LuxuryStyleColumbia Arch Rock Double Wall Elite Hooded Insulated Jacket review: a stellar coat made with real rocket scienceThis jacket literally incorporates space-travel technology to keep you warm in the most wickedly wintery conditionsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Manon Guenot)T3 VerdictTaking inspiration from programs aiming to send materials to the moon, the flash-looking Arch Rock Double Wall Elite Hooded Insulated Jacket from Colombia employs a double dose of the brand’s clever Omniheat tech to help your body keep itself warm in even the coldest conditions, while the garment remains lightweight and relatively easy to pack and carry. It’s all about using reflected heat in the most efficient way possible, and the result is a versatile puffy jacket that gives off badass blingy vibes which wouldn’t feel incongruous outside a trendy nightspot in the city, but which can also be used in wild and challenging terrain ranging from frosty trails to snow-covered mountain peaks.Reasons to buy+Excellent warmth-to-weight ratio+Windproof+Water repellant+Handsome look+Recycled content used+Accessible priceReasons to avoid-Hood isn’t adjustable, detachable or storable-No thumb loops-No storage bagWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
LuxuryStyleColumbia Arch Rock Double Wall Elite Hooded Insulated Jacket review: a stellar coat made with real rocket scienceThis jacket literally incorporates space-travel technology to keep you warm in the most wickedly wintery conditionsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Manon Guenot)T3 VerdictTaking inspiration from programs aiming to send materials to the moon, the flash-looking Arch Rock Double Wall Elite Hooded Insulated Jacket from Colombia employs a double dose of the brand’s clever Omniheat tech to help your body keep itself warm in even the coldest conditions, while the garment remains lightweight and relatively easy to pack and carry. It’s all about using reflected heat in the most efficient way possible, and the result is a versatile puffy jacket that gives off badass blingy vibes which wouldn’t feel incongruous outside a trendy nightspot in the city, but which can also be used in wild and challenging terrain ranging from frosty trails to snow-covered mountain peaks.Reasons to buy+Excellent warmth-to-weight ratio+Windproof+Water repellant+Handsome look+Recycled content used+Accessible priceReasons to avoid-Hood isn’t adjustable, detachable or storable-No thumb loops-No storage bagWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
This jacket literally incorporates space-travel technology to keep you warm in the most wickedly wintery conditions
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Manon Guenot)T3 VerdictTaking inspiration from programs aiming to send materials to the moon, the flash-looking Arch Rock Double Wall Elite Hooded Insulated Jacket from Colombia employs a double dose of the brand’s clever Omniheat tech to help your body keep itself warm in even the coldest conditions, while the garment remains lightweight and relatively easy to pack and carry. It’s all about using reflected heat in the most efficient way possible, and the result is a versatile puffy jacket that gives off badass blingy vibes which wouldn’t feel incongruous outside a trendy nightspot in the city, but which can also be used in wild and challenging terrain ranging from frosty trails to snow-covered mountain peaks.Reasons to buy+Excellent warmth-to-weight ratio+Windproof+Water repellant+Handsome look+Recycled content used+Accessible priceReasons to avoid-Hood isn’t adjustable, detachable or storable-No thumb loops-No storage bag
(Image credit: Manon Guenot)
(Image credit: Manon Guenot)
T3 VerdictTaking inspiration from programs aiming to send materials to the moon, the flash-looking Arch Rock Double Wall Elite Hooded Insulated Jacket from Colombia employs a double dose of the brand’s clever Omniheat tech to help your body keep itself warm in even the coldest conditions, while the garment remains lightweight and relatively easy to pack and carry. It’s all about using reflected heat in the most efficient way possible, and the result is a versatile puffy jacket that gives off badass blingy vibes which wouldn’t feel incongruous outside a trendy nightspot in the city, but which can also be used in wild and challenging terrain ranging from frosty trails to snow-covered mountain peaks.Reasons to buy+Excellent warmth-to-weight ratio+Windproof+Water repellant+Handsome look+Recycled content used+Accessible priceReasons to avoid-Hood isn’t adjustable, detachable or storable-No thumb loops-No storage bag
T3 VerdictTaking inspiration from programs aiming to send materials to the moon, the flash-looking Arch Rock Double Wall Elite Hooded Insulated Jacket from Colombia employs a double dose of the brand’s clever Omniheat tech to help your body keep itself warm in even the coldest conditions, while the garment remains lightweight and relatively easy to pack and carry. It’s all about using reflected heat in the most efficient way possible, and the result is a versatile puffy jacket that gives off badass blingy vibes which wouldn’t feel incongruous outside a trendy nightspot in the city, but which can also be used in wild and challenging terrain ranging from frosty trails to snow-covered mountain peaks.
