SCIENCE



Core Technologies

Columbia is first and foremost an outdoor product company. In many ways though, we are a technology company. Columbia's commitment to innovation runs throughout our entire product offering, and helps set us apart from the competition. Our family of Omni technologies have been designed with one thing in mind: your comfort. Whether it's keeping you warm and dry, cool and comfortable, or moving fast and light, we've focused on serious solutions for a simple challenge: Enhancing your experience of the greater outdoors with the best products you can buy.

CORE TECHNOLOGIES

  • Omni-Wick®
    ADVANCED EVAPORATION
    Keeps you dry and comfortable.
  • Omni-Heat
    Omni-Heat helps maintain warmth and prevent heat loss through reflective, electric, and insulated technologies, keeping you comfortable in cold weather.
  • Omni-Shield ADVANCED REPELLENCY
    A water and stain barrier that resists light rain and stains, keeping you clean and protected.
  • Omni-Shade SUN PROTECTION
    Omni-Shade sun protection technology helps block damaging UV rays from reaching your skin, allowing for more carefree hours in the sun.
  • Omni-Tech WATERPROOF BREATHABLE
    Maximum waterproof-breathable protection keeps outside elements from getting in, while allowing moisture to move away from the skin.
  • Omni-Shield BLOOD 'N GUTS™ ADVANCED REPELLENCY
    This soil and slime barrier resists blood and guts and releases stains, keeping you clean and protected in the wild.
  • Omni-Dry ADVANCED EVAPORATION
    Moisture transferring technology that moves and disperses sweat away from the body for quick evaporation, keeping you comfortable during physical activity.
  • Omni-Freeze ADVANCED COOLING
    Our thermal transfer technology disperses body heat, keeping you significantly cooler in hot weather, so you can stay out longer.
  • Techlite LIGHTWEIGHT PERFORMANCE
    Techlite is specially formulated to provide impact absorbing support, stability and protection, so you can go the distance in comfort.
  • Omni-Grip ADVANCED TRACTION
    A multi-terrain traction system that matches specially formulated compounds and treads to specific environments: Sure-footed confidence for any activity.

Omni-Shade

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About Omni-Shade

Columbia Sportswear's Omni-Shade® clothing protects you from damaging UV radiation by blocking the majority of the sun's harmful rays, so you can stay out longer. Omni-Shade blocks Ultraviolet A and Ultraviolet B rays (UVA and UVB), helping to prevent sun burn and long-term skin damage through tight weave construction, UV reflectors, and UV absorbing technology.

Unlike SPF (Sun Protection Factor), which is a measure of sunburn reduction from sunblock, and does not indicate any protection from UVB rays. UVB rays are much more harmful than UVA, and are present even on cloudy days. Omni-Shade provides protection from both UVB and UVA rays. Like sunblock, Omni-Shade is given a numeric value to indicate its level of sun protection. Unlike sun block, Omni-Shade does not wear off. Your safety increases as the Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) increases, and several levels of Omni-Shade protection are avialable: UPF 15, UPF 30, UPF 40 and UPF 50+. It's like sunscreen, but you don't have to reapply.

Skin Cancer Foundation All Omni-Shade fabric carries The Skin Cancer Foundation's Seal of Recommendation, given to sun-protective fabrics that have a minimum UPF of 30. You can read more about The Skin Cancer Foundation here: http://www.skincancer.org/