Columbia since 1938

We enjoy the outdoors as much as you do. We know being cold and wet is miserable, and that sunburn really stings. That’s why our company mission is to create comfort driven, high-value outdoor gear for active people of all ages. So whether your idea of outdoor adventure is climbing mountain peaks or simply strolling through city parks, Columbia helps you fully enjoy your journey. Established more than 75 years ago as the Columbia Hat Company, we are a family business gone global. Today, we continue Columbia’s tradition of maintaining high standards and blazing new trails in innovative outdoor apparel and accessories. While our products are now available around the world, we’re still headquartered in the pristine Pacific Northwest. Majestic forests, volcanic mountains and rugged coast—this is where we camp, climb, fish, golf, hike, paddle, ride, run, and thoroughly enjoy every minute we can experience and learn from the great outdoors.

Technologies that keep you protected
Omni-HEAT™ thermal reflective technology helps regulate your temperature by reflecting and retaining the warmth your body generates, while dissipating moisture and excess heat to keep you comfortable. FEATURES: • Dot lining boosts heat retention • Reduces cold spots.

Omni-Tech™ provides premium, air-permeable waterproof protection. It’s waterproof and breathable, guaranteed.
FEATURES: • Windproof and waterproof • Air permeability allows perspiration to escape

Omni-WICK™ EVAP moisture management technology keeps you dry and comfortable thanks to a special compound that disperses sweat quickly across a broad surface area for accelerated evaporation.
FEATURES: • Next-to-skin comfort • Feels dry even while sweating • Faster wicking technology

Omni-SHADE™ blocks Ultraviolet A and Ultraviolet B rays (UVA and UVB), helping to prevent sunburn and long-term skin damage.
FEATURES: • Blocks UV rays with tight weave construction, UV absorbers, and UV reflectors • Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal of Recommendation • Unlike sunscreen – no need to reapply

Omni-SHIELD™ helps you stay clean and dry by resisting the absorption of liquids into the yarns to prevent staining.
FEATURES: • Water and stain repellent technology • Long-lasting repellency

Omni-FREEZE™ ZERO’s blue rings react with your sweat to lower the temperature of the material, so you feel cooler.
FEATURES: • Industry-leading cooling technology • Long-lasting cooling, lowers material temperature • Accelerated wicking process to keep you dry for next-to-skin comfort

Omni-Wind Block™ is built with a durable waterproof fabric that shields against harsh winds. It also features a breathable membrane so any moisture accumulation can easily escape while The result is a warm, dry, and comfortable feel.
FEATURES: • Breathable membrane so any moisture accumulation can easily escape • Protected from outer wind and water for a warm, dry, and comfortable feel.

Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Columbia Sportswear Company has been making gear so that Pacific Northwesterners can enjoy the outdoors for more than 70 years. At the helm for over 40 years has been our Chairman, Gert Boyle. Her Tough Mother persona has grown Columbia into the global sportswear company that it is today—still based in Portland, still making no-nonsense apparel and footwear to keep you WARM, DRY, COOL and PROTECTED no matter what. Our unique Pacific Northwest heritage and Boyle family irreverence is what sets us apart from the competition.
play youtube video about testedtough

We’re a family business gone global. Chairman Gert Boyle’s parents — German nationals who fled Nazi Germany in 1938 — purchased a small hat company upon their arrival in Portland and named it Columbia Hat Company, after the river that inspired their new home. This humble beginning was of huge significance to the family, marking new found freedom and a fresh start. Her husband later took over, and after he died Gert ran the show, going from housewife to executive overnight. Today, her son Tim Boyle is our longtime president and CEO. The family — like our business — has experienced its ups and downs, but enjoying the outdoors together has always been integral to its success.

Columbia is made up of real people who are as passionate about the outdoors as you are. And, while our products are available around the world, we’re based in the great Pacific Northwest, where majestic forests frame volcanic mountains and a rugged coast. This is where we hike, ride, fish, hunt, climb, camp, golf, paddle, run, and just enjoy fresh air with friends.

There’s plenty of talk in the outdoor world about doing the right thing. One big push is to get everybody outdoors—but the flip side of this well-intentioned goal is that it means selling more outdoor gear. And for every piece of outdoor apparel produced, from trail running shoes to rain shells, more natural resources are used.

It also means using more toxic chemicals in the production process, which then inevitably goes right back into our environment.

But this vicious cycle of using nature in order to enjoy nature doesn’t have to happen. Groups like bluesign®, a Switzerland-based organization dedicated to eliminating toxic substances from the outdoor product supply chain, have been gaining ground.