In her young life, our daughter has already had many winter adventures: Her first backcountry ski hut trip at 4 months old, winter hiking in Iceland at 6 months old, numerous ski touring days in our Thule Chariot, and weekly evening ice skating lessons near the Rocky Mountains.
People often ask us how we manage to keep our daughter happy and warm during all her cold winter activities. Our answer is always the same: It’s all about the snowsuit.
After trying several popular brands, we found the Reima Stavanger Snowsuit to be unmatched in warmth and protection. Trust me when I say this: you won’t find a warmer snowsuit on the market.
Summary: The Reima Stavanger Snowsuit ($195) is a protective fortress that will shield your child from harsh winter weather. Convenient features like silicone foot straps and a faux-fur hood enhance its weather resistance, and its use of recycled fibers and insulation make it an eco-friendly choice.
Read our full GearJunkie Kids’ Snow Gear guide.
- Outer59% recycled polyamide; 41% polyamide
- Lining52% polyester; 48% recycled polyester
- Insulation90% recycled polyester; 10% polyester
- Waterproof rating12,000mm
- Breathability rating7000g/m²
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Faux-fur hood lining protects face from wind -
Adjustable waist to minimize interior space -
Runs big so you’ll get multiple seasons of use -
Silicone leg loops keep pant legs pulled down
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Sizing runs big, so it can be tricky to determine the best size -
Expensive
Reima Stavanger Snowsuit Review
The Reima Stavanger Snowsuit has been our reliable winter gear for our daughter. Both my husband and I are passionate skiers, and we needed a snowsuit that could keep our daughter warm while stationary in a ski trailer for extended periods.
Near our home outside of Aspen, Colo., there was a particular ski tour with single-digit temperatures that left me unable to warm up, but our daughter was content in the trailer, listening to her favorite podcast (Story Pirates, in case you’re curious).
We spent a lot of time and effort looking for a kids’ snowsuit with technical features comparable to those in adult winter clothing.
Reima, a Finnish brand established in 1944 after World War II, prioritizes sustainability. Initially making women’s workwear from recycled army uniforms, the brand has been solely focused on kids’ outdoor gear since 2004. Their products have been tailored for kids under the age of 12.
Unlike other outdoor brands, Reima doesn’t constantly introduce new or redesigned products every year. Instead, they design something effective and stick with it. The Reima Stavanger, a classic piece from 2014, was named Best in Test in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark in 2020 by independent Swedish testing site Bäst-i-Test.
Testing Process
We acquired our first Stavanger for our daughter in 2020, and she wore various sizes and colors during her adventures.
She used a size 3T for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 winter seasons with weekly ski adventures at Aspen Snowmass, as well as multiple snowball fights and ski touring with us.
For the 2021-22 season, she wore a 4T size and continued with weekly half-day ski lessons, in addition to numerous days spent sledding and building snowmen in our yard.
For the past year and the current season, she has a 5T size that she used for a full year of forest school in the Colorado Rockies. Her program involved spending every day outside from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Thursday, enduring temperatures as low as 5 degrees and as high as 40 degrees.
Unmatched Durability
Children can be tough on outdoor gear, especially as we discovered when our daughter attended forest school for 26 hours each week regardless of the weather. After exposing other snow bibs to significant wear and tear, the Stavanger endured the rest of the school year without any issues.
Unlike many other winter apparel that uses polyester for the outer material, Reima’s snowsuit uses polyamide, a stronger fabric with better abrasion resistance. In the three Stavangers we’ve owned, we have never torn the fabric, even after prolonged use in harsh conditions.
Reima tested the Stavanger’s abrasion resistance using the Martindale Test, and it scored an impressive 80,000, far surpassing typical commercial furniture requirements of 30,000.
Unrivaled Warmth and Waterproofing
The Stavanger is not only durable but also incredibly warm, equipped with recycled synthetic insulation and high weatherproof ratings often seen in adult apparel. This snowsuit is temperature rated down to -5 degrees F, providing exceptional warmth even while sedentary.
An adjustable waistband, silicone leg loops, and a detachable faux-fur hood add to the snowsuit’s functionality, ensuring additional warmth and protecting from harsh weather conditions.
