Kids waterproof coats for school/hiking recommendations

[staringatthedoor]

Hi I need some recommendations of waterproof coats for a 6 year old & 3 year old. I don't really want to spend too much & happy to look second hand.
my eldest gets so muddy at school & I'm constantly having to wash their coat so no amount of Nicky wax is sealing it anymore.
we also walk to school when we can so definitely needs to be totally waterproof not splash proof.
was thinking a ski jacket so warm aswell but no experience of whether these are completely waterproof. So something that can survive school & time outdoors.
any suggestions welcome.

I'd have a look at trespass and decathlon. Both of them have their waterproof rating pretty clearly visible in the descriptions.

jojo maman bebe jackets up to age 5-6

If you want full on monsoon level waterproof, look into hydrostatic head ratings.

If you are walking a couple of miles to school, Trespass or similar will be fine I'm sure. Mine have similar lower end outdoor brands, and we live in the north west Highlands, so as wet as it gets in the UK. I don't wash their jackets that often though - a bit of mud is fine.

polarn o Pyret is totally weatherproof. They do secondhand themselves or on Vinted, or they do good sales.

We are huge fans of didriksons, very warm and fully waterproof. They also have extendable sleeves so they last a little bit longer before they are outgrown. We got ours new with tags on vinted for about £25, it survived two winters at an outdoor nursery and still washes up brilliantly.

Mountain Warehouse is another option.

Trespass are pretty good
I’d go for a waterproof over a fleece top or thin puffa if you want proper waterproof

To do this cheaply I’d plan to layer- get a fully waterproof shell jacket cheaply from somewhere like Mountain warehouse in a size up from normal then wear a fleece jacket underneath. Ski jackets are decent but probably still don’t have the level of waterproofing you’re after especially kids ones, as they’re designed for snow not heavy rain.

Another vote for Didriksons. They are not cheap but have good sales. And they last really well so second hand should be decent.

The last point here is vital. Do not wash them. And if you do, use proper waterproof cleaner and proofer like Graingers or Nikwax.

You can destroy waterproof layer with one single wash with usual detergent, let alone strip off the Durable Water Repellent (DWR) coating.

I have seen schools and nurseries have a keen parent to volunteer to wash the 'filthy' waterproofs used for outdoor learning - and destroy 40 of them in one go...

Sorry to jump on an old thread here- I was not aware that a waterproof layer can be destroyed is that true? I have never noticed this myself with my kids coats but perhaps they weren't really put the to test with a large amount of rain! ha :-) thanks for the tip! does this happen with all brands?

Also in response to the OP, NEXT's own brand of waterproofs for kids are really good too!

I always bought Muddy Puddles puddleflex jackets when my DS was little - they were totally waterproof and stood up to endless washing.