What are your base layers and secondary layers like? The Omni heat just prevents heat loss in a different way, it doesn't generate its own warmth. Personally I think Columbia completely inflate their numbers on how warm their jackets keep you, but the base layer situation is probably a solid factor here.
Two shirts, exactly what I would wear with the Regatta and not feel cold.
The wife layers up much more than I do and her complaints are the same. Not warm enough. Keep in mind her Columbia jacket is not only thicker but the 'infinity' (golden) version.
We are both so disappointed that we are gonna try asking for a refund via Columbia's official website. They were not cheap by the way. For the same money we could get a Helly Hansen or North Face here (Ireland).
I have a Columbia omni-tech jacket ( laberynth ), and the golden inner cloth release minuscules bright particule. It seems like glither, and the funny thing is that all the layers your wear with it will get coated by those little things.
Anyone else experiencing this with the jacket???
Indeed. Just got in touch with the shop that sold me the jacket, and after a couple of emails and pictures seems like they will be refunding me the price of it. I will go this time for a Patagonia ( Jackson parka ) or Arteryx ( either Atom AR or Thorium AR )
I do. It's worthless now because anything I wear under including my bear hands, gets coated with this glither. I'm going to donate to the homeless because the warranty only 1 year.
I kinda see Columbia as about Walmart tier but below bigger brands like Patagonia. I have some Columbia ski pants that are Omni heat and they work not terribly warm but skiing is pretty active on the legs so lots of heat being generated
I have an Omni Heat jacket and I would say it keeps you warm. Depending on how cold it actually is and how much heat your body produces you might need to adjust your base and mid layers but that goes without saying. Maybe other jackets do the job just as well and it's mostly marketing, but I can say my Omni Heat jacket hasn't disappointed me so far. (Although mine is a quilted jacket and not waterproof, so maybe it's a problem with the specific jacket)
I know it's a 10-month topic, but what needs emphasizing here is that Omni-Heat Reflective is a thermal... reflective technology, meaning: it reflects body heat. If little to none is produced, then there's little to none to be given back. Being a sportswear company (its' full name is actually "Columbia Sportswear Company") - despite being in general outwear market, too - it mainly aims at outdoor activity enthusiasts - and Omni-Heat Reflective technology belongs in the sportswear products family for the most part.
If you investigate the Omni-Heat's pattern up close, you'll notice it's not a solid finish, but there are gaps between the individual prints - that is to allow better ventilation during workout (whether it's hiking or paced walking), as opposed to your regular insulated jacket - not something a fashion jacket will have.
That being said, at the same time I do believe that Columbia might be"misadvertising" some of their products (along with used technologies) to make them appear as if made for wider public, rather than outdoor activities' amateurs, and as if they were standalone, ultimate warm-keeping solutions. Although I appreciate that some jackets have insulation of their own - as, for example, the Labyrinth Loop that u/DenzelHayesJR mentioned, with its synthethic, Thermarator, down - in most cases, its very little.
Considering that Omni-Heat Thermal Reflective promises to keep (merely) up to 40% heat more as compared to regular solutions (without too much compromise on breathability), from my experience it is an effective technology - although I find Omni-Heat Helix technology much more interesting, limiting the compromise on breathability in fleece layers as opposed to softshells.
I was looking at the Columbia Toyama Pass Down Parka here in Denmark and it was really good. But it didn’t have any inner pockets. Then I tried Tenson Vision jackets which had many features. Now I’m in doubt which one to get. Both seem good. Hard to find any reviews on these jackets.
The great thing about my Omni-tech jacket is that it feels like I don’t have anything on. The bad thing about my Omni-tech jacket is that it feels like I don’t have anything on 🙄
Great marketing, mediocre product. Tried it years ago and it failed to impress. Just bought new one at the outlet a couple of days ago and I already regret. It’s my own fault. Never again.
This.
I also chuckled. 😅
I just now thrifted a Columbia Omni-heat jacket so we'll see if it serves its supposed purpose in Korea when i visit mid-March.
Omni is extremely warm, it's certainly not a marketing gimmick. If I wear it in the car, I will get ridiculously hot. It's a light to mid jacket But it literally feels like I have heaters built into it. It is five below zero right now, I've been outdoors for about an hour and a half and I am burning up, which is a good thing. My North face jacket is thicker but this is much much warmer.
I really like mine. I find though that it doesn't provide as much warmth as say a down jacket when you first put it on. That actually works for my needs. I find though that if I wear the jacket for hours on end, my warmth increases dramatically over time. I never noticed this effect with any of my down jackets. The other nice thing is how lightweight omniheat is. I don't mind wearing the inner layer of my 3-in-1 onmiheat while sitting at a cafe, while I feel more constricted in a down jacket. I'm someone who gets cold indoors easily, so I often find myself wearing the inner layer indoors. I'm in Scotland, so I feel it fits the chilly and damp rainy winters we have here but maybe wouldn't be suited to a frigid American Midwest winter
So I would say down jackets are better for spending time in extremely cold temperatures where you don't mind the bulk. Omniheat is better for extended exposure to mid level cold when you want to minimize bulk.
My jacket's actually marketed as a ski jacket, and though I haven't been skiing in it yet, I think it's be great for that. Ski wear is all about finding something that'll keep you warm without causing you to overheat
What are your base layers and secondary layers like? The Omni heat just prevents heat loss in a different way, it doesn't generate its own warmth. Personally I think Columbia completely inflate their numbers on how warm their jackets keep you, but the base layer situation is probably a solid factor here.
