How often do your kids get new coats?

[fantastcfox]

I know a frivolous question. My DCs last year coat still fits her, however I'm bored of it but feel guilty a little to get a new one. Perhaps if I get it this year she still could wear it next year. She has a few coats for different weather, but this one is school coat she wears daily. How often do your dc get a new school coat?

My 9yo has had her coat since 2019! I've been desperate for her to let me replace it and have only just succeeded because she loves it so much. She can just about squeeze in to it still.

I’m quite surprised at all the people who only have one or two coats for their dc!
Mine have 2 winter coats, a thin raincoat, a medium jacket and a denim jacket.
They need two winter coats otherwise they’d be wearing wet coats half the time as we regularly get soaked on the school run.
Most are hand me downs, the others charity shop or vinted. I only update them every few years when they don’t fit, dd is 8 and has a range of sizes from 5-6 to 9-10

When it's too small or damaged (last one he ripped badly). They usually last two winters for an older child.

You could buy a charity shop one and donate this one if you just want a change without impacting the environment.

But does it really bother you if her coat is 'boring' to you?

Does she like it? Is it in good condition? Does it keep her warm?

When they grow out of it! How can you get bored of a coat?

We only have a v short school run so even if they get wet they are usually dry by the next day. TBH if they get absolutely awfully soaked, I chuck them in the washing machine, which seems to come out less wet than heavy rain/snow! If they say tumble dryer friendly, I might dry them too.

Usually every couple of years. DSs have a winter coat, a fleece and a rain coat. Plus sports team kit. Poor DS2 just inherits DS1’s coats.

@Aprichor - I don’t really find it an issue. Ds only has one thick winter coat. But it’s waterproof. He spends hours outside in winter snow at kindergarten here. It’s often wet around wrists cuffs on collection, but just drys at home within a few hours.
We have raincoat, a thinner down type and fleeces, so if his winter was unwearable for the afternoon I would just generally layer up extra jumpers and fleece and then use thinner down one or rain coat (or both) combined.

I try and buy larger coats/ snow boots etc in the summer sales in larger sizes.

How can YOU be bored of the coat. And how can you have so little to think about that you've had time to think about being bored with your child's coat?!!

I am very much against buying new stuff for sake of it. New coats bags and pencil cases just because it's a new school year. A new coat if the current one fits and isn't worn out is crazy.

There are so many you tubers posting videos about trips to buy new everything.. what happens to the old stuff. Really bothers me about the waste.

We get our 5 year old a new coat yearly. We always get the Polarn O Pyret shell coat and fleece which gives us three options. The one from the previous year also fits so then we always have a spare.

Once they’ve outgrown it, or I suppose if they utterly destroyed it which hasn’t happened yet. I tend to buy their coats second hand off of vinted/eBay.

We have a system of DC1 gets a new one each year, bought ahead in the previous year's sales, with the old coat being used as a spare in case the main one is left somewhere/needs washing etc. They then get passed onto DC2, who also has it as their main coat for a year, then as their spare for a year. If it is still in good enough condition, I then pass or sell it on. I have only had one coat that wasn't even good enough to pass on for Forest School use, many are in very good condition. I tend to buy decent quality outdoorsy brands to ensure it makes it through both DCs.
We do this for both winter and summer coats, so a new one of each is bought each year across 2 DCs with each coat 'in service' for 4 years (and then hopefully a life with another family), which doesn't feel wasteful.
Once DCs are a similar size and growing more slowly, they will get a new one each as needed, but I will have everything crossed to coincide replacing with the sales!

When outgrown, and always second hand. I shop for the next age on Vinted and Ebay from well before I need it, so I can find one I love as I'm fussy! But if I was really fed up of one of them then I'd put it back on Vinted and buy a new one for roughly the same amount, so I'm not spending more and emvironmentally-speaking, also not creating more demand for unnecessary new clothes (there's plenty in the world to go around everyone already without creating more). Could you just do that?

When needed - and in our case this was more often that the coat had been wrecked / lost than outgrown . Coats (like most other clothing ) tended to be bought quite cheaply though - Asda / Sports Direct so perhaps why they weren't particularly hard wearing .

My DC's school has a rail of 2nd hand coats that parents can help themselves to and donate old coats to. I just took the coat DD got from there in year 6 back for another person. She's year 9 now. Great for supporting each other when times are tight and good for environment.

Try vinted can sell hers and buy another from there

They usually last 2 years, but not always.
One thick winter coat, one waterproof lightweight coat.
But replaced when no longer fit.

When they grow out of them! Sometimes they have lasted 2-3 years!

It sounds like you need to buy waterproof winter coats! We walk in the rain but the coats dry off quite quickly.

My DC have one winter coat each, and one thin raincoat for warmer weather.

To answer the OP’s question, every couple of years. I size up a little so they last for longer.

Mountain Warehouse is our go to shop for our DC’s waterproof coats. The designs are colourful and there’s always a sale on. Nice bright designs and colours for boys, as boys’ clothing can be rather drab.

I get my 3 year old around 3-4 coats each winter. Different styles for different purposes.

I find they tend to last 2 years, but I understand you being bored of them as I am a photographer and so I do get bored of their coats after a year as the same ones can make photos boring! Mine have a variety of coats for different seasons though, when they were younger they had bright patterned coats drom Frugi/Boden/Villervalla/Kite etc but now I mix it up with having different block coloured layers for different weather. I also tend to buy them a nice winter hat for Christmas and summer hat for birthdays, to go along with cheaper ones we have as spares, as that adds nice variety to photos and stops me being bored as quickly.

They always have a Polarn O Pyret fleece, as they are wind and waterproof, and I find they get used in every season. They have waterproof dungarees for heavy rain/muddy walks and to add a windproof layer when it's really cold. Then they have a winter waterproof coat each, and a lightweight waterproof coat with hood each. They both also have a school coat separately as they are only allowed a black coat for school and I don't want them in a black coat for weekends/school holidays, no good for photos and too hard to find them in a crowd. So all the different layers I have in different block colours, including block colour wellies, so I don't get bored as easily as just having one 3 in 1 coat for 2 years. I do keep an eye out on vinted for next size up coats in the brand's I like (Polarn O Pyret/Didriksons) so usually there also is also some crossover for variety where they fit in the next size up and the older size.

If you are bored of the coat and it still fits, there is nothing wrong with selling it on vinted and buying another second hand one.

My waterproof jacket was my son's year 7-9 coat.
He graduated uni last year

Replace stuff when it needs replacing

Only when they’ve outgrown it. My dd is on her third year of hers.

Every year or so? I find coats are one of the best things to get on vinted though so it’s always secondhand- you get some really nice brands for cheap.