The best places to shop for kids’ winter gear online

The best winter outerwear for kids

Columbia Sportswear makes outerwear designed for use in the Arctic, so even though your kids won’t be playing in such extreme conditions, you can rest assured that they’re well covered.

I’ve worn Columbia gear at frigid mountain altitudes above 15,500 feet, in driving snow storms, in icy downpours, and while kayaking across open water on subzero days. Long story short, Columbia’s outerwear performs perfectly in winter conditions that are anything but hospitable to human beings. So when the weather turns bitterly cold and the snowfall starts, it’s Columbia clothing I trust to keep my kids warm and comfortable while they enjoy the outdoors during the winter.

Columbia’s winter apparel is designed with two primary directives: to keep the wearer warm, and to keep him or her dry. The company accomplishes the former with various types of insulation, layering, and with proprietary technologies like the Omni-Heat lining, which features thousands of small metallic dots that bounce radiated body heat back at you. As for keeping things dry, the company uses fabrics that shed water and are breathable enough to release the excess heat and moisture that have built up within a garment.

Many garments are fully waterproof, feature multiple layers of insulation, and the pants have a reinforced knee and seat, adding strength to the fabric in spots where kids are prone to flop down. 

Pros: Winter apparel made to exacting standards, options for all ages of child, broad catalog of outerwear options

Cons: Many options run small

Worth a look:

• Infant Meet Cute Fleece Bunting
• Toddler Buga Set
• Lightning Lift Jacket

Shop all kids’ winter outerwear at Columbia

The best ski gear for kids

REI offers an expansive range of snow sport gear for kids, including snowboards and skis for downhill daredevils of all ages, sizes, and skill levels.

The earlier you get kids on a pair of skis or a snowboard, the more likely it is that they will develop a love for snow sports. Wait too long, and the self-preservation instinct that counsels a human against zipping downhill at breakneck speeds just might kick in. Kidding aside, most ski mountains permit kids ages three and older to hit the slopes with a guardian or an instructor, of course, and there’s no reason not to get your little guy or gal on skis or a snowboard at that young age. That is, as long as you equip your youngster with the best ski gear for kids.

REI offers all the basic kids’ ski and snowboarding hardware you’d expect, including skis and snowboards and boots, of course. 

But beyond the actual skis and snowboards, REI also offers all of the other gear required for safe, enjoyable downhill adventures, including poles, ski goggles, and the all-important helmets, a must-have for children who have an appetite for speed and little regard for safety.

Arguably just as excellent as the kids’ ski gear REI sells are the classes the co-op offers. They offer all sorts of opportunities for people of all ages to learn the basics of downhill skiing or boarding or for those who want to take their snow sport game to the next level.

REI also offers lots of helpful articles on its blog, such as a piece titled “How to Teach Kids to Ski,” so parents can help foster enjoyment of mountain sports without signing up for any classes.

Pros: Good variety skis, multiple options for safety gear, brand offers numerous how-to resources

Cons: Prices are often high

Worth a look:

• Columbia Kids’ Bugaboo II Snow Pants
• REI Co-op Kids’ Timber Mountain Insulated Jacket
• Smartwool Kids’ Merino 250 Base Layer Zip T-Top

Shop all kids snow sports gear at REI

The best stylish winter clothes for kids

Nordstrom offers all sorts of stylish yet warm apparel guaranteed to keep kids looking and feeling great all winter long.

From playful festive sweaters to stylish boots and fashionable faux fur-lined coats, if you want your kids to be dressed in seasonally appropriate style, Nordstrom is the place to shop.

This legacy retailer has earned its good name over the years by stocking high quality and stylish apparel, and their selection of items suited to a child’s winter wardrobe does not disappoint.

Nordstrom features dozens of types of winter coats for kids, including options from iconic brands like Burberry and trusted activewear companies like The North Face. The site offers warm clothes for babies, toddlers, and bigger kids alike. For those older kids, many Nordstrom’s apparel offerings are essentially the exact same garments as an adult would buy, albeit smaller. This allows for elegant dresses suitable for holiday gatherings or stylish winter jackets for that holiday card picture.

Pros: Multiple designer brands represented, high quality items, great customer service

Cons: Most apparel is quite pricey

Worth a look:

Shop all kids’ winter clothing at Nordstom

The best winter accessories for kids

If you can’t find your kid a good hat, scarf, or pair of gloves for sale from Amazon, then you have unrealistically high standards for what kids’ winter accessories should be.

For many types of purchase, I contend that it’s best to stick with dedicated experts. I trust Columbia Sportswear brand outerwear for my kids because I trust the gear myself. I know a dedicated outdoor company is going to have a better curated selection of skis and snowboards than a department store or big box retailer. And so forth.

But when it comes to those one-off purchases, I, like millions of other people, turn to Amazon. Why? Well, here are a few reasons. When you punch “kids winter hats” into the search bar, you get more than 40,000 results. “Kids winter gloves” brings in more than 10,000 hits. “Kids winter scarves” also gets 10,000 returns. And so on it goes.

Worried your kid’s boots might not be warm enough for harsh winter days? No problem there, either: “Kids winter socks” gets more than 20,000 hits on Amazon. And of course you can count on low pricing no matter what kids’ winter accessory you’re searching for on this juggernaut retailer’s site.

Can it be overwhelming? Yes, yes it can. But if you go in with an idea of which accessories your kid needs, you’re sure to find products that fit.

Pros: Vast selection of winter accessories, great pricing, fast and affordable shipping

Cons: Occasional quality issues

Worth a look:

• Sumolux Winter Kids Cat Beanie
• HZTG Winter Windproof Cap with Adjustable Face Cover

Shop all kids’ winter accessories on Amazon

The best sleds, saucers, tubes, and toboggans

If your kids can’t wait to head for the sledding hills after the first snow of the season, head to before the flakes fall because the company has a stellar selection of downhill snow toys.

Back in the day, if you wanted to enjoy some downhill snow play, you had basically two options: the age-old wooden toboggan, or, as of the late 1800s, a sled with metal runners, the famed being the prime example. Soon, the snow saucer joined the lineup, and kids had yet another way to zoom downhill, and now with the added joys of zero control over their trajectory. Inflatable snow tubes and plastic snow sleds joined the fun later, followed by foam sleds, steerable sleds, ever more advanced downhill winter conveyances.

If you want to get just about any and every type of sled ever made, head to . The company stocks everything from classic and simple sleds to inflatable tubes. 

The Home Depot offers pull sleds for toddlers not ready for downhill action as well as large and rugged plastic sleds suitable for use by multiple kids at the same time or by adults who know enjoying the snow isn’t relegated to childhood alone.

In short, if you can think of a type of sled you can’t get from , you probably missed your calling as a professional sled designer. As for pricing, is competitive with all other major retailers when it comes to the sled-buying marketplace. 

Pros: Great selection of classic and modern sleds, competitive pricing, fast and reliable shipping

Cons: Many styles often out of inventory

Worth a look:

• KL Outdoor Sport Sled 

Check out our other winter gear buying guides

 

• The best kids’ snow boots you can buy
• The best winter coats for kids
• The best places to buy winter hats for men, women, and children
• The best mittens you can buy
• The best snow pants you can buy for men, women, and kids