Those chilly, blustery days of winter are nearly upon us. During the season of Old Man Winter, everyone loves reaching for the cozy warmth of a quality down jacket. But what if this winter your down jacket could be more. What if your down jacket could evolve to provide greater protection against winter’s fury offering new unprecedented levels of warmth? Enter the Heatzone 1000 TurboDown Hooded Jacket from Columbia.
On Performance and Design…
Like the crazy uncle that no one wants to talk about, there is a dark secret that shrouds the traditional baffled down jackets: Cold spots along the stitch lines where body heat escapes. Baffling — sewing the down into squares, tubes, or other shapes through the inner and outer fabric — keeps feathers evenly distributed for equal warmth through all parts of the jacket. But sewing compresses down and punches holes into the liner and shell wherever a needle passes through the fabric.
So the smart kids at Columbia set to the task of solving this little problem endeavoring to create a jacket that offers unparalleled heat retention for better overall performance. The result is a virtual evolution of the down jacket that offers better protection and fiery warmth to fend off winter woes. How did they do it? The secret ingredient is an innovative construction method referred to as TurboDown Wave.
In short, this construction technique pairs two layers of 900-fill water resistant Goose down separated by a 100 gram layer of the company’s synthetic Omni-Heat Thermal Insulation. Rather than sewing straight through both layers of fabric, the jacket is welded together through wavelike baffles offset by layers. To make the jacket even warmer, Columbia lined the jacket with their breathable Omni-Heat Reflective lining which bounces your own body heat back to you.
To further protect you from the elements, the exterior of the jacket is finished off with Columbia’s Omni-Tech outer shell on the shoulders, hood and arms. While adding an impressive level of water protection, this design also allows the jacket to retain a level of breathability despite being so heat efficient. As an added bonus, the Heatzone 1000 TurboDown also features a storm hood that slides over your helmet or cinches across your head with a simple, one-handed adjustment. Adjustable cuffs seal across your wrists to keep the sleeves off your hands and seal out any cold drafts.
Notes from the Field…
As part of Columbia’s newly relaunched Titanium line the Heatzone 1000 TurboDown Hooded Jacket (available for men and women) is fully-loaded with everything you’d expect from a technically proficient jacket and a brand to dedicated to leading the industry with cutting edge technology and innovation. Quite literally, this is the warmest down jacket we have ever slipped over our shoulders. From crisp autumn evenings in Truckee, to 10° below zero in blustery Minnesota, this jacket never let us down. 
With a retail price of $450, you will be paying a premium price for the warmth and protection this jacket offers. It’s also worth noting – particularly for the light and fast crowd – that due to the addition of the synthetic Omni-Heat Thermal Insulation, this jacket will not pack down like a traditional down jacket. But if you’re looking for the ultimate piece of armor to confront a vicious Old Man Winter, look no further.
Bottom Line…
In an industry full of hype, hyperbole, and superlatives run amok, Columbia’s Heatzone 1000 TurboDown Hooded Jacket truly represents an evolution of the puffy jacket and delivers new levels of winter defying heat.
*Gumption Gear Review received the items featured in this review from Columbia at no cost and receives no monetary compensation for this or any related review. The items featured were provided solely in return for our honest views and opinions.