On Friday, February 27, 2026, the new "TYPHON NOVA" will join Millet's "TYPHON" series of waterproof and breathable materials. Its biggest feature is that the membrane itself is slightly "breathable." This quickly releases stuffiness inside the clothing from the moment it is worn, maintaining a dry and comfortable state.
For the first time, Millet has adopted stretched polypropylene for the membrane material. This film, named "TYPHON NOVA Membrane," is resistant to hydrolysis and maintains stable performance over a long period. Furthermore, its microporous structure with a porosity of approximately 80% achieves high breathability and rapid adaptation to environmental changes.
In addition, the amount of ventilation is appropriately controlled to prevent overcooling in cold regions, and the abrasion resistance of the outer fabric has been strengthened. This is a next-generation rainwear that can be trusted in harsh environments such as serious mountaineering and long-distance traverses.
TYPHON Series Gains Third Pillar
This spring, the "TYPHON NOVA," featuring a completely new waterproof and breathable material, joins Millet's TYPHON series, which has continued to evolve with the theme of "ultimate dryness."
Millet's original TYPHON has been supported by many mountaineers since its debut in 2015 for its high breathability, water resistance, and excellent stretchability, which is unusual for rainwear.
Then, in 2025, marking 10 years since its launch, a new "TYPHON ST (TYPHON Stretch)" was announced, increasing the material's water resistance by approximately 1.5 times. Simultaneously, the "TYPHON PHANTOM," combining an ultra-light 7-denier shell with an ultra-thin membrane, was added to the lineup. Now, "TYPHON NOVA" emerges as the third pillar of the series.
The development theme is "ventilation." By giving the membrane itself slight breathability, moisture permeability begins the moment it is worn, achieving a high level of moisture permeability that users can truly feel.
Polypropylene adopted for the membrane
The development of new materials is driven by changes in the environment surrounding outdoor wear.In recent years, PFAS regulations have been tightened globally, restricting the use of conventional fluorine-based materials.Millet focused on polypropylene (PP) as a next-generation membrane material because it possesses high hydrophobicity and can maintain moisture permeability over a long period. The main features of polypropylene are as follows:
Four features of polypropylene
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1. Repels water and efficiently expels moisture It has extremely high hydrophobicity and does not absorb or retain moisture. Therefore, moisture and water do not accumulate inside the membrane and are quickly expelled to the outside. |
2. Light enough to float on water Its specific gravity is extremely low at approximately 0.9, making it light enough to float on water. This is a significant advantage for mountaineering wear, where weight reduction is crucial. |
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3. Resistant to hydrolysis, long-lasting It is resistant to hydrolysis even in high-temperature and high-humidity environments, maintaining performance over long periods. This is a characteristic not found in general polyurethane-based materials. |
4. Low thermal conductivity, suitable for cold regions Its thermal conductivity is low at approximately 0.1, and it further decreases with a highly porous stretched membrane structure. It is a material less affected by outside air in cold regions and high altitudes. |
High performance created by 80% porosity
The TYPHON NOVA membrane is also characterized by being manufactured using a unique patented technology called the "dry stretch method." This method rapidly stretches polypropylene resin under specific conditions to form numerous minute pores inside.The membrane is only 18 micrometers thick. Inside this thin film, hundreds of millions of pores, each approximately 50 nanometers in size, are uniformly arranged, with a porosity reaching approximately 80%. There is also very little physical unevenness in the structure, ensuring stable moisture permeability throughout the material.
Ventilation Creates Tangible Moisture Permeability
With its high porosity and uniform structure, the TYPHON NOVA membrane possesses slight breathability. It maintains complete waterproofing while allowing air to pass through the membrane. This breathability creates a sense of "lightness" that can be felt immediately upon wearing.The conventional TYPHON membrane had a non-porous structure, where moisture permeability was promoted by increased humidity inside the clothing, making it suitable for relatively moderate activity. In contrast, TYPHON NOVA constantly ventilates, allowing users to experience comfort immediately even during intense mountaineering activities with rapidly rising humidity inside the clothing.
