The NovaUL Jacket was designed as a solution to the long-standing problem that most ultralight jackets experience in the presence of moisture - "wetting out." Our Nova technologies come together in a puffy down jacket that offers superior wind-blocking, down retention, & loft retention even in wet conditions.
- More Reliable Insulation: Our proprietary DownLT ™ insulation combines 850 Fill Power HyperDry™ down (Allied RDS down - responsibly sourced) with a small percentage of synthetic to bring you a more stable insulation that stays lofted and warm even when soaking wet.
- No Stitches to Snag: Nova Zero Stitch™ Fabric is neither bonded nor stitched, but literally woven into place. The I-tube baffle design gives the NovaUL a brand new look while eliminating the chance for stitches to wear out or snag on things as you brush by. There are 10,000 fewer stitch holes in the NovaUL than a typical puffy jacket - we counted!
- More Water Resistant: Even when soaking wet, DownLT™ insulation stays lofted and warm. But odds are that in most cases the Zero Stitch™ fabric will prevent moisture from entering your ultralight jacket in the first place. With fewer stitch holes & a DWR treated shell, the NovaUL will stay quite lofted & warm through those unexpected storms.
- Full Featured: Features include thumb holes, a drop back, pit zips, YKK zippered side pockets, & 2-way hood adjustments - all in a jacket weighing under 15 oz.
The NovaUL Jacket is designed to perform in various conditions without compromising on comfort. Stay warm, dry, & protected on your adventures with a more reliable puffy down jacket.
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.
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: 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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I really love this jacket. The look, the warmth, the lightness and packability. The pit zips!!! The only small downside to me was the fit. I ordered a small and am 5'5' 125 lbs, and it fits me perfectly EXCEPT if I try to pull it down to its full length on me where it hits me mid-booty (it's not long enough to cover you entirely), and as soon as it's pulled below my waist it is super snug...safe to say my butt is a pretty standard size for an average woman, so I don't think it's a personal anatomy thing. I wish that they had made the jacket slightly bigger around the bottom, especially since they have the cinching mechanism inside anyhow. If someone my size doesn't even need to use the tighteners, then it feels like the jacket was made just the slightest bit too small to begin with. Still, I will wear it on almost all fall / winter adventure trips, but as other reviews have said, it seems like sizing up is usually a safer bet with Outdoor Vitals.
I am digging this UL puffy! It is now my go-to puffy :) Love the fit, it is true to size which also provides room for layering. And Yay! for thumb holes and optional pit zips! I can tell a lot of thought was put into the design, and it is well made.
I really liked the jacket but had to return because it was too big. The return/exchange process is a nightmare! Instead of just being able to exchange for a smaller size they put you through this frustrating process where you have to get approval to return the jacket (with a webpage that is hard to navigate to download the label), then have it “inspected” (like I am a fraudulent returner or something), then they will issue you a refund and you can buy another one in the smaller size. Are you kidding me?? Got the first one on sale? Too bad! You better hope it still is by the time this whole song and dance are over. I really want to support small businesses like this and not the evil Amazon, but processes like these make it very difficult.
I pre-ordered this jacket and received it December 2021. I was excited to have a light weight puffy with pit zips! Winter 2022 was very cold in the White Mountains. This jacket kept me warm in -20 above treeline. This year I noticed it wasn't as warm and I see that the baffles are disappearing under the arms and the insulation is gone from those areas. So ultimately the stitching is not durable. I am now looking for a replacement to use on the AT.
I received my NovaUL jacket yesterday and am having a hard time deciding whether or not to keep it. I like the fit and features, especially the pit zips, but the sleeve openings seem really loose. In the photo, you can see there are about 2 inches extra room at the wrist, and the elastic is not stretched at all. I am 5'8" tall, athletic build with broad shoulders and a 32/33" sleeve, and do not have dainty wrists. I ordered an XL.
The sleeves also extend past the middle of my palms, which makes the thumb holes comfortable, but when not using those the sleeves feel big and floppy.
I am trying to decide whether this feature makes this jacket a no-go or if the other great features of the jacket make it worth keeping.
If Outdoor Vitals has any suggestions on how to alter the sleeve cuff, I would love to know.
