Set to launch in mid-2014, Columbia Sportswear has developed a new insulation mix marketed as “down on steroids.”
The company was in Minneapolis last week at the GearJunkie headquarters, but until now we’ve had to stay hush-hush on the news.
In short, Columbia has a new way of doing insulation in jackets that’s both less-expensive and, the company claims, warmer and more breathable than competing brands’ options.
A worldwide shortage of goose feathers as well as a desire to “try something new” in the insulated category has resulted in the announcement from Columbia Sportswear today.
It’s called TurboDown, and that name stems from an insulating combo that banks on a mix of goose feathers and Columbia’s synthetic Omni-Heat insulation fill.
The two hot-air-trapping insulation types are sandwiched between Columbia’s silver-dotted Omni-Heat Reflective material, resulting in what Columbia is marketing as something of a triple-whammy of warmth.
The down and the synthetic fill exist in the same baffle. There is no material in between the two — they are stacked on top of each other to form a billowy mass inside.
Breathability is enhanced, Columbia says, because of the fabric (which is windproof but can transfer sweat) combined with the synthetic insulation underneath.
The polyester-based insulation wicks sweat better than down, Columbia cites, ostensibly moving moisture away from the body when you’re working hard and going aerobic outside. On top of the synthetic insulation is the layer of down, which traps body heat.
