The Puffers, Parkas, Rain Coats, and Vests We Buy for Our Kids

“I like Patagonia kids’ clothing because it’s durable and holds its resale value well. I’ve been paying attention to the neighborhood parents’ group chats I’m in and almost everything ends up going for free or cheap except Patagonia outerwear. We bought this Reversible Down Sweater Hoody when our baby was about 10 weeks old and went with the 3–6 months size, knowing she’d grow into it by the time cold weather came around. She gets so cozy inside that she starts falling asleep. And I like that it’s reversible so we can change up her look for fun — or to hide stains. It’s definitely on the spendier side, but Patagonia even sells used versions on its site now, through its Worn Wear program. There’s currently one available for $83.”

“I got this parka from Reima for my 7-year-old last winter. I love the brand for its cold-weather clothing and already owned some of its snowsuits, rain jackets, fleeces, and boots, so I knew it would be well-made and warm. My son is on the smaller side for his age and I got him one size up — a size 7 when he was 6 — so he could wear it for at least two winters. It is down- filled and waterproof, covers his butt, has a bunch of pockets including warmers, and comes with a detachable and adjustable faux-fur-trimmed hood. He wears it all winter, including in snow storms and on the ski slopes. He and I both love this coat.”

“Both of my kids have worn a version of Zara’s down puffers, which are a fantastic value. They’re super-warm, cute, and durable. I have a couple hand-me-downs from his older brother in rotation for my 4-year-old.”

“I got this as a sample for my 4-year-old, and he wears this and the Zara coat throughout the winter. I love how warm and stylish it is. It’s a little bulky, but he has never complained about it.”

“This is our go-to transitional jacket. Apollo, who is 3.5 years old, has been wearing it every day this fall, as his older sister did with the same coat seven years ago. It’s ideal for 45-to-65 degree temperatures, especially if you layer at the lower end over a sweater or sweatshirt. It also washes really easily and dries well in the dryer. Apollo can unzip it and get it off himself. Best of all, these coats are extremely durable. We got ours secondhand from kids who are now 13 and 16 years old, so the coats are at least ten years old and have gone through multiple kids.”

“Lastly, we had a Patagonia Tribbles coatin a size 2T that both of my sons wore for around six months of cold weather each. It was extra cozy from the fleece, which can be worn on the inside or the outside, and it has an optional hood. It can handle colder temperatures if you layer up, and it washes very easily.”

“The Patagonia kids’ Torrentshell rain jacket is a solid three-season jacket. Not too heavy for a summer rain, but not too flimsy for shielding wind later into the fall.”

“This is lightest rain coat we own. It layers nicely over a sweater without adding much bulk or heat, or just alone with a tee on hotter, humid rainy days.”

“The Nano Puff is my daughter’s most-worn jacket. It gets almost constant wear in the spring and fall. It has a super-slim profile that keeps her warm without adding a lot of bulk — like in the car seat, for example.”

“This is one of the warmest kid’s coats I’ve handled. I was drawn to the longer length — it hits around the thighs and covers their butt. I also appreciate how high up it zips. The neck area always feels a little exposed in kids’ coats, but this one has a puffy band that acts almost like a scarf. My favorite part, though, is the shape of the hood, which reminded me of snorkel hoods that encircle the face. There’s a little bit of elastic, which keeps the hood secure — great when you can’t get a beanie on under there. Nice chunky zippers.”

“Reima’s Paimio down jacket is a great, solid puffer that’s a little heavier and longer than Patagonia’s Hi-Loft Down Sweater. It’s not as warm as the Reima Osteri, which feels like the coat they’re wearing on the most bitter-cold, blizzard-y days. This Reima style is a daily driver winter coat that still allows a lot of movement for play.”