Ventilation tuning to prevent overcooling
Some breathable waterproof membranes can feel cold in cold regions or strong winds. TYPHON NOVA's ventilation has been appropriately tuned to prevent overcooling even in cold environments.Lab tests in sub-zero conditions confirmed that polypropylene membranes have less heat loss than polyurethane membranes. This adjustment ensures comfortable wear across a wide range of temperatures.
Three-layer structure manufactured with advanced Japanese technology
TYPHON NOVA fabric has a three-layer structure, with a 60-denier plain-weave nylon outer fabric and a 20-denier nylon tricot lining sandwiching the membrane.Bonding (adhering) membranes with strong hydrophobicity requires advanced techniques, and due to their high porosity, the film is light and unstable, making process control require skilled labor. Stable mass production was made possible by the high manufacturing technology of related factories in Japan.
High material strength for serious mountaineering
TYPHON NOVA is designed for serious mountaineering activities, including climbing rocky terrain. Material strength has also been thoroughly tested and enhanced compared to "TYPHON ST." In particular, the abrasion resistance of the outer fabric has been improved by approximately 150% compared to conventional models, assuming long periods of activity with heavy backpacks. This suppresses the deterioration of the waterproof and breathable membrane even in high-load environments.
Distinguishing Between TYPHON Series Products
With the addition of TYPHON NOVA, the TYPHON series now offers a lineup that can handle a wider range of situations."TYPHON" focuses on flexibility, "TYPHON PHANTOM" pursues ultra-lightweight performance, and "TYPHON NOVA" offers next-generation material with breathability and durability. Each of these superior characteristics contributes to safer and more comfortable outdoor activities.
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Features ・Ease of movement due to fabric flexibility and stretch performance ・Excellent stress-free comfort ・Balance of waterproofing and breathability |
Features ・Minimal wearing sensation due to ultra-thin fabric ・Overwhelming lightness ・Balance of waterproofing and breathability |
Features ・Environmental adaptability speed through breathability ・Long-term material durability ・Excellent abrasion resistance |
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Recommended usage scenes |
Recommended usage scenes |
Recommended usage scenes |
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Mountaineering/hiking, highly active activities, mountaineering in cold seasons, a wide range of outdoor activities. |
Trail running, hiking, low mountain trekking, backup use for transitional seasons |
High-altitude mountaineering, general mountaineering during non-snow seasons, long-distance trekking, demanding use in severe environments |
TYPHON NOVA Membrane Jacket: Combining Strength and Comfort
Product No.: MIV02163 / Price: 49,500 yen (tax included) / Colors: 2 / Sizes: XXS~XL / Weight: 390g (M)
TYPHON NOVA JKT
An all-weather shell jacket designed for extreme activities, pursuing protection and performance in tougher conditions.The 3-layer fabric, featuring the next-generation "TYPHON NOVA" membrane with a special microporous structure, achieves excellent water pressure resistance and fast, high ventilation efficiency.
The lightweight and flexible fabric combines high durability with environmental consideration, maintaining a comfortable and dry state even in harsh conditions. Other features include a three-dimensional cutting design that considers fit and ease of movement, and waterproof zip ventilation under the arms, placed in an easily accessible position to improve ventilation efficiency during perspiration. These features are meticulously pursued to make it ideal for mountaineering with intense perspiration in severe environments.
Product No.: MIV02164 / Price: 41,800 yen (tax included) / Color: 1 / Sizes: XXS〜XL / Weight: 356g (M)
TYPHON NOVA PANTS
Overpants designed for extreme activities, pursuing protection and performance in tougher conditions. The 3-layer fabric, featuring the next-generation TYPHON NOVA membrane with a special microporous structure, achieves excellent water pressure resistance and fast, high ventilation efficiency. The lightweight and flexible fabric combines high durability with environmental consideration, maintaining a comfortable and dry state even in harsh conditions. The clever three-dimensional cutting at the crotch and knees allows for unrestricted movement of the lower body, and long side zips for easy on/off and ventilation are among the ideal features meticulously pursued for stress-free mountaineering in severe environments.
