Norrona Trollveggen Gore-Tex Professional Gentle Jacket Overview

Backside Line

By far probably the most sturdy—and costly—shell on our record of the finest rain jackets, the Norrona trollveggen GORE-TEX Professional Gentle is made for pro-level adventurers who want probably the most rugged and dependable waterproofing.

Whereas testing the trollveggen GORE-TEX Professional Gentle on some 13ers (13,000-foot mountains) and winter hikes in New Mexico, we appreciated the trollveggen’s climate resistance and extra-large air flow zippers. The articulated match accommodated our scrambling and upper-body actions. The athletic minimize layered simply beneath our backpacks and over our down jacket midlayer. We might entry the elevated pockets whereas sporting a hipbelt—one other efficiency perk.

However this jacket’s really differentiating characteristic is the second half of its identify: GORE-TEX Professional Gentle. This new, PFAS-free waterproofing presents guide-grade sturdiness however isn’t as stiff, heavy, or cumbersome as the usual GORE-TEX Professional. In our area checks, the Norrona trollveggen felt extra just like the Arc’teryx Beta Jacket than a conventional hardshell for extreme climate, which is an effective factor.

When you don’t want pro-grade sturdiness, you received’t achieve a lot by spending further on the Norrona trollveggen GORE-TEX Professional Gentle. Its goal customers are mountain guides, ice climbers, and mountaineers. Even so, its “Professional” sturdiness and “Gentle” mobility could repay for backpacking guides and different senders who recurrently topic their waterproof shells to sharp edges, straps, hipbelts, harnesses, and tough rocks that put on out regular jackets in a season.

Consolation & Mobility

The consolation and mobility of the Norrona trollveggen GORE-TEX Professional Gentle are both actually good or distinctive, relying on whether or not you’re judging it towards our record of the perfect rain jackets or its true friends: pro-grade waterproof shells.

In contrast with the rain jackets we’ve examined and reviewed, the Norrona trollveggen is superb within the consolation and mobility division. It’s Y-cut—broad within the shoulders and trimmer within the hips—layered comfortably over our puffy jackets and beneath our backpacks. Once we began working sizzling whereas climbing Wheeler Peak (New Mexico’s tallest mountain), we opened the super-sized underarm vents to dump warmth and reduce moisture beneath our jackets. Once we scrambled, reached for handholds, and waved our arms to level out herds of bighorn sheep, the jacket’s articulated match freed our arms to maneuver comfortably.

However the trollveggen’s consolation and mobility stand out much more when you examine them with pro-grade shells for mountain guides. Its secret sauce is the brand new GORE-TEX Professional Gentle waterproofing.

GORE-TEX Professional, GORE’s most rugged waterproofing for extreme alpine situations, is generally a lot stiffer and heavier than GORE-TEX jackets made for mountain climbing, backpacking, and on a regular basis use. Nonetheless, the brand new GORE-TEX Professional Gentle is lighter and far more supple whereas nonetheless delivering guide-grade sturdiness for the hardest situations.

We might inform in our area checks. Testing the trollveggen GORE-TEX Professional Gentle side-by-side with one other favourite—the Arc’teryx Beta—we discovered that the jackets felt comparable in consolation and mobility. Considerably, Arcteryx constructed the Beta for all-around use whereas Norrona designed the trollveggen to supply rugged waterproofing for severe alpine sends. The truth that the guide-grade Norrona jacket wore extra like a premium, all-around rain jacket (Beta SL) than a GORE-TEX Professional hardshell is a giant consolation and mobility win for the trollveggen.

Climate Resistance

The Norrona trollveggen’s GORE-TEX Professional Gentle waterproofing additionally supplies superior climate safety. In each the sector and bathe checks, the Norrona trollveggen stored us dry when the snowflakes and raindrops had been flying. We additionally confronted 50 mph winds on a number of check hikes and didn’t really feel them by way of the trollveggen’s strong materials and windproof membrane.

Like all GORE-TEX variants, GORE-TEX Professional Gentle is reliably windproof and waterproof. With a minimal hydrostatic strain ranking of 28,000mm (that means the membrane can face up to a column of water over 28 meters tall earlier than permitting moisture in), GORE almost triples EU suggestions for a water-resistant jacket. This ranking matches the opposite GORE-TEX jackets we examined and reviewed and exceeds the waterproof rankings of the non-GORE-TEX jackets on our record.

Based mostly on our dialog with the GORE-TEX engineer who invented GORE-TEX Professional Gentle, we are able to affirm that Professional/Professional Gentle just isn’t extra waterproof than common GORE-TEX. As an alternative, the “Professional” designates extra sturdy face materials and backing supplies round the waterproof membrane.

As for this jacket’s waterproof membrane, GORE-TEX Professional/Professional Gentle not too long ago transitioned from GORE’s conventional ePTFE (expanded polytetrafluoroethylene, aka Teflon) to PFAS-free GORE-TEX ePE (expanded polyethylene) for environmental causes.

A number of further weather-protection options stood out throughout our testing, together with a storm hood and droptail hem for further protection. Once we wanted to layer up, the trollveggen slipped simply over our artificial and down jackets, and the waterproof zippers had been one other good contact.

You’ll be able to inform that Norway-based Norrona—along with GORE-TEX—designed the trollveggen waterproof shell for extra excessive climate.

