ActiveOutdoorsOuterwearColumbia Wyldwood Waterproof Hiking Shell review: the most waterproof (and shiny) jacket I’ve ever wornIt might not have the matt finish most people expect from a jacket, but the Wyldwood really shines when it comes to protecting you from wet and windy weatherWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)T3 VerdictIn all honesty, when I first got it, I wasn’t overly taken with the look of the Wyldwood Waterproof Hiking Shell from Columbia’s OutDry Extreme range – mainly (actually, entirely) because of the material’s wet-look shiny finish. However, when it comes to staying dry and warm on the trails, I’m far more interested in how a product performs than how it look, especially when assessing outer shell layers – arguably the most important piece of kit you can carry when the elements are looking angry. And in terms of providing effective protection from heavy rain and wild wind, on test this jacket has proven to be brilliant.Reasons to buy+Very waterproof+Deals well with internally generated moisture+Excellent hood and face protection+Superbly sealed seams+Quiet to wear+Packs away into a pocket+Made with recycled polyester and no PFCsReasons to avoid-Not the lightest waterproof jacket-Shiny look isn’t for everyone-No pit vents-Limited colour options-Relatively expensiveWhy 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.
ActiveOutdoorsOuterwearColumbia Wyldwood Waterproof Hiking Shell review: the most waterproof (and shiny) jacket I’ve ever wornIt might not have the matt finish most people expect from a jacket, but the Wyldwood really shines when it comes to protecting you from wet and windy weatherWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)T3 VerdictIn all honesty, when I first got it, I wasn’t overly taken with the look of the Wyldwood Waterproof Hiking Shell from Columbia’s OutDry Extreme range – mainly (actually, entirely) because of the material’s wet-look shiny finish. However, when it comes to staying dry and warm on the trails, I’m far more interested in how a product performs than how it look, especially when assessing outer shell layers – arguably the most important piece of kit you can carry when the elements are looking angry. And in terms of providing effective protection from heavy rain and wild wind, on test this jacket has proven to be brilliant.Reasons to buy+Very waterproof+Deals well with internally generated moisture+Excellent hood and face protection+Superbly sealed seams+Quiet to wear+Packs away into a pocket+Made with recycled polyester and no PFCsReasons to avoid-Not the lightest waterproof jacket-Shiny look isn’t for everyone-No pit vents-Limited colour options-Relatively expensiveWhy 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.
It might not have the matt finish most people expect from a jacket, but the Wyldwood really shines when it comes to protecting you from wet and windy weather
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)T3 VerdictIn all honesty, when I first got it, I wasn’t overly taken with the look of the Wyldwood Waterproof Hiking Shell from Columbia’s OutDry Extreme range – mainly (actually, entirely) because of the material’s wet-look shiny finish. However, when it comes to staying dry and warm on the trails, I’m far more interested in how a product performs than how it look, especially when assessing outer shell layers – arguably the most important piece of kit you can carry when the elements are looking angry. And in terms of providing effective protection from heavy rain and wild wind, on test this jacket has proven to be brilliant.Reasons to buy+Very waterproof+Deals well with internally generated moisture+Excellent hood and face protection+Superbly sealed seams+Quiet to wear+Packs away into a pocket+Made with recycled polyester and no PFCsReasons to avoid-Not the lightest waterproof jacket-Shiny look isn’t for everyone-No pit vents-Limited colour options-Relatively expensive
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
T3 VerdictIn all honesty, when I first got it, I wasn’t overly taken with the look of the Wyldwood Waterproof Hiking Shell from Columbia’s OutDry Extreme range – mainly (actually, entirely) because of the material’s wet-look shiny finish. However, when it comes to staying dry and warm on the trails, I’m far more interested in how a product performs than how it look, especially when assessing outer shell layers – arguably the most important piece of kit you can carry when the elements are looking angry. And in terms of providing effective protection from heavy rain and wild wind, on test this jacket has proven to be brilliant.Reasons to buy+Very waterproof+Deals well with internally generated moisture+Excellent hood and face protection+Superbly sealed seams+Quiet to wear+Packs away into a pocket+Made with recycled polyester and no PFCsReasons to avoid-Not the lightest waterproof jacket-Shiny look isn’t for everyone-No pit vents-Limited colour options-Relatively expensive
T3 VerdictIn all honesty, when I first got it, I wasn’t overly taken with the look of the Wyldwood Waterproof Hiking Shell from Columbia’s OutDry Extreme range – mainly (actually, entirely) because of the material’s wet-look shiny finish. However, when it comes to staying dry and warm on the trails, I’m far more interested in how a product performs than how it look, especially when assessing outer shell layers – arguably the most important piece of kit you can carry when the elements are looking angry. And in terms of providing effective protection from heavy rain and wild wind, on test this jacket has proven to be brilliant.
