Spending some quality time outdoors with the kids is a great way to bond. It also allows kids to explore nature, develop physical and mental skills, and cultivate a love for the outdoors. Invest in appropriate gear, such as hiking jackets, to ensure your kids have a safe and enjoyable hiking experience.
However, buying hiking jackets for kids is no easy feat. Kids dissipate body heat more rapidly than adults but also generate warmth faster by moving and playing. Your thought process might make you feel like extra layers are the way to go.
But, excessive layers hinder their movement, so find jackets that strike the perfect balance between warmth and durability, allowing them to remain active throughout the outdoor escapade. Worry not! We have done all the necessary research so that you don’t have to, and we have compiled a list of the seven best hiking jackets for kids.
Be sure to make it to #1 for our take on why Sprayway Hergen Junior is the best pick.
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7. Amazon Essentials Heavy-Weight Hooded Puffer
Water resistant: Yes
Age range: 6 months-7 years
Price: $38+
The Amazon Essentials Heavy-Weight Hooded Puffer is a fleece-lined puffy jacket with ample insulation and practical features like wrist cuffs and a snow collar.
What stands out about this jacket is its affordability. While it may not provide the same level of warmth as some higher-end options, it’s still more than suitable for activities in the snow. The puffer jacket has a durable polyester exterior and synthetic polyester insulation.
A portion of the inner torso is lined with cozy fleece. The areas under the snow collar and inside the sleeves are similarly lined with a polyester material that matches the exterior. One common trait of puffy jackets is their vulnerability to tearing when compared to ski jackets and all-in-one coats.
However, this budget-friendly puffer jacket is surprisingly resilient and capable of withstanding the rigors of active play without showing significant wear and tear. To top it off, there’s a variety of colors and patterns available, giving you plenty of options to suit your style and preferences.
Pros
- Well insulated to keep your kid warm
- Has a snow collar
Cons
- Not as sturdy as other coats on this list
Amazon Essentials starting at $38
6. Mountain Warehouse Fell Water-resistant Kids 3 in 1 Jacket
Water resistant: Yes
Age range: 6-12 years
Price: $54.99
The Mountain Warehouse Fell Kids 3-in-1 Jacket is your ideal companion for unpredictable weather conditions. Crafted with a water-resistant outer shell and a cozy inner fleece to shield against wind and light rain, this versatile jacket keeps your little ones snug and comfortable throughout the season.
It features a detachable inner jacket, allowing it to be worn independently or paired with the outer layer for added warmth and adaptability. It also boasts a pack-away hood, neatly tucking into the collar pocket when not needed. Two handy side pockets provide convenient storage space for small essentials.
The jacket is fortified with a Durable Water Repellent (DWR) treatment, causing droplets to bead and roll off the fabric effortlessly. This makes it a reliable choice for light rain or limited exposure to moisture.
Mountain Warehouse takes great pride in the Fell Kids 3-in-1 Jacket; its exceptional qualities speak for themselves. When seeking the best value in children’s outerwear, a 3-in-1 jacket should be on your list.
Pros
- It is incredibly versatile
- Inner fleece protects against wind
- Has pack-away hood
Cons
- Not as sturdy as other jackets on our list
5. Columbia Kids’ Glennaker Springs Jacket
Water resistant: Yes
Age range: 4-12 years
Price: $25+
This zip-up jacket seamlessly blends weather protection with playful prints, making it the ideal choice for young adventurers. Crafted with a lightweight design, the Columbia Kids Glennaker Jacket doubles as an everyday windbreaker, ensuring all-day comfort. It features elastic cuffs and two convenient hand pockets, providing essential shelter in unpredictable weather conditions.
Available in a delightful array of colors and patterns, this jacket is designed to cater to the needs of youth hikers. With a regular fit, finding the right size is easy. The Glennaker Springs Jacket has garnered considerable praise among clients online.
This jacket is often lauded as a fantastic windbreaker, especially suitable for the spring season. A satisfied customer shared that their 10-year-old, who typically wears a size 12/14, found the jacket to be an ideal fit, providing ample room for growth.
