Kids grow out of clothing items so quickly that you rarely want to spend money on specialized gear because they’ll wear it a couple of times before you hear, “it’s too tight!” That’s why many parents who don’t live in places where it snows in winter (and thus, you can get at least an entire season of wearing new clothes) end up grabbing snow clothes through ski swaps, or other discounted opportunities.
But if you’re going to get snow clothes for your kids, it’s best to get multi-purpose duds—those items that are equally good for snowshoeing, skiing, snowball fights, making snow angels, and all those cold-weather activities for which kids seem to find boundless energy.
This season, my daughter has been testing out the Obermeyer Snell Stretch Pant and Marielle Jacket. Both items are what she combines to wear whenever she’s out in the snow, and the jacket doubles for a multi-purpose cold-weather jacket.
The Snell Stretch Pant is a softshell snow pant made from 93 percent polyester and 7 percent spandex that’s got enough stretch for all those kid-tastic outdoor activities. The fabric has HydroBlock, with fully coasted hydrophobic laminations and a DWR polymer coating.
Because kids grow like weeds, the pants have Obermeyer’s I-Grow Extended Wear System, which allows the cuff length to be increased by 2 inches. That might be enough to squeeze another season in. Also featured are reflective trim, reinforced hems and inseams, and water-resistant powder cuffs.
The Marielle Jacket also uses HydroBlock in a 100-percent polyester micro-twill, and is insulated with High Loft insulation (220 grams in the body, 160 grams in the sleeves, and 80 grams in the hood). It also has the I-Grow Extended Wear System, which will increase sleeve length up to 1.5 inches.
The hood is removable, and the jacket also includes integrated clips to retain mittens and gloves (because how many times do you have to remind kids, as well as adults, to pay attention to not losing gloves?). Reflective trim and an adjustable power skirt round out the features. An added blingy bonus is a little compass with a secret pocket.
The Snell Stretch Pant comes in black, white, washed indigo, and smitten pink, and lists for $129 on the Obermeyer site. The Marielle Jacket comes in evergreen, amethyst, smitten pink, island sunset, peony pink, and sparkle blue, and lists for $139.50 on the Obermeyer site.