Outdoor industry stalwart Columbia Sportswear is introducing a new concept in cold-weather insulation to the apparel market, and the new pieces, which blend down with proprietary synthetic filling, are hitting stores now. Performance Enhanced Down, or, TurboDown, featuring a patent-pending construction technique, is what the company says is like a “down jacket on steroids.”
Regarding Columbia’s catch phrase “PED,” the irony is not lost on company president and CEO Tim Boyle. “Performance Enhanced Down offers unmatched performance and now you can experience how science can enhance the limitations of nature — and it’s legal,” he said from his Portland, Oregon, headquarters.
TurboDown leverages the strengths of its science combined with the natural properties of down, layering synthetic Omni-Heat thermal insulation, natural down filling, and an Omni-Heat Reflective technology laminate into every baffle on the new jackets.
The result is a product that has the warmth, the look and feel of natural down, and performance in all conditions. Other manufacturers are attempting to solve the same problem — harnessing the benefits of natural down while still making a jacket functional for wet-weather conditions.
Columbia says products insulated with TurboDown performed better than comparable brands in third-party testing, beating competitors by margins ranging from 8% to 22% warmer.
In keeping with Columbia’s commitment to making its products accessible to all outdoors enthusiasts, the collection will be tiered in three categories, Gold, Platinum and Diamond. And the jackets and vests will range in price from $130 to $325. Visit Columbia.com for more information.
