Trusted Review™ Scorecard
When you spend time outdoors, unless you are really really lucky, insects are a guaranteed annoyance. You can spray yourself with all manner of protective oils, chemicals, and the like, but that can be uncomfortable and don’t always last for the duration of your activity. Insect-repellent clothing solves both the problems.
FEATURES:
- Fabric: 100% polyester ripstop
- Insect Blocker™
- Omni-Shade® UPF 40 sun protection
- Omni-Wick advanced evaporation
- Vented
- Roll-up sleeve
- Zip-closed security pocket
- Imported
Disclaimer: This product was sent to me for review purposes, courtesy of Columbia Sportswear, via OutdoorHub. I was not compensated in any other way for the review, was not obligated to give it a positive review, and all opinions are my own. Some information in this review was taken from the company website.
Quality
This is a good-looking shirt, with few frills but many thoughtful features. Roll up and secure the sleeves for more air or to get them out of the way. A vented back means even more air, for increased hot weather comfort. Add the incredible lightness of this shirt and summer living becomes easier. All stitching seems solid and sturdy.
Pull the shirt on. Wait, my hand just went through the vent in the back. Try again. Nope, again. Definitely a design flaw. In future iterations, the vent needs to be sewn differently in order to allow the arms to easier find the sleeves. A fatal problem? No, just not a shirt you can throw on as you rush out the door. At least, I can’t.
Still, this is a quality shirt that works as advertised. Whether hiking or cutting the grass, bugs seem to stay away.
Reliability
After wearing this shirt at every opportunity, taking it along on an 11-day overseas adventure, with repeated washings, it still appears like new (something I’ve noted about other Columbia products). Even though I don’t expect the repellent properties to last forever, this well-made shirt will probably stick around due to its light weight and comfort.
Price/Value
Value is always a tough row to hoe. It’s hard to put a monetary value on something like bug repellency, especially on a product that will lose that feature after a certain number of washings. However, if getting rid of pesky insects is high on your list, this shirt does the trick. And, unlike temporary sprays or lotions, this shirt retains other uses for a long time.
Referability
This is a good-looking shirt that works as advertised. Apart from the occasional difficulty of getting arms into sleeves, it’s well-designed and appears as if it will last for quite some time. I’d recommend it along with other Columbia gear for outdoor activities.
