Kid's Winter Coats

[BikeRunSki]

Ok, I appreciate that it is only August, but it is chucking it down with rain.

DS (v nearly 6) needs a new winter coat. For the last few years he has had a ski jacket from H&M. They cost about £30. My friends's dc have had a few of these too, and they are great coats, but about 50% of them, the zips have broken.

DS is now big enough that his coats last 2 or 3 years. We also now have a younger dd.

I'm wondering if it's worth spending more on a similar kind of coat from Polarn O Pyret or Land's End or Gap. The ski jacket style works very well for our lifestyle. School uniform has no restrictions on coats.

Any thoughts?

DD has had Boden or Lands End anoraks that have lasted 2/3 years and have been ebayed on for a good amount after she has grown out of them - no probs with broken zips or anything else despite all the washing!
Have never bought Gap kids clothing as don't rate their sizing/quality for the money.
Not heard of Polarn o Pyret so cannot comment.
HTH

I have always bought the polarn o pyret ski style winter coats, yes they are expensive but you can get hold of them on eBay but they certainly last 2/3 years. I highly recommend, very good quality and they are generous with the sizing!

Thanks CathPip.i'm think if I get a neutral colour like red, I might be able to get two years out of it fit each child!!

Highly recommend lands end coats. They have a seam in the arms so you can lengthen them so they last another year or two. We had an 18minth old coat that the zip broke on. I emailed them rather cheekily and they sent us a new coat and told us to recycle the old one.

Boden ones (not the ski ones) I find last years as well. Dd wore an old duffle of ds last year as I'd brought a navy one. That was 6 years old and good as new. But dd prefers either the fleece lined anoraks or the puffa coats.

Gaps warmest coats are fab you need a tumble dryer though as otherwise once washed the down doesn't fluff up again.

I think trespass coats are good value for money, and they always seem to have something for £20-ish in their permanent sale.

I bought a Jack Wolfskin coat for DS when he was 2 - It was about £80 so very expensive. It has lasted three full winters (we live in a cold wet 6 months minimum winter-coat weather area) and is in perfect condition and will go on and on and on. Looking at their new winter coats I am balking at spending £100 on a coat but I know they last and know also that the cheaper coat is a false economy just find it hard to part with so much cash in one go!!

You need an outlet mall. They all have trespass, mountin warehouse etc and at the back they have kids sizes. Go outdoors do too, but they are dearer. Millets are a good place to look too.

Certainly for girls high street coats are expensive and poor quality, compared with the above.

hobbes I actually ordered a Trespass one recently form their clearance section and sent it back. Seemed v thin and poor quality, no wonder it was reduced!

I have been mountain climbing, cycling, mountain biking, skiing etc since my teens (so that's 30 years!) and know a lot about outdoor kit. DH has worked for a couple of well known outdoor shops.

I've had adult Regatta stuff and have been massively unimpressed. we have a GoOutdoors and outlet mall nearby.

I think I'll go for either PoP or Lands End. PoP don't have their warm winter coats up yet.

If money were no object, we'd all be dressed in Patagonia.

Then I'm afraid OP your up a not very polite gum tree and will have to part with silly money.

Sorry, didn't mean to be rude. I am happy to part with silly money for decent kit. I was curious of people's experiences of various brands of coat, as the DCs are old enough, and growing slowly enough, to make one size last a couple if years. If I can be fairly certain that one coat with do both dc a couple of winters, then that's not really silly money.

I have girls and their Regatta thin coats have lasted very well. Next are OK, but not seriously waterproof. Peter storm fleeces are bomb proof and get handed down still looking perfect.

DDs make friend in Y6 had a very nice wolf skin coat and he was the sort to do lots of out door stuff.

Male, sodding autocorrect

I'm liking the sound of Jack Wolfskin, will try and see if there is somewhere local for a "fondle".

I wouldn't mind buying a more expensive coat if I could be sure that it wouldn't disappear at school ...

I got a Trespass coast on sale from John Lewis for DD yesterday. Decent technical coat and it has a zip in/out fleece. www.johnlewis.com/trespass-camilla-3-in-1-jacket/p395828?colour=Aqua

The Polarn coats are fantastic quality for the money - we've got 2-3 winters per child (two DCs) out of the one coat we have, so at £80 that's less than £20 per winter, cheaper than a new M&S coat every year (zips went on those).

And yes, you can still sell on for good money too.

I really like the Didriksons for kids. They are. So well made and warm.

We have. Also had a few of the H and M ones and I think they have changed the zip in the last year as I had also had issues before and last years has a totally different much sturdier zip.

Spotty Otter was massively on sale recently on Little Trekkers and Not on the high street. We've kitted ds out from their ranges with xc skiing in Norway in mind.

His puddle jumpers are Rukka, a Finnish brand stocked by Little Trekkers.

Jack wolfskin is expensive, but excellent quality. IMO better value than TNF or Columbia. Definitely worth a look in real life. It sizes big, the rep who did our training (before I became sahm) said look at the height number and use the last figure i.e. height 104 = age 4. I just got jw fleeces for DNs' birthdays on sale on sportpursuit. They'll probably have another jw sale before autumn.

Regatta kids stuff is better than the adults. Look up Pete MacFarlane's blog PTC* for his reviews of kids kit.

Yes I read this which is like a littel guide on the types of coats to buy. It's a really tricky business I don't want to spend too much money - because they're bound to lose it or have someone else go home with it!!!

Iv always found Viking Kids website to be a fab place for kids coats. Got my DDs some lovely Didriksons coats last year and this year, at reduced prices too.
Actually got my Didriksons Taylor from there this year to (they do sell coats for adults too despite the name!)

I know Next are persona non grata around here and i don't usually rate their older boys' clothes at all, but their performance/technical winter parkas for boys are fab. DS had one last year that was totally waterproof and really really warm, and was still like new at the end of the winter - unfortunately he's had a massive growth spurt and it no longer fits (is an age 7 in cobalt blue if you're interested!!) I've bought him another this year in a more generous size to last two winters - it was £57. It's this one.

I'm also in the market for one, but proper waterproof (not shower resistant) is a HUGE consideration as we live in Scotland.

I'm buying this one from Didriksons