Pre-launch waitlist · Early-access pricing locked at $199 · Production starts at 800 signups

Pre-launch · Waitlist Open · Vol.03

From city streets
to alpine peaks.

Aurora Shell is a 3-layer Dermizax™ technical jacket engineered to dissolve the line between your morning commute and your weekend ridge. 20K waterproof. 10K breathable. Seven pockets. One uniform for everywhere you go.

Explore the tech$199 early-access · 60-day returns

Dermizax™ Membrane20K Waterproof10K Breathability4-Way Stretch7 PocketsHelmet-Compat. HoodYKK AquaGuard®Fully Seam-SealedRecycled Lining

01 / Why we built it

Most jackets force you to choose.

Either it survives the rain on the ridge but looks ridiculous on the train. Or it looks sharp at brunch but soaks through the moment a cloud opens. We were tired of owning two jackets to do one thing well.

Stiff & sweaty

Hardshells that fight you

Old-school 2L laminates feel like cardboard the moment you raise your arms. We engineered 4-way stretch into a 3L construction so the jacket moves with the wearer, not against.

Pocket panic

One pocket. Forever fumbling.

Phone, transit card, gloves, energy bar, Airpods, ID, beanie. Seven things, seven dedicated pockets — each placed where your hand actually lands.

Out of place

Looks like a tent in the city.

We rebuilt the silhouette — clean shoulder, articulated sleeve, urban hem length — so it sits right under a blazer or over a base layer at 4,000m.

02 / The Specs

Built like alpine gear.
Cut like a daily uniform.

Every fabric, zipper, and seam was specified at the level of high-altitude expedition kit — then tailored back into a silhouette that doesn't shout outdoor at the office.

/ 01 — Waterproof Rating

20,000 mm hydrostatic head.

Tested to withstand 20-meter water column pressure — the threshold for sustained alpine storm exposure. Every seam fully taped with 13mm seam tape.

20K mm

/ 02 — Breathability

Moisture out, before sweat in.

10,000 g/m²/24h MVTR vents body heat from skin track climbs without a clammy aftertaste.

10K g/m²

/ 03 — Membrane

3-Layer Dermizax™ laminate

Toray's PU-based membrane outflexes ePTFE rivals — softer hand, quieter rustle, identical waterproof ceiling. The membrane that pros pick when GORE feels too rigid.

/ 04 — Mobility

4-way stretch. Articulated everywhere.

Most 3L shells lock you in. We engineered mechanical stretch into the warp and the weft — so reaching, climbing, and shouldering a pack feel like a softshell.

/ 05 — Storage System

Seven pockets, mapped to your day.

Two chest, two hand, one inner secure, one sleeve transit, one back ventilated. We tested 14 layouts across 6 weeks of commute + ski testing.

/ 06 — Helmet Hood

Hood that fits anything on your head.

Tri-axis adjusters and a rolled brim accept everything from a beanie to a full alpine helmet without compromising peripheral vision.

02b / Material Lab

Tested where it matters.

The Dermizax™ face fabric isn't spec sheet folklore. We put it through the abuse a daily uniform actually meets — knife edges, grit, rock, pack straps — before we ever taped a seam.

Razor blade dragged across the shell fabric without piercing it — / Test 01
Cut resistance
Razor blade dragged across panel at 45°. Outer face shows scratch line; membrane stays intact.

Coarse sand worn against the shell surface under controlled pressure — / Test 02
Sand abrasion
Coarse-grit cycle for 8,000 rotations. No fiber pilling, no membrane delamination at the contact zone.

Shoulder panel resting against rough concrete to test snag resistance — / Test 03
Pack & rock contact
Loaded shoulder pulled across rough concrete and granite. Surface recovers; no snag, no thread pulls.

03 / Use Anywhere

One jacket. Four lives.

We didn't build a "do-it-all" jacket. We built four jackets that happen to share a body. Pick the version that matches your week — or get all four without changing layers.

Headlamp-lit night exploration in volcanic terrain

Mode 01 / Outdoor

After-dark exploration

Ventilated underarm zips, reflective trims, packs into a fist for a 4 a.m. start.

Climber on a coastal ridge in late afternoon light

Mode 02 / Hiking

Saturday Ridgeline

Articulated sleeves, helmet-compatible hood, full mobility under a loaded daypack.

Mode 03 / Alpine

Above the Treeline

Glove-friendly cuffs, fully seam-sealed, snow-skirt and powder-cuff layered protection.

Hiker in heavy rain inside a wet temperate forest

Mode 04 / Rainy Travel

Carry-On Climate

Folds to a pillow, doubles as one. Survives 14h of cabin air and an unexpected downpour.

04 / Honest Comparison

How Aurora Shell stacks up against $700 shells.

We benchmarked against the jackets we actually owned and respected. Here's the honest version — no asterisks.

