Columbia is one of the most well-known names in activewear and outdoor wear. If you’re going to be outside getting active, you’re going to need the kind of clothing that Columbia makes. For many years, this brand has been making the base layers, bags, insulated items, vests, shirts, outerwear and footwear that you need to take on the outside elements and win. But Columbia doesn’t stand alone in this fashion market. There are many brands similar to Columbia that create high-performance clothing that is optimized for outdoor activity. Do you know where to go to find all the tough clothing you need to do all the things you want to do?
FYI, thanks to AI imagery software, we’re able to create very specific fashion and hairstyle examples to illustrate the points being made. In some cases, imagery is exaggerated to hammer home the point.
History of Columbia
Like all big brands, Columbia had very humble beginnings. Columbia Sportwear Co. was founded in 1938. Back then, the company sold hats.
Paul and Marie Lamfrom were living in Germany prior to 1938. They were definitely in the wrong place at the wrong time. In the 1930s in Germany, a political party was rising to power. They were called the Nazis, and the Lamfroms didn’t like the things they were saying at all. The couple fled Germany with their daughter, Gert, and went to the other side of the world.
Specifically, they went to Portland, Oregon, in the United States. Here, they created Columbia Hat Co. Daughter Gert grew up as an American. She attended the University of Arizona and met and fell in love with a young man there. She and Neal Boyle married in 1948. They moved to Portland together with their young son and Neal went to work for Columbia.
By the 1950s, the hat company had expanded to include skiwear. In 1960, the company had become Columbia Sportswear.
To this day, Columbia is owned and operated by the descendants of the same family who originally started the brand. Today, it’s a lot more than a small hat company. Now, Columbia is a billion-dollar brand that is famous for tough, high-performance clothing.
Columbia has an interesting back story and a truly dazzling array of items available but this brand is not all alone. There are brands similar to Columbia that offer high-performance style, outdoor gear, active clothing and other things you like about the Columbia brand.
Finding Brands Similar to Columbia
Columbia has become one of the biggest names in sportswear and the company has been around long enough to establish itself as a standout brand. But there are many other brands that also create sportswear and have similar styles and technology as what you can find with Columbia. Discover brands similar to Columbia and find out which one might become your next favorite.
Burton (Similar Pricing)
Who says that outdoor clothing has to be big and bulky? Not Burton. The styles here are sleek and flattering and they’re made in beautiful colors that catch the eye. Burton specializes in snowboarding, so you will find a huge array of cold-weather clothing here.
Burton makes clothing for men, women and kids, as well as a whole line of accessories and bags. You can find all kinds of snowboard equipment and clothing here, including snowboards. There’s a big selection of insulated and down jackets, rain jackets and other outerwear here, along with warm everyday clothing like hoodies, flannels and T-shirts.
Burton has everything you need to take on the cold weather, whether or not you’re a snowboarder. The pricing here is similar to what you will find when you’re shopping at Columbia, so you won’t be spending any more by shopping here.
Canada Goose (More Expensive)
Canada Goose is one of the best-known brands for outerwear, offering a huge catalog of clothing for women, men and kids. You can also get a ton of footwear styles here. Like Columbia, Canada Goose provides outdoor clothing of all kinds.
Shop here for parkas, puffer jackets, lightweight jackets, raincoats, bomber jackets and comfortable everyday clothing, including sweatpants and knitwear. Canada Goose specializes in warm, high-performance clothing that’s made to battle the elements. A Canadian company definitely knows about battling harsh weather, right?
Canada Goose items are somewhat more expensive, on average, than similar items you will find at Columbia.
Eastern Mountain Sports (Less Expensive)
The name of this brand says it all. This is clothing that is made for outdoor sports. Eastern Mountain Sports makes a lot of clothing and gear for climbing, hiking and camping. The catalog of outerwear, gear and everyday clothing here is enormous.
You can find all kinds of outerwear here, from lightweight rain jackets to insulated ski jackets, along with hiking boots and running shoes to go with it. There’s plenty of everyday clothing here as well, including pants and T-shirts. Shop here for hoodies, sweaters, even swimwear and socks. Eastern Mountain Sports makes a huge selection of gear as well, including gear for camping. Sleeping bags, electronics, accessories, you can find it all here.
