The Best New Universal Design Outdoor Gear From The North Face and Nike

For years, outdoor gear has asked people to adapt themselves to the product. Figure out the tent setup. Fight the sleeping bag zipper in the dark. Wrestle your foot into the shoe. Adjust your body to the harness. Accept the friction. But across the outdoor industry, that thinking is changing.

More brands are starting with a different question: What if the gear adapted to the user instead? That shift, toward universal design, is one of the most important trends happening in outdoor gear right now.

Universal design means creating products that are easier, more intuitive, and more accessible for the widest range of people from the start, not as an add-on later. It often begins with accessibility, but the result is usually the same: better gear for everyone.

I went to The North Face’s SS26 Universal Collection preview in Denver on April 8, and there, that idea was impossible to miss.

Before the products were even introduced, the invitation itself outlined ASL interpreters and ADA-accessible accommodations. Inside, interpreters stood alongside designers, athletes, and media during presentations. Accessibility wasn’t a side note; it was built into the experience from the start.

That same philosophy shaped The North Face’s new collection, which launched on April 14. The Universal Collection includes a daypack, sleeping bag, tent, camp mules, and a brimmed hat, all redesigned to reduce friction without making a big show of it.

The Universal 20 Daypack uses a magnetic FIDLOCK® top closure for one-handed access, oversized grab handles, and an adaptive carry system that works for wheelchair users, people with one arm, and a wide range of body types. The Universal One Bag replaces zippers with magnetic closures and an insulated winged design that makes entry and exit easier. As a Deaf athlete, I noticed immediately how naturally it allowed hands to stay free for signing before slipping back in to stay warm. The Universal Wawona 3 Tent simplifies setup with three equal-length poles, highly visible sleeves, easy-catch pole mounts, and a larger entryway with a lower threshold for mobility-device access. Even the Universal Basecamp Mules follow the same idea: no left foot, no right foot, just slip on and go.

None of it feels like “adaptive gear.” It just feels like better gear. That distinction matters.

“By launching the Universal Collection, The North Face is setting a new standard for accessibility in outdoor gear,” Vasu Sojitra, professional mountain athlete and adaptive skier, said in a press release. “This isn’t just a product launch, it’s a call to action for the entire industry to rethink how they design for all users.”

That shift is already happening.

In March, Adidas launched the Supernova Rise 3 Adaptive, its first performance running shoe designed with adaptive athletes, including Chris Nikic, the first person with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman. It incorporates a step-in heel for hands-free entry, magnetic closures, reduced lace pressure, and tactile touchpoints—features designed for accessibility, but useful for everyone.

Nike proved this years earlier with FlyEase. What began as adaptive footwear became mainstream because consumers quickly realized that easy entry and intuitive design aren’t niche; they’re simply better.

Even Petzl, in the technical climbing world, builds around the same principle: adjustable fit, intuitive closures, and gear that adapts to the climber, not the other way around.

The trend is bigger than one collection. It’s a wider industry shift from designing for the average user to designing for real human variety. As a Deaf trail runner, I notice accessibility before I notice product. I notice tactile systems. I notice when something quietly removes friction instead of asking people to work around it.

That’s what stood out most at The North Face preview. Not that the products were trying to be different. But that they were trying to be better. Universal design is no longer a niche idea. It’s becoming the new standard.