With ski season on the horizon, now’s the perfect time to upgrade your mini mountaineers’ wardrobes. Whether they’re scaling the slopes of St. Moritz or battling bitter weather closer to home, our high-performance snowwear comes with the credentials to conquer the cold in style.
Starting with the base layers, we look at the high-tech features of some of our newest, and coolest, skiwear. Plus, snow-clothing experts Molo and Deux par Deux are on hand with an insight into the technology working hard to keep your intrepid explorers warm, dry and visible in arctic weather conditions.
1. Buildable Base Layers
There’s nothing more exhilarating than waking up mountainside to a blanket of freshly fallen snow. Before they grab their skis and head out for a day’s adventuring, it’s important to layer up with a quality base. Thermal clothing works by trapping pockets of air close to the skin, helping to conserve body heat whilst cleverly wicking away moisture at the same time.
Merino wool is a fantastic natural insulator, locking in warmth between its lofty, crinkled yarns. It’s also super soft and stretchy, which is essential for kids on the go. We love Smalls Merino’s collection of joggers, vests and snoods for tucking underneath their jackets and salopettes.
2. Functional Fabrics
For excursions across snowy terrain, you’ll want to ensure that their clothing is going to keep them dry. That’s where outerwear expert Molo comes in. “When buying skiwear, it’s important to look into the technicalities of the design,” says Molo’s director of product, Rikke Bundgaard Jepsen. “Our skiwear offers all the necessary technical features a child may require. Durable shell fabric, taped seams, protected zippers, and a water- and dirt-repellent coating all measure up to the strictest demands in the great outdoors.”
The first thing to look out for is a water-resistance grade. Column ratings are measured in millimetres and demonstrate how high water needs to be before it begins to leak through the fabric. “Our ski jackets are integrated with HeiQ Eco Dry technology that can withstand a water column level of 20,000 mm,” Rikke explains.
3. Insulating Padding
When it comes to staying warm in the snow, what goes on inside your child’s skiwear is just as important as the outside. Down is one of nature’s best insulators, and whilst superior in dry conditions, it doesn’t fare well in wet weather. Mountaineering-apparel designer Moncler Enfant has thought of everything with its Grenoble collection, which includes kids’ skiwear padded with PrimaLoft® Active technology — a smart synthetic material that offers all the insulating properties of down but with the added benefit of water resistance.
4. Design Details
Deux par Deux’s brand owner Zacharie Elmaleh notes that the most important features of a functional snowsuit are “warmth of insulation, waterproofness of the fabric, and features that grow with your child.” Be sure to look out for Deux par Deux’s Grow-with-Me system, which allows jacket sleeves and trouser legs to extend and grow with your child.
Moncler Enfant’s Moriond and Corserey ski jackets also come with RECCO® reflector technology. This clever tracking system works by using radar signals which, when picked up by a detector, can pinpoint the exact location of your child — offering added peace of mind whilst skiing off-piste.
