Dryrobe or not?

[Kkinn]

My lovely boys do many activities during the week which requires me to watch from the sidelines. Football, rugby and running clubs. We also walk to school every day and I walk our dog at least once a day.
As we will start getting into the colder months I’m looking for recommendations for the best jacket that will keep me warm and dry!
I’ve looked at dry robes but are they worth the money? Do they keep you as warm and dry as reviewed?
Open to all suggestions and recommendations, I don’t mind spending a bit more money on something that is going to last
Thank you!

I have a dryrobe for changing under after swimming outside. It is very heavy and bulky and I would never choose to wear it as a coat.
Have a look at Buffalo - UK company, well made waterproof and windproof jackets. Well worth the money and do the job they were designed for.

I have one from Two Barefeet, which is a Cornish brand. It’s fantastic and half the price. I am an open water swimmer so I do use it for swimming all year round , but it’s great for anytime you’re stuck out in the rain and wind. I personally wouldn’t pay DryRobe prices.

Look on Vinted - you’ll find loads of nearly new for sale

I wouldn't buy a DryRobe unless you're a wild swimmer. There's a Facebook page devoted to exposing DryRobe wankers i.e. people wearing them nowhere near the sea, lake or rivers.

Get a decent lined waterproof jacket instead. Much more comfortable and much more suitable for standing on the sidelines and dog walking.

Great on the beach or to the car after a surf or swim. Anywhere else they look naff.

I've a off brand version that I bought very resonably in Shaws (Ireland), its so so cosy, I've worn it while winter camping, standing watching football in shitty wet weather, I've used it as a blanket when sleeping in the car after getting too tired to continue driving, I've sat on it when the grass was wet and I forgot the picnic blanket, its kept in the boot of my car and has definitely been very handy but there's no way I could use it as a coat, its simply too warm and I'd be uncomfortably hot. Get one of the cheaper versions because they are handy but not as a coat

My daughter has a Regatta dry robe. It's not been tested in appalling downfalls yet, but it's good quality for the price.

I have a winter standing on the sidelines too and I have a dry robe type coat. I will be wearing mine, it is warm and waterproof and I won’t care that I look naff because I will be warmer and drier than everyone else.

I own a dryrobe and honestly do not care what people think and wouldn’t think twice about wearing it away from the beach. They’re super warm, and cosy and waterproof and perfect for dog walks or whatever anyone chooses. There are cheaper varieties - passenger do good ones too. I’d say it’s worth it, especially if you’re using it a lot. And it’s not something you outgrow quickly so the child size should last for years. They’re excellent quality.

IME coats that are warm enough for standing on the sidelines are too warm for walking in especially if hilly or brisk walking. I have a Seasalt Janelle and Merrell snowboots for sidelines but both are too warm for anything more than a short stroll into town. I prefer a gore-tex coat plus layers for proper walking.

I have the regatta version and love it. Very good in heavy rain, lovely and cosy. It’s so nice my whole family would borrow it and now I’ve brought them all their own!
None of them outdoor swim either!

I went to Mountain Warehouse and got a sleeping bag coat by Active People. It's waterproof and down to my ankles. Such a warm coat and looks good too

I have a version by Red Equipment that I use for camping and after swimming and paddle boarding but I wouldn’t wear it for dog walking as it would feel too cumbersome.

I love my dry robe. I'm not a wild swimmer though, am a football mum! But no I don't wear it in public (I've seen that FB page ), it's strictly for the garden. They are very warm so I can sit out on cooler nights. I wear a, not very attractive, waterproof/windproof coat from one of those outdoor shops for football.
I hate big heavy coats so wear thermals/layers underneath. Not looking forward to the biting wind and horizontal rain this season

I got a cheaper version of a dryrobe from Home Bargains, £30. I wanted something I could keep in the car that was warm and waterproof as spend a lot of time at the beach, but didn't fancy the prices of branded coats.

My daily autumn/winter coat that has seen me through 3 winters is a Peter Storm Paloma parka jacket. Ideal for daily wear

Don’t be a dry robe wanker!

I have a dryrobe for activities. My middle son is and footballer so I used it for the sidelines. My youngest does karting and I now use it for karting days. Its been great in the cold and wet. My youngest also has one for in-between karting sessions/races when he is waiting around as its so cold and wet some days. I wouldn't use it on a school run though.

I have one for swimming. It’s cosy and waterproof but huge so I can change in it and pretty heavy.
I wouldn’t wear it as a coat for those reasons.
The coats I wear for watching DC play football etc are much lighter, more fitted, look nicer and were way cheaper than the dry robe.

We all got the cheaper Regatta version of the dry robe this year. We got them for wild swimming but have quickly found they are great for wet dog walks, really warm and dry.

I couldn't care how it looks! I think people worry too much about what other people think.

Got a two bare feet robe - is the best for the winter watching outdoor sports. Couldn't care less what i look like, only thing that keeps me truly dry and warm at the side of the pitch. Its the price of a dry robe but equally as good quality

I was an outdoor sport mum- sailing, often hours of waiting in unpleasant weather in the winter and physical work to do pre/post sailing. I found my dryrobe too hot, bulky and cumbersome for anything other than sitting perfectly still in the car. I have a Seasalt Janelle which I found way better- it regulates temperature better so you don't start to over heat the minute you move and don't have to take it off the second you go indoors. I could wear it all day/ change footwear in it etc without getting annoyed by the bulk. I use my dryrobe for getting changed on the beach (as nature intended) but TBH it's a bit bulky and annoying even for that.

I love my dryrobe - and as others have said, I don’t care what anyone thinks, it keeps me warm and dry watching the dc doing sports and on dog walks. And it’s windproof as well, which I don’t find many coats are. I hate a cold wind! 😆
I’ve been called a dryrobe wanker to my face - by someone who was soaked through in very heavy rain while I was lovely and dry … take from that what you will!

edited to add - I bought a size down from what I thought I would need, because I don’t use it for changing in. I tried on my “usual” size and found it very bulky, sizing down worked better for me and I still have bags of room in it.

DH and I have recently started early morning sea swimming. I bought DH a regatta dryrobe for his birthday but unknown to me, his mum bought him a real dry robe brand. They are designed to me very large so you can change your swim wear underneath. They aren't close fitting like a regular winter jacket and when you walk- air comes up over your legs due to the loose fitting nature of them.

The dry robe branded one is very heavy and hot. It might be great in the middle of winter, but why not just buy a regular, winter, waterproof coat for the activities you describe?

Love mine and I don’t care - wear it for football and whenever it’s cold and I’m on walks! Super warm and I don’t regret spending the money at all!

I have coat similar to a Dryrobe as I work in early years in an outdoors centre. I love it because I can layer up underneath it and I’m warm in all weather.