Mountain Warehouse Kids Ski Jacket & Trousers Set Review: budget-friendly gear that actually keeps them warm

I got this Mountain Warehouse kids ski jacket and trousers set in bright blue for my kid (roughly the 13 years size range) for a ski trip and a couple of very cold, wet weekends at home. I wasn’t looking for something fancy, just something that would keep them warm, dry, and not fall apart after one week. On paper, it’s snowproof, fleece-lined, has a snowskirt and lots of pockets. The price is lower than a lot of big ski brands, so I was half-expecting it to feel cheap.

In practice, it’s actually a pretty solid set. My kid used it for several full days outside: ski lessons, messing around in the snow, and the usual falling over every five minutes. Temperatures were around -5°C to -8°C with wind, plus a couple of days of wet, heavy snow closer to 0°C. So it got a proper test, not just a quick walk to school.

The first thing that stood out is that it really is warm and comfortable enough for a full day. No complaints about being cold, which is rare. It’s also easy to get on and off, which matters when you’re trying to gear up a kid who just wants to go play. The bright blue colour is also very visible, so it’s easy to spot them on the slope or in a busy ski school group.

It’s not perfect though. The trousers are a bit on the large side compared to the jacket, and the overall feel is more “practical and tough” than soft or premium. But for the price and what it’s meant for, it gets the job done well. If you want something that can survive a few winters and doesn’t cost as much as adult gear, this set is worth a look.

On value, I think this is where the Mountain Warehouse set makes the most sense. You’re getting a full ski outfit (jacket + trousers) with proper features: snowskirt, fleece lining, lift pass pocket, snowproof fabric, and decent build quality. If you compare the price to big ski brands that sell the jacket and trousers separately, you’re usually paying a lot less for this set.

Is it as nice as premium ski wear? No. The materials are more basic, there’s no fancy stretch fabric or super-breathable membrane, and the feel is more functional than high-end. But for kids who are going to outgrow it in a year or two, it feels like a good trade-off. You get something that actually keeps them warm and dry without dropping a huge amount of money on gear they’ll wear for one holiday.

Given the Amazon rating (around 4.5/5 from a lot of buyers) and my own experience, I’d say the price-to-performance ratio is pretty solid. You’re not paying for a logo, you’re paying for something that works and can take a beating. If you only need it for one short ski trip and a bit of winter use, it still makes sense; if you plan to hand it down to another kid, even better.

If your budget is tight and you want basic gear that gets the job done without obvious flaws, this is a good option. If you’re looking for top-tier tech and ultra-light performance, you’ll need to spend more elsewhere. For most families, this hits a nice middle ground between cost and reliability.

Design-wise, this set goes for practical and bright rather than stylish or trendy. The bright blue colour is the main thing: it’s easy to spot on the slopes and in crowds, which I actually like a lot as a parent. It’s a solid colour, no wild patterns, so it’s easy to match with helmets, gloves, and boots you might already have. It looks like classic ski gear, nothing more, nothing less.

The layout of the pockets is well thought-out for kids. You get zipped side pockets on the jacket that are big enough for gloves, a snack bar, or a small phone if your kid carries one. The lift pass pocket on the sleeve is genuinely handy; you just tap the arm on the gate and don’t have to dig through layers. Zips are chunky enough for kids to use themselves without constant help, which is a small detail but makes a difference when you’re at the lift and in a rush.

The snowskirt is integrated inside the jacket and does what it’s supposed to do: keeps snow from going up the back when they wipe out. There are no weird decorative bits that can snag or break, which I appreciate. The trousers come up fairly high on the waist with straps, so even if the jacket rides up a bit, there’s still coverage. That’s handy for kids who spend more time sitting or crawling in the snow than actually skiing nicely.

If you’re after something super stylish, this isn’t that. It’s more of a straightforward, functional design. But for real use – ski lessons, sledging, snowball fights – that’s exactly what you need. I’d call the design sensible and kid-proof rather than impressive, which for this type of product is a good thing.

On comfort, this set does what it’s supposed to do: keeps the kid warm without turning them into a stiff robot. My kid could move fine in it – bending, sitting in the snow, climbing small hills, all normal. It’s not ultra-light, but for a ski jacket and trousers with proper insulation, the weight is reasonable. They didn’t complain about feeling weighed down or restricted.

The fleece lining in the jacket makes a clear difference when they first put it on. It doesn’t feel cold against the skin like some cheap shells do. We usually used a thermal top and a light mid-layer underneath, and that combo was enough even on the colder days. No need for five layers, which is good because kids hate that. The collar comes up high enough to protect the neck, and with a buff or scarf, it seals nicely without feeling choking.

The trousers are less cosy to the touch, more like typical ski pants, but still fine. With thermal leggings underneath, my kid didn’t mention any discomfort or rubbing. The waist and straps are adjustable, so you can tweak the fit a bit. At first wear, we had to adjust them a couple of times to stop the trousers from sagging, but once we found the right setting, they stayed in place.

The only downside in comfort is that the fabric isn’t particularly soft or quiet – it has that standard slightly stiff ski gear feel. If you’re used to high-end stretchy ski wear, this will feel a bit basic. But the kid didn’t care at all, which is what matters. From their point of view: warm, not itchy, easy to move in, and not a struggle to get on and off. That’s a win in my book.

