The Norrona Lofoten Pro may be the last snowboard jacket and pants you will ever buy. Take them skiing, splitboarding, logging and working on your car. These are the burliest pieces of outerwear I have ever had the pleasure of shredding the backcountry in. If you aren’t counting grams but durability and days on snow, these are the ultimate freeride outerwear. 

What is a Lofoten? 

The Lofoten line is named after an archipelago above the Arctic Circle in Norway, known for big mountain lines where summits rise straight from the ocean for over 1,000 meters. Norrona introduced the line in 2004, claiming it was the industry’s first dedicated big-mountain freeride and powder-skiing apparel, built with direct input from professional skiers: a modern freeride fit made with heavy-duty waterproof materials. 

How I tested the Lofoten Pro

I spent just over 50 days in the jacket and pants, splitboarding in the Sea to Sky, and freeriding in Blackcomb and Japan. Temperatures ranged from -20°C to just above 0°C, from sunny days to snowfall rates over 6 cm per hour. I wasn’t able to test them in spring touring conditions due to injury.

Quick Pros

• Exceptionally durable face fabrics: 70D x 160D on the jacket, 200D on the pants
• Generous thigh pockets on the pants
• Fantastic ventilation
• Roomy cut with articulation

Cons

• A little heavy, particularly for long human-powered tours
• No hand pockets on the jacket
• No mesh on the jacket’s underarm vents or the pants’ outer thigh vents
• No dedicated transceiver loop in the pants’ thigh pocket

Gore-Tex Pro ePE

The Norrona Lofoten Gore-Tex Pro collection is constructed with the new Gore-Tex Pro ePE fabric. ePE stands for expanded polyethylene. Previous generations of Gore-Tex Pro utilized ePTFE (expanded polytetrafluoroethylene), which contained PFAS, toxic “forever chemicals” linked to serious health and environmental risks. The Durable Water Repellent (DWR) treatments applied to those older laminates contained PFAS as well. Fortunately, the reliance on these persistent chemicals is a trend that has now been almost entirely abandoned across the outdoor industry.

In my time using the new Gore ePE, it has kept me dry even when the face fabric has become visibly saturated. The difference is cosmetic as much as anything else, the face fabric can be wet while the inside remains dry. This really only happens under my backpack. On days freeriding the resort I did not find the material wetting out.

To keep both performing like new, you’ll need to wash them more often than we used to wash technical gear. Washing them on a regular basis keeps the breathable membrane clean, restores DWR efficiency and keeps the waterproofing in good shape.

The face fabric is at least 50% recycled material. The jacket uses a 70D x 160D Gore-Tex Pro, while the pants step up to a massive 200D. That is an exceptionally rugged build: Arc’teryx’s heli-guide bibs max out at 150D, and I’ve worn mine for five years. Imagine how long a 200D pant will last.

The Norrona Lofoten Gore-Tex Pro Jacket Specs

• Outer: 70Dx160D GORE-TEX® PRO fabric
• Weight: 755 grams (size XL, measured)
• Color: Winter Twig
• Size Tested: XL
• Tester Size: 187cm, 92kg
• Origin: China

The Fit

The Norrona Lofoten Gore-Tex Pro line fits into Norrona’s regular fit silhouette. By Norrona’s chart I’m a large, but old habits said XL, and I oversized a little too much. It only shows in the bagginess of the arms and the added weight when carrying the jacket. I’m perfectly fine in the XL, but I should have gone for size large.

The long sleeves are a plus if you reach forward frequently, or like your cuffs to overlap your gloves. The backs of the hands extend past the wrist, so you can grab a pole without the sleeves bunching up. Inside the wrist is a very thin gaiter that stays out of the way and can easily be used without feeling bulky.

The jacket is subtly long. Not as long as the Tamok’s drop tail, but just enough to cover your backside.  The hem features a single-handed adjustment system. The toggles are tucked safely inside the jacket, simply pull the cord from either side and the hem tightens. Releasing it, however, requires two hands, as you have to feel around inside the jacket to locate the concealed toggles.

Venting

The Norrona Lofoten Gore-Tex Pro brings the venting game in a very interesting way. On the left side of the main zip is a 39cm long vent. Thankfully with mesh to keep out snow. I imagine it works really well when skiing downhill but as a snowboarder it only catches a cross breeze. 

Under both arms are Norrona’s X-open underarm ventilation. The zipper pulls sit at opposite ends of extremely long vents, 45 cm to be exact. This allows you to either open the vent in one giant opening or pull both tabs to the middle. This allows the vent to catch a lot of air but not flap about in the wind, which it will do if you open the whole thing. 

The vents work well for snowboarding but if you are going to take this jacket to the snowiest winter in 40 years, you are going to wish that they had some mesh. Better yet, make sure you close the vents before hitting the downhill. I filled my pants with snow more than a few times but this isn’t exclusive to Norrona, it’s a bit of a bad habit of mine. 

