Customer Reviews Columbia Whirlibird IV Interchange Jacket

So far I'm pretty impressed by this coat. I work in wildlife research, and I purchased it in preparation for a job in South Dakota. I haven't made it out to South Dakota yet, but I've been able to test it out on the east coast over the past few days when the temperatures have dropped to around 0 degrees Fahrenheit. It has kept me warm and I have even started to get a little bit hot while wearing this coat on a walk. This is with a wool base layer, a fleece, and hunting bibs on underneath though. I'm hopeful it will serve me well the next few months in South Dakota.

My size is between large and extra large so I am always unsure what size to get. I decided to go with the extra large to have room for layering, but found the jacket pretty tight. Kept it as I didn't want to pay for the return. I've been wearing it in very cold weather here in New England (in the teens) and finding it not quite as warm as I expected given the layers, and a little less windproof than I'd hoped (I'd hoped for better on the windproofing as I'm heading soon it Iceland). However, on a typical winter day in the 30's, it works well; in fact the bottom layer is sufficient if there's not wind. Love the color and style, just wish it was a bit warmer and larger.

I did purchase this jacket for my girlfriend and was very happy with it, she said that the one piece on the inside is super warm and soft. The outside piece is made of good quality, I think if you add an adjuster to the waist it can be also a little dressy, which Women prefer. But in general, this is a very good product!

Daughter likes the warmth and style. Does run a little small

The jacket runs a bit small, otherwise it's great. I love the functionality of it. It's very warm. I do wisb there was a petite size. I'm short so the arms are quite long on me. Fortunately, there's Velcro that sort of keeps them in place.

I was looking for a coat that would keep me warm because I spend a lot of time watching my son play soccer in very cold weather. I was reluctant to buy anything that was very thin even though they claim to be warm but it seems that most of the jackets out right now are thin, so I didn't feel like I had much choice unless I wanted to spend over $300 which was not in my budget. Ultimately I chose this jacket because I liked the idea of being able to get three jackets which I felt justified the cost. I am 5'4 145lbs, average build and the medium fits great. I haven't been to any soccer tournaments since I've had it yet,which will be the ultimate test, but I have worn it in 30-40 degree weather (not for an extended period of time) and it has kept me warm so i am happy so far. The best thing about it is the versatility so it is good for different types of weather.

Bought this coat for Alaskan cruise. It's starting to get cooler now & I believe I made the right choice to carry. Will do an update after cruise!! I don't like being cold so I truly hope this is the coat for me!! One thing that I do know...I will be dry!! Love Columbia waterproof tech. I will look like a Columbia billboard....waterproof shoes, jacket & gloves!!

This coat is great for everyday wear. It has nice pockets, is very warm and not bulky. I also ordered the matching gloves so I am ready this year. I normally wear a 2x but for some reason the 2x seemed really small so I went up a size. Overall a great coat and I can't wait to try it out this winter!

Loved the jacket. But unfortunately too small across the shoulders. Everywhere else fit great.

Very nice product. High quality. Love the 3 in 1 combo.

Nice jacket, just didn't like the color as much in person.

The color is beautiful but it did not fit well. The jacket is more suitable for a person who is tall. Too bad I did not get a chance to try since I made the purchase online or else I will not buy.

The fabric is a bit stiff, the hood is attached awkwardly for my body. It felt as if my neck was too short. I really wanted t9 like the jacket because the pr8nt is very attractive and unusual!

I'm so mad! How do you make a ski jacket in which the hood is not removable???

Expensive. Very rough and thick. The inner layer does not have hat. Not warm enough so i return it

Had a 3-1 Whirlibird that I wore for 10 years and needed a new one. The website said this coat runs small and to size up. I usually wear a large and my previous coat was an XL so I got another XL. When I got the coat, loved the colors, but it was huge. The inner layer seemed much thinner than my previous coat, which also had the Omnitech lining. I retuned it to the Columbia outlet near my house and ended up with a completely different coat as the outlet didn't carry this one, I was a little sad.

Noisy material. You're supposed to swish down the slopes, not rustle. The material is also scratchy. Felt like it would be warm, but it was too big and noisy, so I returned it.

Love the coat, but it was the wrong size, had to return it

Great jacket but Columbia sizing is off from product to product. One jacket I'll wear one size another jacket a completely different size. Makes online ordering difficult.

I like the warmth of this jacket but I really wish it was about 3" longer...this does not cover your bottom so if you live in a frigid place or are planning to ski/board in it that's a problem. Other minor functional features that I wish were different: better zipper pullsthese are very tiny strings that are nearly impossible to grip with large mittens on. The pocket closures zip up to close (much easier to close a pocket with mittens/gloves on if it zips down), the zippers/openings do not extend to the entire pocket openingthis is really a pain when you have gloves or mittens on (both for taking things out or putting them in). Lastly, I wish the hood was insulated but I suppose I could put a different inner jacket in there. Overall, I'd say it's a quality average jacket that could be a lot more functional with the changes above...but I can't return it now so here we are. The parts of me that are covered by the coat are warm and protected from the wind in these harsh VT winters. Haven't tried it during a heavy snow or rain yet since it did not arrive until early March so I can't speak to the waterproofing but it has kept my torso and arms warm for several hours in single digit temps.

I returned this jacket. A prior review said it ran small so I went up a size. It's probably true to size. I decided the length was too short and the style not fitted enough.

I really wanted to love this jacket. It has everything I was looking for. However, the first time I tried it on the zipper split from the bottom. I was able to zip it back up and remove the jacket, however, this happened a few more times while I was trying it on. It didn't always happen, but really, once is enough for a brand new coat! I would be so disappointed if this happened when I was skiing, I just couldn't keep it and hope that it never happened again. The fit was also larger than other Columbia jackets I have bought in the past. I usually buy a Large, even though I wear a small in "normal" clothes, because I feel like the jackets fit small and I want movement. However, in this jacket the Medium was questionable. If I kept it, I would need to try on a Small to figure out which size I need. It seemed to fit a little boxy. I'm so sad this was not the jacket I was hoping it would be!!

I purchased this Columbia Whirlibird jacket to replace my 12 year old Whirlibird. My old jacket is in perfect condition, I was just wanting an updated look. My new jacket kept me warm and dry while skiing, light weight and allowed good movement in the arms. HOWEVER- the zipper constantly comes apart. My husband also got a new Columbia jacket and his zipper also comes apart. Disappointed with this obvious decline in quality from Columbia despite paying top dollar for these coats.

This jacket looks and feels great on the outside, inside jacket is thin and cheap looking with a plastic zipper. Bought it despite the other reviews talking about the zipper....ended up returning it.

This is a wonderful coat to stay warm and play in the Minnesota winters in BUT the zipper continues to split. The split zipper is the only reason for such a low rating.