Peré Children's Windblock Thermo Cycle Jacket

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.