LAUSONS Kids Fleece Lined Raincoat Review: a practical school-and-play jacket that keeps kids dry without bulk

I’ve been using this LAUSONS fleece-lined raincoat in red camo for a 10–11 year old for a few weeks now, mainly for school runs and weekend walks. To be clear, I’m not the kind of parent who babies clothes – this coat has been stuffed in a backpack, dragged across wet benches, and worn in proper British drizzle. So this isn’t a showroom opinion, it’s after real-life kid treatment.

The first thing that stood out is that my kid actually wants to wear it. That sounds silly, but we’ve had good technical coats before that just stayed on the peg because they looked boring or felt too stiff. This one has the bright red camo, the green hood, and that little compass on the sleeve, which for a child is basically a toy attached to a coat. That means less arguing in the morning, which is worth a lot to me.

From a parent point of view, I was mainly looking for three things: it had to be properly water-resistant for walking to school, warm enough with just a jumper underneath in autumn, and not weigh a ton. So far, it ticks those boxes fairly well. It’s a lightweight, fleece-lined, waterproof shell, not a heavy winter parka, and that’s exactly what I wanted for the in-between seasons.

It’s not perfect – I’ve seen better hoods on more expensive brands, and I’m still a bit unsure how it would handle a full-on downpour for an hour. But for normal family use – school, park, light hiking – it’s holding up well, and the kid is happy with it. For the price range, my first impression is that it’s pretty solid and practical, not just good-looking in photos.

Looking at the price versus what you actually get, I’d say this LAUSONS raincoat offers good value for money. It’s not dirt cheap, but it sits comfortably below the big outdoor brands while still feeling more solid than supermarket basics. For that price, you get a proper fleece lining through the body and sleeves, a waterproof and windproof shell, and a design that kids actually like wearing.

Compared to some cheaper options we’ve tried, the main differences are: better lining, nicer outer fabric that doesn’t feel like a plastic bag, and more thoughtful details like reflective strips, decent zips, and a more secure hood. You could save a bit by buying a very basic rain mac, but then you’d need extra layers underneath, and your kid might not enjoy wearing it. On the flip side, compared to mid-range outdoor brands, you do notice that this isn’t as technical – the hood isn’t as refined, and the fabric probably won’t handle years of hard hiking – but you’re also paying a lot less.

For a child in the 10–11 age range, the reality is they’ll likely outgrow the coat in one or two seasons. In that context, this jacket hits a sensible middle ground:

• Comfortable and warm enough for daily use
• Waterproof and windproof for typical bad weather
• Fun design so it doesn’t just live on a coat hook

Overall, I don’t feel like I overpaid for what we got. The jacket does its job, my kid likes it, and I’m not stressed every time it gets dragged through mud. That’s about as good a value test as it gets for kids’ outerwear.

Design-wise, this coat is clearly made to catch a kid’s eye first and a parent’s eye second. The red camouflage pattern is loud enough that you can spot your child in a crowd or in the playground from a distance, which I actually like. The bright green hood also helps with visibility, especially on grey, rainy days. If you’re after something low-key and neutral, this isn’t it, but for school and play it works well.

Functionally, there are a few design choices that are genuinely useful. The reflective strips on the pockets are a good touch for walking near roads in the early evening. The adjustable cuffs with touch fasteners mean you can tighten the sleeves over gloves or keep them snug around the wrists to stop rain running in. The compass on the left arm is mostly a gimmick, but my kid loves it. It doesn’t turn this into a serious hiking jacket, but it does make the coat more fun, and that matters when you’re convincing a child to wear rain gear.

The hood design is decent but not perfect. It attaches more securely thanks to the Velcro into small neck pockets, which stops it flapping around too much. However, it doesn’t have a stiff brim or much structure, so in heavier rain or wind it can still slip a bit over the eyes or blow back if it’s not tightened. For normal drizzle and walking, it’s fine, but for very windy coastal days I’d pair it with a cap underneath.

