Norrona Lofoten Anorak Jacket & Tamok Bibs - Outerwear Kit Review
Last season, we started a series of outerwear reviews to go along with our typical ski and other hardgoods-based content. Strafe, Flylow, Armada, and Black Crows were all on the docket last season, and when we had the opportunity to add Norrona to the mix this season, I jumped at the chance. It’s hard for me to ignore the growing presence the brand has in North America. Thinking back over the last 20 years of being heavily immersed in the ski industry, I don’t recall seeing it very often. That all changed a couple years ago, and at this point, I feel like I pick out Norrona kits in the crowd just about everywhere I go. From backcountry skiing in Utah to random encounters in the lodge at Jay Peak, I keep seeing Norrona.
Despite not seeing it until recently, Norrona has a robust history, and is close to celebrating their 100 year anniversary, an impressive accomplishment for any company. Since 1929, Norrona has been rooted in making high quality outdoor gear. In 1977, Norrona prototyped the first every Gore-Tec jacket in Europe. In 1998, Norrona released their first Gore-Tex skiing collection. These days, Norrona boasts a huge collection of outdoor clothing and gear. From outerwear to tents to mountain bike clothing to general lifestyle attire, a quick glance at their website suggests they basically make everything. Of course, they don’t make everything, but they certainly are representing the active outdoor community relatively completely.
In this review, we’re focusing on the Lofoten Gore-Tex Pro Anorak and Tamok Gore-Tex Performance Shell Bib. If you saw me on the mountain in this gear, you’d probably venture a guess that it’s a complete kit as both the Anorak and Bibs are in the same Indigo Night Blue colorway. Interestingly, of course, they’re not an actual kit, but there aren’t any bibs offered in the Lofoten collection, and I generally prefer wearing bibs whenever possible. Before we get into our 3 F’s of outerwear reviews, I feel it’s important to make some general statements. First, this stuff isn’t cheap with the Anorak coming in at $849 and the Tamok Bibs at $599. That said, I do think you get what you pay for, and I also think this gear outperforms a lot of gear that hits prices like that. Second, Lofoten is geared towards what Norrona calls “big mountain freeride,” while Tamok is their “backcountry” collection. If you share my mindset, those things are exceptionally similar, with plenty of crossover. It does, however, mean there are some differences between them, which we’ll touch on.
Starting with fit, I’m 5’10” and about 155 lbs right now and have been wearing size medium in both the Anorak and Bibs. Norrona splits their outerwear into four different fits: slim, technical, regular, and relaxed. For this review, it’s important to know that the Lofoten Anorak falls into “relaxed,” while the Tamok Bibs are “regular.” It’s not a huge difference in fit, and close enough that I genuinely think everything looks great together, but it is noticeable if you start to really analyze things. The fit of the Anorak is perfect. I tried on a large last year and it was a bit ridiculous given the extra length this jacket offers. That’s somewhat unique for me, as I typically always prefer large outerwear. I have plenty of room in the jacket for layering and it has a nice, somewhat-but-not-too-baggy fit. The Tamok Bibs concerned me when I first got them. They’re tighter than what I’m used to, but I’m coming around to the fit to the point where now I really like it. It is important to note, however, that there’s not much extra room. I can wear base layers and insulated mid-layer pants underneath them without issue, but I opt to put my mid-layer jacket over the bib, which isn’t generally my preferred method. Still, the fit is great, it’s a technical fit as it should be, and I’ve been enjoying looking more like I belong in the backcountry than I belong in the park, which is certainly a change for me. The highlight of the fit for me, however, is definitely the length of the jacket. I just love it so much. It comes down well below my butt, so sitting on chairlifts you get an extra layer underneath you, and there’s zero chance any snow is getting in there. More on that later.