The pricing at Eastern Mountain Sports is less expensive than similar items you can purchase at Columbia.
Eddie Bauer (Less Expensive)
If Paul Bunyon was still around today, he would probably shop at Eddie Bauer. This brand is all about rugged everyday clothing, outdoor wear, gear and all the other items you need to enjoy being outdoors. We’re talking flannel for days, thermals, sweatshirts, outerwear and accessories to go with it. Eddie Bauer makes clothing for men, women and children, along with unisex items.
The catalog here is vast and you can find just about anything you might want to wear here. Eddie Bauer specializes in casual wear. Shop here for a big selection of T-shirts, polos, baselayer items, performance tops, jeans and just about everything else you could name. The outerwear selection is huge, of course, and you can find lots of loungewear as well.
The pricing at Eddie Bauer is less expensive than similar items you can buy at Columbia, so you can get more fashion here.
Helly Hansen (More Expensive)
You could spend days shopping the Helly Hansen catalog and still not see it all. There’s a huge selection of clothing to choose from here. Everything you might want to put on as casual wear is here, along with all the outerwear and protective layers you need for any type of weather you might encounter. Like Columbia, Helly Hansen makes clothing for a huge range of outdoor sporting activities.
Shop Helly Hansen for any type of jacket you might want to wear, including rain jackets and sailing jackets. You can even get rain pants here, along with all the usual suspects like T-shirts, hoodies, polo shirts and footwear for all weather conditions. Helly Hansen also carries a wide range of accessories, including all kinds of outdoor bags.
Mostly, Helly Hansen makes clothing designed for skiing, sailing and all outdoor activities. The prices here are more expensive than what you’ll pay for similar items at Columbia. However, Helly Hansen has frequent sales and runs various specials to offer fashion at reduced prices.
London Fog (Similar Pricing)
If you like your outerwear and casual wear to have a touch of sophisticated elegance, you want to get a look at everything London Fog has to offer. These clothes have classic styling and elegant good looks. Longdon Fog designs are traditional and timeless. You’ll find gorgeous trench coats and stylish parkas here, outerwear that flatters the body instead of swamping it.
London Fog specializes in outerwear of all kinds, but you can also find a big range of handbags and footwear here. This brand makes clothing for women, men and children. All the classic coat styles are here and all of them come with several color options, so you can find something that truly matches your personal style.
The pricing here is similar to what you’ll find for like items at Columbia.
Marmot (Similar Pricing)
Want to stay warm outdoors? Marmot has got what you need. This brand carries a big range of beautiful outdoor wear that’s full of technology designed to feel lightweight, keep you dry and insulate you against the weather.
Marmot makes clothing for men, women and kids. You can also find equipment here for camping, hiking and being comfortable outdoors. When it comes to finding outerwear, Marmot is hard to beat. The online store has a jacket finder so you locate exactly what you need for what you plan to do. You can also shop by activity, by technology or by the features you’re looking for.
Along with the outerwear and accessories to go with it, like gloves and hats, Marmot carries everyday casual wear. The product line includes T-shirts, hoodies, hiking pants, rainwear and more.
The pricing at Marmot is similar to what you’ll pay at Columbia for similar items, so you can easily add this brand to your shopping rotation without adding a ton of extra expense to your shopping budget.
Montbell (More Expensive)
If you like to have a whole lot of options when you’re shopping, you’re going to like Montbell…and probably, spend a lot of time with this brand. The catalog of items is absolutely huge. You can buy all kinds of casual wear and outdoor wear here, pretty much everything you could want for whatever activity you might have planned.
Search Montbell for clothing for men and women. That includes insulated jackets, back layers, lightweight jackets, shirts, pants, gloves, hats and yeah, whatever else you need to go camping or hiking. There’s a giant selection of gear here that includes bags, cookware, even camping accessories that make it even easier to enjoy the outdoors.
The selection at Montbell is staggering, with most items available in more than one color options. Bright color is everywhere in the Montbell catalog. The designs are sleek and flattering, with modern styling. If you want your outerwear to look trendy and modern, Montbell is the brand for you.
The pricing at Montbell is more expensive, on average, than similar items you will find at Columbia.
