Children's jacket/coat, seen any reasonable ones?

[Naicecuppatea]

Looking for one for my 5yo for when she starts school.

I've been looking too but found nothing as yet. I don't think school coats and jackets will be available until a few weeks time when the shops bring out the new school stock.

Boden's Autumn range will be on the preview site. Fantastic for school coats.

Do you have a link to the preview site please? I can't find it.

Check if you need to buy a particular colour or plain style first. John Lewis usually have a selection or the supermarkets. Don't spend a lot as they do get battered in the playground and cloakroom and may get lost.

We've had Boden for winter coats -lovely looking, warm and washable, Gap, again good, H&M and Zara, both quality slightly less, Hatley raincoats, fabulous and good resale. Lands End has great all-rounders

I'd advise a raincoat for autumn and spring (making sure it's properly waterproof and hooded), and a puffa for winter (as waterproof as possible). Washable was v important to me (I seem to need to wash coats every few weeks).

Cheap is not always best. I have bought (on sale) winter coats from Polarn O Pyret and also LandsEnd. Polarn do a good jacket that is a 2-in-1, so a water/windproof outer coat to which you add a fleece using poppers for colder weather. That way you get year round use. They wash very well too. H+M do a cheapie version but no idea what it is like. They are also generously sized - I get two winters out of each Polarn coat per child and then it gets passed on to DC2 and has then been passed on to a friend. It ends up being much cheaper than buying cheaper coats more regularly!

Speaking as the one who ends up picking up a pile of coats every lunchtime I'd say just a waterproof till it gets really cold, otherwise as soon as they start running around they dump them on the ground! even in December we are nagging them to wrap up!