Columbia Men’s Ascender Softshell Front-zip Jacket

La chamarra es muy bonita y se ve de buena calidad, la uso en un lugar donde el clima es de 12a18 grados centígrados y es perfecta, excelente en la lluvia no se pasa lo mojado hacia adentro, me gusto tanto que compre dos más para mis hijos , la recomiendo, el precio es muy bajo para la calidad.

I bought this for my husband who never buys for himself. He’s 6’7″ 350 lbs. This jacket fits him very nicely. He tried it on and went outside to see his reflection in the window. It was really windy and he commented that the wind didn’t go through. Columbia jackets and fleece are what I’ve been buying him for 15 years. Quality is always there as well as the big and tall size options.

I have an older NorthFace Apex Bionic Soft shell that I love. but after a few years of camping in it and having a lighter color, I decided I want to get a second one in black because years of camping and hiking grime and campfire soot made it dingy and unattractive. It still works great but not appropriate to wear to work because it makes me look like a dirt-bag. So I wanted to get a second one to wear everywhere except the trail and keep the dirty one for the backwoods. Unfortunately, My house got messed up pretty bad and both my cars were totaled in Hurricane Mathew and a lot of the stuff I wanted or needed this winter had to be dialed down so I could afford repairs. Then I found this black Columbia Ascender soft shell and found it was half as much as the northface and even better, the one with the electric blue zipper was even less! I wasn’t too keen on the blue zipper but after I wore it a while it grew on me and I love it now and glad I got it over the plain black on black. It was worth it both on looks and the bargain price.

The following information is based on my opinion when comparing the NorthFace Apex Bionic to this Columbia Ascender:

1. The Columbia is fitted in a way that is more complimentary to my shape. Its wider at the shoulders its slightly tapered at the waist and the sleeves are a little more snug compared to the Northface. the Columbia is more formfitting and is flattering to the body even if you don’t have a perfect six pack body (which I definitely do not). The northface is generally more loose fitting and creates the illusion of a flattering body shape by the two tone color design (obviously not true of the (TNF Black on Black version).

2. isulative ability i find that both jackets are equal in this area.

3. Water resistance, both are very impressive, neither one is completely waterproof, and the Columbia I think is slightly better in this area.

4. Comfort wise , advantage goes to Columbia. They have a fabric lining where the northface has fabric with a web like netting material in some sections. Both are comfortable Columbia is just more comfortable. also because of the way its fitted, the Columbia is more snug while the Northface is a little looser so if you are wearing this with your regular clothes to go to and from work or to wear a sweater while working outside in the cold, the Columbia will be comfortable. If you are doing winter Camping and spending long periods outside in freezing or sub freezing, then the Northface can accommodate more layers and fit more comfortably. I have worn a long sleeve compression Tee, thermals, cotton tee shirt, and hooded sweatshirt with wool lining and the North Face Bionic over the top and was warm and my movement was not restricted. Was able to hike in sub freezing temps, with good mobility and not need a heavy coat.If you are not hiking and just sitting still for several hours you will need a warmer coat but if you are active this will be adequate with sufficient layers. If you prefer the look of the Columbia and want to wear this many layers buy a size larger than your actual size.

toasty warm !

This jacket is wonderful. As soft and light as a fleece, with all the benefits of a weather resistant shell. I tried this alongside several other jackets that cost a lot more. I liked this one better. See below for comparisons.

Northface apex bionic 2: I expected to really like this one, but I was unimpressed. The sleeves were unusually long, and they don’t have any elastic or velcro in the wrists, so they just hang. I also found the forearms strangely tight, so that it was difficult to get my arms in when wearing long sleeves. I also though the rubber stamped north face logo looked cheap, compared to the stitched columbia logo. Definitely not worth $150.

Marmot gravity: this is a nice jacket, but it had limited color selection, and the waistband was too tight compared to others. A good choice if you want black or grey and don’t mind spending the $150.

Oregon research ferrosi: also a good quality jacket, but much thinner than all the others. It doesn’t have a soft fleece lining inside. It’s more of just a shell. Its fabric is much more stretchy, which is nice for mobility, but it makes it look less crisp and more frumpy. Good for the trail, but not so good for casual use around town. Definitely not suitable for the office.

The columbia was just right. Warm, but not too warm. Comfortable enough to wear on a hike. Attractive enough to wear to the office. My only complaint is that the velcro tabs at the wrist are a bit clunky, but they work well, and I’m glad to have them. I’m 5’11” 165lbs and the medium fit perfectly.

Colors: be aware that the amazon pictures are pretty inaccurate. The boulder is a lighter grey than pictured. I think of it as “1980s sweatshirt grey”. The graphite is a darker grey with a slight bluish tint. This is “postal worker uniform grey”. The black is a stark black with a stark white logo. The blacks of the north face and marmot were softer and (to my eye) more attractive. The surplus green is darker than pictured, more of a forest green. I liked the green quite a bit (more than I expected) and kept it over the others.