Warranty/Product care

The North Face® is consistently committed to improving the Customer experience from purchase to after care and strive to achieve excellent results for you the Consumer. In the unlikely event that your item is defective and therefore, the statutory rights in case of defects apply, you must return the product to The North Face® store where you purchased the product together with a valid receipt or any other proof of purchase. They will then explain the applicable procedure and timing to you.

We manufacture all of our products to meet our superior standards. However, regardless of how carefully you use, or how well you care for your The North Face® product, it will eventually begin to show age and wear. The North Face® warranty does not cover normal wear and tear.

If your product by The North Face® fails or is damaged due to a manufacturing or workmanship defect, at your option we will repair, replace or credit. If you have requested a repair or replace and we are unable to do so, we will refund the price paid for the goods.
If in our sole opinion, the goods you have returned to us are not faulty, we will reject the warranty claim and return the goods to you. If your TNF product has special memories attached to it that make it irreplaceable to you, please let us know in advance. Products that are not clean will be rejected and returned to you and the return cost will be at your charge. This warranty gives you specific legal rights. If you should have any questions or doubts regarding your product, please contact us contact us.

Your return will be processed within approximately 14 calendar days from the date we have received the goods in our warehouse to when we ship them back to you. During peak season or if you do not follow our return policy guidelines or if the product fault is not clearly marked, the processing may take a little longer but in any case no later than 30 days from the date that we have received the goods.

You will be notified by e-mail once your return has been processed. In case you received this item as a gift, please make sure you write your e-mail address on the consignment note you include in the parcel otherwise notification will be sent to the original purchaser. You can always contact us for further information.

You must return the product to The North Face® Dealer where you purchased the product with the original purchase receipt. The authorised dealer will return the product directly to The North Face® Warranty Department.
For more details, please refer to our European Warranty Policy.

You can choose the means of transport you prefer to return your item and in that case you will need to bare the cost of the return. We recommend you return the items by registered post. However, on all warranty returns, The North Face® will refund to you the delivery costs incurred in returning the goods to us, provided that you send us satisfactory evidence of the costs actually incurred in returning the goods. If this evidence is not provided, we will refund you an estimated cost of return postage.

Damage or faults such as rips, tears, burns and holes are not covered under the terms of our warranty policy. We understand that even the best cared for jacket or tent can meet with an unforeseen or unexplained accident. Furthermore, in some cases, damage caused by normal wear and tear can be repaired as well. If your product by The North Face® becomes damaged, The North Face® Warranty Department will repair it, to the best of our ability for a reasonable charge and a fee will be charged for shipping. For further information on how to return your damaged/faulty item please contact us.

If your buckle is broken or if your laces have snapped we would be happy to replace this for you. You can contact us and give us a clear description of the spare part needed and if possible the address the spare part needs to be shipped to. If no original spare buckle/pair of laces is available we will replace it by the closest available alternative.

You can return the item back to our warehouse for Warranty Evaluation. Please follow the instructions on the consignment note which was inside the parcel and include this document in your return. If you no longer have it, please let us know and we will send you a copy by email. Please ensure that the returned products are in clean condition.

Periodic cleaning of down jackets is essential to maintaining maximum loft and ensuring the long life of the product. Down products are delicate and need special care to maintain maximum effectiveness. When dried improperly, down can become uneven and clumpy. This can cause loss of loft, the ability of your down product to keep you warm.

Dry-cleaning can also decrease the item’s loft and may damage the down. Washing your down product in the bathtub by hand is also not recommended. Soap is rarely rinsed out completely, which can be detrimental to the insulating value of down. Also, wet down can put substantial stress on its shell and can rip the baffles and stitching.

Small items can be washed at home using a small amount of powder detergent (without bleach) and a gentle cycle. You may wish to repeat the rinse cycle to be sure all soap residues are removed. Tumble dry over a long period using no heat. It is important that you wash and dry items individually. Experienced down washers sometimes add tennis balls to the dryer to make sure the down does not clump.

Though it is possible to wash your own down product, we recommend that you have your jacket professionally cleaned by a service that specializes in cleaning down.

All The North Face® garments have cleaning instructions on a tag inside the garment. In most jackets, you will find the tag stitched in the seam at the collar.

Washing your Gore-Tex® jacket will not hurt it. In fact, washing your jacket regularly will help maintain the DWR coating on the outside of the fabric, which causes water to bead up and shed off, rather than being absorbed.

Be sure to zip all zippers, and close all Velcro® fasteners before you wash your jacket. Please use a mild powder detergent. Liquid detergents can leave a residue on your jacket that will interfere with the DWR performance. You can wash your jacket in a regular washing machine, in cold water, on a gentle cycle. Put it through the rinse cycle twice, to be sure the detergent residue washes out. You can dry your jacket in a low temperature dryer, and if necessary, use a cool iron. Do not use bleach or fabric softeners, dry clean, or store when wet.

