At a Columbia Sportswear event in Denver earlier this month, the company gave a sneak-peek at what it’s claiming is the warmest puffy jacket on the planet that doesn’t make you look like a parade balloon. It probably still can’t compare to what’s needed to tackle an Everest ascent, but for the rest of us it could make the winter months feel like summer again.
Ambitiously called the Heatzone 1000 TurboDown Hooded Jacket, the parka is made using a metallic reflective fabric on the shell and liner that’s not dissimilar to the company’s Omni-Heat reflective material, although seemingly it has been turned up to 11 to make it even more effective at trapping body heat.
Columbia has also engineered an improved baffle design for the Heatzone 1000, which prevents the mix of 900-fill goose down and synthetic insulation from shifting around, without creating channels for cold air to get in and warm air to escape.
Columbia isn’t planning on introducing the Heatzone 1000 until Q4 2015, when it will be available in men’s and women’s versions for around $US450. [Columbia via Gear Junkie]
Picture: Gear Junkie