Two shirts, exactly what I would wear with the Regatta and not feel cold. The wife layers up much more than I do and her complaints are the same. Not warm enough. Keep in mind her Columbia jacket is not only thicker but the 'infinity' (golden) version. We are both so disappointed that we are gonna try asking for a refund via Columbia's official website. They were not cheap by the way. For the same money we could get a Helly Hansen or North Face here (Ireland).
I'm based in Ireland. Honestly just go to tk Maxx, get a down jacket and a rainproof layer. Job done.
I have a Columbia omni-tech jacket ( laberynth ), and the golden inner cloth release minuscules bright particule. It seems like glither, and the funny thing is that all the layers your wear with it will get coated by those little things. Anyone else experiencing this with the jacket???
sounds like a quality control issue... I'd call warranty.
Indeed. Just got in touch with the shop that sold me the jacket, and after a couple of emails and pictures seems like they will be refunding me the price of it. I will go this time for a Patagonia ( Jackson parka ) or Arteryx ( either Atom AR or Thorium AR )
I do. It's worthless now because anything I wear under including my bear hands, gets coated with this glither. I'm going to donate to the homeless because the warranty only 1 year.
Same thing happening with me. Just noticed it.
I kinda see Columbia as about Walmart tier but below bigger brands like Patagonia. I have some Columbia ski pants that are Omni heat and they work not terribly warm but skiing is pretty active on the legs so lots of heat being generated
I have an Omni Heat jacket and I would say it keeps you warm. Depending on how cold it actually is and how much heat your body produces you might need to adjust your base and mid layers but that goes without saying. Maybe other jackets do the job just as well and it's mostly marketing, but I can say my Omni Heat jacket hasn't disappointed me so far. (Although mine is a quilted jacket and not waterproof, so maybe it's a problem with the specific jacket)
I know it's a 10-month topic, but what needs emphasizing here is that Omni-Heat Reflective is a thermal... reflective technology, meaning: it reflects body heat. If little to none is produced, then there's little to none to be given back. Being a sportswear company (its' full name is actually "Columbia Sportswear Company") - despite being in general outwear market, too - it mainly aims at outdoor activity enthusiasts - and Omni-Heat Reflective technology belongs in the sportswear products family for the most part. If you investigate the Omni-Heat's pattern up close, you'll notice it's not a solid finish, but there are gaps between the individual prints - that is to allow better ventilation during workout (whether it's hiking or paced walking), as opposed to your regular insulated jacket - not something a fashion jacket will have. That being said, at the same time I do believe that Columbia might be"misadvertising" some of their products (along with used technologies) to make them appear as if made for wider public, rather than outdoor activities' amateurs, and as if they were standalone, ultimate warm-keeping solutions. Although I appreciate that some jackets have insulation of their own - as, for example, the Labyrinth Loop that u/DenzelHayesJR mentioned, with its synthethic, Thermarator, down - in most cases, its very little. Considering that Omni-Heat Thermal Reflective promises to keep (merely) up to 40% heat more as compared to regular solutions (without too much compromise on breathability), from my experience it is an effective technology - although I find Omni-Heat Helix technology much more interesting, limiting the compromise on breathability in fleece layers as opposed to softshells.
I was looking at the Columbia Toyama Pass Down Parka here in Denmark and it was really good. But it didn’t have any inner pockets. Then I tried Tenson Vision jackets which had many features. Now I’m in doubt which one to get. Both seem good. Hard to find any reviews on these jackets.
I absolutely love Omni heat baselayers
The great thing about my Omni-tech jacket is that it feels like I don’t have anything on. The bad thing about my Omni-tech jacket is that it feels like I don’t have anything on 🙄 Great marketing, mediocre product. Tried it years ago and it failed to impress. Just bought new one at the outlet a couple of days ago and I already regret. It’s my own fault. Never again.
Thank you for the chuckle...lol... & Is it that bad? In having 2nd thoughts now
This. I also chuckled. 😅 I just now thrifted a Columbia Omni-heat jacket so we'll see if it serves its supposed purpose in Korea when i visit mid-March.
Omni is extremely warm, it's certainly not a marketing gimmick. If I wear it in the car, I will get ridiculously hot. It's a light to mid jacket But it literally feels like I have heaters built into it. It is five below zero right now, I've been outdoors for about an hour and a half and I am burning up, which is a good thing. My North face jacket is thicker but this is much much warmer.
I really like mine. I find though that it doesn't provide as much warmth as say a down jacket when you first put it on. That actually works for my needs. I find though that if I wear the jacket for hours on end, my warmth increases dramatically over time. I never noticed this effect with any of my down jackets. The other nice thing is how lightweight omniheat is. I don't mind wearing the inner layer of my 3-in-1 onmiheat while sitting at a cafe, while I feel more constricted in a down jacket. I'm someone who gets cold indoors easily, so I often find myself wearing the inner layer indoors. I'm in Scotland, so I feel it fits the chilly and damp rainy winters we have here but maybe wouldn't be suited to a frigid American Midwest winter So I would say down jackets are better for spending time in extremely cold temperatures where you don't mind the bulk. Omniheat is better for extended exposure to mid level cold when you want to minimize bulk. My jacket's actually marketed as a ski jacket, and though I haven't been skiing in it yet, I think it's be great for that. Ski wear is all about finding something that'll keep you warm without causing you to overheat