columbia arctic trip omni heat pants

What is Columbia’s new Omni-Heat Arctic technology? We took it to the Alps to find out

For Omni-Heat Arctic, Columbia looked to planet Earth for inspiration to keep you warmer in colder weather

Cold weather is on the way, and at the headquarters of Columbia Sportswear, that can only mean one thing: a new technology is being unveiled.

The Oregon-based outdoor brand was founded in 1938 and has differentiated itself from other outdoor brands by developing its own technologies to help keep you warm, cool, dry and protected when you’re outside. There’s OutDry Extreme , their waterproof membrane that can be worn on the outside of waterproof jackets and rain pants eliminating the need for harmful chemicals, Omni-Wick which can be found in running leggings to keep you dry and cool when it’s hot and then there’s the whole Omni-Heat “family” which is a group of insulating technologies for cold conditions.

I’ve already written about Omni-Heat Infinity , which uses small metallic gold dots on the lining of clothing like the Arch Rock Double Wall Elite Hooded Jacket to act like an emergency blanket and reflect your body heat back to you. Then there’s Omni-Heat Helix , which uses tiny foam pads in the lining of fleece jackets that act like sleeping pads to hold heat close to your body. This season, the brand is launching Omni-Heat Arctic, and I recently returned from a trip to Val d’Anniviers, Switzerland where I got to test the technology myself in high-altitude conditions to find out what it’s all about and whether it works.

What is Omni-Heat Arctic? 

Unlike Omni-Heat Infinity, which uses space technology to keep you warm, for Omni-Heat Arctic, Columbia looked to planet earth for inspiration. Polar bears reside in the Arctic, where temperatures can plunge to as low as -50°F in winter. As the non-profit Polar Bears International explains, polar bears look white, but they actually have heat-absorbing black skin and two layers of translucent fur that prevent almost all heat loss. 

Omni-Heat Arctic uses an approach called “biomimicry” – copying strategies found in nature to solve design problems and seen in innovations like synthetic fleece instead of wool – to create what the company calls “a solar-capture insulation system” that delivers lightweight, high-efficiency warmth boosted by solar power. In this case, it means a black yarn in the lining of clothing that absorbs the sun’s rays while conventional insulation like down or fleece helps trap it there, in addition to your own body-generated heat.

How does Omni-Heat Arctic keep you warm? 

Whereas previous iterations of Omni-Heat come down to reflective technology, Omni-Heat Arctic acts like a magnet, helping to attract the sun’s rays and then holding that heat close to your skin. The lining of the Arctic Crest Down Hooded Jacket has a pattern of small black dots to draw the sun’s UV rays to the layer closest to your skin, acting similarly to how a polar bear’s skin works.

“If you’re in a very, very cold environment, it will still absorb heat by heat radiation so it automatically heats up your jacket when you’re in a low ambient air temperature,” explains TJ Bradley, a sales manager for Columbia in Ireland.

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Essentially, the black lining boosts the insulation that your jacket is already providing, particularly in low ambient temperatures, and means you can stay warmer with fewer layers.

Does Omni-Heat Arctic actually work? 

“Innovation is no good if it’s not relevant,” says Bradley, and in general I’ve found Columbia’s technologies to be both relevant to spending time outdoors and effective, but how does Omni-Heat hold up against cold conditions?

Those of us who like adventuring into high alpine zones are always looking for lightweight ways to stay warm, and last week I tested two jackets with the Omni-Heat Arctic technology: the down jacket which I already mentioned and the Arctic Crest Sherpa Full Zip Fleece Jacket . I haven’t taken either to the Arctic, but I wore them both for some cold early morning hikes and sunrise yoga outdoors and above 7,000 feet. 

What I can say with certainty is that both jackets are extremely warm instantaneously, and the down jacket is very light. On one brisk morning in the Italian Alps,  I was the only one out of a group of seven journalists that didn’t have chattering teeth, even though I was wearing hiking shorts on my lower half, so I was pleased with the performance.

That said, there are some instances where it definitely won’t work as well. For example, if you’re wearing a jacket with Omni-Heat Arctic and it’s raining, you’ll likely put on a waterproof jacket over the top, which blocks the UV absorption. That said, the puffer jacket is water-resistant, so they’ve clearly thought about that. 