★ Pre-LaunchAurora Shell

Arc'teryx Beta AR

Patagonia Triolet

Membrane

3L Dermizax™ (PU)

3L GORE-TEX Pro

3L GORE-TEX

Waterproof rating

20,000 mm

28,000 mm

20,000 mm

Breathability (MVTR)

10,000 g/m²/24h

28,000 g/m²/24h

15,000 g/m²/24h

4-way stretch fabric

✓ Standard

✗ No (rigid 3L)

✗ No

Pockets

7 (incl. transit sleeve)

Helmet-compatible hood

✓

Fits under blazer

✓ Designed for it

✗ Too boxy

Retail price

$199 early-access

$700

$499

05 / Brand

Aurora — the light you only see at the edge of the map. The clearest sky comes after the harshest night.

— Founders' note · 2024

Shell is our third release. The first two — the Cirrus Puffer and the Cargo Pack — shipped to 9 countries and pulled in just over $100K from people who paid in advance. We're small on purpose. No webstore. No retail. The waitlist is how you get in.

— Track Record

2024 · Vol.01

$42K

Aurora Cirrus Puffer — funded 138%

2025 · Vol.02

$63K

Aurora Cargo Pack — funded 195%

2026 · Vol.03

287

Aurora Shell — waitlist open · early-access pricing locked

Combined

Countries shipped to

06 / Owner Voices

From people already wearing the previous two.

★★★★★

"Backed the Cirrus in ’24. Took it to Hokkaido at -22°C and forgot I was wearing a jacket. Already on the Shell waitlist — same team, same trust."

Daniel K.

Owns Aurora Cirrus · Toronto

★★★★★

"Looks like Veilance, prices like a college kid can swing it. Whatever the markup story is on the $700 shells — it’s not the fabric. Spec sheet alone got me onto the waitlist."

Sara R.

Industrial designer · Berlin

★★★★★

"The Cargo Pack is a year old and still my daily bag — the stitching, the pocket logic, all of it. If Shell is built the same way, the waitlist is the easiest yes I’ve made."

Jamie L.

Owns Aurora Cargo · Amsterdam

07 / Reserve

Reserve your tier.

Joining the waitlist locks early-access pricing on the tier you pick — no charge today. We email you a private checkout link the week production opens. First batch ships globally.

Solo

$199$385

Save $186 · 48% off retail

1× Aurora Shell Jacket
Choice of size & color
Free worldwide shipping
Founder-signed care card

14 / 40 reservations held

Reserve Solo

Things backers ask first.

01When does production ship?

We start production once the waitlist crosses 5,000 signups — the volume that makes a small fabric mill prioritize our run. Current target: first batch ships Spring 2026 from our Vietnam facility, with reservations honored in waitlist order.

02How do I pick a size?

Sizing is finalized after the waitlist closes. We send a sizing survey two weeks before production locks — you can swap sizes freely up to that point, no charge. Until then, your reservation just holds your spot in the queue.

03Why Dermizax instead of GORE-TEX?

Dermizax is a polyurethane-based membrane (vs. GORE’s ePTFE). At identical 20K waterproof ratings, PU membranes feel softer, rustle less, and stretch better with the fabric — which matters more for daily wear than a marginal MVTR difference at expedition use.

04Returns and exchanges?

60-day return window from delivery, no questions asked. Size exchanges are free (you pay return shipping outside North America). After 60 days, our 2-year manufacturing warranty kicks in.

05When am I charged?

Joining the waitlist is free. We email you a private checkout link the week production opens — that’s when you complete payment at the early-access price you locked in today. If we miss the launch threshold, you’re never charged.

06How does Shell differ from the Cirrus Puffer?

Cirrus is an insulated cold-weather jacket built for stillness in -40°C. Shell is a non-insulated technical shell built for movement across temperate-to-cold conditions. Many backers own both — Shell over Cirrus is our recommended winter system.

07Where is it made?

Designed in Los Angeles, California. Manufactured at our partner facility in Vietnam — the same factory that produces for several of the brands we benchmarked against. We visit the line every quarter.

Wherever this week takes you — be ready.

287 on the waitlist · Early-access pricing locked at $199 · First batch Spring 2026

Read the specs

Most jackets force you to choose.

Hardshells that fight you

One pocket. Forever fumbling.

Looks like a tent in the city.

Built like alpine gear.Cut like a daily uniform.

20,000 mm hydrostatic head.

Moisture out, before sweat in.

3-Layer Dermizax™ laminate

4-way stretch. Articulated everywhere.

Seven pockets, mapped to your day.

Hood that fits anything on your head.

Tested where it matters.

Cut resistance

Sand abrasion

Pack & rock contact

One jacket. Four lives.

After-dark exploration

Saturday Ridgeline

Above the Treeline

Carry-On Climate

How Aurora Shell stacks up against $700 shells.

From people already wearing the previous two.

Reserve your tier.

Things backers ask first.

Wherever this week takes you — be ready.

Built like alpine gear.
Cut like a daily uniform.