Columbia’s Interchange Jacket is Built for the Mountains But Designed for the City
A high-performance 2-in-1 that doesn’t look like you’re heading for Everest.
The Catacomb Crest Interchange Jacket (Columbia)
ByLauren Yoshiko
As a kid in small town Southern Oregon, I wore flip flops and a pullover sweatshirt year-round. I just thought being wet and cold for a few hours a day was part and parcel of the winter months.
Now that a sick day means more stress than fun and the winds have more of a bite north of the Umpqua Valley, I care a lot more about being warm and dry. I note those things separately because I am rarely both. My wintertime jacketing really only developed enough to include a raincoat and a hoodless puffer.
The empty space in my coat closet has a lot to do with never having turned snow bunny. I haven’t been up a ski lift in years. I don’t invest in performance outerwear that’s prioritizes function over form. So when Columbia sent over some jackets for review, my sights were set on the clean design of the street-friendly Catacomb Crest interchange jacket ($220).
Columbia’s Catacomb Crest Interchange Jacket in Delta (Columbia Sportswear)
The lightweight 2-in-1 situation includes a sleek insulated liner inside the waterproof shell, easily zipping onto the other, with a pair of adjustable cords inside the shell for cinching the waist for a more defined silhouette.
While wearing the whole jacket in the 40-ish degree weather of late, I didn’t have to zip the jacket with a tee underneath. It was arguably too much. Once temps are dropping below freezing, I imagine as long as I zip up and put my hands in the vertical pockets (took some getting used to, but loving that nothing falls out), I’ll still be fine with just a long-sleeve shirt underneath.
The in-between length goes down to about the top of the thigh, giving a bit more warmth when you leave it open. It also allows more opportunity to flash a little of the reflective material on the inside of the liner. Personally, I like wearing the outer shell during the rest of the year in the event of chillier breezes or a surprise shower.
The liner inside the outer shell, which has its own thermal layer that retains body heat. (Columbia Sportswear)
It is actually good in the snow, even if this reviewer isn't. There are covert drawstrings everywhere to batten down the hatches for optimal insulation in real cold, and you'll find interior and sleeve pockets for ski passes and electronics. I am a petite-ish 5'3" and got a size small, but probably should've sized down so the liner would be more fitted when wearing it on its own. That said, I am feeling the SZA look when it's all together and a little long in the sleeves.
(Cool Stuff is a new feature at Willamette Week where we feature product reviews, roundups, sales and other commerce and shopping-oriented content. All Cool Stuff reviews are editorially independent, meaning we provide honest reviews and aren't paid by the brands we write about. If you do choose to purchase something after following one of our links, Willamette Week may receive a commission, which helps fund our journalism.)
Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.
Skip to main content