T3 Verdict
In all honesty, when I first got it, I wasn’t overly taken with the look of the Wyldwood Waterproof Hiking Shell from Columbia’s OutDry Extreme range – mainly (actually, entirely) because of the material’s wet-look shiny finish. However, when it comes to staying dry and warm on the trails, I’m far more interested in how a product performs than how it look, especially when assessing outer shell layers – arguably the most important piece of kit you can carry when the elements are looking angry. And in terms of providing effective protection from heavy rain and wild wind, on test this jacket has proven to be brilliant.
Reasons to buy+Very waterproof+Deals well with internally generated moisture+Excellent hood and face protection+Superbly sealed seams+Quiet to wear+Packs away into a pocket+Made with recycled polyester and no PFCsReasons to avoid-Not the lightest waterproof jacket-Shiny look isn’t for everyone-No pit vents-Limited colour options-Relatively expensive
Reasons to buy+Very waterproof+Deals well with internally generated moisture+Excellent hood and face protection+Superbly sealed seams+Quiet to wear+Packs away into a pocket+Made with recycled polyester and no PFCs
Very waterproof
Deals well with internally generated moisture
Excellent hood and face protection
Superbly sealed seams
Quiet to wear
Packs away into a pocket
Made with recycled polyester and no PFCs
Reasons to avoid-Not the lightest waterproof jacket-Shiny look isn’t for everyone-No pit vents-Limited colour options-Relatively expensive
Not the lightest waterproof jacket
Shiny look isn’t for everyone
No pit vents
Limited colour options
Relatively expensive
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.
Jump to category:Price and availabilitySpecificationsDesign and materialsPerformance on the trailsVerdictAlso consider
Jump to category:Price and availabilitySpecificationsDesign and materialsPerformance on the trailsVerdictAlso consider
Columbia Men’s OutDry Extreme Wyldwood Shell Jacket deals
$200View$200ViewNo price informationCheck Amazon
$200View
$200View
$200View
$200
$200
$200View
$200View
$200View
$200
$200
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
When Columbia initially launched OutDry Extreme technology – an innovative approach to deploying a waterproof and breathable membrane on the outside of shell layers – it’s fair to say the products weren’t as warmly embraced as the US brand had hoped.
But if you’re serious about the outdoors, you’ll know that performance outweighs style every time, and who cares if a coat is a bit shiny? This is the sort of jacket you put on when climbing peaks and exploring hills when it’s properly tipping it down and the wind is howling, not when you’re just popping out to the pub.
So, with all this in mind, I have been testing the Columbia Wyldwood Hiking Shell in the kind of environment it was made for, to see how it compares to thebest waterproof jacketson the market.
Columbia Wyldwood Waterproof Hiking Shell review
Price and availability
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
The Wyldwood Waterproof Hiking Shell is available for men and women now, in two colours and a full range of sizes, directly from Columbia for a recommended price of £250 in the UK, $200 in the US and €280 across the EU.
Specifications
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
Design and materials
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
The genius of the material is that, instead of sandwiching a micro-permeable membrane between an outer shell and an inner layer (as all other manufacturers of waterproof-breathable jackets have been doing since Gore-Tex gear first hit the mainstream market), with ODX, Columbia positioned a hydrophobic membrane on the outside of the garment. This means water (rain, drizzle, sleet, snow) simply runs off the jacket, and no DWR treatment is required. Also, internally generated moisture doesn’t have to immediately battle its way through a membrane. This is a massive bonus, not just in terms of performance, but also for the environment. Win win.
