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Columbia Heavenly Long Hooded Review

A sporty, lightweight inexpensive option that works best for mild winters
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Price:  $140 List | $97.99 at Backcountry
Compare prices at 2 resellers
Pros:  Lightweight, synthetic insulation, thumb holes on cuffs, sporty, inexpensive
Cons:  Not super warm, thin insulation, inside liner bright and shiny, not waterproof
Manufacturer:   Columbia
By Liz Williamson ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Jan 22, 2018
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59
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Warmth - 30% 4
  • Weather Resistance - 25% 7
  • Comfort - 20% 7
  • Style - 20% 6
  • Durability - 5% 7

Our Verdict

The Columbia Heavenly Long Hooded Jacket is not the warmest contender in the fleet and works best when temperatures don't get near freezing. Reaching mid-thigh and insulated with synthetic down, this model has a nice lightweight and sporty look to it. It's perfect for walking the dog or running to the gym, and the Storm-Lite DP II 100% polyester shell is water-resistant, but not waterproof.

Our Analysis and Test Results

Weighing in at 1.5 lbs, the Columbia Heavenly is one of the lightest models we tested. That said, it was nice wearing this coat in mild winter conditions, but the thin amount of synthetic insulation and water-resistant material didn't keep us warm enough in messy winter weather. There are five stylish and straightforward winter colors to choose from, which include light cloud, deep rust, major, chalk, and navy.

Performance Comparison


Reaching mid-thigh and insulated with synthetic down this jacket is extremely lightweight. This is a great coat for shoulder seasons or milder winters.
Reaching mid-thigh and insulated with synthetic down, this jacket is extremely lightweight. This is a great coat for shoulder seasons or milder winters.

Warmth


This model lands at the lower end of the spectrum when it comes to warmth. It's insulated with a thin amount of synthetic insulation, and we didn't feel warm when temperatures started to hit the freezing mark. It may be because the thicker outer shell did a better job at blocking cold winds, which allowed us to stay warmer.

Columbia added Omni-Heat Reflective lining 100% polyester to the inside of the jacket. This lining did add to our warmth, but it didn't allow the jacket to be breathable. Bottom line: we weren't the biggest fan.

Insulated with Omni-Heat reflective lining the inside of this jacket is very shiny. It did an okay job at keeping us warm but we noticed that when we were active in this jacket (shoveling a driveway) it wasn't breathable and we got quite sweaty.
Insulated with Omni-Heat reflective lining, the inside of this jacket is very shiny. It did an okay job at keeping us warm, but we noticed that when we were active in this jacket (shoveling a driveway), it wasn't breathable and we got quite sweaty.

The hood is insulated with a fair amount of down. There was enough room to wear a beanie underneath for extra warmth on colder days.

Weather Resistance


The shell of the Heavenly is Storm-Lite DP II 100% polyester. It's also water-resistant, but not waterproof. When we tested in wet weather, the water beaded up and rolled off at first; however, after an extended period in heavy wet weather, this model became saturated.

The water-resistant Heavenly did an okay job in wet weather but it isn't waterproof. Precip initially beaded up and rolled off but after a short time outside water began to saturate the jacket.
The water-resistant Heavenly did an okay job in wet weather, but it isn't waterproof. Precip initially beaded up and rolled off, but after a short time outside water began to saturate the jacket.

The cozy and warm insulated hood on the Heavenly did a decent job of adding extra warmth when we tested in cold and stormy weather. There was just enough room to add a beanie underneath if need be. We loved the thumb holes on the cuffs of the sleeves, as they added extra warmth and protection when we were in wet weather.

The hood was cozy and warm. It wasn't stuffed with insulation but it has an adequate amount. There was enough space underneath to fit a beanie if need be.
The hood was cozy and warm. It wasn't stuffed with insulation, but it has an adequate amount. There was enough space underneath to fit a beanie if need be.

Style


This jacket oozes a sporty and athletic vibe. It reaches mid-thigh, and the exterior polyester fabric has a matte satin finish. There is also contoured baffling on the exterior of the coat, and it gives it a very stylish look.

The Heavenly has a sporty and athletic vibe. The contoured baffling offers a nice stylish look to the smooth polyester fabric.
The Heavenly has a sporty and athletic vibe. The contoured baffling offers a nice stylish look to the smooth polyester fabric.

Cute from all angles!
Cute from all angles!

Comfort


Weighing in at 1.5 lbs, the Heavenly is lightweight. While we weren't comfortable when temperatures started to drop, we had no issues wearing this jacket to run errands in or taking the dog out for a brisk walk when the weather didn't drop near freezing.

This jacket isn't super form-fitting like some of the others we tested but it doesn't lose its shape completely. We found with the extra room under the arms and in the torso we could fit a thicker layer underneath. This was nice for when temperatures really started to drop but we still wanted to wear the jacket.
This jacket isn't super form-fitting like some of the others we tested, but it doesn't lose its shape completely. We found with the extra room under the arms and in the torso we could fit a thicker layer underneath. This was nice for when temperatures really started to drop but we still wanted to wear the jacket.

The hood has an incredibly soft and cozy lining. It was one of the most comfortable hood liners we tested. There are also thumb holes on the cuffs of the sleeves that we loved.

Features


Columbia's main feature on this jacket has to be its lightweight synthetic insulation and Omni-heat lining. As we expressed earlier, the Omni heat lining did work in the right situations, but do not plan on wearing this jacket if you want to raise your heart rate and sweat. However, we just can't argue with how lightweight this jacket is.

We enjoyed the fuzzy and soft liner of the hood; it's an enjoyable and comfortable feature. The thumb holes on the cuffs of the sleeves are another great feature. We loved jackets that have cuffs, let alone thumb holes, and we could feel a difference when a contender didn't have an internal cuff.

We loved this feature! We are always a big fan of jackets that have internal cuffs but we get even more excited to see thumb holes on those cuffs. Yes this feature may be unnecessary for someone looking for more of an elegant parka feel but for those of us that commute to work or spend extended periods of time outside this feature is awesome.
We loved this feature! We are always a big fan of jackets that have internal cuffs, but we get even more excited to see thumb holes on those cuffs. Yes, this feature may be unnecessary for someone looking for more of an elegant parka feel, but for those of us that commute to work or spend extended periods of time outside, this feature is awesome.

Durability


This jacket didn't show signs of wear and tear after three months of abuse. The synthetic insulation allowed for a faster rebound rate when it got wet, compared to jackets with down insulation. The outer polyester shell is thin, and there is a fair amount of exterior stitching, so we see a potential for snags happening, but we didn't witness any ourselves. We read reviews of this jacket stating that the zipper wasn't that durable and often broke. We didn't have any issues with it over the time we tested it, but we still wanted to address the user reviews. We also witnessed some feathers escaping from the seams, but it wasn't happening at an alarming rate.

Value


With a price tag of $140 (and you can usually find this jacket on sale for even cheaper), it was on the low end of the price spectrum. This jacket wasn't the warmest or the most water-resistant, but for the price, this jacket could even be a great fall jacket or late winter!

Conclusion


The Columbia Heavenly is a sporty, lightweight fun winter coat that lacks lofty insulation, but still did an okay job keeping us warm when temperatures stayed above and around freezing. There was also enough room to add an extra layer underneath if you want to wear this jacket in colder weather. However, it did score the lowest of the bunch when it comes to the warmth rating, so it will be best suited for milder winters.

— Liz Williamson