In our daughter’s quick life, she has skilled numerous wintertime adventures: Her first backcountry ski hut journey when she was 4 months outdated, winter climbing in Iceland when she was 6 months outdated, numerous ski touring days spent strapped inside our Thule Chariot, and weekly night ice skating classes on an out of doors rink within the shadow of the Rocky Mountains.
Typically, we’re requested how we “get” our daughter to tolerate all the chilly winter playtime with nary a criticism. Our reply is all the time the identical: it’s the snowsuit.
After trial-and-erroring our means by way of a half dozen of the most well-liked manufacturers, we discovered the Reima Stavanger Snowsuit to be incomparable. Belief me after I say this: you gained’t discover a hotter snowsuit available on the market.
Briefly: The Reima Stavanger Snowsuit ($195) is an impenetrable fortress that may shield your little one from the worst of the winter climate. Consumer-friendly options like silicone foot straps and a faux-fur hood add to the climate safety, and recycled fibers and insulation make it a extra eco-friendly alternative.
Learn our full GearJunkie Youngsters’ Snow Gear information.
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Outer
59% recycled polyamide; 41% polyamide -
Lining
52% polyester; 48% recycled polyester -
Insulation
90% recycled polyester; 10% polyester -
Waterproof ranking
12,000mm -
Breathability ranking
7000g/m²
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Fake-fur hood lining protects face from wind -
Adjustable waist to reduce inside house -
Runs huge so that you’ll get a number of seasons of use -
Silicone leg loops hold pant legs pulled down
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Sizing runs huge, so it may be tough to find out the most effective dimension -
Costly
Reima Stavanger Snowsuit Assessment
The Reima Stavanger Snowsuit has been our burly winter package for the majority of my daughter’s little life. My husband and I are each avid skiers and love ski touring, so we knew early on that we wanted one thing heat sufficient to maintain her toasty whereas remaining sedentary in a ski trailer for hours.
Close to our house exterior of Aspen, Colo., I can keep in mind one ski tour with single-digit temperatures the place I couldn’t heat up, however she fortunately giggled within the trailer whereas listening to her favourite podcast. (It’s Story Pirates, in case you’re questioning.)
We spent numerous money and time looking for a children’ snowsuit with technical options much like what you’d discover in grownup winter attire.
Reima is a Finnish model, which was based in 1944 as a post-World Warfare II effort. Sustainability has been at Reima’s core since its inception: Its first merchandise have been girls’s workwear recycled from outdated military uniforms. Whereas the model has made children’ outside gear for the reason that Nineteen Fifties, it has been its unique focus — nothing for adults now — since 2004. All of its merchandise are focused at children youthful than the age of 12.
In contrast to different outside manufacturers, Reima doesn’t emphasize new or redesigned merchandise yearly. As an alternative, they design one thing that works and keep it up. The Reima Stavanger is among the model’s basic items, originating in 2014 and named the Finest in Check in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark in 2020 by impartial Swedish testing web site Bäst-i-Check.
How We Examined
We bought our first Stavanger for our daughter in 2020. Since then, she has worn a wide range of sizes and colours all through her adventures.
She examined a dimension 3T for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 winter seasons with weekly ski adventures at Aspen Snowmass, in addition to dozens of snowball fights and ski touring periods together with her mother and father.
For the 2021-22 season, she examined a 4T dimension and continued with weekly half-day ski classes, in addition to numerous days sledding at our native hill and constructing snowmen within the yard.
For final yr and this season, she now has a 5T dimension that she used for a complete yr of forest faculty within the Colorado Rockies. Her program didn’t have an indoor house. They spent each single day exterior from 8:30 a.m. to three p.m. from Monday by way of Thursday.
In that point, they tromped by way of icy rivers, hiked snowy trails, loved half-day ski classes, and went ice skating on native ponds. Whereas carrying the Stavanger, she noticed temperatures as little as 5 levels and snowing and as excessive as 40 levels with bluebird sunshine.
Bombproof Sturdiness
Youngsters are extremely robust on outside gear. Nevertheless it escalated final yr after we enrolled our daughter within the native forest faculty. This native journey preschool spent 26 hours exterior each week, no matter climate.
We began the season in a unique pair of snow bibs, however she shortly ruined them. The knees have been slashed and seams have been shredded. We turned towards a unique package, and she or he got here house complaining that she’d been chilly all day. We knew it was time to deliver out the Stavanger, which lasted the remainder of the college yr with nary a criticism.
In contrast to numerous different winter attire that depends on polyester for the outer, Reima makes use of polyamide for the snowsuit. Polyamide is an artificial cloth similar to polyester, but it surely’s stronger and has higher abrasion resistance.
Within the three totally different Stavangers we’ve owned, we’ve by no means as soon as ripped a gap. A seam has by no means been torn. We’ve by no means even seen a single spot of worn cloth, even when she’s crawling by way of stick forts all day. We’ve handed the too-small snowsuits on to new households, and so they’re nonetheless going sturdy with their second (and third) kiddos.
The information backs this up, too. Reima put the Stavanger to the Martindale Check. The abrasion-resistance check rubs cloth towards an abrasive topic in a consistently altering path with a predetermined stress. A better rating means the material can take extra put on and tear. Throughout Reima’s testing, the Stavanger acquired a rating of 80,000. By comparability, industrial furnishings sometimes requires a rating increased than 30,000.