Pros
- Beautiful prints
- Leaves room for growth
Cons
- Not as sturdy as other jackets on our list
4. Marmot Precip Eco Jacket
Material: Nylon ripstop
Water resistant: Yes
Age range: 4-7 years
Price: $55+
The Marmot Kids’ PreCip Eco Jacket is the ideal recycled rain jacket for your active little explorer. Whether at camp, on the trails, or the playground, this jacket ensures they stay comfortably dry. Crafted from Marmot’s NanoPro recycled nylon face fabric, it’s eco-conscious and PFC-free, making it a responsible choice for your kid and the environment.
Zip it up, and your child is ready to embrace the outdoors, come rain or shine. The PreCip Boys’ Rain Jacket boasts Marmot’s cutting-edge waterproofing technology, offering comfort and breathability. Its advanced coating features densely packed pores, effectively keeping raindrops out while allowing water vapor to escape. This means your kid stays cool and dry, even when their activity level amps up.
When not in use, the attached hood neatly rolls up for convenience, and a DriClime chin guard shields against discomfort from zippers. Also, a double storm flap with snap and Velcro closures safeguards the front zipper, preventing wind and rain from sneaking in.
Your little one’s freedom of movement is a top priority, thanks to the innovative Angel-Wing Movement design incorporated into this jacket. With the Marmot Kids’ PreCip Eco Jacket, you can rest assured that your young adventurer is well-equipped for all their outdoor escapades.
Pros
- Environmentally friendly
- Extremely breathable
Cons
- Hand pockets a bit too high
3. Arctix Kids Stream Rain Jacket
Material: Polyester with mesh lining
Water resistant: Yes
Age range: 3-10 years
Price: $42
The Arctix Stream Rain Jacket is an exceptional choice for all your kids’ outdoor adventures, seamlessly blending style and functionality. Crafted from a 100% Nylon shell and featuring a 100% Polyester mesh lining, this jacket boasts Thermalock technology for advanced water and wind resistance. Also, it is fully seam taped to provide additional safeguarding against the elements.
This lightweight jacket is incredibly packable, making it a versatile addition to your outdoor gear. The adjustable cuffs and hood closure allow for a personalized fit, while the secured zippered pocket ensures convenient and secure storage. With a back vent for enhanced breathability, the Stream Rain Jacket offers the utmost comfort.
Cleaning this jacket is a breeze as it is machine washable, making it perfect for quick and easy maintenance. Arctix is renowned for crafting affordable, high-quality weatherproof outerwear suitable for a wide range of winter pursuits. Each garment is thoughtfully designed and engineered to provide flexibility, precise sizing, and a comfortable fit.
Pros
- It is lightweight
- It is very breathable
- Windproof and waterproof
Cons
- Not as sturdy as other jackets on our list
2. Buckle Me Baby Toasty
Water resistant: Yes
Age range: 6 months-6 years
Price: $69.99
These jackets boast remarkable durability and water resistance, explicitly tailored for unforgiving winters. Parents from as far north as Alaska and even the North Pole swear by its reliability.
When it comes to your kid’s safety in a car seat, traditional bulky winter coats pose a significant problem as they can introduce up to 3 to 4 inches of unwanted slack in the harness. Enter the Buckle Me Baby Toasty Car Seat Coat, a game-changer that puts an end to the hassle of constantly taking off and putting on your toddler’s coat during car journeys.
This solution features a front panel with a side zipper and hook & loop closures at the shoulders. This panel can be effortlessly moved aside, allowing you to secure the car seat harness without the hindrance of the bulky jacket. It’s an award-winning product that successfully tackles a dilemma that parents have grappled with since the introduction of car seats.
The coat is thoughtfully crafted from a combination of fleece, polyester insulation, and a water-resistant exterior. When layered with an extra garment, it becomes more than capable of keeping your child cozy and warm even during snow play in frigid conditions.
However, the jacket has some downsides. First, this jacket has no hood to protect the head against the cold. Also, some users reported that the Velcro closures at the shoulders don’t always stay securely fastened, which could be a minor inconvenience for some parents.
Pros
- Car seat friendly
- Very warm and snugly
- Waterproof
Cons
- Velcro straps are not as effective as needed
- It has no hood
1. Sprayway Unisex-Child Hergen Junior 3 in 1 Jacket
Water resistant: Yes
Age range: 2-15 years
Price: $32+
The Sprayway Hergen Junior is a cost-effective, all-purpose solution to keep your kid warm and dry throughout multiple seasons. The exterior is crafted from polyester treated with a specialized finish, while the interior boasts a complete taffeta lining.
