Gear Review: Outdoor Vitals NovaPro Jacket

If you're looking for an ultralight, ultra warm down jacket then you need to check out the new NovaPro Jacket by Outdoor Vitals! The NovaPro Jacket tackles the age-old challenge of down jackets giving up when they become super wet. Thanks to the NovaPro’s innovative technology, this puffy down jacket stands up to the elements, delivering impressive wind resistance, down retention, and loft that lasts, even when things get wet.

The NovaPro Jacket uses Nova Zero Stitch™ Fabric, which skips the usual stitching and weaves everything seamlessly into place. That means no snagging on branches and no stitching to wear out over time—and it cuts out 10,000 stitch holes compared to a typical puffy!

If all this is as exciting to you as it is to us, come along as we dig deeper into what makes the NovaPro awesome.

Quick Rundown of the Outdoor Vitals NovaPro Jacket

• Outdoor Vitals' DownLT ™ insulation combines 850 Fill Power HyperDry™ down (Allied RDS down) synthetic to create a more stable insulation that stays lofted and warm even when soaking wet
• Weight: 12.8 ounces for women's medium
• Nova Zero Stitch™ Fabric is not bonded or stitched, it is literally woven into place. The I-tube baffle design gives the NovaPro a brand new look while eliminating the chance for stitches to wear out or snag. This also increases water resistance by a good margin due to fewer stitch holes.
• Packs down small into its own pocket
• Two way adjustable hood
• Underarm zip vents
• Down fill weight in women's medium is 4.86 ounces
• Comes with Outdoor Vitals' lifetime warranty of optimal performance

My Experience with the Outdoor Vitals NovaPro Jacket

I have worn the NovaPro Jacket on several big adventures in the high deserts of the Southwest. Think Northern New Mexico and Southeast Utah! The temperatures have been downright nippy in the single digits, with highs in the 30's. I've been bushwhacking through cactus, cats claw and rough terrain in these areas and dang! I am impressed by this jacket!

First I think it's key to touch on the snag-proof designs of the NovaPro's Zero Stitch Fabric that is woven into place instead of using the usual stitching pretty much all down jackets use. For anyone who hikes or backpacks in gnarly terrain, this is a game changer. I have destroyed a handful of very nice down jackets simply by snagging them and tearing them to shreds while bushwhacking. The NovaPro Jacket was prodded and assaulted by many-a-sharp pointy things on my various treks and it still looks brand new. Not one snag to be found, not a tear in sight. Color me extremely impressed!

I like the fit of this jacket. It's not super fitted, but it's athletic and well tailored. Outdoor Vitals makes a point to say it should fit just loose enough to not be compressed at all. I usually wear a medium in down jackets and I ordered a medium in the NovaPro Jacket. I like the fit a lot and holy smokes it keeps me toasty warm! The insulation is no joke in this piece, so consider it the perfect down jacket for very cold times.

This jacket does breathe well, which is great. It has pit zips to dump heat. This is a feature a lot of down puffy jackets don't have. I love the NovaPro Jacket for having them. It sets it apart. And if like me you are a heavy exerter, pit zips are a gift from the heavens.

If you find yourself getting too warm, the NovaPro packs up nice and small into its pocket and you can stash it away in your backpack.

Overall, the NovaPro Jacket by Outdoor Vitals is a phenomenal ultralight down jacket. It's exceptionally warm and very durable. It uses a mix of responsibly sourced down and synthetic to create a reliable insulation that works even if it becomes fully drenched. It's a powerhouse of a puffy!

My review is independent of the supplier and reflects my own opinions. Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission if purchases are made through those links at no additional cost to you.