Trespass Kids Qikpac Jacket Review: a lightweight school raincoat that actually fits in the bag

I got this Trespass Kids Qikpac jacket in size 11–12 years for school runs and general UK-style drizzle, where it can go from blue sky to full shower in ten minutes. I wanted something my kid would actually carry, not just leave on a hook because it’s bulky and annoying. On paper it ticked the boxes: waterproof, breathable, packs into its own pouch, and light enough to live at the bottom of a school bag.

After a few weeks of use, including a couple of proper downpours on the way to school and one windy football training evening, I’ve got a pretty clear idea of what it does well and where it’s just “fine”. The short version: it keeps them dry, it’s genuinely light, and it packs small. But it’s a shell, not a warm coat, and the hood could be better in strong wind.

What stood out right away is how little it weighs. At around 200 g, it feels like a thin plastic mac at first touch, but in practice it’s sturdier than those cheap festival ponchos. My kid actually shoves it in their backpack without complaining, which is already a win compared to heavier coats that always “don’t fit”. The packaway pouch is small enough to share space with lunch, books and all the usual school junk.

It’s not perfect though. Breathability is okay but not magical, and if your child runs around a lot, they’ll still get a bit sweaty inside. Also, it’s really just for rain and wind: if it’s chilly, you absolutely need a hoodie or fleece underneath. Overall, it’s a pretty solid practical rain layer, not some miracle jacket, and that’s fine as long as you know what you’re buying.

In terms of value, I think this jacket sits in a sweet spot for a kids’ raincoat. It’s not the cheapest thing on the market, but compared to branded outdoor gear that can cost double, it feels like a sensible spend. You’re paying for proper waterproofing, a known brand, and a genuinely packable design that kids will actually carry around. Considering the Amazon rating (around 4.6/5 with a lot of reviews), my experience lines up with what most people seem to think: it’s a solid buy, not a rip-off.

Where it earns its price is in the practical details: zipped pockets (so keys and phones don’t fall out), a full storm flap, a hood that, while not perfect, is still better than the flimsy hoods on bargain-bin macs, and that small packed size. The fact that it doubles as a school jacket and a general travel/holiday rain layer adds value. You don’t need one coat for school and another for camping; this one covers a lot of situations as long as you manage the warmth with layers.

On the downside, it’s just a shell. You still need to buy or own decent mid-layers for colder weather. If you live somewhere with very harsh winters, this won’t replace a thick insulated coat, so you might feel like you’re buying an extra piece rather than a one-and-done solution. Also, if your child barely ever walks in the rain or you drive everywhere, it might be overkill compared to a cheaper basic mac.

Overall, I’d rate the value as good. You get a reliable waterproof, low weight, and a design that kids actually tolerate. There are cheaper options, but they usually either leak, feel horrible to wear, or fall apart faster. There are more technical, pricey jackets too, but for normal school and weekend use, I don’t see the point in spending much more unless your kid does serious hiking or outdoor sports.

The design is pretty straightforward: solid black, long sleeves, band-style collar when zipped up, and a grown-on (fixed) hood. No big logos screaming across the back, just a small Trespass logo. For school use, that’s actually a plus – it doesn’t clash with uniforms and doesn’t look out of place on trips or camps. It’s the kind of jacket that just blends in, which I prefer for kids’ everyday stuff.

The full-length front zip is smooth enough and hasn’t snagged so far. Behind it, you’ve got an internal storm flap running the full length, which is there to stop water sneaking in through the zip. In real rain, that detail matters. My kid came back after a heavy shower with the front of the jumper still dry, so it’s clearly doing its job. The flap is inside, so you don’t get that noisy, flappy outer strip some cheaper coats have.

The two zipped pockets are actually usable. They’re big enough for small hands, a phone, or keys, and the zips feel decent, not flimsy. For school that’s handy because anything not zipped tends to fall out when bags and coats get chucked around. The pockets are not fleece-lined, just the same thin fabric, so they’re not for warmth, just storage and keeping stuff dry.

