Columbia Freeze Degree II Half Zip Long Sleeve Review
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Columbia Freeze Degree II Half Zip Long Sleeve Shirt
The Columbia Freeze Degree II Half Zip Long Sleeve Shirt
One of the most frustrating parts of active wear is that when technologies are added to a piece of clothing, common sense doesn’t seem to prevail. In most garments, it either is equipped, or it isn’t. This approach yields great results with say, quick dry fabric, but isn’t the greatest with lightweight mesh, zippers, and un-taped seams. Columbia decided to take a different approach from the industry and give you the tech, but only in the spots you need it most. New for this spring Columbia Freeze Degree II Half Zip Long Sleeve Shirt. It adds tech where required, and is sure to become your go-to running piece for the spring of 2015.
The Panels on the Columbia Freeze Degree II Half Zip Long Sleeve Shirt are specially placed to breath more where you sweat most – like under the armpits – the seams are flat locked for comfort in these areas.
Testing the Columbia Freeze Degree II Half Zip Long Sleeve Shirt
Weather is a constant enigma here in the great state of Colorado. Runs beginning with clear skies and sunshine frequently can end in snow, rain or high winds; this makes it a bit more difficult to plan a long afternoon trail run, or nice long marathon training run. I’m certainly not complaining about the gorgeous weather we do have, but you can’t just plan on one weather pattern in any given day. When you see temperature fluctuations of over 20 degrees over the course of one run, you need to choose clothes which are a bit more versatile. Here’s where the Columbia Freeze Degree II Half Zip Long Sleeve Shirt comes into play. After a few training runs in the varying conditions listed above (try planning a week ahead for a long run in Denver – good luck), I can definitely speak to the comfort and performance of this Long Sleeve Shirt. My longest road run was just shy of 15 miles, and my longest trail run a bit over 8. I ran in the top in temperatures as low as 45 degrees where I layered it over another performance top, and then wore it alone in temperatures as high as 70 degrees. This, combined with the ever present Colorado sunshine, gave me a good look at all the Columbia Freeze Degree II Half Zip Long Sleeve Shirt had to offer.
Down the center of the back is another sweat channel on the Columbia Freeze Degree II Half Zip Long Sleeve Shirt – this assists in regulating body heat.
My favorite feature incorporated into this Shirt is the Omni-Freeze ZERO sweat activated super cooling technology. Yes, that’s a bit of a mouthful. It allows the Columbia Freeze Degree II Half Zip Long Sleeve Shirt to stay warm when you need it, and cool when you don’t. Simple as that. When you start to sweat, it cools you off significantly by helping to wick the sweat away efficiently from your skin. There’s really no sweat, and the shirt functions in the opposite way by holding heat in. This was nice for those lower temps, and will be great on spring training runs. As someone who burns easily in the sun, my second favorite feature is the Omni-Shade UPF 30 sun protection technology. Don’t let the name of the tech incorporated into this shirt fool you – it’s actually the equivalent of UPF 50 sunblock. I may not wish to wear this on a blistering hot summer run, but it sure does come in handy on those spring mornings that feel awesome… until you realize 2 hours later in the shower you got burned all over, and the hot water stings something fierce. Trust me on that one. You’d think I’d learn.
The inside of the zipper is comfortable thanks to seam placement and fabric choice on the Columbia Freeze Degree II Half Zip Long Sleeve Shirt.
Final thoughts on the Columbia Freeze Degree II Half Zip Long Sleeve Shirt
Reflective panels are visible on the Columbia Freeze Degree II Half Zip Long Sleeve Shirt, but not so large that they crack with repeated washings – a nice touch.
Coming in at $70 on the money, this Half Zip Long Sleeve Shirt is priced well when considered against other active long sleeve tops, and is a bargain when all of the tech is considered. In the past, I’ve had great luck with the durability of Columbia products, and expect the same from the Columbia Freeze Degree II Half Zip Long Sleeve Shirt. Columbia is quite obviously a company that listens to runner feedback, so the shirt also has all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a quality running top; reflective panels, stretch construction, and even anti-microbial treatment to keep the stink off on the ride home. Follow the washing instructions, and this treatment will last you through more runs than you’ll take it on.
For more info on the Freeze Degree II Half Zip Long Sleeve Shirt and other Columbia gear, visit www.columbia.com
