What to wear

[T7ac3y]

we have our first family skiing/snowboarding trip in Dec the the French alps. My question is what are the best snowboarding coats for my kids, 11, 14,15yrs. Can anyone recommend a good make , happy to spend up to £150 on each.

Will a snowboarding coat be warm enough or will they need additional coats?

Decathlon is a good starting point with a variety of ski gear at different price points. Surfanic is also worth a look. Re: warmth - it depends on the coat and the person: if it's a thinner coat then you'll need sufficient base/mid/top layers underneath - December can be bitingly cold - if it's padded then a base and mid-layer may be enough. Eg. I wear a base layer and a ski jacket which is padded; if it's cold I add a thin sleeveless gilet underneath my jacket. That might not suit the next person though, so make sure you have a few options to add or take off layers.

Make sure there's a lift pass pocket on the jacket sleeve and enough pockets for snack bar, sun cream, tissues, cash and possibly sunglasses. Beginners have more standing around and consequently more likely to get cold, so bear this in mind if it's your first time.

I prioritise wool base layers, warm wool socks, great gloves.. any thin fleece mid layer will do and I wouldn't stress too much about the jacket either.. if it's a winter sports jacket, it will meet your needs.

We have never felt the cold with the Decathlon gear. We tend to buy the more expensive one and it is durable. They all come with the ski pass pocket on the left sleeve.
In addition to the jackets, consider a couple more things to stay warm.
Neck warmers! Don't forget the neck warmers. Thin ones, thick ones.
Then the silk gloves you put under the ski gloves, and silk socks you put under ski socks and you will never feel cold.
For those skiing for the first time, ski straps will be helpful when carrying the skis.
Snowboarding pants are also a thing you should consider because whoever is going to snowboard for the first time will spend a fair bit of time sitting with their bottom on the snow. With skis, you can wait standing up, with snowboard, no, unless you take a foot off.

How high are you going? Can't beat decathlon imo. Decent tech gear, lasts well.

Ideally you need high waisted trousers (waterproof and windproof) and a long line jacket with snowskirt(otherwise snow will get inside and up the the back) . Start at decathlon but also look at Dare2be, Trespass, Columbia, or tkmaxx .

Yes, definitely neck buffs - invaluable if it's snowing/windy, can pull up over face/ears and thin enough to wear under helmet - take a few each as they can get pretty rank!