Ski wear for little people

[taybert]

We're taking our 2 and 4 year old boys skiing for the first time at the end of January in France. I'd originally thought that I'd get ski jackets as their winter coats for the year and that a decent quality ski jacket would do them for the winter.
I've been looking though and now I'm not sure. Specific ski stuff seems to be either really cheap (decathlon, lidl, Aldi) or really expensive. They've had lovely warm coats (though water resistant rather than water proof) the last couple of years from Sainsburys for about £20 so paying 3-4 times that price seems a lot. That said I don't want them to be cold in January in the Alps.

So is the cheaper stuff any good? Would it last a winter as a regular coat or should I just she'll out for the expensive ones?

Have a look at Dare2b (own site) and also Nevica stuff on SportsDirect.

When we went with our DD at 2 we did spend quite a bit on her coat as we didn't want her to be cold, but I think layers are more important.

My 2 survived in -20 with a fairly ordinary jacket from Dare2b, but had good layers top and bottom, balaclava, long gloves, neck buff, they were 4 and 7.

I also buy the ski coat and use it as their winter jacket, all have so far survived and been handed down, I would save your money!

DS ((who was 8 last year) was head to toe in Aldi. As were about 25% of the rest of the kids (from across Europe). Their ski stuff is v good quality - I wouldn't spend more given they'll have outgrown it next year.

I have worn my Lidl ski outfit for the last 8 seaons of ski holidays (and I am a very experienced skier and ski very hard) - I bought an Aldi one last winter for a bit of variety. Both brilliant quality and I would never pay more for branded stuff again. I save my cash for the skiing and decent goggles which really are worth shelling out for.

Many European kids are clad in Decathlon or h & m. Trespass, dare2be and Aldi/Lidl are all worth a look. Prince George wore Mountain Warehouse last year which is also relatively inexpensive.

Thanks everyone. Anyone know when Lidl and aldi tend to get stuff in? I'd forgotten about trespass, their stuff has been decent before and not too expensive.

I wonder in there might have been a Prince George effect at Mountain Warehouse, I was in there yesterday and toddler jackets were £70.

Decathlon is good for base layers too but also have a look on ebay, especially for your 2 year old. I got 1.5 yr old DS a really warm all in one from there.

Aldi got their ski stuff in 1st week of December I think last year, not sure about Lidl but will be similar sort of time. Best thing to do is sign up to their emails and make sure they don't go into your junk mail. And get there early - I got the last non-pink pair of gloves in DS's size last year (although I just remembered we ended up swapping because I have mittens and he found them much easier to get on and off). So mittens, not gloves!

Decathlon all the way. My daughter got a fabulous outfit from there last year, and got a lot of wear out of the coat. My son has to be prised out of his Decathlon jacket and says he never felt cold. We ski in January too. The Decathlon base layers are brilliant and cheap, as are the ones from Sports Direct.

TK Maxx can also be very good for little ones. I got a fabulous all-in-one for my toddler for around £35 which costs well over £100 normally!

LL Bean

Muddy Puddles have great sales, start watching now, the prices bob up and down like mad. Ski jackets and sallopettes for £35 total, had been £59 and £30-35 respectively. Feel, design and quality are good imo, gloves too but they have short cuffs although their jackets have long cuffs with thumb holes so worked well together. Also their merino content ski socks about half price. Mountain warehouse 50% merino base layers in half price sale too.

TK Maxx has great stuff.

Suggest getting salopettes: they are likely to fall down quite a bit, so need snow trousers, but salopettes stay up better on small people, and help keep their chest warm too

Have a look at Little Trekkers (online) especially their clearance section.

The Lidl stuff is good - DD often wears the Lidl ski clothes for playing out in the snow (she's not into skiing yet).

Agree with the others that salopettes are the way to go.

Mountain warehouse has a great clearance section, and DD has been using their gear since she was reasonably small (ski wear but also lots of general sports gear, hiking gear, cycling gear) - we've never had any problems with it. And I wear a fair amount too.

Lidl and Aldi thermal layers are good.

And try to get things that they would wear as normal wear all winter that are decent for skiing layers - so material that won't stay cold and wet but will keep heat in and wick away any moisture. Like the long sleeved tops to wear over thermal layer and under a fleece and ski jacket...that sort of thing.

Yep, I agree: Decathlon, H&M both vg, but also look at Didriksons - my DS has had 3 of their coats now, each has lasted 2 winters (the arms can be let down) for school plus ski holidays and has remained fully waterproof (a big deal when you live in Yorkshire and have a 25 minute walk each way)

Mountain Warehouse! And personally I think a piece is better for littlies than coat & trousers. If they fall (which they will) they stay drier.

YY to Aldi clothes and good googles.

One piece for anyone in nappies is best in my opinion. Once they need to use a loo, salopettes or trousers. A ski jacket as winter coat is a good idea.

Agree to Muddy Puddles, Little Trekkers and Mountain warehouse, have used all 3 and really good quality

Good luck :)