Similarly, the jackets that incorporate Omni-Heat Arctic will still keep you warm at night, but without UV rays not necessarily more so than any other jacket with the same amount of insulation. That said, if you’re seeking more out of your insulated jackets for very cold conditions but not looking to add more insulation or layers, it’s a good place to start.

• The best synthetic puffer jackets

Julia Clarke is a staff writer for Advnture.com and the author of the book  Restorative Yoga for Beginners . She loves to explore mountains on foot, bike, skis and belay and then recover on the the yoga mat. Julia graduated with a degree in journalism in 2004 and spent eight years working as a radio presenter in Kansas City, Vermont, Boston and New York City before discovering the joys of the Rocky Mountains. She then detoured west to Colorado and enjoyed 11 years teaching yoga in Vail before returning to her hometown of Glasgow, Scotland in 2020 to focus on family and writing.  

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Columbia Arctic Trip Omni-Heat Pant

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WINTER READY Embrace fresh powder days in these ergonomic-fit snow pants built with thermal-reflective lining and synthetic insulation. WATERPROOF AND BREATHABLE Critically seam-sealed to keep water out, these pants feature Omni-Tech™ technology to keep you dry and well ventilated. KEEP SNOW OUT A snap gusset, reinforced hem, and internal leg gaiters keep powder where it belongs. Zip-up pockets keep small items secure. - Omni-Tech™ waterproof/breathable critically seam sealed - Omni-Heat™ thermal reflective and insulated - Adjustable waist - Zippered hand pockets - Internal leg gaiter - Reinforced leg hem - Lower leg snap gusset

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A Bump Buffet for Ski Bums Everywhere!

Columbia Women’s Arctic Trip Snow Omni Heat Waterproof Pants

$ 40.79 – $ 119.99 (as of 11/05/2018 at 03:34 UTC)

Description

Additional information.

Columbia Arctic Trip Omni-Heat Womens Snow Ski Pants

• Omni-Heat keeps you warm and dry all the time
• Omni-Heat reflective liner
• Omni-Tech--Breathable and Waterproof
• Front zip closure with double snap at waist
• Internal adjustable waist,Belt loops Side seam zippered pocket on right leg

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Product Key Features

• Occasion Activewear, Casual
• Pocket Type Slash Pocket
• Garment Care Machine Washable
• Color Black
• Compression Area Waist
• Performance/Activity Skiing, Ice Skating
• Closure Zip
• Style Snow Pants
• Features Pockets, Adjustable Waist, Waterproof
• Season Fall, Winter
• Handmade No
• Pattern Solid
• Material Nylon
• Fit Regular
• Size Type Regular
• Leg Style Straight
• Model Machine
• Theme Outdoor, Modern
• Length Short

Columbia Black Sports Snow Pants & Bibs for Women

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Columbia Arctic Crest Down Hooded Jacket review: ultralight warmth that doubles as a camping pillow? Yes, please

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Meet the reviewer

Columbia arctic crest down hooded jacket: first impressions.

Just in time for colder weather, Columbia has launched a new technology and packaged it into this extremely lightweight and effective down jacket . The Arctic Crest Down Hooded Jacket utilizes Omni-Heat Arctic technology – which uses biomimicry to imitate the way a polar bear's fur keeps it warm – to attract the sun’s rays via black dots on the lining. It then holds that heat close to your body using 700 fill goose down.

On our field tests in the Alps, we found this jacket to be extremely warm, especially given how lightweight it is – easily one of the lightest we've ever tested. It's also impressively breathable if you want to keep it on while you're climbing. Bindings on the hood and cuffs plus a drawcord hem help to block out a chilly wind when you're on a breezy summit or hanging out at camp.

Specifications

• List price:  $280 / £60 • Gender specification:  Men's and women's sizing available • Sizes: Men's S - XXL, Women's XS - XXL • Weight (women's S):  10.9 oz / 310 g • Materials:  Shell: 100% Nylon. Insulation: 700 Fill Power Goose Down Insulation, RDS Certified • Colors: Black, Mountain blue, Nimbus grey, White, Moonvista • Best use:  Hiking, camping

This jacket has useful handy zipped pockets – two for your hands and a chest pocket which are great for keeping gear such as your gloves and phone close by. The real beauty here though is that the entire jacket packs into the left-hand pocket, which then zips up to make this jacket easy to pack, or allow it to double as a camping pillow .