Air flow

The Norrona trollveggen GORE-TEX Professional Gentle Jacket options the most important underarm vents we’ve ever seen. The air flow zippers on our males’s massive measure 19 inches lengthy.

We actually appreciated this jacket’s air flow whereas mountain climbing up a line of 13,000-foot peaks north of Taos, New Mexico. Once we started to run heat, we unzipped these underarm vents to average our physique warmth and moisture ranges.

Sturdiness

As sturdiness is the hallmark of GORE-TEX Professional, the Norrona trollveggen GORE-TEX Professional Gentle is constructed to final.

The jacket’s identify alludes to this: Trollveggen is Europe’s tallest rock face. In distinction to the opposite waterproof jackets we’ve advisable, the trollveggen is made for large wall climbing, guiding, mountain climbing, and mountaineering.

GORE-TEX Professional Gentle is made for outside professionals who want probably the most rugged waterproofing with out the burden of conventional mountaineering shells. In different phrases, that is GORE-TEX with juiced-up backing and face cloth to guard the waterproof membrane from crampon and ski edges, rubbing harnesses and shoulder straps, and rocks. Norrona additionally bolstered high-wear areas with 70-denier x 160-denier nylon weave—greater than triple the material weight of the comparatively strong Patagonia Torrentshell.

Whereas sturdiness is the primary purpose to tug the set off on this  $700 shell, few hikers and backpackers want Norrona’s most sturdy mountaineering shell for his or her adventures.

Weight

Not surprisingly, there’s a weight penalty for this stage of climate safety and sturdiness. Based mostly on the producer’s claimed weights, it was the heaviest waterproof jacket we examined and reviewed. When you’re attempting to find a light-weight rain jacket, it is best to cross the trollveggen off your record. 

All issues thought-about, although, this jacket’s weight – 15.2 ounces for a males’s massive and 13.2 ounces for a girl’s medium – really is gentle for a mountaineering jacket. For instance, the trollveggen is an virtually imperceptible half-ounce heavier than the Out of doors Analysis Foray and REI Trailmade – neither of that are made for mountain guides, mountaineers, or alpine climbing.

Within the area, the Norrona trollveggen GORE-TEX Professional Gentle didn’t put on noticeably heavier than most rain jackets we examined. We principally forgot we had been sporting a mountaineering jacket as a substitute of a mountain climbing jacket, because of the GORE-TEX Professional Gentle being lighter and extra supple than different pro-level waterproof shells.

The important thing to purchasing the perfect rain jacket is selecting the shell with the best advisable use and managing the trade-offs between completely different characteristic units. The trollveggen makes a ton of sense when you prioritize climate safety and sturdiness over weight financial savings to remain safer in excessive mountain environments.

Likewise, despite the burden rating we gave it, the Norrona trollveggen is a legit light-weight shell when you’re evaluating it to mountaineering jackets as a substitute of rain jackets. That is the primary pro-level waterproof jacket we’ve examined and reviewed that weighs lower than a pound.

Ought to You Purchase the norrona trollveggen gore-tex professional gentle?

High quality-wise, the Norrona trollveggen GORE-TEX Professional Gentle is the perfect waterproof shell we examined and reviewed, however you actually should be a severe outside adventurer to reap the advantages of its standout options. This jacket isn’t extra waterproof than the opposite GORE-TEX rain jackets on our record, however it’s extra sturdy.

The principle purpose to pay this a lot for a technical shell is that you just want a heavy-duty jacket for a job (e.g., mountain guiding) or alpine sport (e.g., big-wall climbing, mountain climbing, mountaineering) that punishes gear. Those that don’t spend in depth time at excessive elevation doing hardcore mountain sports activities in all probability received’t recognize GORE-TEX Professional Gentle’s milestone mixture of sturdiness and mobility. 

When you’re a information or alpine climber who’s been saving up for a lighter, extra cellular shell that may stand as much as a season of abuse, it is best to ship it with the Norrona trollveggen. Nonetheless, for mountain climbing, backpacking, or extra informal makes use of, readers will likely be happier with one of many all-around rain jackets on our record that prices a whole lot of {dollars} much less.

What Different Rain Jackets Ought to You Think about?

The Norrona trollveggen GORE-TEX Professional Gentle dominates its particular area of interest, however many readers will likely be higher off selecting one of many rain jackets in our information that’s made for mountain climbing, backpacking, or on a regular basis put on:

Arc’teryx Beta SL Jacket Overview: When you’re not a information or mountaineer however desire a pinnacle waterproof shell, the Arc’teryx Beta has lived close to the highest of our record for years. It’s a premium decide for hardcore hikers and backpackers who pony up for high-end gear and attire.

Out of doors Analysis Foray/Aspire Overview: The Foray (Males’s)/ Aspire (Ladies’s) is our worth decide for hikers and backpackers who desire a sturdy, dependable waterproof jacket that prices a whole lot of {dollars} lower than our favourite Arc’teryx and Norrona shells.

Patagonia Torrentshell Overview: The Torrentshell isn’t as waterproof or sturdy because the trollveggen, however it’s considerably extra reasonably priced. It’s a significantly better match for these wanting a extra informal rain jacket that also performs nicely on hikes.