“My son started out this fall wearing a navy blue Primary lightweight puffer jacket I bought for him one size too big last year. Then, halfway through October, it got left at the playground and disappeared. Now it’s on sale and I am seriously considering buying it again. It’s warm enough for most days until after Thanksgiving on the East Coast and great for kids who can’t stop moving because it’s light and breathable. He had the same lightweight puffer (but in green) in a size 2T that he wore from when he was about a year old to around 2.5 years old, and it held up well enough to be used by our friends’ kid for another two years after that. I love that it comes in a bunch of bright colors and washes really well without much effort.”

“As a backup, he’s been wearing this Cat & Jack puffer jacket that we got in a clothing swap from a neighbor, and I like it enough to keep sending him to school in it for the rest of the fall. It’s a tiny bit heavier than his Primary puffer because of the fleece lining, which also makes it extra cozy. But the fleece also sticks to other clothing a bit, where the Primary puffer is unlined and more slippery. So if I want to layer anything more than a long-sleeve tee underneath, I will have to size up.”

“We also have this packable lightweight puffer from 7am Enfant that is a touch lighter than the Primary lightweight puffer and about as warm with the added benefit of a pouch to pack it into that I lost at some point last winter. It’s very sleek looking and has nice details like front patch pockets that snap closed. Plus it’s thin enough to layer under a denim jacket. But it does run small compared to all of our other jackets, and the fit is boxy rather than long. My son is almost 4 years old now and wearing the size 3-4T, but he’ll soon grow out of it even though he is on the small side for his age.”

“I love this Reima rain coat because it’s totally waterproof with welded seams and because it’s flexible and breathable enough to be worn all day long, even while playing and climbing nonstop. It’s also durable, has reflective strips at the wrists and on the hood, and is extremely cute. My son had one in yellow that he wore from around 18 months to 3 years old. Now he has an orange one in a size 3T that is printed with Moomin characters and still fits him well.”

“I bought this faux-shearling vest on sale last winter in a size 4T and it is just now starting to fit my son without looking way too big. The fleece is thick and marshmallow-y and looks expensive. It’s been our go-to back-up that I pack on long days out when I’m not sure how cold it’ll get later in the day. And because it’s roomy, I can layer it over a lightweight puffer or a hooded sweatshirt and it keeps him super-warm. There’s a long-sleeved fleece-jacket version too that looks just as nice.”

“My 9-year-old son loves this coat, which used to be carried at Bloomingdales but is now only at a handful of online retailers. I’m going to buy it in a bigger size because he’s already told me he’s sad, anticipating that it’s now too small. It is a bright shiny red and incredibly warm (down with fleece lining), and it always looks clean and bright.”

“I refer to this as my son’s soccer jacket because it’s warm but highly flexible, so you can play sports outdoors in the winter comfortably while wearing it.”

“Both of my kids wear have worn this Reima Sulkava rain jacket, albeit in a different color that’s no longer available. It’s especially nice when they are biking to school on wet days because it’s flexible and breathable, so they stay comfortable and don’t get too hot, but it’s still waterproof. It also layers well over the hoodies that my elder daughter vastly prefers to actual coats. After my sister saw one of my kids wearing it, she bought the same coat for my nieces, too.”

“Regarding the hoodies, the older kid wears one every day and always avoids adding a coat if possible, because in her mind, coats are only for the absolute coldest — or wettest — weather. Must of her hoodie wardrobe consists of overpriced and fairly lightweight tie-dye numbers we’ve bought at soccer tournaments. But she does have one Pink Palm Puff hoodie (Everything Comes in Waves in blue) that she absolutely adores. It may no longer be the bastion of coolness with older girls, but I have to admit, it is really nicely made and didn’t cost much more than the soccer-tournament merch. It’s weighty and warm and, for her, it’s a perfectly acceptable ‘coat’ in cooler fall weather.”

“Nonetheless, said older kid does still need a new warmer coat, and I’m waffling between the Reima Paimio that Simone has and this one that’s very spiritually similar to the lighter Sulkava above — the waterproof ReimaTec fabric is just so nice and flexible, and this coat has insulation for colder temperatures. Since it’s technically a ski jacket, the ‘helmet-compatible hood’ should also work for biking to school.”