When you touch the garments, you can tell that its flexible fabric is of high quality and overall design is superbly technical. I tried the Benny jacket, pants and gloves on my toddler. I’m no expert, but looking at the set I was convinced that she would stay dry in the wettest of weather and windiest of days. Features abound: there are no drawstrings; the hood pops off; reflectant tape is on both the jacket and pants; and the fit is snug so it won’t get in an active child’s way. All the seams are heat sealed rather than coated to provide watertight seams. But a key distinction of Puddlegear is that it’s free of harmful chemicals. Alex’s goal was to keep her kids outside playing without being impeded by the elements – or toxins like PVC and phthalates usually found in similar raingear. The rainwear is certified by OKO-Tex, an ecological certification process that tests for over 100 harmful chemicals. With its inert Polyurethane, Puddlegear has no off-gassing and being PVC-free, the gear is more sustainable than comparable rainwear. And because of its quality, Puddlegear stands up to repeat wears by multiple children. “My kids have all worn the original suits we bought from Abeko nine years ago.” Alex says. “They continue to be worn by friends children.” But its environmental and technical benefits aside, Puddlegear is really about allowing kids to lose themselves in their imaginations while playing outside. Incidentally, my toddler did not want to take her Puddlegear off and refused to come inside. She’s not quite into that pretty-in-pink phase, but I’m sure that being dressed in pink from head to toe helped.

review provided by
Pink Puddles
on: Mar 14, 2010