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review

Peré Children's Windblock Thermo Cycle Jacket

8
£65.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Good quality kids' softshell for committed young riders
Weight: 
262g
Contact: 
www.pereperformance.com

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With competitive cycling on the up in the UK at the moment it's not surprising that there are more kids being introduced to it as well. Peré as a brand concentrate on performance wear for children – for cycling, running and triathlon – and this is their children's windblock jacket. And it's very good.

Made from a roubaix-lined softshell material, the jacket is very nicely put together. The arms are nice and long, with storm cuffs to keep the chills out, and the bottom hem has an elasticated silicone gripper to stop the jacket riding up. There's a full-length zip to the front, and you're spoilt for pockets with three at the rear (a big one and two narrow ones) and two zippered ones in the front too. The green fabric will get you noticed in the day and there's printed reflectives on the rear too if you're out after dark.

I've got the 5-6-year-old size which is the smallest; 7-8 years, 9-10 years and 11-12 years are also available. It's a snug fit on Joel, who's big for a 6-year-old, so sizing is pretty good although kids vary enormously in height and build so a diminutive 5-year-old might get a bit lost in it. He found it very comfy to wear with the fleecy inside finish, and it kept him nice and warm on rides. It's not waterproof as such but it'll easily keep out drizzle and light rain for an hour or so. Peré also do a rain jacket if you're competitive enough to boot your kids out in bad weather for longer than that. If you get it covered in road muck you can bung it in the washing machine on a 30° cycle, so it's fairly easy to take care of.

All in all it's a very nicely put together top for kids who are looking to do a lot of cycling. It's a versatile jacket that should get a fair bit of use from Autumn to Spring; you can wear it on its own or layer up underneath. At £65 you'll only really be considering it if your offspring are properly committed; at the same kind of price as a budget adult softshell it's a fair investment although it's certainly not cheap. It's fair to say that you can get a kids' soft shell for a lot less, although cycling-specific ones are fairly thin on the ground, and you can pay more too. Given how quickly kids grow, you might want to buy on the large size. Tell them they'll grow into it. They love that.

Verdict

Good quality kids' softshell for committed young riders.

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Pere Childrens Windblock Thermo Cycle Jacket

Size tested: 5-6yr old, Green

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Durable winter windblock thermo softshell jacket.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Product Description

Durable winter windblock thermo softshell cycle jacket.

Ergo fit for comfort in riding position

High cut collar .

Lock down zip pullers

Inner storm cuff

Gripper elastic on Hem

Reinforced deep back pockets

Highly reflective prints

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10

Very nicely made from good fabric.

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

Really comfy and warm, good fit on the bike.

Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10

Material has resisted scuffs, easy to wash.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
9/10

Fleece lining means it can be next to skin or with other layers.

Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

Not cheap, but well made and should last.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Very well.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Fit, comfort, quality of construction.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

On the pricey side.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Yes, if my kids wanted to pursue cycling.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 40  Height: 190cm  Weight: 102kg

I usually ride: whatever I'm testing...  My best bike is: Genesis Equilibrium 853

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track

 

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

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