My main gripe with the design is the hood. It does have some adjustment, but it’s not the deepest hood in the world. In normal rain, it’s fine, but in stronger wind it can get pushed back quite easily. We had one windy day on the pitch side-lines and I could see my kid constantly pulling the hood forward. A cap or beanie underneath helps, but if you’re somewhere very windy, this is a weak point. Apart from that, the design is very functional: lightweight, no unnecessary extras, and clearly built around the idea of being packable and simple rather than stylish or high-tech-looking.

Comfort-wise, you have to remember what this jacket is meant to be: a light rain shell, not a warm winter coat. On top of a hoodie or school jumper, my kid finds it comfortable enough. The fit is regular, so there’s enough room to move arms freely, and it doesn’t feel tight across the shoulders. The sleeves are long enough to cover the wrists, and the hem sits around the hips, so it covers the lower back even with a backpack on.

Where it’s less comfortable is directly on bare arms. The inner side is the same coated fabric, so if your child wears just a T-shirt underneath and starts running around, it can feel a bit sticky or clammy. That’s pretty standard for unlined waterproof shells. The ventilated back yoke does help a bit with airflow – you can see the flap on the upper back – but it doesn’t completely stop that humid feeling when they’re really active. So for sports days or heavy running, expect some sweat build-up.

Weight-wise, comfort is excellent. At around 200 g, you barely feel it on. My kid doesn’t complain about it being heavy or bulky, which is the main reason it actually gets put in the bag instead of being “forgotten”. The collar when zipped up is not scratchy, and it doesn’t dig into the chin. No weird seams rubbing either, at least not in our experience.

The weak comfort point is again the hood. It covers the head but doesn’t always stay put in wind, and because it’s thin, it doesn’t offer any warmth. It’s okay for keeping rain off, but if your child hates water on their face or ears, you’ll probably end up combining it with a hat. Overall, I’d say comfort is good for what it is: light, wearable over layers, totally fine for school runs and walks. Just don’t expect soft lining or that cosy feeling you get from a padded jacket.

The jacket is made from 100% polyamide with a PU (polyurethane) coating, which basically means a thin nylon-style outer with a waterproof layer bonded to it. When you first touch it, it feels a bit like those classic packable rain macs: smooth, slightly rustly, and very lightweight. If you’re expecting a soft fabric or anything stretchy, this is not it. There’s zero stretch and no lining – just the coated fabric.

In practice, the material holds up pretty well. My kid has worn it with a heavy school bag on top, squeezed it into lockers, and sat on wet benches. So far no tears, no peeling, and no obvious scuffs. It’s not indestructible, but for something that weighs about 200 g, it’s tougher than it looks. I’d still avoid letting them drag it on gravel or climb trees in it every day, but for normal school and weekend use it seems solid.

Water just beads and runs off the surface, which is what you want from this type of coating. After a proper shower, you can literally shake most of the water off. It also dries fast – I hung it up in the hallway and by the next morning it was completely dry, sometimes even quicker. That makes it practical for back-to-back wet days where you don’t want a soggy coat going back into the bag.

One thing to keep in mind: because there’s no lining, the inside is the same coated material, which can feel a bit clammy directly on bare skin. That’s normal for this kind of jacket but worth knowing if your kid likes wearing T-shirts only. Over a jumper it’s fine. Overall, the materials feel functional and correctly chosen for a packable rain jacket: light, waterproof, easy to clean in the washing machine, but not cosy or luxurious. It’s a shell layer, nothing more.

Durability was one of my main concerns because packable jackets can sometimes feel flimsy and tear easily. After several weeks of school runs, being shoved into bags, hung on crowded pegs, and worn to the park, the Trespass Qikpac is holding up well. No loose threads, no peeling of the PU coating, and the zips still run smoothly. For a 200 g jacket, that’s pretty reassuring.

