2015 Award Winner ~ Outside Gear of the Show and Best New Gear by the Gear Institute.
3 Features I love!
- 900 Fill Water Resistant Goose Down Insulation – Finally a jacket warm enough for me!!
- Omni Heat Reflective Lining – you mean it reflects my own heat back to me? Woot Woot!
- The fit – lots of room for movement yet sleek and stylish.
Jacket Specs
- 900-fill, water-resistant goose down
- 100g’s of Omni-Heat insulation in the shoulders and hood
- Seam Tapped Baffles
- Omni-Heat™ Reflective lining
- Shoulders and hood are waterproof/breathable nylon fabric
- 2 way zipper
- 6 storage pockets
- Drawcord adjustable hem
[From Columbiasportswear.ca]
Fit & Sizing Notes
The heat zone is not just practical, it’s stylish too. The below the bum length adds warmth, the high
collar keeps my neck warm and the active fit allows layering and lots of mobility. This jacket is not poofy or bulky to wear, it is sleek and has gotten lots of compliments.
Performance
The heatzone 1000 really keeps me warm, which is a tall order. Columbia combined 900-fill water resistant goose down around your core with 100grams of synthetic insulation in the hood, shoulder and arms and I am really happy with this combination. The goose down keeps my core warm, while the synthetic fill is light weight and less bulky in the sleeves and hood, and stays warm when wet. Then the baffles are created using seam tape instead of traditional stitching, making this jacket even warmer. The exterior fabrics are durable and the nylon totally cuts the wind. By cut the wind, I mean 70-100km winds!
The 2 large hand pockets that are nice and big and can hold lots of stuff but are poorly positioned. They are all too low for my liking as the items inside tend to dig into my hips when I bend over and a backpack wait strap cuts them off. There are 3 more pockets on the inside, 2 big ones and a smaller safety pocket for your keys.
The Omni Heat reflective lining made the top 3 because it is super helpful when you don’t produce a lot of body heat. The hand pockets are also lined and are incredibly warm.
This jacket is hard to pack down because it doesn’t fit in the storage pocket thus takes up a lot of room in my pack. The hood is helmet compatible and doesn’t reduce your peripheral vision but it also doesn’t block the wind.
Final Comments
There is a reason this jacket won 2 awards! It is intelligently designed for women, helping us to capture and retain body heat while reducing the effects of convection.
What is your favourite winter jacket feature?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.