Unbeatable Heat and Waterproofing
The Stavanger isn’t simply robust—it’s extremely heat, too. Reima packs the Stavanger with recycled artificial insulation, and the snowsuit has excessive weatherproof scores. Each the 12,000mm waterproofing ranking and the 7,000g/m² breathability ranking are on the upper facet of the business normal for adults. And, the Stavanger is temperature rated right down to -5 levels F.
It’s one factor to maintain a kiddo heat whereas they’re throwing snowballs or snowboarding downhill. That’s the simple stuff, since they’re energetic. However the Stavanger stood out to our household because of its heat whereas our daughter was sedentary.
When she was smaller, we’d usually exit on household ski excursions that lasted for a minimum of 2-3 hours. We’d pull her within the Thule Chariot with the waterproof plastic cowl yanked over the entrance. The Stavanger snowsuit lined her limbs.
Throughout one notably chilly day close to Colorado’s Vail Move, temperatures have been round 10 levels F and a light-weight snow was falling. I towed her uphill for two hours straight, cursing my life decisions and worrying about her within the again. However after I circled, I used to be all smiles. She wasn’t chilly in any respect. She was so toasty heat that she had handed out and slept her means by way of the whole uphill slog.
Helpful Options: Boot Loops, Waist Cinch, Hood Liner
Reima doesn’t dazzle with a slew of options, however the ones they select to incorporate are helpful. My favourite: the silicone loops hooked up to the underside of the pant legs. As soon as your kiddo is dressed, you possibly can stretch these in order that they wrap beneath the snow boots. This prevents the pant legs from using up and snow from getting inside their boots.
An adjustable waistband is threaded by way of the material contained in the snowsuit, which we cherished. It doesn’t really feel like an enormous deal, but it surely helps with heat. Snowsuits are inherently hotter than jackets as a result of much less snow will get inside and air is much less more likely to penetrate.
However with the waist cinched tighter, you create even smaller inside compartments of air to warmth up. We solely used this function on actually chilly days, but it surely all the time appeared to maintain her only a bit toastier.
The faux-fur hood is a noticeable spotlight on the Stavanger, and one which receives compliments on a regular basis. The whole hood itself is removable, and the fur may also be eliminated.
We love the aesthetics of the attractive design. However the fur serves a purposeful objective: It blocks the wind from her delicate little face. Throughout particularly windy days, we’ll pull the hood up in order that the fur sits additional out from her face. Not solely will it catch the snow crystals, but it surely additionally deflects the breeze. So, not one of the inclement climate truly hits her pores and skin.
Sustainable Design
European manufacturers have been on the forefront of sustainable designs, and Reima isn’t any exception. The model has a host of sustainable objectives coming due in 2026. As of 2023, 90% of their merchandise are made with sustainable options.
Within the Stavanger, this may be seen in all the supplies. A whopping 90% of the insulation is Repreve, an artificial insulation from recycled plastic waste like water bottles. An unspecific recycled artificial insulation is the remaining 10%. That’s along with the 59% recycled polyamide cloth on the outer and the 48% recycled polyester on the liner.
Reima additionally makes use of a water-and-dirt repellent referred to as Bionic-End Eco, the world’s first fluorocarbon-free DWR therapy for textiles, reviews the model. And but, it nonetheless holds up within the area. In virtually 4 years of carrying the Stavander, we’ve by no means as soon as had the snowsuit moist out.
Room for Enchancment
Actually the one factor I gripe about on the Stavanger is the value. It may be robust to swallow a $200 snowsuit when your child grows like a weed. However after years of wear and tear and tear within the area, I’ve accepted that’s the value of admission. You get what you pay for. On this case, we’re completely satisfied to pay for our daughter’s heat and luxury whereas doing the actions we take pleasure in. Now, that listing consists of going to an out of doors faculty.
I feel it’s additionally vital to notice that Reima’s ‘Room to Develop’ system makes the sizing just a little tough. The Stavanger doesn’t have any adjustable seams or buttons to vary the size of the legs and arms. Nevertheless, Reima sizes all its snowsuits up in order that they sometimes final for two years (in our expertise).
You’ll nonetheless order their common dimension. For instance, a 4-year-old will seemingly nonetheless put on a 4T. However it might be very roomy if they’re on the small facet. In case your little one is larger for his or her age, think about sizing as much as get essentially the most use out of your snowsuit. When unsure, confer with Reima’s sizing chart.
Reima Stavanger Snowsuit: Conclusion
Right here’s the deal. Should you dwell in a reasonable local weather or spend occasional time exterior within the winter, the value of the Reima Stavanger could not make the acquisition worthwhile.
Should you’re a household that spends a ton of time exterior within the winter (or desires to), and also you want dependable heat and sturdiness to guard your little one, there isn’t any higher buy than the Reima Stavanger. The heat and rugged supplies are unparalleled, and Reima’s dedication to elevated sustainability is noteworthy.
Plus, with its outsized sizing system, you’ll seemingly get a minimum of two seasons out of the snowsuit. And if in case you have youthful youngsters, relaxation assured that it will likely be in ok form to move on for spherical two.
