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Best school coats for kids in 2026 that are easy to clean, carry and will last
A good school coat will keep your child warm and dry on the school run and during playtime. Here, we researched the best ones around and what to look for when choosing a coat to last the school year.
By Gemma Wilcock | Last updated Aug 19, 2025
As the new school year approaches, you’re likely on the hunt for good quality school uniform that will last from term to term, not just the next few months. With the colder weather not too far away, you’ll need to consider what coat will keep your child dry, warm and comfortable throughout the year.
Picking a coat for school involves carefully weighing up cosiness vs bulkiness. The British weather is unpredictable and you’re inevitably going to end up carrying your child’s coat home on warmer days. So, you'll want a jacket that’s warm enough to keep your child toasty, but not so heavy they’ll struggle to fit it on their peg or in their locker. Ideally, it would also be waterproof, easy to wash and affordable, and not forgetting the style - particularly important for picky teens!
Whether your little one is heading into reception or your older child is starting secondary school, there’s a whole host of school-ready coats out there that cater for different styles, needs and budgets. We’ve scoured the Mumsnet forums where our users recommend the best brands and styles around. We cross checked these products with review sites and consumer reviews to draw up our list of recommendations.
Don’t forget to look out for school uniform sales to help you finish your back-to-school shop. Mumsnet users recommended the likes of M&S school uniform and John Lewis school uniform as some of the best options around. And if you’re still looking for the best school shoes for your child, schuh school shoes offer a range of brands and styles to help you find something for even the pickiest of dressers.
Here are the best school coats for kids for the school run and the playground.
Best school coats, at a glance
1. Best overall school coat: Mountain Warehouse Fell 3-in-1 Jacket, was £50, now £30
2. Best budget school coat: George Pink Shiny Padded Longline Coat, from £30
3. Best reversible coat for school: Frugi Reversible Toasty Trail Jacket, from £50
4. Best padded school coat: M&S Stormwear Padded Coat, £34
5. Best lightweight coat: TU Navy Blue Rubberised Mac Coat, from £24
6. Best puffa jacket for school: North Face Reversible Perrito Jacket, £100
Best overall school coat
Mountain Warehouse Fell 3-in-1 Jacket, was £50, now £30
Fleece can be removed for milder days
Outer raincoat offers a lightweight option
Unisex design in four colours
Water-resistant so it’s more ideal for light showers
Key specs
Price on writing: Was £50, now £30 | Size range: 2 to 13 years | Material: Polyester | Waterproof?: Water-resistant | Machine washable?: Yes
What Mumsnet users say
Could this coat be any more versatile? With a pack-away hood, a removable fleece layer and an outer water-resistant jacket, Mountain Warehouse’s Fell design gets a big thumbs up from Mumsnetters.
The outer layer serves as a thin raincoat for summer showers, the fleece as a cosy cover-up for autumn mornings and the two can be zipped together to combine their strengths in winter. The no-nonsense, unisex design comes in four colours. The only drawback of this jacket is the raincoat layer is water-resistant rather than waterproof, so it won’t keep your child 100% dry in a downpour.
Best Budget
Longer length for extra warmth
Padded with fleece lining for colder days
Stylish belt and faux fur detailing
Some users say it comes up small
Only shower resistant
Key specs
Price on writing: From £30 | Size range: 4 to 14 years | Material: PU padded | Waterproof?: Shower resistant | Machine washable?: Yes
What Mumsnet users say
If you’re looking for something that is both cosy and stylish, this coat from George at Asda will keep your child feeling warm and looking good throughout the school year. The coat’s longer length provides more coverage on cold winter mornings, with a soft, padded body for extra warmth.
The pink colour is a nice change from the more commonly worn darker colours, although this may make it more susceptible to stains. Thankfully, it’s machine washable so can easily be cleaned and it’s shower-resistant for providing light protection during wet weather. We love that the coat is finished with a belt around the waist and the hood comes with a faux fur trim detailing. Bear in mind that some users say it comes up small.
Related: Shop the best school uniform sales
Best reversible coat for school
Reversible coat with a choice of four fun patterns
Eco-friendly coat made from recycled plastics
Elasticated hood and cuffs to keep children dry and warm
Not fully waterproof
Key specs
Price on writing: from £50 to 59 | Size range: 1-10 years | Material: Polyester | Waterproof?: Shower-resistant | Machine washable?: Yes
What Mumsnet users say
This one is a great pick for younger children (if your child is just starting school, check out our top tips for starting preschool to help you get prepared). We love the fun design of the Frugi Reversible Toasty Trail Jacket - it’s reversible, with a colourful print on one side and a block colour on the other, so your child can choose which one they fancy wearing each day. There are four gorgeous prints to choose from, including colourful wild horses and acorns.
Made from 100% recycled plastic, the jackets are eco-friendly too. Two of the prints are part of Frugi’s Circular collection which means the jacket is fully recyclable so when it can’t be worn anymore, it can be passed on or patched up to help save the planet. Lightweight, shower-resistant and with a layer of padding for mid-insulation (so it may not provide quite enough warmth on really cold days), this is a fun, practical and planet-friendly coat that should get plenty of wear.
Best padded school coat
Soft and comfortable to wear
Padded and warm
Stylish design
Water-repellent rather than waterproof
Key specs
Price on writing: £34 | Size range: 6 to 16 years | Material: Polyamide, polyester | Waterproof?: Water-repellent | Machine washable?: Yes
What Mumsnet users say
Picking a coat that is warm and will fit in with the crowd can be tough, but reviewers of this padded coat from M&S say it pleases even the most discerning dresser. The short coat comes in neutral black with nice padding detail making it a simple, but stylish design. Its soft padding also makes it a comfortable wear too, with front side pockets for keeping hands warm.
