The Columbia Steens Mountain 2.0 Full Zip is our longest lasting pick, and we rate it 66 out of 100.
A budget heavyweight in 250g filament fleece, built for longevity rather than for uphill performance.
Five metrics carry the score here, Breathability, Warmth, Layering and Fit, Weight and Value for Money, and one thing they cannot measure is how long this jacket lasts.
Longest Lasting
Columbia Steens Mountain 2.0 Full Zip
- Weight: 459g
- Fabric: 100% polyester, 250g filament fleece
- Weight class: Heavyweight
- Pockets: 2
- Hem: Drawstring
Pros
- Owner reports of 10 to 15 years of use
- Among the cheapest jackets here
- Drawstring hem
- Relaxed fit without much extra bulk
Cons
- Does not shed heat when you work
- 459g
- A shell over it is a struggle
Columbia Steens Mountain 2.0 Full Zip: Our Call
Owners report 10 to 15 years out of this jacket, which no scoring model built around performance can see.
We ended up scoring it 66 out of 100, our longest lasting of the group.
Owner reports of 10 to 15 years of use is the reason it beat the rest.
The flip side: does not shed heat when you work.
If you are shopping as camp, work wear and anyone who wants one fleece to last a decade, start here.
My old one is on year eleven and it still zips. That is the argument. Do not ask it to keep up on a climb, because it will cook you.
Ryan, Top-Notch test team
Test Results and Where It Ranks
Best score: value for money. Worst: layering and fit.
Where it gained ground and where it lost it:
Breathability
6 out of 10, and it does not shed heat when you work.
There is no grid and no venting beyond the main zip.
Snow hikes at a steady pace were fine, anything faster was not.
| Breathability | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 8.5/10 |
| Columbia Steens Mountain 2.0 Full Zip | 6/10 |
| Guide average | 7/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 5.6/10 |
Warmth
7 out of 10 from 250g filament fleece, which is honest heavyweight warmth.
Wind still gets through, so it is a camp layer rather than an outer in weather.
The drawstring hem seals warm air in better than the open-hem budget fleeces.
| Warmth | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 9/10 |
| Columbia Steens Mountain 2.0 Full Zip | 7/10 |
| Guide average | 7.1/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 6/10 |
Layering and Fit
5.5 out of 10, because getting a shell over it is a struggle.
The relaxed fit carries less extra bulk than expected, which helps at camp.
Two zippered pockets and a hem drawcord.
| Layering and Fit | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 8/10 |
| Columbia Steens Mountain 2.0 Full Zip | 5.5/10 |
| Guide average | 6.7/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 5.5/10 |
Weight
459g, heavy for what it does on the trail.
This is a jacket you wear from the car, not one you carry up a hill.
| Weight | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 9.1/10 |
| Columbia Steens Mountain 2.0 Full Zip | 6.6/10 |
| Guide average | 7.2/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 3/10 |
Value for Money
Owner reports of 10 to 15 years of use are the strongest longevity signal of any fleece in this guide.
Spread across a decade of use, nothing here competes on cost per year.
Our performance scoring cannot see that, which is exactly why it is worth saying out loud.
| Value for Money | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 9.5/10 |
| Columbia Steens Mountain 2.0 Full Zip | 9.5/10 |
| Guide average | 7.5/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 5.5/10 |
The Case For and Against It
It is best suited to camp, work wear and anyone who wants one fleece to last a decade.
What you are paying for: Owner reports of 10 to 15 years of use.
What you give up: Does not shed heat when you work.
If Not This One, Then What?
Different priorities? Start with one of these.
Amazon Essentials Full-Zip Polar Fleece, our best budget buy. About the price of a burger and a drink, and it still scored 70.
Cotopaxi Abrazo Half-Zip, our best three season crossover. A warm, likeable camp and trail-walk fleece that gets restrictive the moment the ground steepens.
The North Face Retro Denali, our warmest for standing still. The warmest jacket on test and the only one that works alone in real cold, at more than double the weight of anything else here.
Also from this test: the Black Diamond CoEfficient Hoody, our fastest drying pick, if the fit of this one is wrong.
Specifications
| Weight | 459g |
| Fabric | 100% polyester, 250g filament fleece |
| Weight class | Heavyweight |
| Pockets | 2 |
| Hem | Drawstring |
Our Take
Put against nine rivals, the Columbia Steens Mountain 2.0 Full Zip earned our longest lasting award on 66 out of 100.
Owner reports of 10 to 15 years of use, and nothing else here matches it.
The one caveat is does not shed heat when you work.
Right buyer: camp, work wear and anyone who wants one fleece to last a decade.
The rest of the lineup, ranked, is in our 10 Best Fleece Jackets for Hiking, Tested and Ranked guide.
