/m² recycled nylon
Finish: Fluorine-free DWR on both faces
Main Zip: Reversible VISLON center front
Center Back Length: 26″
Sizes: XS-XXL
Colorways: 4 men’s / 3 women’s
Pricing & Availability
The Pertex Nuptse Reversible Jacket is available now in men’s and women’s versions, priced at $430 and offered in four men’s colorways (TNF Blue, Deep Burgundy, Dark Chestnut, and Lead, all paired with TNF Black) plus three for women. Head over to The North Face’s website to grab one before the colder months start hitting.
Recap
The North Face Pertex Nuptse Reversible Jacket
The North Face flipped its most famous puffer into a two-sided design, pairing a faithful retro Nuptse look with a matte stealth alternative, all wrapped around the same 700-fill recycled down.
