We didn’t hold back on any features. Everything you know and love from our LoftTek Jacket is still here, but the NovaUL takes warmth & performance to the next level!
This innovative puffy jacket utilized all-new Nova Zero Stitch™ Fabric, which is neither bonded nor stitched, but literally woven into place. The D-tube baffle design gives the NovaUL a classic puffy jacket look while eliminating the chance for stitches to wear out or snag on things as you brush by.
What this means is that you get a jacket with 10,000 fewer stitch holes than typical down or puffy jackets, making the NovaUL more water & wind resistant, and ultimately more durable! It's hard to get any moisture through this fabric!
But we didn't stop there. The new Nova Jacket line also utilizes our brand new DownLT™ insulation, which combines mostly 850 Fill Power HyperDry down with a small percentage of synthetic LoftTek. DownLT™ insulation is much more stable than typical down, and will stay lofted even when soaked (in the small chance that moisture even gets through the Nova Zero Stitch Fabric!)
These new innovations give you a warmer, more reliable jacket that you can take on any adventure without worrying about it wetting out or not performing the way you need it to.
This jacket is ideal for all 3-season applications and uses. The fit should be just loose enough to fit a base layer & something like the Ventus Hoodie beneath it, but shouldn't be much larger than that.
12 oz (Men's Large)
10.5 oz (Women's Medium)
Features:
Packs Into Own Pocket: Easily transport or store the jacket in it's own left pocket! Simply flip the pocket inside out while stuffing the jacket inside, and zip closed. Use it when you need it, and pack it away when you don't! Also use the jacket as a pillow when it's packed away!
High Neck: Stay warm by sealing in the heat around your neck! When zipped up fully, the NovaUL Jacket goes all the way up to your chin for warmth and comfort.
Underarm Vents: If you start getting too warm but it's still cold out, you can unzip the underarm vents and immediately release heat to stabilize your temperature.
Insulated 2-Way Adjustable Hood: No matter which direction you turn your head, you can keep the hood out of your peripherals and see clearly by adjusting the fit of the hood to your head.
Adjustable Hem: Lock in heat by fitting the hem of the jacket to your hips and waist. No need to worry about cord ends hanging down, excess cord will be stored in the front pockets!
Water Repellent Shell: The Nova Zero Stitch™ fabric not only has 10,000 fewer stitch holes (potential leaking points), but is also treated, which makes it difficult to get the jacket wet. Water just beads up and rolls off! If the jacket does get wet, the insulation stays lofted and continues to insulate.
Insulated Zippered Pockets: Keep your hands warm in the insulated pockets. When combined with the thumbholes, you're hands will stay cozy! Also keep your valuables from being lost by zipping them securely into these pockets!
Athletic Fit & Drop Back: The athletic cut and drop back of the jacket keep you looking great no matter where you are. The drop back allows you to sit while keeping your rear and back fully covered.
Thumbholes: Keep your hands warm while still using your fingers and thumbs by using the reinforced thumbholes in the sleeves!
Technology:
- Shell: 20 Denier Nylon with DWR treatment
- Insulation: DownLT™ Insulation
- Fill Power: 800+
- Fill Weight: 97g (men's large), 88g (women's medium)
- Color: Charcoal, Olive, Blue
- Zipper: YKK
- Fit: Athletic - the NovaUL should be just loose enough to wear base layers and possibly another layer such as a Ventus Hoodie beneath. But you shouldn't have much more space than that for optimal warmth and layering application.
- Warranty: Outdoor Vitals Performance Promise
Care: Machine wash cold - alone & on delicate setting. Then tumble dry low, also on a delicate setting.

Nova Zero Stitch™ Technology
Nova Zero Stitch ™ fabric utilizes innovative technology to literally weave baffles into place. There are no stitches, and no bonding. You can't snag a stitch that isn't there, and water or dirt can't enter through stitch holes that don't exist!
This fabric literally helps preserve the insulation for longer. Plus, without thousands of stitch holes in your jacket, you can worry less about down loss!

