Best kids’ winter cycling jackets 2025

Quick picks: for parents in a hurry

If you haven’t got time to scroll through the entire list, then these are our top three picks from the list of best kids' winter cycling jackets, covering a range of budgets.

• Best budget option: Btwin 100 kids waterproof jacket (£19.99) - Simple, affordable and bright
• Best mid-range option: Altura Spark kids cycling jacket (from £39.99) - Waterproof, breathable and highly reflective.
• Best premium option: Endura MT500JR kids' jacket (from £66.49) - Waterproof, windproof and breathable, best for year-round use.

Best kids’ winter cycling jackets: under £35

Here you’ll find our list of recommended budget-friendly winter cycling jackets for kids. At this price range they'll be simpler designs, and slightly cheaper materials, but they'll get the job done in most cases.

Best kids’ winter cycling jackets: £35 - £50

Below is our list of the best mid-range winter cycling jackets for kids, which will come with better winter protection than the budget options, but still won't quite break the bank.

Best kids’ winter cycling jackets: over £50

If you want the absolute best for your child and can afford to stretch to premium quality jackets, then these are the ones we'd recommend. They're made with the best quality materials and boast all the winter protection tech you could need.

How to choose from the best kids’ winter cycling jackets

While there aren't a huge amount of child-sized winter cycling jackets on the market, there are enough to leave you scratching your head when trying to figure out which is the best option.

With prices ranging from £20 to £90 as well, you may be asking yourself how much money you really should be spending, and whether you need all the high-price tech found in the premium options.

So building on from the tips listed above, here's a bit more detail about what you should be looking for, to help you decide what's right for your child.

Do they even need a winter cycling jacket?

If you've already forked out for a good quality winter jacket for them, it's understandable that you'd be hesitant to buy another one just for cycling. Unfortunately the answer to this question is: it depends.

It depends on your child's individual needs and preferences, how much cycling they're likely to do in the winter, what kind of cycling they're doing, and what their priorities are on the bike.

If your child is a reluctant rider, only goes out once in a blue moon to pedal around the park, and won't be enticed out in gloomy weather, then you can probably get away with not buying a separate cycling jacket.

However if your child is riding their bike regularly all year round, you probably should.

What's the difference between a regular winter jacket and a cycling one?

It's all in the fit.

When you ride a bike, your body is positioned in a particular way that leaves certain parts exposed to the elements. Your arms are stretched out in front of you, and you're leaning forward. Most well-fitting regular jackets, when put in this position, will come up short in the sleeves and back, exposing the wrists and bottom.

A cycling-specific winter jacket will often have longer sleeves and a dipped tail at the back to counter this, making sure your child has full coverage to keep them warm and dry.

Technical fabrics

Another difference is the materials used and the protective technology provided. When you walk, you'll feel the cold but you're not as exposed to windchill as you are when you cycle. On the bike, you're exercising but your upper body remains mostly stationary and moves quickly through the cold air. Cycling jackets will often be made from windproof materials to protect the chest from wind chill.

They will also often feature reflective elements to help with nighttime visibility, and on a cycling-specific jacket these will be placed in areas that are most likely to be seen by car drivers, such as the lower back and sleeves, for indicating.

Helmet-compatible hoods

Finally, if your child is cycling in the rain and wearing a helmet, then another benefit of getting a cycling-specific winter jacket is that it will likely feature an oversized hood, which will fit over the helmet and keep their head protected. Sure, they could tuck a regular hood under their helmet if need be, but it's not very comfortable, and could be troublesome if the hood is very thick and cushioned.

What kind of cycling do they do?

First things first before you start looking at lots of different jacket options, ask yourself what you're actually buying it for.

After all there are loads of different reasons a child might be on their bike in the winter. Are they cycling to school? Racing at the weekend? Heading to the local woods to practise their off-road handling skills?

All of these will need different qualities in a jacket.

Cycling to school

If they're doing the school run by bike, then you'll need something built to last through everyday use, which means unless you're really struggling financially, you should try to avoid the absolute cheapest options, because they will wear out after lots of extreme weather exposure.

What's more, they'll likely be cycling in all weather conditions and in the dark, so you'll want to opt for a jacket that's waterproof and breathable (so that they don't sweat underneath it), and that comes with some sort of reflective element to keep them visible on the street at night.

Other things that might prove to be useful are a hood that can cover a helmet, and pockets for giving them easy access to their bike lock keys.

Road cycling

If they're heading out for a road ride at the weekend, they'll likely be wearing Lycra cycling kit, and will need a winter jacket that won't weigh them down too much. For road cycling in winter, opt for the most lightweight jacket option you can find. They'll need a jacket that's fitted close to the body, that won't flap in the wind, and ideally come with some wind proofing to keep the chill at bay when going at speed.

Lots of pockets aren't essential, though a couple at the back, or access to the jersey pockets below, would be very helpful. They probably won't want a hood.

Unless they're out on very long all-day rides, it's unlikely they'll be cycling in the dark, so reflective elements aren't as crucial. However you might wish for them to have a Hi-Viz fluorescent colour as a way of staying visible to other road users.

Mountain biking

For weekend mountain bike rides during the winter, they'll need a jacket that provides ample movement and waterproofing. Unlike a road cycling jacket, winter MTB jackets should have a loose fit, and will usually be made from thicker, more hard-wearing materials. That's because they're often designed to resist abrasions from thorns and overgrowth.

Waterproof materials are more important for winter mountain biking, even if they're not actually riding in the rain, as trails can often be wet and muddy throughout the winter, and they'll still need some protection from splashing. If they are choosing to ride in the rain, then you'll want to opt for a jacket with a helmet-sized hood as well.

Measure them to get the right size

If you tried to buy yourself a jacket from several different retailers and brands, you'd likely find that your standard size comes up different each time, because really there isn't a 'standard size'. Unfortunately, while children's clothes are sized by age group, this is still often the case for them. Use the age group sizing as a guide, but measure them to be certain that you're buying the right size.

Each brand will have its own size chart, and you'll usually need to measure their chest, waist and hips, and sometimes you may also need to measure the length of their torso as well.

Bear in mind that during the winter they may need a few layers beneath their jacket to keep them warm, so you want to leave a bit of room for that. Generally it's helpful to go up one size, but you'll know for certain by using exact measurements. If they're coming up between two sizes, you'll probably want to choose the larger one, so that they have some room to grow as well.

Looks matter

As much as we want to focus on buying a functional, practical winter jacket, it's important to factor in style as well. Most parents understand the pain of running late and trying to wrestle clothing onto a screaming child who doesn't want to wear it. So to some degree, try to factor in their favourite colour, or make sure they actually like the look of the jacket before you invest in it.

Some brands will offer multiple colour options, while others will only have one. Many will offer fluorescent yellow only, because the main focus of the jacket is visibility during the daytime. Unfortunately there's not much that can be done to gain access to more colour options with some brands, so you'll need to find a happy balance between the style your child prefers, and functionality that satisfies you as a parent.