Pockets

The Norrona Lofoten Pro jacket has two huge Napoleon pockets, one on each side, the left one covered by a baffle and the right with an exposed waterproof zipper. I assume that’s to keep the front of the jacket from looking busy, since four waterproof zippers would otherwise compete for chest space. This way only the main zip, vent and right pocket are exposed, and the front looks unified. Inside the left pocket is a leash with a goggle cloth attached. The right pocket is empty until you fill it.

Inside right is an elasticated dump pocket that fits a medium pair of gloves nicely. It won’t fit a pair of skins, which is a shame. A skin-sized pocket would be fantastic. 

Inside left is a media pocket that easily handles an oversized iPhone. It isn’t mesh like the dump pocket, but it’s very stretchy. A warning on the pocket reminds you not to keep your phone in a chest pocket if you wear a transceiver in a chest harness, as it will interfere with the transceiver. 

On the upper left arm is a pass pocket with a small surprise: an elasticated pass holder inside keeps your season pass secure even if the zipper is left open.  

Finally, note that there are no hand pockets. That’s not a deal breaker on snow. If you often forget to close your pockets and end up with them full of snow after every run, it’s actually a bonus. If you use your ski jackets for a lot of off-mountain use you may find that you miss the hand pockets. 

Hoods, Gaiters and Skirts

The hood on the Norrona Lofoten Pro Jacket uses a single drawcord to keep out the elements. The toggle sits at the back of the head, and when pulled, it cinches the sides back and wraps over the top to pull the hood down simultaneously. It is a generously sized hood that fits over a helmet without a second thought, though you will definitely need to tighten that cord when wearing it without one. Both my POC Obex and Mammut Haute Route helmets fit in the hood quite well. 

Inside the waist, you’ll find a removable powder skirt featuring an elasticated band and a full silicone gripper strip around the perimeter. If the silicone alone doesn’t give you full confidence, integrated snap buttons allow you to clip the skirt directly into matching Norrona pants.

Still worried about snow sneaking in? Zip out the powder skirt altogether and join the jacket directly to the matching Lofoten Pro pants. You now have a full onesie. Congrats.

The Norrona Lofoten Pro Jacket on Snow

At 755 grams in the XL, the jacket is the lighter half of the kit, but the oversized fit still shows in baggy arms and a bit of extra weight when you carry it. This likely wouldn’t have been an issue had I chosen the size Norrona recommended.

It has stood up to everything I’ve thrown at it, showing nothing more than a small stain of tree sap, and the material still looks new after 50 days. It does wet out under the backpack straps in a storm, but the inside stays dry. I suspect a darker color would make that even less noticeable. The rest of the jacket beads snow well without showing signs of wetting out. 

The X-open underarm vents did a good job of dumping heat. Close them before dropping in, though: even in their X configuration they’re quite large and can let in a lot of snow. Like the pants, I found this out the hard way. I am a slow learner. 

The wrist gaiters are great. I forget I have them on until I need to look at my watch. The waist gaiter holds firmly in place, and I never felt the need to use the snaps or zip the jacket into the pants. Twice this past winter I found myself in chest deep snow and none managed to creep inside.

Norrona Lofoten Gore-Tex Pro Pants Specs

• Outer: 200D Gore-Tex Pro. More than 50% Recycled Synthetic used
• Weight Sz L: 885 grams in Winter Twig (measured)
• Weight Sz XL: 935 grams in Olive Night (measured)
• Size Tested: L
• Origin: China

Built for Lumberjacks, Made for the Mountains

These are seriously burly pants that would function just as well as work pants. 

The material is somewhat stiff in hand however they move well on the skin track and the downhill. Their articulated knees no doubt being a benefit here. Despite their slight rigidity they are no noisier than their nearest Gore-Tex competitor.   

At the bottom of each leg is an even tougher kick patch made from Vectran. It sits high at the back of the leg and wraps around the front with a lower cut. Vectran is a Japanese made fiber known for its cut and abrasion resistance and low moisture absorption. It’s an ideal material for a kick patch. Mine shows literally no wear on the outside. The inside of the cuff does show some wear where my Phantom Link Levers have rubbed while touring but I am not concerned with this at all. 

 

Quad Pockets

The Norrona Lofoten Pro pants have a total of four pockets, three of which are on the thighs. The main highlight, however, are the fantastic thigh pockets on both legs. These were what I was most excited to try on these pants, because they sit directly on top of the thighs, so whatever you store inside won’t swing back and forth as you move.

Both pockets are huge and easily hold a Rite in the Rain notebook. Opening the right pocket reveals an internal stretch-mesh sleeve. Much like the media pocket in the jacket, it holds an iPhone Pro Max with ease. It could accommodate an avalanche transceiver, though there is no dedicated transceiver loop, an addition that would make this pocket truly fantastic. 

High on the left is a very small coin pocket that is too small and high so I opted not to use it at all. I keep my keys and wallet in a small pocket in my pack instead. Finally, at the back left is a single back pocket with a waterproof zipper. If you are a holdout lover of back pockets, rejoice: the Lofoten Pro still has one. 

Like the jacket, there are no hand pockets and I surprisingly did not miss them. 

