Puddle season: the waterproofs we’d buy again

Six weeks, four families, one very wet park. Our honest verdicts.

15 October 20261 min read

In short

  • Elasticated cuffs beat poppers.
  • Boots with handles mean kids dress themselves.
  • “Shower resistant” isn’t puddle-proof.

We gave four families a box of rainwear and asked them to be unkind to it. Here’s what survived.

What we learned

Elasticated cuffs beat poppers every time. Boots with handles get put on by children themselves. Anything labelled “shower resistant” is a jacket for a car park, not a park.

Was this useful?

HO
Hana Osei

Hana edits our features and tests most of the kit that comes through the door, usually in a muddy park with her two kids.

Toddler · Little kids · Big kidsActivities

Half-term, planned on one sheet of paper

Five days, one loose plan, almost no spending. Stick it on the fridge and stop deciding things at 7am.

Hana Osei · 1 min read
Baby · ToddlerSleep

The clocks went back. Here’s how to fix bedtime in a week

A 15-minute shuffle each night beats a week of 5am wake-ups.

Priya Natarajan · 1 min read
Toddler · Little kidsFood

Fussy eating and the 15-tries rule, explained

Why the broccoli keeps coming back, and why you should let it sit there.

Dr Amira Hassan · 1 min read