Columbia Powder Lite II (women’s) review: the versatile synthetic puffy, updated
When fleece is not quite warm enough and down is more than you want to spend, or to risk in wet weather, the answer is a synthetic puffy. The women’s Columbia Powder Lite II Full Zip is the updated version of the jacket that set the value standard: light synthetic insulation, Columbia’s heat-reflective lining and a water-repellent shell, at a price that leaves room in the budget for the rest of your layers.
Quick take
A warm, light, packable midlayer for regular hikers. Synthetic insulation keeps you warm when it gets damp, the reflective lining adds warmth without bulk, and the jacket packs into a corner of a daypack. It is not as warm for its weight as good down, its water repellency handles light snow and drizzle only, and the cut runs roomy. As the versatile puffy for most three-season days and mild winter outings, it is excellent value.
What it does
A synthetic puffy sits between fleece and down: more warmth for its weight than fleece, and unlike down it keeps insulating when it is damp, which matters in wet, changeable weather. The Powder Lite II is filled with recycled synthetic insulation and lined with Omni-Heat, a pattern of metallic dots that reflects some of your body heat back toward you without adding bulk. The shell is treated with Omni-Shield, a water- and stain-repellent finish for light precipitation. It has zippered hand pockets, an interior security pocket, a soft chin guard at the top of the zip and a drawcord hem to seal out drafts. It works as a jacket on its own on cold, dry days and as the insulating layer over a merino base layer and under a rain shell when the weather turns.
What verified buyers say
Across verified-purchase reviews, the same points come up:
- Warm without bulk. Owners describe plenty of warmth for a jacket this light, including on below-freezing days with snow, and like that it never feels puffy or heavy.
- Packs and layers well. Owners fold it into a bag easily and buy a size up when they want room for thick sweaters underneath.
- A roomy cut. Several owners say it runs large and size down; others find their usual size right.
- Not a deep-winter coat. A minority find it too thin for very cold days unless layered.
- Water repellency is modest. One owner found it did not shed rain as well as described.
- Isolated quality slips. One jacket arrived with a stain and one with a stiff zipper.
Worth knowing
Synthetic insulation is not as warm for its weight, or as compressible, as good down; for the same warmth, a down jacket packs smaller and weighs less. The water-repellent finish handles flurries and light drizzle but is not a rain jacket, so in sustained rain wear a shell over it. The cut is roomy, so order your usual size if you plan to layer underneath and consider a size down if you want a trim fit. For very cold days, treat it as a midlayer under a warmer shell rather than as your only coat.
Who it is for
The women’s Powder Lite II is for the regular hiker or camper who wants a warmer, more packable and more weather-tolerant layer than fleece without paying for premium down. If you need a first, budget midlayer, the Columbia Benton Springs fleece is plenty. If you want the most warmth for the least weight and will keep it dry, step up to the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer down jacket. The Powder Lite II replaces the original Powder Lite, which Columbia has discontinued; if you find one in your size, that review still applies. How to put the layers together is in what to wear in the bush.
Specs at a glance
- Typesynthetic insulated full-zip jacket
- Insulationrecycled synthetic fill + Omni-Heat reflective lining
- ShellOmni-Shield water- and stain-repellent finish, not waterproof
- Pocketstwo zippered hand, one interior
- Fitwomen’s, roomy
- Best forcool to cold, damp days and layering
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The Verdict
The women’s Columbia Powder Lite II is the versatile puffy most hikers should own: warmer and less bulky than fleece, still warm when damp, packable, and priced well below premium down. Keep a rain shell with it for real rain, and check the size against the roomy cut. For the lightest, most packable warmth, the Ghost Whisperer is the step up.
