Spotty Otter Waterproofs Review

After a long, hot summer that seemed to go on and on, it was, at times, easy to forget that the onset of winter would soon be upon us. Well, after drying ourselves off from our family walk earlier today, it’s fair to say that the change to autumn has been rapid and significant this week. In fact, as I type this review, wet weather continues to batter parts of the UK. Here in North Wales we’ve had considerable rainfall, leading to localised flooding and landslides in places not too far away from us. Consequently, it’s at this time of year that quality waterproofs come into their own. As such we were delighted when Little Trekkersasked us to road test someSpotty Otter kid’s waterproofs. Here’s how we got on…

Sometimes, I look at my outdoor gear wardrobe and feel bad for the kids. After all, when I’m up a mountain and the weather turns really grim I’ve got the likes of my ME Lhotse jacket to sling on. A virtually impenetrable fortress against the elements, I know it’ll protect me when I need it to. Now, just because our two young children probably won’t find themselves up on a mountain summit again this year, it doesn’t mean that their adventuring goes into hibernation until the spring though. Oh no! They, as much as me and Nat, need their own miniaturised impenetrable fortresses against the wind and rain for their lower level battles against the elements. Because, let’s face it, family adventures stop being fun when you’ve got cold, wet kids in tow.

Over the nearly seven years that we’ve been adventuring with our kids we’ve gone through all manner of waterproof suits, jackets and trousers. The regularity at which we do get outside as a family also makes our two little explorers awesome test machines. They probably rack up as many hours outside as your average badger (and smell just as bad, believe me!) so we’ve already managed to put these Spotty Otter kids waterproofs through the ringer in some heavy, heavy rain and mud. All I can say is thatmy Instagramfollowers will be seeing a lot of these waterproofs throughout the autumn and winter when I post photos of our family adventures. These Spotty Otter kid’s waterproofs have impressed me that much that they’ll now be our default option and get pride of place in our ‘go adventure’ bag, ready to be picked up and taken anywhere at a moment’s notice, along with our other must-have gear.

In terms of details, the Spotty Otter kid's waterproofs are constructed of 100% PU fabric. This means they aren’t just water resistant and good for repelling a gentle breeze; it means that these bad boys are fully waterproof and windproof. That’s all well and good but, occasionally, poorly designed zips and stitching can act as weak points that slowly allow water to seep in. Not here. The Spotty Otter kid’s waterproofs have welded seams and giant storm flaps to protect the zip. Sorry wind, sorry rain, you’ll have to look for another kid to pick on.

The other advantage of being made of 100% PU fabric is that the Spotty Otter kids’ waterproofs are super tough. During our adventures, we clamber down into waterfalls, we scramble over rocks and logs, and roll about in the autumn leaves making mud angels. We don’t, therefore, need an outer layer that is going to wilt at the first sign of abrasions. Fortunately, these have taken everything that we could throw at them and still smiled at the prospect of more adventure.

The bib-style dungareesare ready made for our family adventures. While the adjustable braces work to keep them up while the elements around us come down, there is no chance of wind or rain finding a way to dampen our spirits. As a family who regularly picnic outdoors 12 months of the year during our hikes, this is all the more important as sitting down usually results in the outer jacket riding up and leaving a small area of back exposed. Not with these bib-style dungarees. Picnic on kids!

I’m always delighted when I know in my heart of hearts that we’ve managed to fix the kids up for the winter season with everything they need to keep them warm and dry on our family hikes. We simply couldn’t adventure 12 months of the year without gear good enough to keep them happy, smiling, climbing and exploring. These Spotty Otter kid’s waterproofs are good enough and more. Expect to see our toddlers out in them. A lot.