Customer Reviews Columbia Rugged Path™ Parka

This is by far the most comfortable jacket that I've ever owned and worn. Not just soft, it actually adjusts to its surroundings. When it's warmer out, you feel toasty but not sweaty. When it's freezing out, you wouldn't know it. I used to go out in winter with a sweatshirt or long underwear under my jacket, with this jacket I can just go out in a tee shirt and it's fine, but again, not so warm that you find yourself tossing it off on a sunny day, in the car, etc. I can only think of two nit picky items to consider. First, the designers should have put vertically opening Velcro fastened pockets in front of the two hand pockets, so you can store stuff for easy retrieval but still put your hands in the existing pockets behind my suggested ones. The ones up top are difficult to deal with. Second, you better get used to jokes about wearing a spacesuit or take me to the disco, because the inner lining, which obviously is a big part of why the jacket is so great, is somewhat embarrassingly bright and shiny. It's hard to get away from, hard to hide, you've just got to be man enough to wear it and proudly say you're an outer space dance freak, but a warm one. Buy this jacket, you won't be disappointed.

This is now my heavy duty winter parka. I use it when the temperature drop below 20 and so far down to -10 deg. It's perfect for those mid-storm snowblowing adventures when the wind is whipping and you're getting pelted with blowing snow. Plenty big enough, even for me, to wear with a layer underneath. I love the Omniheat and that the inside is slippery making the parka slide on and off easily. My only wish is that the zipper was a bit beefier and dual direction which would make it a bit more comfortable to wear in the truck.

Usually wear a medium in shirts and the small fit me perfect. It's warm enough that I don't really need to layer. Love the look and fit.

I needed a new winter jacket and upon a lot of research, I found this parka with all the functions that I needed. At first, I ordered a medium but it was a little too big. My recommendation is for you to order your normal size, the build of the parka already accounts for you layering so you don't need to go one extra size.

It was a gift for my BF and he wore it to go out last night. He did not feel cold at all. Not only does it keep you really really warm It's super stylish too. Got it in Olive green and the color is just beautiful. It does run big so I would suggest sizing down. He wears a size Medium and that's what I originally purchased but it looked big so we ordered a small and it fit great! We are beyond happy with this purchase. Highly recommend to everyone

My husband is elated! He works in a chemical plant which requires him to go outside a lot. He wants to look nice but still be warm. This coat has all the features of both. He says the Omni-Heat thermal reflective is the best. When I send him off to work each day, I know he will be protected from the harsh weather we have here in winter.

I've always purchased Columbia because the build quality and durability has always been on point, i had my doubts at first with this coat because im all about the side pockets by the chest area and this had none which i felt was odd considering the design aesthetic. but i totally got it!! i pictured myself at Gert reviewing the coat and thought to myself "WoW! Gert was right!" side pockets wouldn't work on this coat because of it's intended purpose and utility, instead the bottom side bottoms are angled such that it makes hand placement flawless and Ergonomic(very warm too) pockets are deep enough that i can stuff it with and still have space for my hands with gloves on. Second, I have a pair of columbia boots and the OmniTech in those are really great but, Holy smokes where have i been without OmniTech in a coat all my life, keeps me very warm without any sweating or feeling weighted by down, infact it keeps me so warm that single digit weather is totally doable without needing to zip, just a couple buttons and you're good to go. Overall i'm extremely happy with my purchase, i hope Columbia continues upholding their standards as Gert would have wanted. I really love what this company has done and will continue to do in the future, i look very forward to my next purchase. Thank You for keeping warm this Winter, Love you Guys and Gals < 3 :)

Very well made, didn't expect anything less from Columbia. It's very warm and lightweight at the same time. Great jacket. Only negative is it is a bit big in the waist area but that's probably more because of my body type.

This jacket is very comfy! Stylish and warm!

I've owned a Columbia Coat for many years. I love my coat. Finally replacing it. Very happy with my new purchase. It fits well. Great color.

My husband got this jacket for the cold MN winters. The parka style is very "in" right now, and the brown Colombia logo patch on the front is a really nice feature to the jacket. He says it's the warmest coat he's ever owned and cannot wait to start snow blowing. :)

I've been a loyal Columbia customer for decades. This year I wanted a winter coat that was warm, light-weight, and that I could wear into the office. This coat fits these requirements. In addition, this is what stood out most about the Black Parka: 1) the perfect stitching; 2) the omni-heat interior; and 3) the color and design of the Columbia patches.