The only real trade off is that having the membrane on the outside (and making it strong enough to withstand coming into occasional contact with trees and rocks) results in the jacket having a decidedly shiny finish. But, as mentioned above, if it’s keeping you dry and letting your body breathe, you have to ask yourself – does this really matter?
Performance on the trails
I have been wearing the Columbia Wyldwood Waterproof Hiking Shell during the wettest spring and summer in my lifetime, and now we’re well into autumn, and the rain hasn’t stopped yet. The silver lining of all those clouds is that they have provided perfect conditions for testing a waterproof jacket, especially one that doesn’t rely so much on the existence of a high humidity differential between the outside and the inside of the garment.
Gore-Tex (and all other microporous membranes) are onlyreallybreathable in places with consistently lowish humidity (like the Alps, or Colorado – places a lot of outdoor brands hang out and do their testing), because that’s when internal-created vapour gets pushed through the membrane; in wet places like the British Lake District or Dartmoor (where I do all my best work), there is always loads of moisture in the air, and so these membranes don’t work so well. But, armed with ODX the Wyldwood has been keeping me nice and dry. And it’s not just the material, the design also comes into it, with properly sealed seams, comprehensive zip flaps and an excellent storm hood all contributing significantly to the weatherproof credentials of this jacket.
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
I could end the review there, because keeping the elements out and making sure I stay dry on the inside is really the sole job of this jacket, since – as stated – it’s not a piece of kit you’re likely to be posing in down the pub. But, there is a lot more going on with the Wyldwood than just the placement of a hydrophobic membrane. The overall design is genuinely decent. Besides the storm hood – complete with eye-protecting peak – which can be tightened to make it windproof and keep sleet and keep rain, sleet and snow out of your peepers, the high zip and chin guard also protect your lower face (while remaining comfortable).
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
Size wise, it’s made to go over the top of agood fleeceor puffer midlayer in cold weather. The cuffs are easily adjustable and can be tightened aroundwinter hiking gloveswith Velcro straps to keep breezes out, and the back panel reaches right down over your bum, to stop the top ofwalking trousersgetting soggy. There are only two pockets, but they are generously proportioned – so much so that you can stuff the entire jacket into one of them, which makes it nice and easy (and tidy) to stuff in yourhiking backpackand travel with. The jacket also has some reflective flourishes that make it a bit safer when you’re walking on dark lanes with traffic. And it’s worth mentioning that the material is nice and quiet to wear, unlike some crinkly Gore-Tex garments.
Verdict
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
This jacket is unlikely to be the top choice of attire for fashion-conscious people going out on the town during a drizzly evening, but when it comes to hill hiking or backpacking in sustained wet weather, it’s the coat I find myself reaching for first. It’s far from the lightest waterproof shell on the market, but neither is it too heavy, and the rock-solid protection it offers against the angrier elements means it’s worth its weight in gold. The Wyldwood is well made and has great featured, and it’s intelligently designed to be comfortable to wear while also supplying maximum coverage from wind and rain. For me, all of these factors far outweigh any sartorial concerns I might have about the material being shiny.
Also consider
If you really can’t stand the shiny finish,Columbia’s Ampli-Dryis a good alternative shell jacket with a more traditional microporous membrane, andthe Mountain Equipment Makaluis an excellent and highly reliable waterproof coat. For a considerably lighter option, the newArc’teryx Beta Lightweight Jacketis a great choice. And if you’re looking for a slightly more affordable shell that still offers good protection, check out theJack Wolfskin Eagle Peak Jacket.
Columbia Men’s OutDry Extreme Wyldwood Shell Jacket: Price Comparison
$200View$200View$200ViewNo price informationCheck Amazon
$200View
$200View
$200View
$200
$200
$200View
$200View
$200View
$200
$200
$200View
$200View
$200View
$200
$200
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
Traeger’s new Woodridge pellet barbecues have got me excited for grilling seasonTraeger debuts three new wood pellet grills
Traeger debuts three new wood pellet grills
How to watch the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct and what to expectWe should get a deep dive and more details on the Switch 2 in April
We should get a deep dive and more details on the Switch 2 in April
These open-ear headphones could light up your life (and your ears)Samsung isn’t the only tech firm that wants to illuminate your lugs
Samsung isn’t the only tech firm that wants to illuminate your lugs
