Columbia Arctic Crest Technical Sherpa Fleece Jacket review: a heavyweight for the coldest of weather

Meet the reviewer

Julia Clarke

Julia Clarke is a staff writer for Advnture.com and the author of the book Restorative Yoga for Beginners. She loves to explore mountains on foot, bike, skis and belay and then recover on the the yoga mat. Julia graduated with a degree in journalism in 2004 and spent eight years working as a radio presenter in Kansas City, Vermont, Boston and New York City before discovering the joys of the Rocky Mountains. She then detoured west to Colorado and enjoyed 11 years teaching yoga in Vail before returning to her hometown of Glasgow, Scotland in 2020 to focus on family and writing.  

Columbia Arctic Crest Technical Sherpa Fleece Jacket: first impressions 

Just when we thought ultralight fleeces were here to stay, Columbia shows up with the Arctic Crest Technical Sherpa Fleece. Right in time for cold weather, this ultra-warm, high-pile fleece jacket is the company's first to utilize the new Omni-Heat Arctic technology. In a nutshell, the lining absorbs the sun's rays and the insulation holds it close to your skin while also maximizing your own body heat. 

You can learn more in our article about Omni-Heat Arctic if you're interested, but suffice to say it makes for a toasty fleece that's best for cold adventures. Sherpa fleece is that super fluffy, soft fleece that mimics sheep's wool so there's something distinctly cozy and retro about this jacket.

While fleece jackets can be prone to rubbing and pilling, this one has reinforced panels everywhere that rubbing usually occurs – over the shoulders and upper back where your backpack sits and along your elbows, forearms and wrists. This again lends a retro look, but it's also really practical and adds to the durability of this jacket.

The athletic fit is performance-ready but leaves room for layering, while the elasticated hood and adjustable hem let you block out a breeze, though there are no thumb loops. There's no way to adjust the hood, but it's snug by design, and two hand-warming pockets plus a chest pocket provide ample storage.

It's definitely too warm for year-round adventures, and it's a little heavy and bulky, especially compared to modern fleeces, but it has a place on cold-weather adventures, plus it's soft and stylish so we'd wear it around town. We wish there were some recycled materials used and could do with a bigger chest pocket as it doesn't quite fit a phone.

Columbia Arctic Crest Technical Sherpa Fleece Jacket : in the field

I've been testing this fleece jacket out during a chilly dawn patrol covering the UTMB in Italy, on a hut trip in the Swiss Alps where we went hiking, foraging and stargazing, and around town here in Scotland.

Here’s how it performed:

Sizing, fit and comfort

I tested a small, which is my usual size, and it fits true to size. The fit is athletic, so it's not baggy or loose anywhere but there's also plenty of room to wear this over other layers. It comes down to about mid-hip to add a little extra warmth without being too long.

The sherpa fleece is ridiculously soft and cozy – my eight-year-old just treats me like a giant teddy bear whenever I have this on. Be warned that you might receive extra cuddles in this fleece.

Warmth, breathability and protection

This fleece jacket is designed to be extremely warm, and I feel its benefit the moment I put it on. In fact, I quite often find that it's too warm for wearing around the house, though I'll be glad for it in another couple of months no doubt. It's really ideal for the coldest weather, although unzipped I was quite happy wearing it in milder conditions too.

Fortunately, it is breathable like all fleece so even though it's designed for the coldest adventures, I've been able to hike in it. Like any fleece, it's not the most windproof but I think it offers better protection than some, especially since the hood is made with a shell material.

Weight, storage and other details

A lot of fleeces I've tested recently have impressive warmth-to-weight ratio, and are super light and warm, but this one has gone all in on cozy bulk. It's fairly heavy and bulky and if I hadn't been testing it in the Alps, I wouldn't have thought to pack it. This is a fleece you'd want to wear when you knew for sure you were in for cold weather rather than packing it as a just-in-case layer.

I love that it has a chest pocket in addition to hand-warming pockets, but I wish it was bigger as it doesn't quite fit my phone.

The only other detail to mention are the reinforced panels which means my backpack never rubs, which should add to the longevity of this jacket.

Columbia Arctic Crest Technical Sherpa Fleece Jacket: the bottom line

This fleece jacket is undoubtedly designed for cold seasons when you want a toasty layer. It isn't a versatile fleece designed for fastpacking and lightweight adventures, but it will ply you with plenty of warmth when you need it, and should hold up against more than a few adventures. For something super warm but a little more versatile, compare it to the Houdini Power Houdi which comes at a premium price but won't skimp on insulation.

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