It is a spectacular jacket! Very warm, and its fit is perfect.

I'm 5'9 and bought a medium black which fits perfectly. Everything works as mentioned and the zippers are very durable. The only complain I would have is with the hood. There is nothing wrong with the hood itself but I wish it was a zipper hood. It is waterproof but I still have to test it against the cold to see if it will keep me warm which I'm positive it will. The material is very durable but try to avoid sharp objects. Overall I am personally satisfied with my purchase.

I ordered this coat for my 17 year old son. He’s 5’7” and a muscular 140lbs. This coat was huge! My husband wears a 42R in sportcoats (L/XL)and he could get it on, but not close it. It probably fits more like a medium. My son liked the style and the pockets. He went with a similar coat by Levi’s.

Got this jacket for my dad and he loved it! It's very comfortable, keeps him warm and he loves the interior pockets, also is great that he can remove the hoodie so it looks a little more "formal" without it.

A great coat for a blustery winter day. Have tested in Washington DC winter where it has only gotten down to 20F but still kept warm. My only complaint is the bottom is very free flowing. I am a small person and even after tightening up the bottom, I still feel like I lose heat through the bottom. Would be improved by having a tighter waist. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a fashionable long parka that wants synthetic insulation and not down.

Im using my cousins account because she bought this coat for me. I'm 5'9 and 160lbs and lean and the small fits great. I can even wear a hoodie beneath it. The reflective inside is great because it keeps me warm without making me sweat. My cousin has the female version of the coat and it kept her warm all winter plus she said it was waterproof. Ok happy she suggested it for me.

Warm and long. It has detachable hood that went away with the packaging. This is good parka if you stand around and need to keep warm. But it is not for active wear. One way zipper is not so hot and the quality of zipper is suspect. At least has snaps not Velcro as the zipper cover so this works as i must leave unzipped (to avoid tearing the zipper out). Nice color (green) but I am not needing the Columbia label on the front of everything.

Too bulky, look good in pics but once received noticed quality is not as expected, had to return

I love this coat. It fits well, breathes well, and stays warm. The shiny silver lining works well at reflecting heat back inward. Unfortunately, it's got a pretty major design flaw as well. The zipper runs so low (and is built so dainty) that it breaks if you do any physical movements (like shoveling snow) as I did just a few short weeks after purchase. The zipper starts well below the hips so that movements in the legs will be caught inside the coat, and the full strain goes straight to the zipper. Movements such as squatting will pop the end of the zipper out, breaking it. I now have a coat with a zipper that comes apart at the bottom with even the slightest strain, such as sitting in my car. Needless to say, I'm hugely disappointed by this, because it's otherwise one of the best coats I've ever worn, but it's impractical to continue wearing as long as the zipper keeps popping out.

This is the second winter I have worn this coat and up to this point it has been fantastic. It's warm, fits well and looks good. The zipper, however, is awful. Bending down to pick up a glove I had dropped resulted in the zipper breaking. This is an expensive coat with a very cheap plastic zipper. It's clear based on the reviews that a lot of folks have had zipper issues with this particular coat. I'm disappointed that Columbia does not seem to have addressed the zipper issue. I

The moment I unpacked the jacket and tried to pull down the zipper, it stuck half way, I could see shoddy stitching on the inside of the zipper and beneath it. I knew I had a problem. I had to manipulate the fabric on the inside of the zipper to get it all the way down. Every time I tried to unzip the jacket, the zipper got caught on the fabric. My sense is that the thin mylar material on the inside of the jacket will not wear well. I tried to contact Columbia customer service. I was 153rd in line. After 30 minutes their system disconnected me. I tried Chat. It was down and suggested I call for a "quicker response" I used the website to generate a return ticket

The name of this jacket is "rugged path" but the quality simply doesn't match. The zipper is awful. I've only had this jacket for two months but the zipper comes undone as if I've owned it for years. Also, the zipper has small teeth: I expected a heartier zipper for this jacket. I'm disappointed that the jacket runs a little large. I usually go up a size to comfortably layer underneath but this was a mistake. I'd love to return this item but I'm stuck with it as there is cosmetic damage to the item. Having said all this: the heat tech works well and allows me to use this jacket, which is much lighter than my other parka, on days where the weather is between 30-40 degrees. Not having to bulk up to stay warm is great.

Low quality zipper ruins entire coat. Also very bulky.