The coat is made with a water-repellent material to keep your child dryer during lighter rain showers, so bear in mind it won’t give full protection when exposed to heavy downpours. Reviewers say it is a good fit and has a large ring puller for easily zipping the coat on and off making it suitable for younger girls too.
Best lightweight coat
Raincoat for wet days
Fleece lined for added warmth
Neutral design
Not fully waterproof
Key specs
Price on writing: £24-28 | Size range: 5-16 years | Material: Polyester | Waterproof?: Shower-resistant | Machine washable?: Yes
What Mumsnet users say
You can’t go wrong with a trusty lightweight mac for rainy walks to school and running around at playtime. This one from TU at Sainsbury’s can be worn on milder days when the temperature isn’t so chilly, but the rain clouds are gathering.
The rubberised shower-resistant material repels water to keep your child dryer during light or short rain spells and it has a fleece lining to make the coat more cosy and comfortable to wear. We like that it comes in a neutral blue colour with an easy zip fastening and elasticated cuffs to try and keep the rain out.
Best puffa jacket for school
Reversible
Made from responsibly sourced materials
Boys version also available
Pricey
Not fully waterproof
Key specs
Price on writing: £100 | Size range: XS-XL | Material: Polyester | Waterproof?: Water-repellent | Machine washable?: Yes
What Mumsnet users say
We love this responsibly-sourced number by The North Face. Designed to keep kids warm while hiking up a mountain, we think it does a pretty good job on the playground too. We’re assured by Mumsnetters that The North Face is a pretty cool brand, so this is a great choice for fashion-conscious teens and tweens.
The high-tech recycled polyester fabric provides warmth during colder weather and is coated with a water-repellant finish, plus the coat’s reversible for a subtly different look throughout the term. Part of The North Face’s Circular Design initiative, it has been designed to minimise waste and pollution. So once you're done with it, you can recycle it back to them! It’s pricey but it comes in four colours so your picky teen can find one to suit her style (there’s also a boys version of this coat available).
If you’re not feeling prepared for the new school term, check out our guide when do kids go back to school in the UK? In which we answer common questions about the school year.
Related: Best M&S school uniform
How to choose the best kids coat for school
Comfort
As your child will be wearing their school coat for days, weeks and even months on end (it is the UK after all!), comfort is key. Look for one that is comfortable and not too heavy or cumbersome to wear. While padding will keep them warm, you want one that is compact enough to be carried around or kept in a locker when not being worn.
Warmth
If you want the coat to last throughout the cold winter months, look for coats that are insulated to keep the warmth in. Most coats are padded out with polyester or down. Fleece lined coats can also make them more cosy to wear and some come with a removable fleece for milder days.
Material
To keep your child dry and warm, look for material that keeps the rain off their clothes. You’ll find a few main descriptions for this - waterproof, water-resistant or shower-proof. Waterproof coats will have been designed to completely keep water out, with fully taped seams and a fully waterproof outer fabric. Water-resistant coats (and similarly shower-proof) will have a water-repellent coating to help water fall off the jacket and is mostly suitable for light showers, but this could be enough protection for the school run and playtime.
Care
A coat that can be machine washed will be very handy if it comes home covered in mud!
Extras
If you have young children, look for coats with poppers or a zip with a big puller which will help make fastening the coat on their own easier. Also, check to see if it has side pockets and a hood for keeping their head and hands dry and warm in the rain and cold.
What’s the best style of coat for school?
We think that a 3-in-1 style coat, featuring a thin waterproof layer with a detachable fleece is practical and versatile. Mountain Warehouse’s version fits the bill. It’ll keep your child dry and can be adapted to be worn in the milder and colder months so they should get plenty of wear for the cost.
Should kids wear coats in car seats?
No - the latest safety advice says bulky winter coats should be removed before strapping a child into a car seat. The coat creates too big a gap between the child and the straps of the car seat, making the safety features less effective in the event of an accident.
What’s the best kids’ coat to buy?
The best kids’ coat is Mountain Warehouse’s 3-in-1 Fell jacket. We picked it because the raincoat with removable fleece lining strikes the perfect balance between versatility, lightness and warmth, so your child can adapt it to wear it all year round, not just in the winter months.
“I got my DS a fantastic waterproof 3 in 1 coat from Mountain warehouse for £35.”
3-in-1 Fell Jacket, was £50, now £30
Mountain Warehouse
mountainwarehouse.com
How we chose our recommendations
Tried and tested by our users
Because we know that there’s nothing like a real recommendation, we first headed to the Mumsnet forums to find out which school coats parents were recommending and had bought for their kids. We took special note of things like comfort, functionality and how waterproof it was.
Celebrated best products
We then did some research across the wider web, looking at which school coats had won accolades or been featured in ‘best buy’ lists across websites, and what customer reviews said about them.
Having collated all that information, we then thoroughly researched the products to narrow down our list so we could recommend coats that suited different styles and budgets.
Why you should trust us
We work hard to provide unbiased, independent advice you can trust. We do sometimes earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. This helps us fund more helpful articles like this one.
About the author
Gemma Wilcock is a freelance writer and copywriter. At Mumsnet, she creates content providing useful parenting advice, information and top products to make life easier – as a mother of two children herself, Gemma knows how important it is to get the right advice.
Gemma loves writing about subjects that will be helpful to the reader – and herself! - including recommending top products on Mumsnet that help parents in their day-to-day life, such as writing reviews for strollers, double buggies and cots. With two school age children, she knows the importance of online reviews and recommendations when it comes to making a purchase, so she always makes sure to thoroughly research every product so we are recommending the best ones on the market.
Read next: When do kids go back to school?