We purchased a Toddler Thermoball jacket by North Face this past fall for our 2 ½ year old daughter. Now that we’ve had it a few months, it’s time to let everyone know what we think.
This product is expensive. Ours wasn’t on sale, so full retail price was $119.99. I think this is a lot, especially for such little people who grow so fast that it isn’t likely to fit her next season; however, luckily for us, we have another little girl that will get some use out of it as well. Aside from the price though, I can’t think of any other negatives for this coat and really, considering all of the positives and the idea that you might be able to find one on sale if you buy at the end of season for the following year, the price tag truly can’t be considered a negative.
The biggest positive that this coat has going for it is that it is generally considered to be car seat safe meaning that there is a negligible difference noted in the car seat straps when you compare them with the child in the seat with the coat on versus with the coat off. See how to check the slack here (Car Seats for the Littles, 2016). It’s a thin little coat with BIG warmth and though they can no longer put temperature ratings on outerwear, we think our little has definitely been warm enough. That said, it wouldn’t be our choice for her if she was going sledding or playing in the snow, but for going from house to car to exit point, it is more than warm enough.
It came in several great colours and what’s more, they are reversible! Yep, that’s right, completely reversible with pockets on both sides of the coat. The outer fabric is super easy to clean as well, with minor spills simply wiping away with a damp cloth. We’ve also washed ours several times and it still looks completely new.
I’m usually a champion online shopper, but for this purchase, we went to find it in store. I’m glad we did too, because our kid is definitely not on the larger side, she’s about average for both height and weight, but we ended up going with the 4T over the 3T. There wasn’t a ton of difference in these two sizes, so we went one up in hopes that we might get at least next fall out of it, but also, I thought the 3T was a little short in the sleeves.
Other great news is that this jacket can be purchased for the entire family – it’s available in infant, toddler, child and adult sizes. I just can’t say enough about the infant/toddler versions though. When the thickness of the coat matters so much with regards to car seat safety, this is a great choice to keep your little one warm and safe!
References
Car Seats for the Littles. (2016). Hello winter goodbye coats. Retrieved from http://csftl.org/hello-winter-good- bye-coats/
Images: thenorthface.com