Mountain Hardwear (More Expensive)
If you’re going to take on the elements and you want to look good while you do it, Mountain Hardwear is exactly where you should be. This brand carries a huge product line, with plenty of fashion for anything you want to do. Shop here for jackets, tops and bottoms for men and women, along with plenty of accessories and lots of gear for camping and hiking.
Many items at Mountain Hardwear are available in many different color options, so you can tailor every item to your personal style. You can find everything you need to take on the outdoors here, including sow shells and rain shells, hoodies, shirts, gloves, hats and everything else you might want.
The pricing at Mountain Hardwear is more expensive, on average, than what you’ll pay for similar items from Columbia.
The North Face (More Expensive)
Like Columbia, the North Face is a famous brand name in the outerwear game. This brand was started by climbers and the brand still holds true to this origin by providing a huge range of climbing-friendly clothing and gear.
Items at the North Face are available in a big range of color options and the catalog is full of clothing made to help you brave the weather. Shop here for clothing, bags and gear for women, women and kids. The North Face sells jackets and vests of all kinds, as well as the tops and bottoms to go with them. You can even find footwear to complete all of your outdoor outfits here.
Shop the North Face by activity or by weather conditions. This brand has a huge range of items available and there are always new styles to browse, so you can check back frequently to get even more outdoor clothing.
Pricing here is slightly more expensive than similar items you can purchase at Columbia.
Patagonia (More Expensive)
Patagonia specializes in outdoor wear that will help you perfect any activity out in nature. Patagonia makes clothing for warm-weather outdoor sports, something that separates this brand from Columbia and others that focus more on cold-weather gear.
Shop here for clothing made for fly fishing, surfing, mountain biking, kitesurfing, climbing and trail running. There’s a huge selection of clothing items for men, women and children here. Patagonia makes jackets and vests, tops and bottoms, socks and underwear, boardshorts and accessories for all the clothing you want to wear.
The huge range of casual clothing here is comfortable and high-performance. It looks and feels great whether you want to get out in the great outdoors or not. Pricing here is slightly more expensive than what you’ll pay for like items at Columbia.
Poler Stuff (Less Expensive)
Shop at Poler Stuff to find outerwear and casual wear that’s optimized for camping and being outdoors. Poler offers a huge selection of bags, apparel and accessories designed for the outdoors. Poler Stuff sells T-shirts, long sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, button-ups, pants and outerwear.
This is fashion for everyone. The styles aren’t specifically for men or women. They’re just made with simple, high-performance designs in neutral colors. Poler Stuff’s pricing is less expensive than Columbia, so you can shop here and spend a little less.
Salomon (More Expensive)
Salomon specializes in making ski clothing and equipment. You can get everything you need to ski here, including the skis themselves. Salomon makes clothing and gear for men, women and children. Like Columbia, the clothing here is made for cold weather and it’s designed to take on the outside world.
This brand makes a huge selection of footwear for outdoor activities, along with jackets, T-shirts, bottoms, accessories and bags. Pricing here is more expensive than similar items you can get from Columbia.
Wearing Brands Similar to Columbia
There are lots of brands similar to Columbia, either in style or technology or in a shared mission to make sportswear available so that more people can get out and enjoy nature. Start wearing these Columbia similar brands and start doing more out there in the outside world.
FAQs
There are probably a few things you didn’t know about Columbia but there’s still more to learn about this brand. We searched for the most frequently asked questions about Columbia and got the answers, so you know everything you need to know about this famous brand.
Where are Columbia clothes made?
Most of Columbia’s clothing is made in Vietnam, but the company also works with factories in China.
Is Columbia clothing ethical?
Columbia uses some recycled materials and eco-friendly materials to make certain products but overall, the brand does not do much to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or carbon output. The supply chain is not certified by labor standards and Columbia is not transparent about its suppliers. Columbia also uses some products derived from animals in its clothing, including leather, wool and down.
How did Columbia Sportswear get its name?
Columbia was founded in Portland, Oregon, not too far from the Columbia River. This waterway was used to inspire the brand name, which is fitting because you will need good, warm clothing if you’re going to be out by the river.
When was Columbia clothing founded?
Columbia was founded in Portland, Oregon and is still owned and operated by the descendants of the two founders.
Sources:
Family Business Magazine – Columbia Sportswear: An American success story
good on you – How Ethical Is Columbia?