Water-repellency means you don't necessarily have to leap for your waterproof jacket if you encounter a drizzle, which is handy because a shell would block the UV rays you want the jacket to absorb. Meanwhile, stain repellency helps you avoid frequent washing, and having to fluff your jacket again which can be laborious if you don't have a dryer.

Our only real gripes are that it's designed to be fashion-forward, which means it's snugger around the hips than we'd necessarily like, and there's no recycled content in the composition. However, it's a good price and we're impressed by the insulating technology.

Columbia Arctic Crest Down Hooded Jacket: in the field

It's getting to be down jacket season and I'm always interested in a new technology from outdoors brand Columbia – I've previously written about Omni-Heat , Omni-Wick and OutDry Extreme technology, to name a few – so I was excited to get to test this jacket out recently on a press trip to the Swiss Alps.

Though it's not exactly freezing there yet, I had plenty of opportunities to test out this jacket in chilly fall conditions.

Here’s how performed:

Sizing, fit and comfort

I tested a small which is my usual size and while Columbia gear does often run a little large on me, I think this jacket fits true to size. There is a caveat to that though – Columbia often does style their gear towards a younger generation and in this case, it means the jacket has quite a snug fit, particularly around the hips.

I don't have massively wide hips, but I'm not a string bean either and I was surprised at how neat this was at the bottom. It certainly didn't affect my movement or comfort, but I feel like it would only take a few extra inches of padding – be that natural or from wearing a thicker fleece under this – and I'd have trouble zipping it up.

That aside, I do like that it runs a little long for added warmth and I personally have no issues with comfort in this jacket and love the soft feel of the shell.

Warmth, breathability and protection

After quizzing the reps at Columbia about how the technology works, my understanding is that the black dots on the lining combined with the translucent shell material absorb the sun's rays, while the down traps it there in addition to your body heat for added warmth. In theory, anyway.

Obviously in practice, if it's nighttime or you're wearing a waterproof shell over the top, this jacket isn't going to be as effective, but I did get immediate warmth from it whether I was wearing it during the day or at night. I'm not sure if the technology works any better than any other down jacket with a black lining, but I do think it works even if that's largely down to the 700 fill power down.

I kept it on for one of our hikes and was also pleased by the level of breathability, which is a general benefit of down over a synthetic puffer .

It's also treated to be water-repellent, which is excellent news because it means that it can hold off a light shower (though not a heavy rain). This means I don't always have to layer up, and that in turns increases its insulating power since I don't have to block the sun's rays with another jacket.

Weight, storage and other details

One of the most impressive features of this jacket is how light it is. I've compared it to several other down jackets that I've tested, and so far I can't find one that comes close to it in terms of weight. Obviously, for travel and variable weather, this is a huge bonus because you can enjoy dependable insulation without adding tons of weight.

All jackets need good storage in order to be technical and this one has two standard zipped hand-warming pockets plus a chest pocket which I ended up using for my phone when I was wearing a backpack.

The real bonus, however, is that the entire jacket packs away into the left-hand pocket, which then zips up. I don't know about you but generally when someone tells me a jacket fits into its pocket, I can get about two-thirds of it in then I run out of space and I've never been able to zip it up. This one actually works, however, and once it's packed away it's actually pillow-shaped. I don't know if they did this on purpose or if it's a happy accident, but I'd definitely bring this along and use it as a camping pillow any time I was expecting cold weather.

The only other main detail to mention is that the Omni-Shield repellency also makes it stain-resistant, which is super handy considering I received a white version to test. It looks great, but I wouldn't usually choose white hiking gear for obvious reasons. This will keep it looking good for a bit longer, and means I don't have to wash it as frequently.

Columbia Arctic Crest Down Hooded Jacket: the bottom line

If you're in the market for an ultralight but reliably warm down jacket, this jacket checks all those boxes, and the fact that it can double as a pillow is a really nice bonus for backpackers and travelers. That said, the snug fit around the hips may not be for everyone, and there is an argument to be made for a jacket that's less neat overall. For comparison, take a look at the Rab Infinity Microlight jacket which isn't quite as light, but has a more functional fit and comes with a stuff sack for packing.

How Advnture tests products

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Columbia Womens Arctic Trip Omni-Heat Snow Pant, Short Length, Black (Medium)

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• Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.82 x 12.05 x 3.86 inches; 1.75 Pounds
• Department ‏ : ‎ womens
• Date First Available ‏ : ‎ January 13, 2020
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B083TDPB9F
• #189 in Women's Skiing Pants

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