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Warmest Kids Jacket

allright

Certified Ski Diva
We are heading to Banff for Thanksgiving and Jackson Hole for New Year's and will be skiing VT the rest of the season and I want to invest in the WARMEST ski jacket for my son. After 10 years in my old gear I am treating myself to Norrona and I don't want to be thinking it is warm and toasty while he is freezing. The quality of the kids gear is just not that great and I have a pretty good system for him now (layers, heat packs in gloves and boots, bacalava) but just would like others thoughts on the warmest brands. Thank you!
 

Marta_P

Certified Ski Diva
My daughter loved her Marmot gear a few years ago. We regularly ski in sub-zero temps and crazy wind-chill, and she had no issues. Alternatively, the jazzy Roxy gear we got her two years ago has been a big disappointment!
 

allright

Certified Ski Diva
Thank you! I saw one of those stores in Switzerland so it must be good quality. I think that will be perfect. I can imagine Roxy being junk. Seems many american brands are. I have been surprised that even Spyder and some other jackets are just paper thin and not made for really cold skiing. Thanks again!!!
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Lands End has good stuff for all ages, including kids. Looks like they are having a sale at the moment. Whenever I get near a Land's End outlet store, I try and stop by for at least a quick look.

Marmot is one of my favorite brands. Fits petite women better than most other brands.
 

Mary Brosnan

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Polarn O Pyret is a Scandanavian company that makes the best kids outerwear. My boys have been wearing their ski jackets for years and they are warm and durable. They have two stores in NYC where we live but they also have a great website. Usually in the fall, October I think, they offer 25% off their new outerwear collection. I highly recommend.
 

allright

Certified Ski Diva
Lands End has good stuff for all ages, including kids. Looks like they are having a sale at the moment. Whenever I get near a Land's End outlet store, I try and stop by for at least a quick look.

Marmot is one of my favorite brands. Fits petite women better than most other brands.
Thanks on the second vote on marmot. I see their big down jacket that looks so warm. I have not had great luck on lands end as far as warmth.
 

allright

Certified Ski Diva
Thanks. He has Sypder now and not too impressed with the warmth. Maybe it is just the jacket I picked. The Avalanche website doesn't have a heavy kids jacket. I also could just look at stores when we get to Banff since I am not desperate. Will check Columbia. Thanks again!
 

allright

Certified Ski Diva
I should add my son just turned 7 but he is very small and wears a size 5. He skied about 40 days a year for the last 3 seasons and will stay out the entire day so I will definitely get my moneys worth by him being warm.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Thanks on the second vote on marmot. I see their big down jacket that looks so warm. I have not had great luck on lands end as far as warmth.
My warmest jacket with the highest rating for warmth and breathability is in fact one of my thinnest ski jackets. I found it at a consignment store in Utah for price that couldn't be resisted. Having used it for a trip since then, it really is amazing what technical material can do these days without any bulk.

I should add my son just turned 7 but he is very small and wears a size 5. He skied about 40 days a year for the last 3 seasons and will stay out the entire day so I will definitely get my moneys worth by him being warm.
Ah, finding good stuff in small sizes is definitely harder. Been there. But didn't need to prepare for frigid weather until after my daughter was in middle school. Only went to Alta during spring breaks.

The quality of the kids gear is just not that great and I have a pretty good system for him now (layers, heat packs in gloves and boots, bacalava) but just would like others thoughts on the warmest brands.
Do the layers include a vest of any sort? Keeping my core warm does a lot no matter what type of jacket I'm using. Took a while but I eventually convinced my daughter that vests are useful when it's really cold. Although in general she didn't mind cold weather even as a preschooler.

During one long weekend at Massanutten with unusually low temps in the teens, my friend's son was cold because he only had a winter jacket that wasn't really a ski jacket. I made him wear one of my daughter's down vests. It looked odd because the vest was a little longer than his jacket, but he didn't care because he was warm. Since his mother learned to ski when her kids did, she invested in good outerwear soon after that. She has the advantage of being able to borrow stuff from me when it's unusually cold.
 

allright

Certified Ski Diva
My warmest jacket with the highest rating for warmth and breathability is in fact one of my thinnest ski jackets. I found it at a consignment store in Utah for price that couldn't be resisted. Having used it for a trip since then, it really is amazing what technical material can do these days without any bulk.


