ColumbiaMen's Discontinued Watertight II Jacket

Really impressed with this Columbia Watertight II jacket. When first ordering, I wanted the MED size, but it was out of stock. Anticipating some rainy weather, I opted to deal with the large--and if it didn't fit well--I'd return it. For about $46+ (price has increased to $51+ as of this post), this jacket had all the right qualities I'd been looking for (water and wind resistant/proof, adjustable hood and price). Lucky me! It fits nicely (not as snug as I wanted, but good enough). It's good around the chest area, but a little generous around the waist. Not bad though. Used it twice so far, for riding the bike at night (commuting). I live in the Magic City, so the weather this time of year is often perfect (upper 70s during the day and 60s at night). Well, some nights are a bit nippier (upper 50s), and I'd already "dealt with" some cooler night rides. I love that weather too, but didn't want to increase chances of getting sick. Wind doesn't help, and the prediction of rain would really spoil the commute. Even a light mist will soak you in minutes, when traveling at 12-18mph (plus wind). Since we're talking about a hybrid bike with a rack, and not a road bike, the commute usually involves shorts and a shirt in daylight (with a change of clothes inside the knapsack--on the rack), and a return night trip with the possible addition of long sleeve, henley-style shirt. For all you folks up north, my apologies...this review describing relatively nice weather is not meant to cause any issues. Hopefully it can help when the Spring comes around.Well, the Columbia Watertight II packs nicely in a knapsack. There is mention (on the manufacturer's label) of some "hidden" pocket for packing it. The mysterious pocket is REALLY well hidden, for I have yet to find it. I decided to fold the jacket on itself, roll it up and stow it in the hood (possible missing pocket?), then stuff it in a 8.5"x11" padded envelope (to save space in the knapsack). The padded envelope is not essential, but it keeps things separated. Though not very pretty, it works for now. I'm sure a nylon zip bag would be even better.So far, I've used the jacket twice. Both nights were clear and cool (upper 50s, maybe low 60s). With the flu going around, I didn't want to tempt fate. Well, let me tell you...this jacket ROCKS! When I first tried it on (at home, of course), it was a bit awkward. The zipper (a nylon flap covers the zipper making this a right-handed zip) is a bit smaller than normal (not sure why, since it's an easy fix), but comes with a cord attached to help pull it up or down. It zips cleanly both up and down. There are velcro strips (hook and loop, if you prefer) along the zipper line, to help seal the front of the jacket from wind and rain. The velcro can be a little annoying at first, especially to those of us not used to dealing with the zip+velcro combination. After wearing a few times, it's no longer an issue. When un-zipping with one hand, simply use the other to help un-stick the velcro.On the road, this Columbia Watertight II jacket blocks or diverts the wind completely. The material really doesn't let any wind through. The hood is adjustable, with a nifty tighten-loosen system. A stretchy cord woven into the hood has ends that exit at the base of the hood, on either side. Each of those ends fit through a small cylinder (on each side of the hood) that gently holds the cord snug and in place. Pull on the cord just enough, and it will either loosen or tighten. Pretty good system, since the material is light weight. There is a token lip/visor at the top of the hood, but no support or insert to keep its shape correctly. Ah well, not bad anyway. The jacket interior is lined with a mesh material that feels nice and it prevents your arms from sweating directly onto the inside of the nylon jacket material.On a cool night (upper 50s), this Columbia Watertight II jacket was immediately comfortable and retained body heat inside. Within seconds, I felt the difference between just wearing the two shirt combo (short sleeve + henley) and adding this very lightweight jacket. While riding, it was a pleasure to wear, by allowing me to keep comfy and preventing wind from buffeting my ears (the wind isn't bad at all, but seems to pick up tremendously while riding). After arriving home with some heat build up, the jacket was very easy to remove. My arms did not stick to the inside and I wasn't sweaty. As mentioned above, it's very light, so you can hang it anywhere. Due to the good heat retention, my guess is that it has limited breathability (Mr. Webster, is that a word?). For now that's fine. Am thinking that if it does become an issue, a trusty old henley underneath will solve the problem.I give this product 5 stars for wind resistance and heat retention in cool temps. I'm confident it would keep you somewhat comfortable down into the windy 40s, with just a long sleeve shirt underneath. For the 30s, I'd be sure to wear more layers (including a sweater). Other buying options I checked into were on Columbia dot com's website. It's on sale there for $59.99, but also involves "points".Keep an eye out for follow up review after the rains come...

I bought this jacket on a last minute whim for a snow day trip to Tahoe. I have thicker and nicer jackets but they’ve all become less waterproof over the years. This was the only jacket I could find that was affordable with next day shipping that also didn’t look like some big fluffy Sherpa’s parka. I’m also a big guy, and by big I mean fat beer gut dad bod. When it arrived I thought I made a terrible mistake.This jacket is about a hair thicker than a hefty garbage bag. Certainly a jacket this lightweight isn’t going to work well in the snow? I did wear thermal undies, a thick polo shirt and a thin sweater underneath, and this jacket actually kept me dry and warm the entire day in the snow! A beanie under the hood helped as well. The sleeve length is perfect, I think I’m a 33/34, length was perfect just below the waist and it fit over my stomach and zipped up fine. Jacket size was XXL.Amazing jacket for the price.

This jacket held up to the rains of early summer in Switzerland and even was warm enough to hold up for 32°F at the viewing platform of the Matterhorn, with only a T-Shirt underneath. During the rain my clothes underneath stayed dry and it helped wick water away as it fell.The sizing is off by at least one size. I am 5ft 10in and had originally ordered an 2XL. This ended up being way too large and the sleeves bunched up too much looking ragged. I recommend going down a size than what you may anticipate as this seems to run larger.The jacket lining was breathable during some of the warmer periods but could get warm while walking plenty. It stayed comfortable throughout our entire vacation and held up in different temperatures. I did wish there was internal pockets similar to a suit jacket and other brands such as Carrhart but this does the job. Would recommend if you are looking for a good “middle” temperature jacket, rainy days, or as a light jacket.

This rain jacket from Columbia is a great addition to any and all closets from women to men to larger kids like preteen. I got this for my son. He is 64 140 pounds and he can wear it and it works for him well and it does have it keeps him warm and also cool during the summertime so it does keep him dry. He’s lineman and that’s the most important thing that we could think of it for anybody that doesn’t have a jacket or doesn’t wanna wear those crinkly plastic jackets

Good quality, lightweight and comfortable. You can take your regular size, but I sized up to have a looser fit. Also, I am 6.1 (185cm) tall, and the sleeves are quite long.

I have several so called waterproof jackets that soak through in a heavy rain. Not this one! I wore this jacket in a downpour and stayed dry. Finally a raincoat that keeps you dry without making you sweat! Fits great and looks good too! highly recomend this jacket.

Excelente!

Husband loves it and it looks great on him. Havent tested it in pouring rain yet. But we usually love Columbia jackets.

Es justo lo que ofrece, impermeable pero no necesariamente caliente.

Me gustó mucho la chamarra, tal cual la muestran, cabe mencionar que viene amplia puedes pedir una talla menos que lo que acostumbras normalmente y te quedará bien 👍

Muy bien entregar y talla G perfecta