Animal Hyde Kids Waterproof Jacket Review
DISCLOSURE -THIS ITEM WAS GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW. ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ARE THE REVIEWER’S OWN.
Reviewed by Melody
Now that winter is over and Spring has finally arrived, bringing with it warmer sunnier weather, I’m starting to look for new clothes for my children, who seem to have doubled in size since the same time last year! One important item is a good quality waterproof coat as, whilst some days are sunny, other days can still be pretty wet and miserable. The challenge is to find a coat that is practical but also meets the approval of my increasingly fashion-conscious son.
I was delighted to be asked to review the Hyde Kids Waterproof Jacket from Animal. When I was younger Animal was a popular brand of surf and outdoor clothing, a shopping trip to the Animal shop was always exciting and usually on my wish list. I have to admit I hadn’t realised that Animal was still around as our local store closed down a few years ago, however from a quick look at the website I found out that there are still 11 stores around the UK, as well as outlets in other stores such as Mountain Warehouse. There is also an online store.
The Hyde coat is available in blue and pink and in sizes from 7-8 years to 13 years. My son is a large 11 year old so I opted for the 13 year blue coat as I was unsure how Animal products sized up. The coat arrived quickly, from Mountain Warehouse, by courier and was packed in a plastic postal bag which could be recycled.
The Hyde coat has great practical credentials with 2k waterproof and 2k breathable fabric. There are fully taped seams to prevent water from getting into the coat and also a PFC-free water resistant finish.
The coat is good quality, it’s fully lined making it easy to get on and off and is lightweight so ideal for Spring and Summer. There is a zip fastening at the front with poppers all with the Animal logo on. The hood is generous sized and elasticated meaning it fits well, there is also a Velcro tab at the back to adjust the sizing. The coat also has elasticated cuffs and elastic at the back of the waist to ensure a good fit. There are also two good-sized front pockets which have popper fastenings.
As I mentioned, I ordered the size 13 for my son, however I think this was probably a mistake as it swamps him currently so ordering an 11-12 years would probably have provided a better fit, I would therefore say the Animal coats are true to size. Whilst the coat is good quality, my son wasn’t keen on the actual design and shape of the coat as he said it “looks like a girl’s coat”, in truth I think it is probably just a unisex design. The colour was quite disappointing as it’s quite a dull mid-blue colour, I think the coat would look much better if it was available in brighter colours to appeal more to children. However, it would be ideal for when they need to wear something a little smarter.
Overall, I would say this is a lovely quality coat at a fair price, however I think it’s appeal to younger children could be fairly limited as the colour options are both quite plain and dull which is a shame. We haven’t had a chance to test the coat in the wet weather yet, but I’m confident that it will be waterproof and keep my son dry.
Rating: 3.5/5
RRP: £64.99 (on sale for £44.99)
This product can be purchased from: https://www.animal.co.uk/collections/all-kids/products/hyde-kids-waterproof-jacket-blue