Gore-Tex® garments are made of either a nylon or polyester outer fabric that has been laminated to a Gore-tex® membrane. This outer fabric is treated at the mill with a durable water repellent finish, (DWR). Once the DWR wears off, water will soak into the outer fabric layer of the jacket and sit on the waterproof Gore-Tex® membrane. This cold layer will stop moisture vapour from moving through the Gore-Tex® membrane and will create a surface for moisture to condense on creating that all too familiar cold “clammy” feeling as if the jacket appears to be leaking.

In order to revive the DWR, the product needs to be thoroughly cleaned with a soap based product in a regular washing machine, on a cool/warm cycle. Put the product through two rinse cycles to ensure there is no detergent residue. Dry the garment in a regular tumble dryer, on a cool setting, or use an iron on a cool setting to revive the DWR finish.

This process should revive the DWR. After extended use it may be necessary to use a reproofing product to replenish the DWR finish to the outer fabric surface. These can be bought from most outdoor retail stores. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

In the event you find this process ineffective, please send your Gore-Tex® product in to us. We would be happy to inspect it for you.

All of The North Face® Outerwear shell fabrics are treated with a Durable Water Repellent finish (DWR). This finish helps the shell fabric resist wetting by causing the water to bead-up so it easily falls off before being absorbed into the fabric.

In order to revive the DWR, the product needs to be thoroughly cleaned with a powder detergent (do not use a liquid detergent) in a regular washing machine in warm water. Put the product through two rinse cycles to ensure that there is no detergent residue, then dry it in a regular clothes dryer on medium heat. When cleaning your waterproof shell jacket, attach all Velcro® closures and zip all zippers. Finally, the entire outside of the garment should be touched up with a warm iron on the steam setting.

For even better performance, treat your product with a coating of a DWR spray such as Nikwax®. This maintenance program is only required when water stops beading up on the outer surface of the fabric.

All The North Face® garments have cleaning instructions on a tag inside the garment. In most jackets, you will find the tag stitched in the seam at the collar.
If the care instructions allow it, you can machine wash your synthetic down jacket. To restore the loft of your item, it is recommendable to tumble dry the item adding a few tennis balls to the dryer.

In the case of products manufactured with goose down, it is natural for some of the down and feathers to escape through the fabric, particularly in the seams. The sharp quills of the feathers can poke tiny holes in the fabric and work their way through to the outside. It is normal for this to happen, particularly in newer products when the down has not had an opportunity to settle. There is no reason for alarm, and this phenomenon should not affect the insulating property of your product. To minimize the amount of down that escapes, simply pull the down back through the underside of the fabric and massage the fabric and down underneath. This will cause the "hole" or separation in the fabric fibers to close up.

In rare cases, a material defect of manufacturing flaw may cause excessive down leakage in a product. If you find the above suggestion ineffective, we will be happy to inspect the item for you.

Periodic cleaning of down sleeping bags is essential to maintaining maximum loft and ensuring the long life of the product. Down products are delicate and need special care to maintain maximum effectiveness. When dried improperly, down can become uneven and clumpy. This can cause loss of loft, the ability of your down product to keep you warm.

Dry-cleaning can also decrease the item’s loft and may damage the down. Washing your down product in the bathtub by hand is also not recommended. Soap is rarely rinsed out completely, which can be detrimental to the insulating value of down. Also, wet down can put substantial stress on its shell and can rip the baffles and stitching.

Use a commercial sized, front-loading machine ONLY. A top-loading machine with an agitator may damage the bag’s internal construction. Wash in warm water with a mild powder detergent (without bleach) and a gentle cycle. You may wish to repeat the rinse cycle to be sure all soap residues are removed. An extra spin cycle will help to remove excess water as well. Do not lift the bag from the washer; scoop it from the bottom.

Tumble dry over a long period using no heat. It is important that you wash and dry items individually. Experienced down washers sometimes add tennis balls to the dryer to make sure the down does not clump.

Though it is possible to wash your own down product, we recommend that you have your sleeping bag professionally cleaned by a service that specializes in cleaning down. It will save you time and energy.

We recommend that you use a commercial sized, front loading washing machine to wash your synthetic sleeping bag. Wash in warm water with a mild powder detergent. Rinse several times to remove all the dirty, soapy water. An extra spin cycle will also remove excess water. Line dry, or tumble dry on very low, or no heat. Check the bag frequently to be sure the fabric is not getting too hot. Be sure your bag is completely dry before storing.

The North Face Tent Mules have cardboard in the sole therefore they can neither be machine washed nor dipped in water. Instead, use hot water, a rag and a gentle cleansing agent to clean the footwear. To dry, stuff shoes and air-dry for best results.

If you are unable to find a pair of laces that fit your The North Face shoes through a local retailer, please write to tnf.warranty.eu@vfc.com, stating the name of the shoes that you are trying to find laces for and our warranty department will help you in finding a solution.

If you would like your poles repaired or replaced (for e.g., in case of loss), please go to an authorized The North Face® Dealer. They will need to know the style of your tent and the type of pole you need replaced. Please contact us for further details.

Replacement tent flies for some models of The North Face® tents are available through The North Face® dealers. They will need to know the style of your tent. Please contact us for further details.