My kid is not especially careful with clothes, so it has been sat on, dragged around a bit, and stuffed into its pouch without any neat folding. The fabric has a few light creases from being packed, but that’s it. No visible thinning at the shoulders where the backpack straps sit, and no wear at the cuffs yet. Obviously, this is not a heavy-duty hiking shell, so I wouldn’t use it for rock scrambling or anything rough like that, but for normal kid behaviour it seems tough enough.

Machine washing is straightforward. I’ve put it on a gentle cycle, low spin, and it came out fine. It dries quickly on a hanger and doesn’t seem to lose its water beading immediately. Long term, like any coated jacket, it may need a reproofing spray if the water stops beading, but that’s normal. So far, after a few washes, it still repels rain properly.

I’d say durability is good for the price bracket and weight. If your child is the type to drag their coat on concrete or climb barbed wire fences, you’ll kill any lightweight jacket, not just this one. But for everyday school, trips, and general outdoor play, it seems like it will last at least a couple of years or until they grow out of it. That’s acceptable return for what you pay.

Out of the package, the Trespass Qikpac looks very basic: a thin black rain shell, full front zip, two zipped pockets and a hood that’s attached (not removable). Mine arrived already stuffed in its little pouch, which is roughly the size of a big fist. No fancy extras, no inner lining, just a simple compact rain jacket. The product page talks a lot about waterproof, breathable and packable, and that’s pretty much the whole story.

The labeling is clear enough: 100% polyamide with PU coating, waterproof and windproof, machine washable. The tag says it’s a "compact pack away waterproof rain jacket" and that’s exactly how it behaves in real life. There’s a small loop so you can hang the pouch on a hook or clip it to a bag, which is handy for school. My kid either keeps it in the pouch or just stuffs the loose jacket into the school bag; both options work, and the fabric doesn’t seem to mind being crumpled.

In terms of sizing, I went for 11–12 years for a kid who’s about average height for that age. Fit is regular, not super slim, with enough room for a sweatshirt underneath. It doesn’t look like a bin bag, but it’s not some fitted fashion piece either. The product listing says true to size, and I’d agree. If you want to put a thick puffer under it, maybe size up, but for normal use with a hoodie or jumper, normal size is fine.

Overall, the first impression is: functional, no nonsense, school-friendly. Nothing about it screams premium, but nothing feels cheap either. You get a light shell that does what it says on the description: folds down small, zips up fully, has two usable pockets and a hood. If you expect lots of inner pockets, fleece lining or fancy branding, this isn’t that type of jacket. It’s more of a practical tool than a style piece.

On the waterproofing side, it does its job. We tested it in a couple of proper downpours, not just light drizzle. My kid came back with trousers wet but the top half – especially shoulders, chest and arms – stayed dry. The internal storm flap behind the main zip works well; I checked the jumper underneath and there were no damp patches along the zip line. The seams are well finished, and I haven’t seen any leaks at the shoulders or hood area so far.

For wind protection, it’s also decent. The material is basically windproof, so even on a breezy day it blocks the chill when worn over a jumper. It’s definitely not insulated, though. On cold, wet days you absolutely need a warm layer underneath. Think of this as the outer shell that keeps the rain and wind off, not something that replaces a proper winter coat. For autumn and spring, or cool summer rain, it’s spot on.

Breathability is where things are just “okay”. The jacket is marketed as breathable and has that ventilated back yoke, which does help a bit. For walking to school or light play, it’s fine – my kid doesn’t come back drenched in sweat. But during football or running around the playground for ages, you can feel some condensation inside. Not horrible, but if you’re expecting high-end hiking jacket performance, this isn’t at that level. It’s good enough for normal kid use, not a technical mountain shell, even though a reviewer did use it for trekking.

So in practice, effectiveness is solid: it keeps the rain out, blocks wind, and is breathable enough for everyday use. It’s not magic – kids who run hard will sweat in any waterproof shell – but compared to cheaper plastic macs, this is a clear step up. For the price and the weight, I’m satisfied with how it performs in actual British weather.