Columbia Women's Bugaboo Interchange Jacket

I went online to the Columbia site and Amazon and read reviews before I bought this coat. The coat is good quality as expected from Columbia. I just walked in the rain and it is indeed waterproof as it claims. Not one drop touched my clothing. The inner jacket removes easily and is quite warm. Even the outer jacket worn by itself is warm. As I said, I walked in the rain and it was in the 40s and I never got cold. I like the color and design; looks exactly as pictured. I like all of the zippered pockets and removable hood. It also snaps around the neck and comes up far enough to keep the lower part of my face warm. The only reason I didn't give it five stars was fit and this really isn't Columbia's fault; it is the previous reviews that were not accurate. I would have appreciated more detail from them so I could have gotten the right size. I normally wear a med or large shirt depending on the fit. The waist isn't an issue normally, but I am big busted (38D). I knew I would be wearing sweaters and winter clothes under this coat sometimes and everyone said that they ran small, so I ordered an XL. Mistake! Order true to size. If I had ordered a large, I would have had plenty of room for a sweater. My coat is too big in the waist and way too long in the arms and overall length. Even the hand openings are way too big. I had to tighten the velcro closure as tight as it would go where a small portion of velcro would still stick. The only good thing is it kind of eliminates the need for gloves! I would have sent it back, but frankly figured it would be too much trouble and kind of wanted to go ahead and use it since I didn't have a good coat for the season. I considered having a seamstress take the sleeves up a little and add a cuff to the inner jacket, but then it may not hook to the inside of the outer coat properly. Again, overall great coat but make sure you get the right size!

I absolutely love this jacket! I was looking for something to wear all day outside during the winter as I work at a garden center that was selling Christmas trees during the Christmas season. As other reviews suggested, I ordered an xl when I'd normally get a medium size in most things. I'm very glad I did. The xl is baggy on my alone, but fits perfectly when I wear another zip up jacket underneath. It has a fleecy layer underneath and a wind proof, water "proof" layer on top. I wear the layers unconnected so that if I get hot I can pull one off.I've had the jacket for 4 months and it has held up excellently. I expect it to last many years. It's lightweight and much more attractive than many winter parkas.The top layer is absolutely wind proof. I wore it in extremely gusty weather in Ireland this spring, winds so strong they physically push you, and nothing got through. The hood is easily detachable with a zipper and velcro and cinches very tight to block wind, too. The hood also has a little lip on the top of it, which keeps rain from dripping on your face. As for waterproofness, I think in a downpour you would still get wet...I have been in long, drizzly rains and it keeps out the rain very well. In the few harder rains, not downpours, I've been out in, the outer layer gets wet through, but it didn't make it to my skin.The jacket is VERY warm. I like to wear a fleece sweatshirt jacket underneath if I'm out all day or if it's freezing weather. Another great thing is that it has zipper pockets on the outside and inside layers to keep your things from falling out. Also, both outer and inner layers cinch at the bottom to keep wind and cold out.My one con is that the elastic bands in the hood and bottom of the coat and liner are kelley green instead of black, so it looks kind of stupid when you have something cinched tight as there is a bright green band hanging about. That wouldn't keep me from ordering another one if I needed it someday though.

I had to give it 4 stars because I bought it for skiing and the truth is that I haven't taken it out in snow yet. I did wear it out in the winter cold (I live in Seattle), though, and even with just the inner fleece I was comfortable. I normally walk very quickly and end up getting too warm, even when it's cool outside, but I didn't have that problem at all with the fleece. With regard to the fit, it was true to the size described by Columbia for these jackets. I'm 5'1", 104 pounds, and I was comfortable wearing a light long-sleeve layered over a tee and a scarf underneath the XS that I purchased. I think a great deal of the fit depends on what you plan to wear underneath this jacket. I plan on wearing athletic clothing,which close-fitting. A bulky knit sweater would be uncomfortable to wear under this jacket. Also, when I say "true to size" - I had recently measured myself with a tape measure for some sewing and those were the measurements I followed. If you're worried about whether this will fit, definitely make sure you know your actual measurements and choose your size accordingly. On me, this fits my shoulders perfectly, the end hits right at my hip, and I still have plenty of mobility.