Who: Volcom Outerwear
What: An outerwear brand known for pushing the limits with bold prints, loud colors, and no intention of following the rules. Volcom embodies the marriage of creativity, fashion and functionality. Every piece in their snow line is a stylish look overlaid with pure athletic performance.
Features Worth Talking About: With athletic performance at their core, Volcom’s outerwear is crammed full of features to keep kids riding no matter what the conditions. Each of their jackets and pants come with their patented zip-tech jacket-to-pant interface that allows you to zip the powder skirt of any Volcom Jacket to any Volcom Pant eliminating the possibility of snow down the pants. In addition to keeping everything tight and locked together, this feature goes a long way toward keeping you warm and dry. The majority of the line also features Grow-Tech functionality which allows you to add additional length (1-2 inches) in both the jackets and pants making your Volcom outerwear grow with your child. Volcom’s Critical Taped Seams prevent water from penetrating through the seams, even in the wettest conditions. The Volcom Trace Insulated Jacket comes with Volcom’s Face-Tech, an integrated face mask that can easily be pulled overhead without unzipping the jacket. The fleece and mesh mask clips onto the hood of the jacket and offers protection and breathability, detach the mask and wash separately when needed.
How Much: Volcom’s outerwear jackets range from $120 to $200 this season, offering options for kids who need the most technical outerwear as well as kids looking for an affordable jacket without all of the bells and whistles. The Volcom Arrow Puff Jacket comes in as Volcom’s top of the line jacket this season. this baby is packed full of Volcom’s best features; 220 fill power down, 2-layer waterproof shell, breathable lining system, critically taped seams, adjustable powder skirt, zip-tech jacket-to-pant interface, and their youth safe cinch hood system. Volcom’s Merit Insulated Jacket sits in the middle of the pack at $160 with all the same features as the Arrow Puff minus the added warmth of down (120g Polyfill synthetic instead) this is a great jacket for kids who needs to stay dry and warm but don’t need the extra insulation of a down jacket. The Volcom Bandit Insulated Jacket is the lightest option of Volcom jackets this season but this piece still offers some key features; adjustable hood, adjustable drawcord hem & powder skirt, and zip-tech jacket-to-pant interface. The Bandit Insulated Jacket has 40g of Polyfill synthetic insulation offering a barrier from wind and snow but if you are going to be in a really cold climate, this one won’t provide the same amount of warmth as other jackets in the line.
Volcom outerwear pants are available in three styles this season and range in price from $110 to $140 with the patented zip-tech jacket-to-pant interface in all styles. The Outpost Insulated Pant is the top of the line at $140. This pant has a modern, straight fit with 60gm of low-loft insulation, 2-layer waterproof shell and a breathable lining system, critical taped seams, grow-tech (hopefully allowing two years of wear), fleece lined seat and knees, zipper vents, and a boot gaitor with lace hook. The Hunter Insulated Pant offers the same insulation and features as the Outpost without the fleece lined seat and knees. Volcom’s Recruit Insulated Pant is the least expensive of the three at $110 with the same 60gm low-loft insulation but without the fleece lined seat and knees or grow-tech features.
Shopping Tips: Unfortunately, Volcom doesn’t yet offer outerwear for toddlers or little boys, so be sure you are shopping for a boy sized 7-14. Volcom outerwear runs true to size but with a slightly slim cut, keep this in mind when you are selecting sizes. The Zip-Tech feature is unique to Volcom, if you are looking to take advantage of this feature be sure to purchase both a Volcom jacket and pant.
