8 best kids’ puddle suits for wet and windy adventures

There’s a lot to love about this puddle suit from Muddy Puddles – it’s brilliantly designed and well thought out. While it might be one of the more expensive here, we believe it’s worth it, due to its three-in-one design. The outer waterproof shell can be worn alone on wet autumnal days, the cosy inner fleece liner is snuggly for dry days, then pair them together for really cold and/or really wet days.

The specs are as good as the pretty fabric – the hard-wearing recycled polyester is coated in a chemical-free bionic eco finish for a waterproof rating of 10,000mm and a decent breathability of 3,000g per metre squared. Plus, the adjustable hood is peaked and there’s a double storm flap on the zip. It all adds up to create a very dry suit, whatever the weather.

The two smaller sizes (0-6 months and 6-12 months) have fold-over feet and hand warmers, while the suits aimed at one-year-olds and above have adjustable stirrups to keep the suit in place over wellies.

We love Dinoski’s fun spirit – all its products hit the nail on the head and manage to be both wonderfully practical and utterly appealing to children. This puddle suit is no exception with its vivid colour and playful details, such as the triceratops horns on the hood.

Generously sized, these suits are the only ones we tested available in sizes up to 10 years old and it has handy features such as vents in the armpits and removable foot straps. The rain just falls off this suit, and not a drop got inside, thanks to the 10,000mm fabric, taped seams and aqua-seal zips.

We love the snuggly material of Hippychick’s suit – its peach-skin polyester is soft to the touch and easy to brush clean. Designed for warmth, it’s windproof, waterproof, breathable, and fleece lined. It’s a more-grown-up design than some of the others we tested – the zip only reaches just below the waist, so it’s better suited to kids who are starting to dress themselves.

We’d prefer to see elasticated cuffs at the wrists and ankles, instead of the adjustable Velcro tabs, but they work well alongside the tabs at the waist and hood, and mean there’s plenty of flexibility with sizing. It’s deliberately oversized to fit plenty of layers beneath, but we found them very well insulated regardless, and our reviewer loved the hip pocket for storing foraged treasures.

This is a really cute option from Marks & Spencer, it’s just a shame this only goes up to age two to three years. For those small enough to fit, it’s a treat. Available in a bright yellow duck style, with beak and eyes on the hood – or a green frog with a 3D face on the hood – we love its simplicity. With fleece-lined legs and body and elasticated cuffs, it keeps out the chill and features Marks & Spencer’s water-repellent stormwear finish.

Polarn O.Pyret’s overall is the mother of all puddle suits. It’s the one to go for if your child is typically outside all day in all weathers, or you live a particularly outdoorsy life and aren’t deterred by snow or rain. It’s the most waterproof of all we tested, and is properly toasty too. If things get too warm (its 5,000g per metre squared breathability rating helps guard against this), the PrimaLoft fleece lining can be removed to leave a still very windproof and sturdy shell – a fiddly downside is that the liner is attached with poppers, so it’s not a quick job to add or remove it.

This overall has all the bells and whistles needed for a long day of playing – the knees and seat are reinforced, the hood is mesh-lined and adjustable, and it has well-placed and decent-sized 3M Scotchlite reflectors. It’s very generously sized and the waist can be pinched in from the inside. Built to last, Polarn O.Pyret tests the fabric for abrasion resistance – this is the most technical here, and will last and last.

JoJo Maman Bébé’s snuggly all-in-one is our pick if your child is in nappies – two zips on the front (one down to the ankle, the other to the hip) mean it’s easy to fold it back and change a nappy without having to completely undress your baby.

On the brand’s own rating system, it scores three out of three for waterproof, windproof and breathability, meaning it’s 100 per cent waterproof, with taped seams, and offers full wind protection and maximum cosiness. We found it easy to get on and off, and the fabric was quick to brush clean.

We love the laidback style of this suit. It’s fuss-free and does a great job of keeping children dry in the rain. The waterproof shell is designed with plenty of space, not just so extra layers can be worn underneath, but also so arms and legs can move freely – our tester loved being able to clamber and climb unhindered. It’s made of tough fabric too, so we weren’t worried about it tearing. The diagonal zip means it’s easy to put on, and the hood stayed put even in the gustiest of winds.

Frugi’s whole ethos is about “little clothes, big change”, and the company donates one per cent of its turnover to charities working in animal habitat preservation, children’s special needs, environmental education and more.

This waterproof puddle suit smartly shows off those values, as it’s built to last and made from 100 per cent post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. It’s got a waterproof rating of 10,000mm, fully welded seams, a wide stream flap and the body and hood are fleece-lined too, so it’s ideal for everything from showers to downpours throughout the year. Our tester loved the colour and so did we, as it made them easy to spot!