Columbia Women's Heavenly Long Hooded Jacket

I'll start by saying that I am already a huge fan of Columbia outerwear. I've owned jackets and fleece from them for years. They are designed for real people who spend real time outdoors...you know...for those of us who do more than just run from the car into a grocery store.After a hip surgery gone bad that has left me less active than before, I have gained some weight...not much, just enough that my existing Columbia Mighty Lite jacket can't have layers added underneath. I can still wear it, but there are times when I need to warm it up with extra clothing under it. So I went in search of a longer jacket that I could size up for layering.I couldn't tell by the descriptions of this hooded jacket and the Columbia Mighty Lite hooded jacket what the real differences are...so I ordered both, knowing that one would go back. I ordered them both in black and did a side by side comparison. At a glace, they look pretty much the same. Both are beautiful. And both fit pretty much the same, although this one (the Heavenly) had a bit more room through the shoulders which I love. The Heavenly has a black fleece-like fabric inside the hood...the Mighty lite does not. For this reason, the Heavenly coat's hood stayed on my head better and was definitely warmer. While both jackets seem to be the same thickness and weight, the Heavenly was warmer than the Mighty lite. The Heavenly jacket has quilting stitches that run through all of the fabric panels, the Mighty lite does not...the quilting stitching is only on the outside fabric. I don't know if this makes a difference in warmth or not. But the Heavenly felt warmer, which is what I wanted.Both jackets have an inner zip pocket at the chest and both have thumb-cuffs at the wrists. The sleeves are plenty long which I love. Often, when I forget to wear gloves or think it's warm enough that I don't need them and end up wanting them, I love to be able to just pull the coat sleeves down over my hands. Problem solved. Both jackets have the obvious quality feel that one expects from Columbia.In the end, I kept the Heavenly and sent the Mighty lite back due to the warmer feel of the Heavenly. The true test came when I walked the dogs in it on a 45 degree day. I was PLENTY warm in it...and at times a bit too warm. This made me happy, as I got this jacket for temps that are colder than this. I have other jackets that will work in 45 degrees. I'll be testing it more when winter arrives (it's fall now).

To start I live in Southern California where these kinds of jackets are a foreign concept because it is 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer and 70 in the winter. I took a trip to Ireland where I am at currently and after todays experience at the cliffs of moher I had to write this review. I did my research on this jacket first of all. Today it did not disappoint. While the sliver thermal inline is not all that flattering it really provided the warmth I needed. I layered with a thin sweater and a long sleeve shirt underneath. I was sweating while hiking around the cliffs in 36 degree weather. Then comes the torrential down poor while hiking and the wind. I couldn’t feel a thing from the wind and while my jacket was soaking wet on the outside I was completely dry underneath. My only discomfort was the water dripping off the bottom of the jacket onto my jeans getting those soaking wet. Oh well for that. Needless to say I was super impressed with the jacket. An extremely happy find and purchase. The jacket is flattering, comfortable, packable, you can roll it up small in a suitcase so it won’t take up much room.

I purchased this coat after a snow storm when I got sick of saying "this is b#llsh#t" under my breath while freezing, cleaning off my car for the umpteenth time. I am too cheap to buy Patagonia or North Face, but Columbia sounded sporty enough to keep me from dying in the snow at a decent price point. I was expecting this Columbia coat to be thick and puffy and make me look swollen enough to need an EpiPen. I purchased it in an XL so I could layer underneath and go full on Stay-Puff Marshmallow Man. Imagine my surprise (which the disco ball lining accentuates) when my coat was thin and streamlined like a seal. I put it on. Just as I was thinking "aw crap, I'm going to be a meat popsicle forever" the coat started to get toasty. I went out on the back deck in -12 air and sure enough the little silver Hot Pocket lining worked some NASA magic and kept me comfy in the bleak void that is Michigan winter.So, just like my husband, I am happy I took a chance on this coat.PS- If you don't need room to smuggle a watermelon across the border, get your usual size.

My husband bought this for me as a Christmas gift and I love it! It’s so light that we both were skeptical at first, but then I wore it on a cold winter Pennsylvania December day and I was warm! Not just comfortable, but warm! It comes down long enough to cover my upper thighs, so it keeps the wind away, it can zip all the way up to right under your nose. The hood has a soft fuzzy lining on the inside, and even though it’s not very flattering with the hood up in my opinion, it keeps you warm. Walking my active lab in the winter with this coat on, makes it bearable! Highly recommend!!Forgot to mention the design is flattering since it “dips in” a little at the waist on both sides so you have a little shape unlike other jackets I tried before this one that just hung on me.

I wanted something a bit lighter, for fall and spring, but now I like it for winter. It is a bit warm when you go inside, like for shopping, but that’s true of most winter coats. The smooth thermal lining is nice cuz you can slip it on smoothly with no friction from sleeves and such. Outside pockets are just barely big enough for my iPhone 12 Pro Max, as is the inside zip pocket, but it works. The knit sleeve cuffs are nice to keep snow out. No gap when wearing mittens. The fleece lined hood is nice and warm and no crinkly noises in your ears. Length is just above my knees. I’m 5’7” 180lbs and the XL is roomy.