Puddlegear was started in the rain capital of the world (western Canada) by Alex, a mom of 3 children, who has lots of experience spending time outdoors in wet conditions.
Alex loves to sail with her children and has learned from sailing life that “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear”.
Puddlegear’s purpose is to be a one stop shop for quality rain gear and to keep children warm and dry in the wettest conditions.
Who Puddlegear Is Best For
Puddlegear is designed for kids ages 10 months to 12yo+. The complete line of raingear includes a jacket, bibs, mittens and hat. These can all be purchased separately and their bold navy, red and pink colors can be mixed and matched.
Puddlegear uses European sizing to help families get the best fit and we found that Puddlegear is generously sized. My 7.5 year old daughter (see pictures) is wearing the 130cm rain pant and jacket, size 3 mittens, and the size 58 hat. I anticipate that this will fit her for several more seasons.
For sizing, if you want a snugger fit, consider ordering a size smaller (if your child is 115cm order the 110cm). If you want a fit that gives your child room to grow then order the size up based on their height (if your child is 115cm order the 120cm).
Alex is happy to offer assistance with sizing questions to make sure you get it right.
Puddlegear is great for any family looking for gear that can help their child stay warm and dry in wet conditions; especially if you live in a rainy climate that also happens to be cold.
The inert polyurethane material (aka Weathertek) used for the jacket and bibs are thicker than a lot of other rain gear on the market and both the mittens and hat are fleece lined.
Puddlegear is also a great fit for children in Waldorf or Forest school programs that spend lots of time outside.
What we love
We especially love the bibs that come with this gear. There are plenty of companies that make rain pants but rain bibs are harder to find and when testing the product we found the bibs work great for keeping water out and adding additional warmth.
We also love that the bibs come with stirrups. When we first tested out the bibs my daughter tucked her rain pants inside her rain boots and the stirrups around her feet. We found it also worked to hook the stirrups around her rain boots.
My daughter’s favorite part about her Puddlegear set is the hat. This says a lot coming from a child that normally prefers not to wear a hat. She loves that the fleece lined hat is warm and cozy and it’s an added bonus that the hat is adorably stylish.
Another thing to love is that Puddlegear is backed by a 1 year limited warranty so if you’re not satisfied with the product or get the wrong size you can return or exchange the product.
Finally, we love that Puddlegear caters to a wide range of ages and sizes. It’s nice to have a reliable product you can continue to use for your child at all their different stages.
Things to Keep In Mind
Puddlegear is hand wash only and should never be put in the dryer
Don’t forget to keep your gear out of your wash and pass the memo on to your spouse. If you dry your Puddlegear it voids the Puddlegear warranty. We’ve found that Puddlegear is easy to clean (the dirt wipes right off) and easily dries when hung overnight.
Puddlegear is designed as heavy duty rain gear
This is the sort of rain gear you invest in to keep your child happily entertained in wet conditions for hours outside. There is still freedom of movement with this heavier material but it’s not the “lightest weight”.
The mittens can be a bit limiting
While the mittens keep my daughter’s hands warm and dry, they also challenge her dexterity to pick up rocks, leaves and other trail findings. She generally keeps them on because of the warmth they provide but the limited dexterity sometimes annoys her.
Puddlegear is PVC and Phthalate free!
And don’t be alarmed by the scent when your Puddlegear arrives. Puddlegear is made out of polyurethane fabric (PVC and Phthalate free). It had an odor when I first opened our package but this odor quickly went away and is no longer noticeable.
Final Thoughts
Alex is great to work with and Puddlegear is appropriately named. If you want the right gear for your puddle-splashing kids, look no further than Puddlegear.
I was pleasantly surprised by how well the gear held up in wet conditions and how dry my daughter stays when she wears it. I look forward to further use of this Puddlegear in our hiking adventures and know it will also get lots of use in downpours and puddles in our front yard.
My biggest complaint is that I wish it came in adult sizes too!
Looking for more rain gear suggestions? Check out our full round-up here of our favorites!
Puddlegear generously provided us this gear in order to facilitate this review. However, as always, the opinions expressed here are completely and honestly our own.
Pin it:
Thanks for the great post. How does Puddle Gear raingear compare to Reima? Is one more breathable than the other?
Good question. I would say Reima is more durable, but they are both the same breathability….