Disclaimer: We sent these waterproof kids’ jackets to review by Dare2b free of charge, but words and pictures are mine.
As summer predictably turns into autumn and the evenings start getting darker earlier, the weather this week has swung from glorious sunshine to torrential rain within a matter of hours.
Bye summer, I feel like we hardly got to see each other this year.
Now, we always walk the school run, every day – in fact it would be much slower to drive and even in the most torrential of rain storms it just wouldn’t be worth it – so we have to make sure that as the weather gets worse, we all have coats that can stand up to a good pelting. There is nothing worse than getting soggy on the school run, except for perhaps kids moaning that they got soggy on the school run.
However despite being exceptionally damp out there it’s still pretty warm at the moment, so definitely not time for the big winter coats just yet.
Dare2b are a sportswear brand which make women’s, men’s and children’s clothing and outerwear, and we chose two jackets from their kids’ range which would be perfect for the changeable weather – not too thick, yet waterproof and tough wearing to keep the rain out.
Dare2b Kids Waterproof Jackets
The Dare2b ‘Kids In The Lead II’ waterproof jackets we selected are really lightweight, weighing in at less than 400g. This means they can be packed into a school bag just in case there are showers on the school run (and of course, we all know it always rains…).
However having used them for such a wet and miserable school run, I can confirm that the taped seams and water repellent, breathable material keep the rain – and wind – firmly out. The hoods are great too, keeping the rain out of your kid’s ears and face with elastic around the front.
The lining isn’t too thick, with some mesh and polyester/taffeta so your kids won’t get sweaty underneath and they are ideal for layering. There’s a zipped inside pocket in jackets for ages 7+ (which is a thing of wonder, apparently) as well as two zipped pockets on the outside on all jackets for keeping precious finds in.
We particularly liked the adjustable cuffs which mean you can get a bigger size than you might otherwise buy, and tighten the sleeves up. My son (age 6) has the 5-6 which fits well, but we went for an age 9-10 jacket for my almost 8 year old daughter, and I’m glad we did as it’s not too long and will hopefully last her for several years!
The jackets come in a range of bright colours which I think is important – I’d much rather they had bright, visible colours to keep them seen and keep them safe than darker colours which might be ‘smarter’ but are more risky when it starts to get dark. The coats also have reflective detail for better visibility.
How much and where to buy
Cost-wise, the Dare2b children’s waterproof jackets are very reasonable especially with the sale prices on their website, where you can currently get up to 70% off. The Methyl Blue ‘Kids In The Lead II’ coat that my son is sporting is down from £70 to just £20.95. They come in sizes 3-4 years all the way up to 14 years. You can buy them, as well as a large collection of men’s, women’s and children’s active and outwear, from the Dare2b website here.