The whole set is 100% polyester, inside and out. No stretch panels, no fancy mixed fabrics. The outside has a Durable Water Repellent (DWR) treatment, which makes it snowproof and reasonably water-resistant. In practice, in proper snow and light wet conditions, it holds up fine. My kid spent hours sitting and rolling in snow and didn’t come back soaked, just a bit damp around the edges after a full day, which is normal at this price level.

The fabric has a ripstop texture, meaning if they snag it on a branch, a ski edge, or a rough lift chair, the tear is less likely to spread. That’s useful with kids who don’t exactly baby their clothes. After several uses, including a couple of hard tumbles and sliding over icy patches, I didn’t notice any obvious damage, which is reassuring.

Inside, the fleece lining is in the right places: torso, back, and some parts of the arms. It’s not insanely thick, but it’s enough to feel instantly warm when they put it on. The trousers are more basic inside – no thick fleece everywhere, more of a standard ski pant lining – but combined with a thermal base layer, my kid never complained about cold legs, even at around -10°C with wind.

One thing to note: because it’s polyester with a DWR coating, you need to follow the care instructions if you want to keep the water resistance. That means 30°C gentle wash, no softener, low tumble dry, and occasionally re-proof with a spray or wash-in product. If you’re lazy about that, the water resistance will probably drop over time. But for the first season at least, the materials feel solid and well-suited for kids who are rough on their gear.

Durability is always a big question with kids’ ski gear because they tend to drag, fall, and scrape on everything. So far, this set has handled that pretty well. We’ve had repeated use over a trip and several local snow days, and I don’t see any serious signs of wear. The ripstop fabric seems to do its job: no spreading tears, no obvious scuffs on the knees or bum despite lots of sliding.

The zips are often a weak point on cheaper gear, but here they feel decent. My kid has a habit of yanking zips and not being gentle, and we haven’t had any stuck or broken zippers yet. The stitching around the pockets and snowskirt also looks tight and hasn’t come loose, which is good because those areas usually go first when kids are constantly pulling and stuffing things into pockets.

The one thing to keep an eye on is maintenance. Because it’s polyester with a water-repellent coating, you do need to wash it properly and occasionally re-proof it to keep it performing well. The label is clear: 30°C wash, no softener, low heat tumble dry, and re-proof every so often. If you follow that, I don’t see why this wouldn’t last for at least a couple of seasons for one kid, and probably be fine to pass down to a younger sibling.

It doesn’t feel indestructible, but for a kids’ set at this price, the durability seems better than average. I’d be comfortable planning to use it for multiple winters, especially since kids outgrow sizes faster than they usually manage to fully destroy this kind of gear.

Performance-wise, this is where the set proves its value. Over several days on the slopes and in the snow, the snowproofing and warmth were good. My kid spent a lot of time either on the ground or riding lifts in the wind, and there were no complaints about being cold or soaked. Even after long sessions in wet, slightly melting snow, the inside stayed dry enough that we didn’t have to panic-dry everything overnight.

The snowskirt in the jacket and the higher-waisted trousers work together well. When they fell or sat in deep snow, we didn’t get that classic “snow down the back” drama. Also, the cuffs and hems kept snow out of the boots reasonably well, though as always with kids, if they really dig their legs into deep snow, some will eventually get in – that’s more about boots and how tight everything is done up.

In terms of wind, the jacket blocked it well enough. We had a couple of pretty windy chairlift rides, and while you could feel the cold on exposed parts like the face, the body stayed fine. The DWR coating handled normal snowfall and light, wet snow without any obvious soaking. I wouldn’t expect it to behave like a top-end waterproof shell in heavy rain, but for skiing and general snow play, it performs as advertised.

After multiple days of use, zips still ran smoothly, seams looked good, and there were no popped stitches. The fabric on the knees and seat didn’t show early wear, even with all the sliding and kneeling. So, in real life use, I’d say the performance is solid: not mind-blowing, but reliably good, especially considering the price bracket this sits in.

This is a full two-piece ski set: one jacket and one pair of trousers (salopettes). No fancy extras in the box, just the outfit. The jacket has a full front zip, a snowskirt inside, zipped hand pockets, and a dedicated lift pass pocket on the sleeve. The trousers are classic ski pants with adjustable straps and reinforced fabric that feels like it can handle a lot of falling and sliding.

The size I went for is in the 13 years range, and it lines up with the general feedback: true to size for the jacket, trousers slightly on the generous side. This matches what some other buyers said too – a few noted they had to roll up the trousers. If you usually size up to make it last longer, you might end up with pants that are quite long at first, but that’s common for kids’ ski gear anyway.

Out of the bag, it doesn’t feel luxury, but it does feel practical and tough. The zips don’t snag, the snowskirt buttons properly, and the pockets are easy to use with gloves on. The jacket is fleece-lined in the important areas, and you can feel that when you put your hand inside: it’s soft and warm where it needs to be, more basic in less critical zones to keep it lightweight.

Overall, the presentation is straightforward: functional gear with all the standard ski features. No fancy branding, no over-the-top design touches, just something that looks ready to be used and thrown in the wash after a muddy or slushy day. If you like simple, no-nonsense kids’ gear, this fits that profile pretty well.