The graphic above shows roughly what the double weave fabric looks like on a microscopic level. By interweaving the fibers of the jacket's shell fabric with the inner fabric to create baffle chambers, stitch holes & bonding (which can come apart) aren't needed.
The graphics below show the performance of Nova Zero Stitch™ Fabric compared to a more traditional single layer fabric when used in a jacket:




DownLT™ Insulation
DownLT™ insulation is a proprietary blend of DWR treated HyperDry™ down & loose fill synthetic insulation. The amount of synthetic insulation in the blend in minimal, so DownLT™ insulation retains all the natural properties of pure down: it is both ultralight & compressible. It's more stable than regular down, and will stay lofted & warm even when wet.
Even IF the jacket's insulation gets wet, the insulation will not collapse & you'll stay warm!
DownLT™ vs. Other Down Insulation
We wanted to test how DownLT™ performed when compared to other down insulations available. We gathered jacket samples using down insulation with a similar fill power to that of DownLT™, and tested how much loft they retained after going through a full wash cycle.
We measured the loft of the insulation in all of these jackets, and then measured what percentage of loft was lost after the wash cycle.
DownLT™ retained an incredible 70% of its loft, showing higher performance than even DWR treated down!

Layering Collection: Static
Layering Category: Lofted Static Insulation
Product Care
Your NovaUL jacket is a high performance piece of gear. It needs some extra attention to keep it performing at the highest level.
Please read through the care instructions below to ensure that you care for it properly:
Before Washing
- Always wash your Nova completely alone to prevent down migration.
- Never wash your Nova in a washing machine that has an agitator.
- If you cannot follow either of these prior instructions you should hand wash your jacket using the detergent and drying process described below.
The Wash & Dry Process
- Use a mild detergent like Dreft (for babies) or Nikwax (for technical gear).
- Choose Low Spin or Delicate wash.
- Choose Cold Wash & Cold Rinse.
- Hang dry until the jacket is completely dry.
- Then loft and redistribute your down insulation in the dryer by running it for 10 minutes on low or no heat with 3 dryer balls.
For more information on caring for your gear please visit https://outdoorvitals.com/pages/care-guide-faq
NovaUL In Use
NovaUL Features
Warm Even When Wet
Both the DownLT™ insulation & the Nova Zero Stitch™ Fabric combined create a jacket that is warm, ultralight, & weather resistant in any condition!
Even IF the jacket's insulation gets wet, the insulation will not collapse & you'll stay warm!
Woven Baffle Technology
Nova Zero Stitch™ Fabric
Nova Zero Stitch ™ fabric utilizes innovative technology to literally weave baffles into place. There are no stitches, and no bonding. You can't snag a stitch that isn't there, and water or dirt can't enter through stitch holes that don't exist!

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Excellent and warm
Love the fit and feel. This is going to be one of my favorites.
So comfortable, extremely light and a very warm jacket that has a ton of features I’ve only experienced in high dollar ski jackets. One of the best down jackets on the market and that I’ve owned to date. Looking forward to some good jacket weather again.
I was looking for a hooded 3 season puffy jacket and this fits the bill. The zero stitch baffles are unique and really do keep the wind out. The quality and features such as, pit zips and hood adjustments make this jacket an outstanding value for the price.
Was looking for a puffy to replace my Patagonia which had served me well but I knew it was time to move on. It's a crowded marketplace so the decision can get murky. It would be quite easy to spend twice the price of the NovaPro on another brand. I own the WM Flight jacket so I know this first hand. I ordered the NovaUL first but as someone that gets cold easily I returned it for the NovaPro as I am not at all worried about carrying the extra 2.5oz. The jacket is clearly designed to be longer than any other jacket I see on the market. I like this feature and think it serves backpackers very well. I don't know of another puffy that has pit zips, and while I haven't field tested this yet I love the idea of regulating body temps while backpacking with the puffy on. The thumb holes are an interesting twist but I find the sleeves are not quite long enough to use the thumb holes to sleep in the jacket all night. They do make layering up easier though. Lastly, like so many of us, I have way to many black garments; I ordered the jacket in the Smoke color and I love it. Great job OV; this jacket is a winner.