Norrona Lofoten Gore-Tex Pro Jacket

Norrøna Lofoten Gore-Tex Pro Jacket

Weight (manufacturer): 622 g / 1 lb., 6 oz.

Size: Small

Features:

• 3 Layer Gore-Tex Pro Shell
• Fixed helmet compatible hood
• Removable silicon lined powder skirt
• Snap seal system buttons jacket to Lofoten Gore-Tex Pro Shell pant
• Zip seal system option zips jacket into Lofoten Gore-Tex Pro Shell pant
• Pit zips extend from elbow to waist
• Pockets: 2 Napoleon, 1 pass pocket on left arm, 1 small internal pocket w/ wire routing.
• Asymetric cuff extends over top of hand
• Stretch woven hand gaiter
• Fleece chin guard

Test Location: Las Leñas, Argentina; Hiking in Jackson, Wyoming

Days Skied: 14

Days Worn: 24

MSRP: €579 / US$637

Norrøna, based in Norway, has been making outdoor gear for more than 80 years, with a design principle they call “Loaded Minimalism.” Based on my time spent wearing the Lofoten Jacket and Pant, I’d say they are staying true to that philosophy.

When I first got my hands on the Norrøna Lofoten Jacket, I thought it was definitely light for a jacket with 3L Gore-Tex Pro Shell (the same material used for The North Face Enzo Jacket) and with skiing features, and I was impressed with the feel of the fabric. It also appeared to have a good balance of quality craftsmanship, good fit, and technical aspects—without unnecessary features.

Fit / Style

The Lofoten has a trim fit, but is not full-on alpine style. It’s roomier in the chest, shoulders, and sleeves, but slims down around the waist. It also extends below my hips, but does not extend so far that it covers my butt while sitting on the chair. The chest, arms, and shoulders are roomier than my Small Arc’teryx Stingray jacket, but not too the point that they feel baggy.

The is a ski / snowboard technical shell, but it’s not too slim to wear around town. It became my go-to rain shell in the late summer and fall around town and in the Tetons. After zipping out the powder skirt, the Lofoten jacket was light enough for me to pack when I hiked the Middle Teton in early September.

The jacket also comes in several bright color options. I had the new Yellow Saffron color, which at first was a little bright for my taste, but several photo sessions showed that this jacket popped like crazy against the white snow and blue sky, making for some great pics.

Hood

I am a big fan of skiing with my hood on, and have come to accept the compromise of less peripheral vision and movement for the added warmth and wind protection. The hood of the Lofoten fit over the POC Receptor Backcountry MIPS helmet I was wearing, but it was a snug fit. On the coldest days in Las Leñas, when we were literally holding on to the Marte chair at times because of the high winds, I had the hood up and the zipper fully zipped. The hood / chin interface was tight, and, with a buff on, the chin was bordering on restrictive. I also found that I had to unzip the top two inches of the jacket to gain peripheral movement necessary for skiing.

That being said, the adjustments on the hood are some of the easiest, one-handed, glove-on adjustments I have used. There is an easy-to-pull tab located at each cheek that snugs the top of the hood. A few inches below these is another tab for easy loosening.

The back of the hood is snugged by pulling another cord that extends out the back, and a spring-loaded cinch clip is attached externally for easy readjustment.

All of the ports where the cords exit the jacket are also supplemented with metal grommets, which prevent the over snugging of the fabric at the cinch point.