Overall, the design feels thought-through for everyday use:

• Bright and visible for safety and style
• Enough pockets for small items
• Reflective details and compass for fun and function

Comfort-wise, this coat is one of the better ones we’ve had in this price range. The fleece lining makes a big difference: it feels cosy as soon as they put it on, so there’s no complaining about it being cold or stiff. Because the fleece goes all the way down the sleeves, my kid doesn’t moan about the sleeves being chilly or sticky like with some unlined rain jackets. For typical autumn and mild winter days, a long-sleeve top or light jumper underneath is enough.

The overall weight is light, so it doesn’t feel like they’re being weighed down, and it packs into a school bag without taking up the whole thing. The cut gives enough room to move – my kid can climb, run, and play football in it without feeling restricted. They’ve worn it for a full school day plus after-school club and didn’t ask to take it off the minute they got indoors, which is a good sign. Ventilation is decent for a fleece-lined jacket; it’s not super breathable like a technical shell, but they weren’t coming home drenched in sweat either.

The inside seams and labels aren’t scratchy. Sometimes cheap jackets have rough stitching around the neck or a stiff label that rubs; here it’s fairly smooth. The collar when zipped up sits nicely under the chin without digging in. The only minor comfort issue is the hood in stronger wind – because it doesn’t have a wired brim, it can slip forward a bit and annoy them, but tightening the Velcro helps.

On balance, I’d say this is a very wearable everyday coat. My kid reaches for it without prompting, which tells me more than any spec sheet. If your child hates stiff, plastic-feeling raincoats, this is a good middle ground: waterproof enough, but soft and cosy thanks to the fleece. Just keep in mind it’s better for cool to mildly cold weather; on warm rainy days it might feel a bit too warm for very active kids.

The jacket is 100% polyester, inside and out, which is standard for this kind of kids’ raincoat. The outer shell has that slightly smooth, water-repellent feel but doesn’t feel overly plastic or noisy when they move. Compared to some cheap rain jackets that crinkle like a crisp packet, this one is quieter and softer, which my kid immediately preferred. The fabric weight is on the lighter side – it’s not a heavy-duty winter shell, more like a mid-season waterproof with a warm lining.

The fleece lining is where this coat stands out a bit for the price. It runs through the body and down the sleeves, not just in the torso. That makes a difference on cold mornings because their arms stay just as warm as their core, and you don’t get that annoying cold-sleeve feeling when they first put it on. The fleece is soft to the touch, no scratchiness, and after a few machine washes it hasn’t gone rough or bobbly yet. I washed it at 30 degrees and hang-dried it as recommended, and the fabric held up fine.

The zips and Velcro feel okay – not bulletproof, but not flimsy either. The zipper pull is easy enough for a 10-year-old to handle on their own, which matters on school trips when you’re not there to help. The Velcro on the cuffs and hood is the softer kind, so it doesn’t catch on everything or scratch the skin. Stitching around the pockets and seams looks solid so far, no fraying or gaps appearing after a few weeks of everyday use.

In short, the materials are good enough for the price bracket. You can feel that it’s not a premium outdoor brand, but it doesn’t feel cheap in a worrying way either. For a kid’s jacket that’s going to be outgrown in a year or two, I think they’ve hit a decent balance between durability, comfort, and cost. If you want super tough, abrasion-resistant fabric for serious hiking, you’ll have to pay more elsewhere, but for school and weekend outdoor stuff, this holds up.

Durability is always a bit tricky to judge long-term, but after several weeks of regular use and a few washes, I’ve got a decent idea. This coat has been worn almost daily for school, plus a couple of muddy weekend walks. It’s been stuffed into a backpack, dragged on the floor, used as an impromptu picnic blanket on damp grass, and generally treated like kids treat clothes: not gently at all.

So far, the outer fabric shows no obvious scuffs or tears. The colour hasn’t faded, and the printed camo pattern still looks bright. The stitching around high-stress areas – cuffs, pockets, and the bottom hem – is holding up well. I checked the inside seams, and nothing is coming loose. The zips are still running smoothly, no missing teeth or sticking, which is more than I can say for some other budget coats we’ve had that started failing within a month.

