THE great British weather means that a downpour is never too far away, and it can be a faff layering up to stay warm and dry when the conditions turn for the worse.
So we've done a dryrobe review to see if the cold weather gear can help us beat the cold and keep at our favourite outdoor activities.
Pros:
- Comfortable
- Super warm
- Shields wind and rain
- Zipped pockets
- Lightweight
Cons:
- Pricey
- Large armholes
Rating: 5/5
- dryrobe Advance Long Sleeve, £165 - buy here
If, like us, you like to stay active throughout the winter, you know how disruptive bad weather can be.
If you're on the fence about going for a Park Run or playing five-a-side with your friends, the freezing conditions can be the difference in whether you turn up or not.
dryrobe looks to end that by helping you stay warm and dry right up until you begin and as soon as you finish.
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What is dryrobe?
The dryrobe is essentially a long, waterproof coat with a cosy interior that's easy to throw on and take off quickly as you need it.
That means that instead of layering up with different coats, trousers and hats to keep you warm, you can just throw the dryrobe over the top of what you're wearing.
We found it to be really convenient; you don't want to be messing around with multiple layers if you're a rolling sub when you're playing football or rugby.
And it made it super-easy to warm up after a cold Park Run versus bringing multiple items of clothing along for the trip home.
We even found ourselves wearing the dryrobe on the way to the gym on cold mornings instead of wearing longer layers. It helped us cut down on changing time and left us to get on with our workout.
The added bonus is that, because of the all-covering nature of the dryrobe, no matter how wet and windy it was, we were warmer and dryer than if we'd brought a coat and an umbrella with us; it left no part of us exposed (and didn't turn itself inside out on a windy day...).
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How did we test the dryrobe?
- dryrobe Advance Long Sleeve, £165 - buy here
Both our testers wore the Advance Long Sleeve model to a variety of sporting activities (and occasionally out and about when the weather turned!).
Those events included standing on the side of freezing football and rugby pitches in winter (including a couple of torrential downpours), heading to and from sporting activities and on the bank of a lake after an open water swim or two.
How did the dryrobe perform?
The dryrobe passed our tests with flying colours; it was waterproof and warm in even the most miserable of conditions.
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We wore the coat to a match while there were light showers and it kept us dry, and the rain didn't even penetrate the outer layer.
It was a massive improvement on wearing a normal puffer jacket, which often gets soaked by rain.
The interior is made of a thick synthetic lambswool lining and it does an excellent job of providing immediate warmth. and even when the weather was below five degrees Celsius, it blocked out the wind and felt like a cosy hug.
One thing that's worth noting is that, because the lining of the dryrobe is synthetic, it doesn't absorb much moisture, so it won't function as a towelling robe if you're looking to get dry. dryrobe does sell a towelling robe as well, though.
How does the dryrobe fit?
Words by Natalie Chui
- dryrobe Advance Long Sleeve, £165 - buy here
I’m 5’1 and as a petite person, I struggle with finding the right length for my frame.
In terms of length, the dryrobe (size small) comes down to the middle of my calves.
I enjoyed the long length as it meant that it kept my knees warm and the side slits made it easy to walk in. It looks oversized on me, but I didn’t mind the style as it’s meant to look this way.
I also like that there are two zips, which allow you to create a wider opening to walk easier. The only downside of the length was that it was hard to zip up fully as I had to bend down.
The hood is much bigger than my head and droops slightly when propped up, but I prefer a larger hood as it’s more comfortable to wear and shields more rain.
The sleeves are also a little long but I adjusted the cuffs so that it could sit exactly on my wrist. Doing this does create a ‘balloon’ style sleeve, especially as the arm holes are so big and that’s probably the only thing I dislike about the fit.
dryrobe review: the verdict
In our testing, we struggled to find much to fault with the dryrobe. It did exactly what we wanted it to, i.e. keeping us warm and dry with minimal fuss.
It made being outside in grim conditions far more bearable than wearing almost anything else (dare we say we felt a little smug as others shivered in the rain while we were wrapped up, warm and dry...?).
It also was designed with plenty of practical features and we appreciated the zipped pockets, which allowed us to carry our belongings safely without worrying about them falling out on public transport.
The fleece-lined pockets were also a nice touch and kept our hands toasty in the cold.
While we tested it in fairly urban activities, we can imagine so many other applications for it: we can't think of any outdoor water sports where we wouldn't appreciate having a dryrobe waiting for us on the shore when we finished.
The fact that dryrobe is a certified B-Corp is the cherry on the cake of a high-performing product.
The downsides for us were the price and the fact that they're quite bulky to transport if you're not wearing them.
Throughout their lifetime, the price should be less of an issue as dryrobes are built to last, so you shouldn't have to buy a replacement for a long while.
And you can make dryrobes easier to transport with a compression travel bag.
The compression bags cost an additional £35, which is quite a high cost to stomach.
If you can afford a dryrobe, we say go for it; you won't regret it!
Are dryrobes good value for money?
- dryrobe Advance Long Sleeve, £165 - buy here
There's no doubt about it, dryrobes are expensive.
There are plenty of dryrobe alternatives that you can buy at a cheaper price than the official product. However, dryrobe does a number of things that you probably won't find in cheaper alternatives.
For one, dryrobe is a certified B-Corp, which means the company meets 'high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.'
In practice, this means dryrobes are made from a large amount of recycled materials to reduce their environmental impact. They're also built to last, so you're less likely to need to buy a replacement, lessening the amount sent to landfill.
And they're delivered in plastic-free packaging, to help reduce waste.
dryrobe is a carbon-neutral company and offsets its carbon emissions with activities such as reforestation projects.
Because of this, we think dryrobes are good value for money, as we love their performance as well as their company ethos.
How much do dryrobes cost?
There are a few different types of dryrobe available, so we've listed the prices of some of the most popular models below.
We tested the Adults Long Sleeve dryrobe Advance Changing Robe, which cost £165.
- Adults Long Sleeve dryrobe Advance Changing Robes - £165
- Adults Short Sleeve dryrobe Advance Changing Robes - £145
- Adults Long Sleeve dryrobe Advance Alpine Range - £180
- Dryrobe Lite - £280
- Organic Cotton Towel dryrobe - £60
- dryrobe Adapt - £165