Ski wear for my autistic son

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I’m not sure anyone will be able to help but here goes.
We are off to Lapland skiing in January. My 13 year old son is autistic. We have already ascertained that he will not be skiing as he cannot tolerate the way the ski boots feel on his legs. But he will be out and about doing other things.
He really isn’t very keen on coats so I am looking for recommendations of ski jackets and trousers that are not too thick, bulky and scratchy but will keep him warm in the very cold weather. I know layers are necessary but should be fine with under layers, it’s the jacket that I’m most concerned about.
Thanks for any help you can offer.

What sort of budget are you thinking? I know it's a high price point but Canada Goose do some fantastic lightweight jackets that are rated to -15 or even colder.

Lapland will be cold in January.

Would he wear a puffa jacket under a waterproof jacket? One of my sons does this for skiing even when pretty cold in Canada (with him I suspect it’s more because the jacket and waterproof are a cooler brand than his ski jacket!) With sufficient base layers underneath he should be warm enough.

I think you maybe need to get him used to a balaclava with a neoprene face part. You really can’t expose any skin if it gets really cold.

Some of the companies will provide clothing, usually all in one skisuits.

I was thinking £200ish, don’t think I can stretch to Canada Goose which is a shame as they are lovely. And yes I believe that snowsuits are provided when doing activities, so this is for in between. Thanks for the advice re balaclava we will practice. I think he’ll be fine with that though.

You best bet really for warmth is layer upon layer upon layer not an expensive jacket. We went to Ruka skiing in February, it was -28 degrees celsius during the day….one of the instructors showed us his layers, he had literally 10 layers on.
I wore my normal dare2be puffer ski jacket and then loads of under layers.
The reality is that you end up going inside every hour to warm up as it’s just not safe to stay outside for too long, it was that cold. In Ruka there were little cabins with fires lit at the end of almost every slope and sometimes part-way down them. Assume Levi (if that’s where you’re going?) will be similar.

Someone I knows son hated the scratchy swishy sound of the jackets and I think ended up with Superdry? We’ve also got a lot of ski kit off vinted/ebay - when used it tends to be a bit softer. Had to spend on decent gloves and also goggles for the face may be necessary in the real cold…

(as an aside we got my autistic son skiing by taking him to the snow dome at Hemel Hempstead - they were excellent at helping him tolerate the boots etc etc - we used Snowbility there for lessons. Even if not skiing maybe taking your son to a snow dome if one near ish to get used to the clothes and cold might be helpful??)

Look for snow boarder parkers, they are generally looser and more stretchy. Some do have to be pulled over the head though.

You can get wind proof snowboarding hoodies which might be more tolerable. Decathlon has a good range of cheap jackets if need be prepared to go to try on.

I wear a hiking soft shell with layers under and a thin waterproof over the top if needed. I have an emergency down jacket in my bag of it gets really cold. I hate the bulkiness of the padded ski jackets and that you can't easily change temperature settings in them.

I’ve been to Lapland several times, in Dec, Jan and Feb. The warmest it ever got was about -15C, and it dropped as low as -35C. We wore our normal skiwear (we are experienced frequent skiers) with the snowsuit over the top, and that just about kept us warm. On the very coldest days it is necessary to wear something that completely covers the face eg Airhole ski mask, to protect it against frostbite. This is mainly when the temperature drops when it gets dark, but remember that the amount of time the sun is above the horizon can be less than 4 hours in Lapland in January. So it is dark and cold a lot.

I cannot suggest a brand of jacket that will suit your son, you will just have to try a lot on. Decathlon are pretty good for soft fleece under layers and down liners at a decent price, but do not go for the cheapest stuff they have and don’t skimp on the quantity. I have a Decathlon brushed lining long sleeve top which is my absolute favourite of all the thermal tops I own (and I do a lot of skiing and other winter activities, so have plenty!) Also consider heated gloves - you can get them quite cheaply on Amazon these days. Buy thin liner gloves for underneath these.

If you are worried your son will not like to wear bulky layers, I would suggest that you practice at home (suggestion of the Snowdome is a good one.) In a place where the temperature can freeze the surface of your eyes in just a couple of minutes (PS get good goggles too! And try these on too, some have quite scratchy foam, some aren’t the right shape for your face,) you aren’t messing about here, you have to be prepared for the climate.

It sounds rather daunting, but it’s quite magical when you get there. There’s lots to do that isn’t skiing - husky sled rides, snowmobiling, snow shoe hiking. I’ve been on drives to see herds of reindeer and also wild moose. And it’s never going to be warm with scenery like this….. (taken at about 3pm - not midnight!)