With winter fast approaching, it’s time to grab a jacket that will keep you warm throughout while keeping you dry. Founded in 1938, Columbia is a well-known brand that makes some of the warmest and most comfortable jackets for men, women, and kids.
One thing that sets this brand apart is the materials and technology they use to make their jackets. Most of their jackets are made using polyester, which is an environment-friendly 80% recycled material.
They have partnered with various fabric manufacturers to make their jackets weather resistant by incorporating technologies like Omni-Tech, Omni-Wick, OutDry, Omni-Freeze, Omni-Shield, and Omni-Wind.
Omni-Tech and Omni-Shield work together to make the jackets resistant to grime and stains and incorporate a membrane to make them waterproof. An inner layer, Omni-Wick, uses body heat to wick away moisture. Omni-Freeze helps cool you down while wearing the jacket, and OutDry makes them breathable and waterproof.
They also have TurboDown, a combination of down insulation and Omni-Heat that offers maximum warmth. To ensure you remain cool and minimize sweating, they use Omni-Heat Reflective technology that evenly disperses silver dots on the material to reflect body heat.
They use RDS-certified materials for down insulation to ensure everything is traceable. The certification indicates that they harvested the down from birds that were not force-fed or live-plucked.
The brand has a wide collection of jackets in different categories: casual, waterproof, windbreakers, fleece, insulated, soft shells, and rain jackets.
Ascender is one of their best-selling men’s jackets made using 100% polyester. They are versatile, high-performance, and water and wind resistant with a counter cut that ensures it fits perfectly even during activities.
TurboDown is an insulated jacket available in different designs, colors, and degrees of warmth. The Mighty Lite III is another insulated jacket for women made with 100% polyester. Omni-Heat thermal reflective technology, plus outer and inner pockets.
If you want a waterproof jacket, the men’s Glennaker Lake is nylon, durable, and lightweight, perfect for rough terrains and unstable weather. It has a hideaway hood, high collar, and adjustable cuffs and bottom hem.
In the fleece jacket category, the Fast Trek II is one of the best women’s jackets suitable for layering under a hard shell or winter coat. It is 100% polyester, has a comfortable yet hugging fit, has a hood, and is slightly water-resistance.
As a size-inclusive brand, their plus-size Benton Springs jacket is another good fleece jacket with a high collar and elastic cuffs, made with 100% polyester.
The Switchback II is one of the best casual jackets that doubles as a sports jacket. It has a nylon hydro plus shell and an inner fine mesh lining made with 100% polyester.
Other jackets include the men’s Bugaboo Interchange, Frost-Fighter Puffer, Grand Trek Down, and the Tipton Peak.