Loose Fit, Dialed in Details

At 885 grams for a size large, these are a hefty pair of pants. They’ll need a little something extra to be kept waist level and Norrona does not disappoint.

The integrated waist belt is excellent. Two thick Velcro pull tabs sit high at the back, anchored by stretchy wings that give comfortably as you move. The front of each tab is sewn in, so you can pull them forward to cinch the belt into a wonderfully snug, secure fit.

Then there is my favorite option: the flex1 ski/snowboard Zip-in Bib. This is a flexible, breathable zip-in bib that keeps the pants up effortlessly without placing any pressure on your waist. It’s absolutely fantastic. Mine is slightly mis-sized, but that doesn’t matter, it just sits a little askew while still functioning exactly as intended. As far as I’m concerned, it is a must-have accessory for Norrona pants. As an added bonus, it features a dedicated transceiver loop. 

Form and Function

The fit itself is big and baggy. It feels good to wear a size large after so many seasons in XL, although I’ve tried these in XL too, and they are positively massive. Norrona’s sizing puts a large at a 35.4 to 37.4-inch waist and an XL at 37.8 to 39.8 inches. Don’t doubt the charts.

I often have to open the leg vents on ski pants to get enough room to move without worrying about splitting them at the crotch. Not so with the Lofoten Pro. The thighs are generously cut, and the articulated knees help maintain freedom of movement. Long strides on the skin track do not pull on the seams in the groin like other size large pants often do. This is particularly welcome because the three-quarter-length outer thigh vents have no mesh to keep out snow. 

Down at the cuffs, a snap inside keeps the zipper from creeping open. Two additional snaps on the outside let you tighten the cuff opening, which is useful when wearing crampons. 

The inner gaiter opens wide enough to wrap around any boot though I never needed to open it.  It’s secured by snaps at the top and bottom, with a full strip of Velcro down the middle. If the gaiter is still too loose, there’s a cinch to tighten it. There’s no hook, but honestly, if snow is getting into your boots, it’s not the pants’ fault.  

The Norrona Lofoten Pro Pants on Snow 

The Norrona Lofoten Pro pants are fantastic freeride pants. I cannot overstate how much I like the top of quad pockets. Cell phones, snacks, spare gloves, they all get swallowed by them. They also stay put without flapping around. 

Thanks to the roomy freeride fit and articulated knees they tour quite well in spite of their weight. Of course, this weight is a trade off with durability. I attack tree runs with reckless abandon (see: torn MCL) and thrash outerwear. The Norrona Lofoten Pro pants stood up to every branch and trunk I could throw at them. 

Their touring ability was helped by the giant side vents. Almost everyday I toured in the Lofoten Pro pants I opened the vents. Occasionally I forgot to zip them closed and found the tops of my boots filled with snow at the bottom of a descent. My bad. 

With the vents shut, the DWR and Gore kept me as dry as a bone on the inside. Without the pressure of a backpack strap the DWR held up well, beading until the early end to my season. 

As they are strictly a shell pant they are not as warm as a pant with a fleece backer. If you are used to outerwear with a thin fleece backer you may find these pants a little cooler while riding the chairlift than normal. This is so for all 3 layer Gore-Tex pants and is not exclusive of the Norrona Lofoten Pro pants.  

Who Is the Norrona Lofoten Pro For?

The Norrøna Lofoten Gore-Tex Pro kit has a casual, understated look, not skimo tight, nor park-rat baggy. It feels like a freeride kit designed in 2004 and refined over 22 years, with great attention to small details and designed so that the originals from 2004 may still be out on the mountains to this day.

The Norrona Lofoten Pro line is built for riders who value durability over shaving grams. The 200d face fabric of the pants with reinforced kick patches make them tough enough for any mountain endeavour. Sledders will especially appreciate the durability of these pants as will those who ride trees aggressively. The interlocking waist system makes the pants so easily adjustable to changing conditions. Zip in the bib for deep pow days, use the custom fit waist system when the bib proves to be too hot. The Gore-Tex ePE handles wet coastal pow with aplomb.

The jacket does a fantastic job of balancing and durability and weight. It’s 70d X 160d blend keeps the weight reasonable while using a slightly less rugged as its just not needed in a top like it is a bottom. Innovative chest venting mixed with gigantic arm vents means the jacket is good choice for all mountain pursuits whether they involved human powered ups or not. 

If you are looking for a waterproof jacket and pant that can handle literally anythign you throw at it, the Norrona Lofoten Pro line is up to the challenge.

To pick up the Norrona Lofoten Gore-Tex Pro Jacket and Pants head to JACKET and PANTS. Looking for more Norrona reviews, hit SEARCH.  

…

BlackSheep was provided with a free sample of the Norrona Lofoten Gore-Tex Pro Jacket and Pants for this review. This review is based on the size large pants. I also purchased the XL pants with my own money. This in no way affected our editorial stance. This post also contains affiliate links; if you choose to purchase gear through these links, we may earn a small commission which supports our independent testing at no extra cost to you.