Norrona

Lofoten GORE-TEX PRO Plus Jacket - Men's

Top notch

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

This jacket is amazing! High quality build with great features. Zips are all well placed and easy to operate. The rear arm vents are not mesh lined as advertised. If you are a smedium then you are a medium in this brand the measurements are exact to the charts. No wiggle room in the torso. Had to swap a S for an M to be able to layer properly. Really nice hood, access to interior chest pocket through vent is killer feature as is the vent on chest itself!

Wrist cuff velcro tabs are tiny!

Familiarity:

I returned this product before using it

This is a serious quality jacket, with a fatal flaw. The wrist/cuff Velcro tabs are tiny! If I am wearing this jacket, I am in stormy weather w/ most likely warm mittens/gloves. Good luck on adjusting the cuff tension with this tiny velcro tab. Total fail on the design side. I opted for a Mammut Nordwand Pro HS jacket with oversized cuff tabs. Otherwise the jacket is top quality, but runs large in comparison to most manufactures. The front zip ventilation is genius, but the Mammut jacket fits my athletic build better :0)

Amazing, breathable, durable

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

This has a more dense weave than the regular pro jacket. The pro version is 70 denier feels like old school goretex, plastic like and thin. The pro plus has a more durable, thicker weave (70/140 I think), which makes this jacket feel more like light weight canvas. I believe they even say the pro plus is a lighter jacket if that's possible. For the extra money, the pro plus gives you pack friendly hand pockets, tricep vents which are incredibly easy to use, and a slightly longer cut with a 2 way zipper. All of those extras are worth it. What seals the deal is the front zipper that's mesh lined and has velcro opening to your under layers. It makes getting into your bib pockets and getting a beacon out so easy. With the zip open, it provides amazing breathability without getting snow inside and is enhanced if you open the tricep vents. You get wonderful cross air flow and it's suitable for skinning. On top of that, there's even pit zips for maximum heat dump age. In a storm with the hood up, you can still breath through the mesh and it seriously helps prevent goggle fog up. Skied 3' of fresh with 50 mph winds in the backcountry off Wolf Creek Pass and then rode the resort with a lot of hiking. Lots of bushwhacking and branch strikes. Never took the layer off to skin, never had fogged goggles, never had wet clothes, never had a rip. This pro plus jacket with Gore Tex Pro is also the most breathable Gore Tex made to date, and it really, really works! Coupled with all the venting options, this jacket (along with the heavier duty matching pants) are bomber, lightweight and handle diverse conditions extremely well. I've done lots of resort skinning and backcountry with the jacket/bib combo, and it's the best I've ever used in 40 years of winter activities with heavy exertion. For the most part it's true to size. I'm very fit with a 46" chest. The XL fits perfect, although the bicep area is a little large. Lots of room for thick fleece or a puff underneath. Not too baggy with a light layer either. The price is high, and higher than Arc'teryx for example, but I really appreciate Norrona's sustainability platform, material sourcing, and recycled Gore Tex. The trim, materials, and options make it worth it for me.

Amazing jacket, but runs too large

I purchased this jacket after purchasing Norrona's gtx pro plus pants (which are frankly one of the best ski pants I have ever owned), as they form a perfect combo. The features on this jacket are second to none. However, the fitting is wayyyy off. I purchased a small, but it is so long that the jacket goes all the way to my mid thigh. The sleeves also run quite long, and are baggier than I would prefer. I would advise sizing down.