Sun Mountain Colter Jacket & Vest
New for the upcoming brisk and cool months of the golf season is the Sun Mountain Colter jacket and vest. New synthetic insulation materials and a flexible design make the Colter outerwear good options to keep warm while still performing freely on the golf course.
The Looks
First and foremost, there are two obviously different looks in the Sun Mountain Colter lineup. There’s the full jacket including an insulated hood, and an insulated vest for crisp days where you only need a little core warmth. Both are available in four different color combinations and feature unquilted insulated panels with a stretchy fabric in the sides (and sleeves in the case of the jacket) for easy mobility. The overall look is contemporary with a slightly athletic cut. For what it’s worth, I’m quite partial to the granite/orange colorway as seen on the vest in this review.
Both the jacket and vest are full zip with two hand pockets as well as internal and external chest pockets. The vest’s internal chest pocket also doubles as a “stuff sack”. This means you can stuff the whole vest into the one pocket for compact an easy storage. A really nice option for when you might want to stuff something to keep you warm in your golf bag.
Comfort
Let me just start out by saying, holy crap, the Sun Mountain Colter jacket is insanely comfortable! Both the Colter jacket and vest are extremely lightweight and adaptable to the climate. This is achieved by using what Sun Mountain calls a “break-through” synthetic fiber known as 37.5 insulation. The way 37.5 insulation works is that it absorbs your body heat and helps release moisture in order to regulate your body temperature. Not only does the moisture release help with temperature and overall comfort, but it also prevents odor in the jacket or vest. The end result is a comfortable jacket in a wider range of temperatures. Additionally, the 37.5 benefits will never wash or wear away.
The Colter fit is on the more conservative side of an athletic cut. What I mean is that while I would say both the jacket and vest fit true to size, they definitely fit a little “closer to the body”. Though they fit closer to the body, the stretchy side panels make them both plenty mobile allowing you to swing and move freely. I will say that I found the vest to fit the core a little more snug, but I didn’t think it was enough to warrant sizing up.
On-Course Performance
While maybe still more a comfort topic, I feel discussing the temperature regulation of the Sun Mountain Colter gear makes sense in performance. Considering how lightweight both the jacket and vest are, it’s WILD how warm they’ll keep you in cooler weather. The 37.5 insulation is essentially a temperature modifier that will keep you as warm as necessary based on the conditions. Don’t get me wrong, 37.5 isn’t made for deep Arctic temperatures, but a nice cool late Novemeber/early December day will be no problem.
While the Colter’s temperature control is nice, breathability is key to being able to wear outerwear for a full day of golf. I’ve had many impressively warm and lightweight golf jackets in my time, but they often become hotboxes. By trapping heat inside, they keep you warm, but you’re drenched in sweat and your jacket stinks by the end of 18 holes in 45ºF temperatures. In the case of the Colter vest and jacket, it’s exactly the opposite. Even wearing the hooded jacket in 65ºF weather “just to see” I stayed comfortably dry, though admittedly a little warm. Obviously better conditions for the vest! Most importantly, this makes the Colter outerwear comfortable for extended periods of time in a fairly wide range of temperatures.
In terms of “on-course” action, I found both Colter pieces very easy to golf in. The stretchy side panels give me the range of motion needed to comfortably make a full golf swing. I know I mentioned earlier that the vest fits a little tighter and the jacket is somewhat close to the body, but the design allows for the sides to stretch, twist, and move during the swing. Range of motion was never an issue for me.
Final Thoughts – Sun Mountain Colter Outerwear
Sun Mountain really did a great job with their new Colter outerwear. The jacket and vest are very comfortable, look good, and most importantly, keep you warm while playing golf. The breakthrough 37.5 insulation was extremely impressive both from a comfort and breathability standpoint, as well as its ability to regulate temperatures in a wide range of conditions. These pieces are key additions to my closet for the Fall and Winter golf seasons here in Chicago. While I’m in no rush for it to get super cold here, I’ll admit that I look forward to testing the Colter jacket out in some light snow and arguably too cold of temperatures.