T3 Verdict
Taking inspiration from programs aiming to send materials to the moon, the flash-looking Arch Rock Double Wall Elite Hooded Insulated Jacket from Colombia employs a double dose of the brand’s clever Omniheat tech to help your body keep itself warm in even the coldest conditions, while the garment remains lightweight and relatively easy to pack and carry. It’s all about using reflected heat in the most efficient way possible, and the result is a versatile puffy jacket that gives off badass blingy vibes which wouldn’t feel incongruous outside a trendy nightspot in the city, but which can also be used in wild and challenging terrain ranging from frosty trails to snow-covered mountain peaks.
Reasons to buy+Excellent warmth-to-weight ratio+Windproof+Water repellant+Handsome look+Recycled content used+Accessible priceReasons to avoid-Hood isn’t adjustable, detachable or storable-No thumb loops-No storage bag
Reasons to buy+Excellent warmth-to-weight ratio+Windproof+Water repellant+Handsome look+Recycled content used+Accessible price
Excellent warmth-to-weight ratio
Windproof
Water repellant
Handsome look
Recycled content used
Accessible price
Reasons to avoid-Hood isn’t adjustable, detachable or storable-No thumb loops-No storage bag
Hood isn’t adjustable, detachable or storable
No thumb loops
No storage bag
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Columbia Arch Rock Double Wall Elite Hooded Insulated Jacket deals
No price informationCheck Amazon
No price informationCheck Amazon
No price informationCheck Amazon
No price informationCheck Amazon
No price information
No price information
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
It all sounds impressive, but is this lunacy, stellar marketing or actual inspired innovation with tangible benefits for people who invest in the new gear? To find out how Columbia’s new Arch Rock Double Wall Elite Hooded Insulated Jacket compares to thebest winter coats and jacketscurrently on the market, I wore one into the French Alps and hiked to several high passes and peaks.
Columbia Arch Rock Double Wall Elite Hooded Insulated Jacket review: Specifications
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
Columbia Arch Rock Double Wall Elite Hooded Insulated Jacket review: construction and features
To deal with the basics first, the insulating synthetic fill in the Columbia Arch Rock Double Wall Elite Hooded Insulated Jacket is comprised of 80g Microtemp XF II polyester, which is 85% recycled, while the outer shell is made from 100% nylon. But, it’s what’s going on under the hood (and body) of this coat that makes it really interesting.
Until recently the dots have been silver, but now – for fall 2023 – the American brand have launched a supposedly superior range of garments featuring Omniheat Infinity, which uses gold dots to achieve (they say) even more impressive thermal returns, without reducing the breathability of the gear.
On top of this, the much-vaulted ‘Double-wall Elite’ design of certain items, including this hooded jacket, uses not one but two layers of the Omniheat Infinity magic membrane, one on the liner fabric and one on the shell fabric, facing inward towards the insulation, in order to catch every last bit of heat.
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
“Double wall allows us to create warmth at lower weight, he continues. “Lower weight conserves energy, and that’s important whether you’re sending a spaceship to the moon, or hiking up some mountain in the winter time.”
Inevitably, much of the marketing energy around the new Arch Rock Double Wall Elite Hooded Insulated Jacket is burnt up in describing the Omniheat Infinity and Double Wall elements of the garment, but it’s worth going over this coat’s other credentials. These include an outer shell treated with water repellency, two deep hand pockets and a chest pocket (all with secure zips and cord pulls so you can operate them with gloved hands), a high neck with a chin protector, elasticated cuffs to keep drafts out, and a warm, helmet-compatible hood with a binding trim intended to keep it in place.
(Image credit: Julia Clarke)
(Image credit: Julia Clarke)
Columbia Arch Rock Double Wall Elite Hooded Insulated Jacket review: in the hills
My maiden voyage in the Arch Rock Double Wall Elite Hooded Insulated Jacket was ahut-based hiking trip to Les Contamines Montjoiein the Haute-Savoie, mooching around the Mont Blanc massif and Réserve naturelle nationale des Contamines-Montjoie (France’s highest nature reserve) amid the Auvergne Rhône Alpes.
My alpine escapade took place in autumn, when nights were drawing in rapidly and the cold was starting to bite. We stayed atLe Refuge des Prés, which is nestled in the arms of the alps at just under 2,000 metres above sea level. The surrounding peaks were properly iced over and there was some snow on the ground around at the higher passes we visited, including Col du Bonhomme.
In all honesty, however, the days were pleasantly and unseasonably warm, and I had to wait until temperatures dropped dramatically during the evenings to properly trail test the thermal properties of the Arch Rock Double Wall Elite Hooded Insulated Jacket. Once the sun dipped and the mercury plummeted, I gratefully donned the jacket for night hikes to high spots en route to Col de la Fenêtre. Since coming back, I have also been using the jacket on cold-weather adventures closer to home.
It’s hard scientifically validate the veracity of the claims behind the Omniheat Infinity concept and Double Wall design that are so central to the performance of this puffer jacket, but I can report that with temperatures in single figures and edging towards the negative, the Arch Wall Double Rock Elite has kept me very snug.