In the realm of kids’ jackets, the issue of liners can often be exasperating, as they tend to snag when little arms slide in and out of sleeves. In contrast to mesh, Taffeta is the superior choice due to its smoother texture and reduced tendency to catch.
The inner and outer fabrics are delightfully soft, ensuring a comfortable and noise-free experience. The handwarmer pockets, which are adequately sized for storing snacks and gloves, come with secure zippers. The front fastener features a one-way zip complemented by a rear storm guard and chin guard, contributing to increased comfort and warmth.
Also, all the zippers on this jacket have cord pulls for easy zipper movement. The hood, although non-adjustable, offers sufficient rain protection for the face, with slightly less effectiveness against the wind-rain combination.
The Hergen’s fit allows for layering, accommodating essentials like tucking a buff around the neck and face. The hem, although non-adjustable, rests slightly higher on the waist, making it particularly useful for our little cycling enthusiasts. Sprayway, the manufacturer, is a member of the Fair Wear Foundation, indicating their commitment to improving working conditions in their factories.
This practical jacket is available in a selection of vibrant, gender-neutral colors. The Hergen is an uncomplicated yet highly functional choice, effortlessly worn over a puffy jacket, a cozy jumper, or a simple t-shirt. It caters to various scenarios and weather conditions, ensuring your kid stays comfortable and protected in various environments.
Pros
- Great lining
- Comfortable fabric
- Good-sized pockets
Cons
- Non-adjustable hood
Kids hiking jacket comparison table
Jacket | Material | Rating (out of 5 stars) | Age range | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Polyester | 4.7 | 2-15 years | $32+ | |
Polar Fleece | 4.5 | 6 months-6 years | $69.99 | |
Polyester | 4.5 | 3-10 years | $42 | |
Nylon ripstop | 4.4 | 4-7 years | $55+ | |
Polyester | 4.3 | 4-12 years | $25+ | |
Polyester | 4.3 | 6-12 years | $54.99 | |
Polyester Taffeta | 4.2 | 6 months-7 years | $38+ |
How to pick a hiking jacket for your kid
Kids lose body heat more rapidly than adults. Conversely, an active kid playing in the snow may generate more body warmth than an adult. So, how do you find the right jacket for your little one? When searching for the ideal children’s winter coat, evaluating factors such as material quality, design, insulation, waterproofing, layering options, and overall fit is crucial.
Material
The makeup of a jacket significantly influences its heat retention capabilities. The ideal material should provide insulation without adding excessive bulk that hinders movement. Equally important is what the jacket should not be made from. The best pick is a jacket with water-repellent coatings free from perfluorochemicals (PFCs). PFCs harm the environment, and high doses have shown detrimental effects on lab animals during testing.
Design
The coat’s design is also a crucial factor to take into account. A puffy jacket is lightweight and ideal for active play, but it requires an additional outer shell, like a rain jacket, to achieve full waterproofing. This outer layer bolsters waterproofing and safeguards the puffy coat from the wear and tear it often faces.
On the other hand, three-in-one coats present a versatile solution, featuring a cozy inner layer, typically composed of fleece or polyester, and a waterproof outer layer. These two layers can be combined for winter activities. In contrast, the inner jacket is perfect for brisk autumn days, and the outer jacket can function independently as a raincoat or windbreaker.
In contrast, some winter coats are fashioned as single, all-in-one garments, incorporating a waterproof exterior and insulation for warmth. Although these coats offer less versatility, they may be more accessible for young children to zip up due to their more straightforward design compared to the multi-zipper configurations of three-in-one jackets.
Space for layers
When selecting a kid’s jacket for outdoor activities, choosing one that offers sufficient space to accommodate additional layers is essential. In frigid conditions, winter coats prove most effective when paired with layered clothing.
For infants and young children who may not communicate their comfort levels effectively, we advise adding one extra layer compared to what an adult would typically find comfortable. Also, opt for merino wool as your foundational layer, as it provides warmth while effectively managing perspiration.
Purchasing a hiking jacket for your kid is vital to ensuring their safety and comfort during outdoor adventures. A comfy hiking jacket will protect your child and foster a love for the great outdoors that lasts a lifetime. So, gear up your young adventurer with the perfect hiking jacket and prepare for exciting outdoor journeys.