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Columbia Steens Mountain 2.0 Full Zip Review

Affordable, comfortable, and functional, this fleece offers the no-frills basics that you'd want in a jacket
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Columbia Steens Mountain 2.0 Full Zip Review
Credit: James Lucas
Price:  $46 List
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Manufacturer:   Columbia
By James Lucas ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  May 9, 2023
63
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#14 of 16
  • Warmth - 25% 7.0
  • Comfort - 25% 6.5
  • Breathability - 20% 6.0
  • Layering Ability - 15% 5.5
  • Weight - 15% 6.0

Our Verdict

The Columbia Steens Mountain 2.0 hits the basics of fleece without hurting the wallet. This jacket uses the generic MTR (Maximal Thermal Retention) Filament Fleece in a bare-bones model that's warm and comfortable. Though bulky and without thumbholes, a hood, much breathability, or many of the features of the high-performance jackets in this review, this piece did well for casual day hikes and around-town days. At an affordable price, this jacket served our testers well with casual use.
REASONS TO BUY
Inexpensive
Warm
Comfortable
REASONS TO AVOID
Bulky
Hoodless
Poor layering
Editor's Note: We updated this review on May 9, 2023, to align our metrics with the rest of the test fleet.

Compare to Similar Products

 
Awards  Best Buy Award
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Price $34.95 at Backcountry
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Overall Score Sort Icon
63
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Star Rating
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Bottom Line This soft and comfortable fleece comes at a great price and is warm and decently cozyThis lightweight and breathable fleece with excellent performance at a price that's hard to beatA budget-friendly design that offers comfort and warmthA breathable fleece that’s several times cheaper than the competitionFor a decent all-purpose fleece at an exceptionally low price point, look no further than this full-zip model
Rating Categories Columbia Steens Mou... Outdoor Research Vi... REI Co-op Trailmade Wrangler Authentics... Amazon Essentials F...
Warmth (25%)
7.0
7.0
7.0
6.0
7.5
Comfort (25%)
6.5
7.5
7.0
6.0
5.5
Breathability (20%)
6.0
8.5
5.5
7.0
5.0
Layering Ability (15%)
5.5
7.0
6.0
5.5
7.0
Weight (15%)
6.0
8.5
8.2
7.4
6.0
Specs Columbia Steens Mou... Outdoor Research Vi... REI Co-op Trailmade Wrangler Authentics... Amazon Essentials F...
Measured Weight 16.6 oz 13.2 oz 11.1 oz 12.5 oz 16.5 oz
Type Midweight Lightweight Midweight Midweight Midweight
Main Material Body: 100% polyester Body: 94% polyester, 6% spandex Body: 100% nylon
Accents: LYCRA spandex
Body: 100% polyester Body: 100% polyester
Hood Option? No Yes No No No
# of Pockets 2 3 4 0 5
Features None Thumb holes, UPF 30, 3-panel hood with binding Spandex binding along hem, cuff, and collar; double-layer collar Quarter-length zipper, double fleece layering on back Zippered chest pocket

Our Analysis and Test Results

Light on the wallet, the Columbia Steens Mountain 2.0 is a jacket made from 100% polyester MTR filament fleece with two cozy, zippered handwarmer pockets. Additionally, snug elastic cuffs and a hem cinch help trap heat and keep out cold drafts. Due to its bulky cut, this isn't our favorite piece for layering, but it gets the job done around town and on short hikes.

Performance Comparison


columbia steens mountain 2.0 full zip - with a comfortable, casual feel, the mountain steens offers a decent...
With a comfortable, casual feel, the Mountain Steens offers a decent jacket at a low price.
Credit: James Lucas

Warmth


The mid-weight Steens 2.0 uses 100% polyester MTR (maximum thermal retention) fleece to battle the cold. While it feels plush, the jacket's not as warm as many of the other models in this review though the stretchy bungee cord hem cinch and the large elastic cuffs helped keep the warmth in and the cold out. The lager cut of the jacket also added a bit of warmth through the extra coverage.

Comfort


The Steens Mountain 2.0 fits oddly with the long arms bunching around the cuffs, the collar pressing against the throat, and the jacket having an oversized feel to it. The collar did help fight the cold while biking or riding a chair lift and the MTR fleece felt plush against our testers' skin.

columbia steens mountain 2.0 full zip - the collar comes close to the throat though the arms had an excess...
The collar comes close to the throat though the arms had an excess of material seen in a lower photo.
Credit: James Lucas

Breathability


The Steens Mountain 2.0 is uniformly thick over the entire jacket. This simple design keeps the price down but it doesn't breathe well. This is adequate if you're on a chilly morning bike ride and you want to keep the wind out, or if you're fishing in a cool mountain stream, but if you're running or hiking quickly uphill, you're likely going to sweat, making this jacket less of a performance piece and more of a casual wear jacket.

columbia steens mountain 2.0 full zip - this jacket is made for more casual wear than athletic use as the...
This jacket is made for more casual wear than athletic use as the breathability is less than ideal.
Credit: James Lucas

Layering Ability


The bulky cut of the Steens 2.0 doesn't lend itself to layering. Under multiple layers, the bunching up of the fabric on the sleeves is noticeable and annoying. Under a hardshell or an appropriately sized wind layer our testers weren't bothered as much — just make sure your shell is big enough to accommodate this hefty fleece.

columbia steens mountain 2.0 full zip - the mt steens lacks thumb holes which traditionally help with...
The Mt Steens lacks thumb holes which traditionally help with layering. The cut of the jacket also bunches a bit at the elastic cuffs, adding to the difficulty of layering.
Credit: James Lucas

Weight


At 16.1 ounces, this jacket can easily fit into a backpack. While it has a decent weight-to-warmth ratio, it wasn't anything notable. The jacket felt a bit bulky, especially in the shoulders. The lack of features definitely streamlined this jacket but it didn't make it as light as some of the other jackets in this review.

columbia steens mountain 2.0 full zip - with a bit of a bulky fit, the mountain steens performed less than...
With a bit of a bulky fit, the Mountain Steens performed less than favorably in athletic pursuits.
Credit: James Lucas

Should You Buy the Columbia Mountain Steens 2.0?


For the price, this jacket does well as an insulating layer for day hikes, fishing trips, car camping, and staying warm while in the yard. It doesn't score as well with more technical applications but the price is hard to beat.

columbia steens mountain 2.0 full zip - a price-point jacket, the columbia fleece offers adequate warmth but...
A price-point jacket, the Columbia fleece offers adequate warmth but lacks in terms of performance.
Credit: James Lucas

What Other Fleece Jackets Should You Consider?


If staying warm and saving money are your primary concerns, then the Columbia Steens Mountain 2.0 will deliver. We don't recommend it for backpacking, ski touring, or climbing because it doesn't offer a high level of breathability; the bulky cut also makes it difficult to wear underneath multiple layers. It makes a good, inexpensive jacket for around-town use. The Outdoor Research Vigor Full Zip or Cotopaxi Teca Full-Zip are next in line when it comes to price, and offer one heck of a deal.

James Lucas