Tempting as it might be to wear the Arch Rock Double Wall Elite Hooded Insulated Jacket inside out, revealing the super bling inner in all its glory (as one of the mountain guides on my recent trip into Alps did, while larking about), the gold needs to be on the inside in order to work its magic properly.(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
Tempting as it might be to wear the Arch Rock Double Wall Elite Hooded Insulated Jacket inside out, revealing the super bling inner in all its glory (as one of the mountain guides on my recent trip into Alps did, while larking about), the gold needs to be on the inside in order to work its magic properly.
Tempting as it might be to wear the Arch Rock Double Wall Elite Hooded Insulated Jacket inside out, revealing the super bling inner in all its glory (as one of the mountain guides on my recent trip into Alps did, while larking about), the gold needs to be on the inside in order to work its magic properly.
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
Of course, the harder you work, while hiking up hills and so on, the warmer you will feel, but the tightrope trick this technology has to tread is between maintaining the breathability of the garment, to avoid the build up of condensation and perspiration on the inside, while still reflecting and retaining enough body heat to keep you warm when you stop.
It’s quite the challenge, but during the testing I have done so far, I think the Arch Wall Double Rock Elite jacket does pull it off. With agood base layerunderneath, I didn’t get too sweaty even during the steepest ascents while wearing this jacket, and I avoided any rapid and uncomfortable cool downs once we reached the peaks and passes we were trekking too and paused to take in the cool views.
While the research and technology behind it is impressive, there are some areas where I think this coat could be improved from a basic design point of view. The hood is warm, roomy enough to accommodate a hat or helmet, and it does have an elasticated binding trim intended to keep it reasonably secure, but without a proper pull cord it can’t be drawn in tight around the head and face and it billows a bit in wild and windy weather, which can be annoying (and cold).
The cuffs are more securely elasticated, but I’d still like to see some thumb hoops to keep things in place for those times when a proper waterproof shell jacket needs to be pulled over the top, or whencold-weather glovesare required. Thankfully the hem is fully adjustable, and it can be tightened and secured with a toggle to keep breezes out.
Whether you’re scaling peaks or telling tall tales outside an alpine hut, Columbia’s Arch Rock Double Wall Elite Hooded Insulated Jacket keeps you warm.(Image credit: Manon Guenot)
Whether you’re scaling peaks or telling tall tales outside an alpine hut, Columbia’s Arch Rock Double Wall Elite Hooded Insulated Jacket keeps you warm.
Whether you’re scaling peaks or telling tall tales outside an alpine hut, Columbia’s Arch Rock Double Wall Elite Hooded Insulated Jacket keeps you warm.
(Image credit: Manon Guenot)
Columbia Arch Rock Double Wall Elite Hooded Insulated Jacket review: final verdict
Today’s best Coats deals110 Amazon customer reviews☆☆☆☆☆$94.27$45.99ViewDeal endsMon, Jan 20, 2025$61.38$53.99View$149.95ViewShow More DealsWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Coats deals110 Amazon customer reviews☆☆☆☆☆$94.27$45.99ViewDeal endsMon, Jan 20, 2025$61.38$53.99View$149.95ViewShow More DealsWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Coats deals
110 Amazon customer reviews☆☆☆☆☆
110 Amazon customer reviews☆☆☆☆☆
☆☆☆☆☆
$94.27$45.99ViewDeal endsMon, Jan 20, 2025$61.38$53.99View$149.95View
$94.27$45.99ViewDeal endsMon, Jan 20, 2025
$94.27$45.99View
$94.27$45.99View
$94.27$45.99
$45.99
Deal endsMon, Jan 20, 2025
Deal endsMon, Jan 20, 2025
Deal endsMon, Jan 20, 2025
$61.38$53.99View
$61.38$53.99View
$61.38$53.99View
$61.38$53.99
$53.99
$149.95View
$149.95View
$149.95View
$149.95
$149.95
Show More Deals
Show More Deals
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Columbia Arch Rock Double Wall Elite Hooded Insulated Jacket: Price Comparison
No price informationCheck Amazon
No price informationCheck Amazon
No price informationCheck Amazon
No price informationCheck Amazon
No price information
No price information
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
Amy Schumer’s Netflix comedy will leave your jaw on the floorOne big taboo gets busted in Kinda Pregnant
One big taboo gets busted in Kinda Pregnant
Nintendo’s retro classic returns over 30 years after landmark original – ahead of Switch 2’s rumoured revealDonkey Kong Country Returns HD is on Nintendo Switch – 15 years since the Wii’s reimagining and 31 years since the SNES classic
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is on Nintendo Switch – 15 years since the Wii’s reimagining and 31 years since the SNES classic
The ultimate full-body gym workout for beginners, according to a fitness expertWant to hit the gym to build strength and muscle, but don’t know where to start? This workout can help
Want to hit the gym to build strength and muscle, but don’t know where to start? This workout can help