After multiple machine washes at 30 degrees, the fleece lining is still soft. It hasn’t gone flat or scratchy, and there’s no shrinking or misshaping of the coat. I always hang it to dry as recommended, and it dries fairly quickly. The Velcro is still gripping properly and hasn’t filled up with fluff yet. The only minor sign of wear is a bit of light pilling on the fleece in the sleeve area, but you have to look closely to notice it, and it doesn’t affect comfort.

Realistically, this jacket feels like it will easily last a full season or two, which is usually as long as kids stay in one size anyway. I don’t see it being passed down through three siblings like a premium outdoor brand might be, but for the price and the way kids grow, that’s fine. In short: it’s tougher than it looks, and I’m not worried about it falling apart before my child outgrows it.

Out of the packaging, the coat looks exactly like the product photos: bright red camo pattern, neon-ish green inside the hood, and a simple fleece lining throughout. No fancy extras in the bag – just the jacket with tags. Honestly, that’s all I expected at this price. The stitching looked clean, no loose threads hanging off the cuffs or seams, which is already better than some budget kids’ coats I’ve ordered online.

The cut is what I’d call a standard kids’ jacket fit: not slim, not baggy, just enough room for a jumper underneath without looking like they’re wearing a bin bag. The size I got for a 10–11 year old matches their usual size in high-street brands. Sleeves reach the wrists properly, and the length covers down to the top of the thighs, so their lower back doesn’t get wet when they bend over or sit on a slightly damp bench.

On the outside, you’ve got two main hand pockets with zips and reflective strips, plus extra smaller pockets on the chest that are more for looks than actual storage. The zips feel decent – not luxury, but they haven’t snagged yet. The front has a full zip closure with a little chin guard at the top so it doesn’t scratch their neck, which is a small detail but useful. The hood attaches with Velcro tabs into little slots at the collar, which makes it sit more securely than a completely loose hood.

Overall, the presentation is straightforward: it looks like a proper kids’ outdoor jacket, not a flimsy fashion rain mac. Nothing fancy in terms of branding or packaging, but for me that’s fine. The important bit is that it comes out of the bag ready to use with no weird chemical smell, no creases that take days to drop out, and no immediate quality red flags. On that front, it does its job.

In terms of doing what it’s meant to do – keep a child warm and dry in typical bad weather – this jacket performs pretty well. We’ve had it out in several proper showers and a couple of windy, miserable afternoons. In light to moderate rain for 20–30 minutes, the water beads up and rolls off the outer fabric nicely. My kid came home dry underneath, including at the shoulders and seams, which is usually where cheaper coats sometimes let water sneak in.

In heavier, longer rain (think walking home in a steady downpour for around 40 minutes), it still held up reasonably. The outer fabric got darker and obviously wet, but the inside stayed dry. I didn’t see any soaking through on the shoulders or around the zips. I wouldn’t call it a hardcore hiking raincoat, but for school runs and general use, the waterproofing is more than enough. The windproof side is also decent – on cold, gusty days, with just a jumper underneath, my kid said they felt warm enough and didn’t complain about drafts coming through.

The coat also deals well with typical kid habits: sitting on damp grass, leaning on wet railings, messing about on playground equipment. The longer length helps keep their lower back and top of the legs covered, so even when they sit down on something slightly wet, it doesn’t instantly soak through to their clothes. The cuffs, when tightened, do a good job of stopping water running down the arms, especially if they’re wearing gloves underneath.

Overall, I’d rate the effectiveness as solid for everyday family use. It’s properly waterproof for normal conditions, warm enough for autumn and mild winter, and stands up to a fair amount of rough play. If you’re going camping in constant heavy rain or up a mountain in bad weather, I’d go for something more technical. But for 90% of what kids actually do – walk to school, play outside, go on school trips – this jacket does the job without fuss.