Ah, finding good stuff in small sizes is definitely harder. Been there. But didn't need to prepare for frigid weather until after my daughter was in middle school. Only went to Alta during spring breaks.


Do the layers include a vest of any sort? Keeping my core warm does a lot no matter what type of jacket I'm using. Took a while but I eventually convinced my daughter that vests are useful when it's really cold. Although in general she didn't mind cold weather even as a preschooler.

During one long weekend at Massanutten with unusually low temps in the teens, my friend's son was cold because he only had a winter jacket that wasn't really a ski jacket. I made him wear one of my daughter's down vests. It looked odd because the vest was a little longer than his jacket, but he didn't care because he was warm. Since his mother learned to ski when her kids did, she invested in good outerwear soon after that. She has the advantage of being able to borrow stuff from me when it's unusually cold.
 

allright

Certified Ski Diva
Good stuff in smaller sizes is really hard and he is a 40 pound tiny guy. The little kids ski gear is so cheap and thin.

I have a good system now though. A not so warm top ski jacket that is obemyer or spyder but under I have an entire LL. bean very warm down coat (which looks a little weird) then 2 pair long johns top and bottom, pants with bib, heating pack in Swany gloves, heating pack in boots with Smartwool socks, and bacalava.

He is outgrowing the top jacket so that is what I need to replace and now that I think of it I might need something warmer for head. Thanks for the advice on the vest. A little down vest might be good and not so bulky. Thank you!
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
I've found my Mountain Warehouse stuff warm too. They have lots of kids stuff. And the price is good too. @Jenny, was it your DH in Mountain Warehouse at Tremblant?
 

santacruz skier

Angel Diva
Patagonia makes gear for kids. Check out their website (web specials) for good prices
 

Kimmyt

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
My children are on the small side, but most high end gear companies make childrens outerwear that is still a pretty high standard. Is he in boys sizes yet, or still toddler sizes? My son has a Spyder jacket that seems pretty high quality (we got it used, so it was cheap). Patagonia does make high quality childrens gear, note that it runs large by at least a size or so at least in the infant/toddler sizes, while Columbia tends to run closer to true size or even small (and I've found that Columbia's kids ski jackets are lighter weight but it might just be the model I had for my kids, 'ski' specific models tend to be more waterproof and warmer). Also we've seen lots of folks out here with Obermayer jackets on their kids so that might be another option. Are you in Canada or US? Steepandcheap has some options that are discounted right now if you are in the US. The other thing I will mention is that it might just be a matter of layering. I tend to just change up my kid's base and mis layers depending on the temps and keep the outer layer the same with the exception of spring skiing.
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
Describe those base layers again. That may be too much. Does he sweat and then get cold? Are his base layers damp when you get them off him?
 

allright

Certified Ski Diva
Describe those base layers again. That may be too much. Does he sweat and then get cold? Are his base layers damp when you get them off him?
Depends on the day but on the coldest days 2 long john tops, a down LLBean and then a obymeyer ski jacket. I think you figured it out that he is getting sweaty and then cold. The long Johns are really cheap and you have me thinking they are definitely not wicking sweat and I should also invest this year in some smartwool long Johns for him. And on top of that I have one of those lucky bum harnesses on him to hike him up on the chair so I am likely not zipping and unzipping as much as I should. He is damp when I undress him. Now this all makes sense! Thank you!!!
 

allright

Certified Ski Diva
My children are on the small side, but most high end gear companies make childrens outerwear that is still a pretty high standard. Is he in boys sizes yet, or still toddler sizes? My son has a Spyder jacket that seems pretty high quality (we got it used, so it was cheap). Patagonia does make high quality childrens gear, note that it runs large by at least a size or so at least in the infant/toddler sizes, while Columbia tends to run closer to true size or even small (and I've found that Columbia's kids ski jackets are lighter weight but it might just be the model I had for my kids, 'ski' specific models tend to be more waterproof and warmer). Also we've seen lots of folks out here with Obermayer jackets on their kids so that might be another option. Are you in Canada or US? Steepandcheap has some options that are discounted right now if you are in the US. The other thing I will mention is that it might just be a matter of layering. I tend to just change up my kid's base and mis layers depending on the temps and keep the outer layer the same with the exception of spring skiing.
Thank you. This is a lot of great information. We are in the US. I’m not totally desperate and also was thinking to check out if there is any good stores in Banff. I am going online to Patagonia too. Thank you!!
 

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