The Triple F.A.T. Goose Norden Hooded Bomber Jacket is really a coat. It’s super thick, freakishly warm and it just screams with classic style.
To get us a closer look, Triple F.A.T. Goose sent Man Makes Fire a review unit. This is what we learned:
Triple F.A.T. Goose Norden Hooded Bomber Jacket Review
Triple F.A.T. Goose has been around for more than three decades. We see the company more as a lifestyle brand than an outdoor gear company. Still, we can’t deny the outstanding build quality and impressive warmth in the Norden Hooded Bomber Jacket. And get this: The F.A.T. stands for ‘For Artic Temperatures.’
While we’ve never been to the Artic, the Norden is very warm. It is loaded with 700 fill power white goose down. In fact, the baffles are generously stuffed with down insulation. You should definitely think of the Norden as a coat, not a jacket.
Our men’s XL weighed in at 60 ounces, which is 3.75 lbs. It’s not a lightweight down jacket by any means, but it doesn’t feel heavy when you’re wearing it — it feels awesome and warm. Most high-performance down jackets tend to be very lightweight, which is great, but the Norden, on the other hand, feels substantial, which is also great.
Part of the weight comes from the durable exterior fabric. It looks good, feels good, and fits the overall bomber jacket design. To help shed moisture, the exterior is treated with a DWR coating.
Outstanding Style
The Triple F.A.T. Goose Norden Hooded Bomber Jacket is a damn fine looking jacket. The fit-and-finish throughout is impeccable, but the pockets, collar, and cuffs all come together to create a look that can handle cold city streets but will also take on windswept mountain vistas.
If you’re looking for a healthy dose of style, the Triple F.A.T. Goose Norden won’t let you down.
Meanwhile, the Norden Hooded bomber jacket can transform its look through a zip-off hood. Incidentally, because the Norden does such a great job of blending style with performance, it made our guide to the best down jackets.
Zip Off Fur and Zip Off Hood
If you don’t think you’re quite ready to rock the coyote-fur hood, you can zip off the coyote fur, leaving you with just the hood. And if you don’t want the hood at all, you can zip that off, too.
So cool.
The coyote fur is lined with a hidden wire, which you can bend to help shape the fur to into the proper curve. We’re not exactly models here at Man Makes Fire, and we haven’t yet found the right situation to pull off the fur. That doesn’t mean you won’t if you have the right attitude. However, we can say that when the hood is down around your shoulders, the fur looks great.
And what about that zip-off hood? The Norden looks fantastic with the hood removed, too.
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Cold-Fighting Features
Beyond the 700-fill power goose down, the Norden has other cold-fighting features. We particularly like the hidden nylon storm cuffs with thumbhole openings. They seal out drafts. You can also fold them back into the sleeve if you don’t want to use them.
The hood has an adjustable draw cord to help with fit. The hand pockets are fleece lined. While the primary insulation is underneath the pockets, the fleece lining does a good job of keeping your bare hands warm.
We were surprised to see zippered underarm vents — a.k.a. pit zips when you’re talking about backcountry jackets — but maybe we shouldn’t have been surprised. With a jacket this warm, the underarm vents can make a big difference to your overall comfort. Simply unzip them and you can dump excess heat without needing to unzip the main zipper. We’re fans of pit zips in most active backcountry jackets and rain gear and we were pleased to see them in the Norden, too.
What you don’t get is a draw cord at the hem, but the Norden has a ribbed elastic waistband instead. It’s obviously part of the “bomber” jacket design, but it does a decent job of sealing out drafts.
Plenty of Pockets
You get two hand pockets, two button-flap covered pockets, two vertical snap chest pockets and one interior zippered pocket. The exterior pockets all have a very nice micro-fleece lining.
We like pockets and the Norden delivers.
Alert: As of our publish date, Amazon is offering a 30% coupon on the Norden — act now before it’s gone! (Select your size to see the offer if it’s still available.)
Sizing and Fit
Triple F.A.T. Goose says the sizing is true-to-size, and while this might be technically true when you look at the sizing charts, we believe it fits about a half-size small compared to other similar coats.
If you check the chest size from Triple F.A.T., you’ll likely be able to get the right size for you. For instance, the Norden in XL fits a chest that’s 44-46 inches. That’s a bit small for most XL coats that we run into. For example, the men’s REI Co-op Stormhenge in XL fits chest sizes 46-49 inches. So, in the Norden, if you have a 48 inch chest, you’ll want to get the XXL (and not your usual XL).
For reference, the XL was a bit small on a 6’3″ 220 pound guy. On a 6’0″ 200 pound guy, the fit was good.
The Verdict: Outstanding Style & Amazing Warmth
All-in-all, the Triple F.A.T. Goose Norden Hooded Bomber Jacket is a stylish, super-warm down coat with an excellent build quality. We were surprised by how much we liked this coat — and appreciated the ability to remove the fur and hood for a more streamlined use. Very highly recommended.
Get the Gear:
- Triple F.A.T. Goose Norden Hooded Bomber Jacket – men’s
- Triple F.A.T. Goose Norden Hooded Bomber Jacket – women’s
