Columbia Whirlibird Parka - Men's - 2011 BCS

Choosing a winter jacket revolves around two brands for many people: Columbia and North Face. Once you choose a brand, then you must choose from a number of different styles.

I have always preferred Columbia jackets over North Face for all the small things they seem to do right as well as the most obvious, warmth. Both brands have quite a few jackets right around $200, but none of the North Face ones are as warm as the Columbias.

I love the Omni Heat, which does seem to make a different. The fit is more snug, making it look more professional and be warmer. The inner jackets to both are very similar, and quite nice for a lot of spring and fall weather.

Once I settled on Columbia, it was between the Whirlibird and the Lhotse. When I tried them on, they both fit identically, but the Lhotse does have a few differences. Utility-wise, the hand pockets on the outer jacket are "normal" on the Whirlibird with upper pockets for things like your smart phone or other items. The Lhotse has giant pockets, which are not bad, but I prefer the layout on the Whirlibird.

As for style, the Whirlibird has a little more color tones on the black jacket, as it has some small strips of dark grey, which really add a nice pop. The Lhotse black was all black. Again, both nice, but I personally prefer the Whirlibird.

I hope that helps some people make their choice, as the differences were small and I would have been happy and warm in either.

I miss and loved my Solstice shell. They don't make them anymore. I am nearly as happy with my Columbia Whirlibird. The single issue is that the pockets on my Solstice are much higher on the chest while the pockets on the Whirlibird are at arms length. Part of this is my fault. I like my jackets to be a size larger than the shirts I wear.

The liner jacket is amazingly warm. I have only needed it a few times. Each time was a delight. Adding it to the jacket is easy.

I believe I am going to have a new favorite.