Moving on to fabric, some differences remain between the Lofoten Anorak and Tamok Bibs. The Anorak uses Gore-Tex Pro fabric, while the Bibs use “non-Pro” Gore-Tex 3-Layer. First, I’ll say it’s super cool that more than 50% of the fibers are recycled for both fabrics. That’s highly impressive to me. Second, Gore-Tex lists the same “minimum 28,000 mm waterproofing” for both fabrics. Really what you’re getting with the Pro is a slightly lighter fabric. I honestly haven’t noticed a huge difference in breathability as they both seem to breath quite nicely. I worked up a bit of a sweat unintentionally when with the Atomic crew in Utah recently, and was extremely happy with how the gear responded. I dried quickly and was more than comfortable by the time we were ready for the descent. The biggest difference in the fabrics to me is how they feel. The Tamok Bibs have a more robust feel to them, like they would be extremely hard to rip or tear. The Anorak feels more delicate, although yesterday I literally jumped through some tree branches for no good reason, and there’s not a single mark on the jacket. As someone who hasn’t had actual Gore-Tex outerwear in quite some time, I’ve very, very impressed by what they’ve been up to. I know Gore-Tex isn’t a new thing, but still… the hype is real.
And that brings us to features, of which there are many! We’ll start with the jacket. I could basically just list everything off their website, but I’ll just tell you my favorites. The sleeves and cuffs are asymmetrical and create a perfect closure with your gloves or mittens. There are thin hand gaiters that help with that quite a bit. It feels silly talking about sleeves, but seriously, they’re really good. There’s a giant front pocket like a hooded sweatshirt, which is incredible. There’s so much room in there. GoPros, keys, whatever you want will probably fit in that pocket, and you can get both your hands in there super easily if you need to warm them up. There’s a high quality goggle wipe on a stretchy cable in the front left chest pocket. I know a lot of jackets have that, but this one is the nicest I’ve seen. The hood fits nicely over my XL helmet and still lets me zip the jacket up all the way, which is fantastic for storm skiing. The full length side zippers are extremely convenient for fixing mid-layers, accessing beacons, or whatever else you need to do, and every zipper on the jacket is YKK water-resistant. I’ve never had a drop of water penetrate this jacket. It’s wild. It just beads right off and you stay bone dry. Even the fabric doesn’t get saturated at all, you just stay dry. There are plenty of other useful features, but one that hasn’t served a purpose for me is the powder skirt. Between the length of the jacket and wearing it with the Tamok Bib, I don’t think snow can get in there at all. Luckily, the powder skirt is removable, so I removed it.
Moving on to the Tamok Bibs, the features aren’t quite as extensive, but they’re still extraordinarily well designed in my opinion. I love the breathable stretch fabric on the back. It just creates a really comfortable feel. I love the 38 mm suspenders as they don’t ever feel like they’re cutting into you whatsoever. They don’t have full length side zippers like the Lofoten pants do, but I honestly kind of prefer the venting on the Tamok. There’s mesh lined vents on both sides that allow plenty of airflow, but also continue to keep out the elements. On a snowy day in the backcountry, you still want to get some air to your legs sometimes, and this allows for that without getting your base or mid-layers wet. The Vectron reinforced inside ankle area is highly durable, which comes in handy in demanding backcountry situations or, for me, when skiing in the park or carving. It has been impressively resistant to cuts thus far. Then, lastly, there are plenty of pockets, but with the plethora of storage options in the Anorak, the only one I find myself using is the right thigh pocket, which has a slick phone holder. Keeps it super secure on your thigh so it’s not bouncing into your knee.
All in all, I honestly couldn’t be more impressed with this gear, which is good, because this jacket and pant combo will run you just about $1,500. That’s a lot of money, so if it didn’t thoroughly impress me, I’d be pretty darn disappointed. If I was to point out a downside, it would be general warmth, but it’s a shell, so that’s not surprising. I’ve skied it on some cold days and I do just fine, especially if you’re touring or moving a lot. In those situations, it’s perfect. If it’s a single digit resort day in Vermont, you might want some insulated outerwear, but nothing insulated can match the technical performance of this gear.
