There’s no better way to test out a kids’ rain jacket than a walk to school on a wet and rainy morning. And my 11-year-old daughter Matilda had the honours.
It’s only a 15min walk to the local public school but as the heavens opened it felt longer. Fortunately the Snowgum Cloudburst waterproof jacket was up for the task.
First up, the durable twin two-way zipper operated perfectly each time without jamming. A personal annoyance of mine is zippers that constantly jam. Even the zippers on the most expensive jackets often jam.
Another tick was the hood that fitted properly when my daughter pulled it over her head. I often find the hood in rain jackets too spacious or difficult to properly secure around your head, which often means when you move your head the hood doesn’t move, limiting your visibility. In this case, the hood did what is was meant to do.
As the rain poured the water effectively beaded off the jacket's material made up stretchy and breathable VaporTEC membrane (ASTM waterhead rating: 5,000mm), and even though we weren’t in seriously heavy rain my daughter was dry and happy when we got to school. And that's what you want.
So what’s her take on the Snowgum? “I thought the jacket fitted well,” she told Great Walks in an exclusive interview. “My other school jacket is thin and doesn’t keep me that dry if it rains heavily but the Snowgum was really good. I'll keep this one in my school bag.”
And at $99 for club members I'd challenge anyone to find a better jacket at this price.
Weight: 850gm (size M)
Website: snowgum.com.au
Review_Brent McKean