Kids Ski Clothing by Shred Dog – How Good Is It?

We’ve talked about it here before, but I’ll keep saying it again and again:

“Don’t go cheap on your kids gear!”

Trust me, I know that it’s tempting to grab those gloves at Costco that are on sale or the cool looking jacket at Target that all the popular kids are wearing, but it’s just not worth it.  At the same time, I know that the cost of high quality outerwear for kids can be outrageous, especially if you’re getting it for multiple kids like we are.  

However, the benefits of having good outdoor clothing, especially in the winter, far outweigh the money you’re going to save by purchasing a discount brand. 

What if…

…instead of having kids always beg to come inside to warm up on a snow day, you had to beg your kids to finally come inside for dinner.

…instead of sitting in the ski lodge with a child who is soaked to the bone, your family could ski together as long as you want.

…your kids learned to love being outside in the winter since they never had to worry about being wet and cold. 

Good gear can make all of this a reality.  

One of our main goals here at Bring The Kids is to connect you with high quality brands that are going to make being outside more pleasant for everyone.  

We are even more thrilled when we find brands that produce amazing gear at so much less than comparable brands on the market.  

Keep reading below for a HUGE DISCOUNT for Bring The Kids readers.

What is Shred Dog Kids Ski Clothing?

In the past few years, we’ve seen a newly emerging outerwear brand for kids popping up around ski resorts in Utah.  Curious, I’ve chatted with parents about this new brand Shred Dog, and everyone I’ve met has been absolutely blown away by the quality as we’ve been able to test it out in our Shred Dog review.  

Shred Dog was started by a dad who saw a major gap in the children’s winter outerwear industry.  As a parent of an avid skier and snowboarder, Marc found that most of the outerwear available to kids just wasn’t that great, and the gear that was, had a huge price tag attached.  His goal became to manufacture incredibly high quality kids outerwear at a more affordable price. Our Shred Dog clothing review will show you exactly what makes this brand so great!

How Does The Shred Dog System Work

Like all good outerwear systems, Shred Dog depends on layering.  We talk about it all the time here, but especially in winter, kids should be dressed in a wicking base layer, an insulating mid layer and a waterproof outer layer, that can be mixed and matched depending on the weather and temperature.  

Shred Dog is set up exactly the same way, with their winter line featuring base layers, mid layers, and outer shells.  Our kids have been busy putting each of these pieces to the test, and I can’t wait to share with you what we’ve found so far.

Shred Dog Gear Pricing

The pricing on Shred Dog clothing and outerwear is done a little differently than other brands. Instead of listing their retail price, they list they price that they would plan on selling the gear for at a retail shop…except they don’t sell at retail shops. The price you pay is direct to consumer pricing and will save you significantly. Even though their outerwear prices aren’t cheap, for what you get, it’s a great price!

Head over to the SHRED DOG site where you can get some great discounts. Use the code BTK25 for 25% off any order or BTK35 for 35% off any order over $400 (which is a great way to save on both outerwear AND base layers)

Shred Dog Elevated Hardshell Waterproof Jacket $180

If you’re looking for a waterproof shell for your kids, this is one of the absolute BEST on the market (trust me, we regularly review the best kids’ coats).  Truthfully, the features that Shred Dog has put into their Elevated Hardshell jacket are features that you rarely find even in high-end adult jackets.

This kids’ waterproof jacket has some of the most impressive features I’ve ever seen built for kids.  When we first pulled it out of the box, I was instantly jealous, because this jacket for my 13-year-old is nicer than any jacket I’ve ever owned!

While we’re still early in the season and will update this throughout the year I wanted to share with you some of the features that make the Elevated Hardshell a really really great piece of winter outerwear for kids.

The feature that is a complete standout in the Shred Dog Hardshell is that the waterproof and breathability rating are both 20K.   That’s basically unheard of with kids gear. For comparison, most other good kids’ ski jackets have about a 10K waterproof rating. 

What this means is that this jacket from Shred Dog can withstand the wettest conditions that you can throw at it and your kids are going to stay dry the whole time. If you have a kid that never wants to come inside and really puts their winter gear to the test, this is the jacket to buy them. In addition to the great waterproofing, you’ll also find fully taped seams and rubberized wrist gaskets (a feature that we hadn’t seen before, but are really liking so far), so you’ve got multiple layers of protection against water!

I’ll also admit that I was a little bit hesitant about the fact that this was just a shell and my kids don’t ever wear just a shell.  However the Elevated hard shell, combined with the element insulator is actually perfect and I think gives you a lot more options than you would get in just a regular winter jacket.

The Element Insulator Jacket zips in perfectly with the hard shell so it’s a really fantastic combination that gives you more of a 3 in 1 she got a lot more options for different weather which I really like. The only downside to this is that buying more pieces makes the price higher.  Now all we’ve only tested is the combination in fairly dry winter conditions, but down to about 15 degrees Fahrenheit it has performed really really well so far (I’ll update this after we get some snow and ski season kicks off). 

Since I could tell straight out of the box that this jacket is really fantastic quality I immediately started thinking about passing it down to my other four kids. One thing that I loved as I started looking at the features is that Shred Dog has an adjustable arm and leg length system that’s really similar to what you’ll find in a lot of kids’ pants at the waist. 

This allows you to make it bigger or smaller unlike most other brands where you have to unpick the seams than once you make it bigger there’s no way to make it small again. This makes it perfect for passing down through the family because the gear can be bigger AND smaller. 

Shred Dog Element Insulator Jacket $66

Like I mentioned, the element insulator is a really great part of the Shred Dog system and I wouldn’t recommend getting the shell without buying the insulator. I think that they pair together so perfectly that you really should invest in both pieces.

I can see that on drier days, my kids will probably want to just wear the Element Insulator, cold winter days they’re definitely going to wear both, or in the warmer spring they might just wear their hard shell. This has become my son’s go to jacket for the winter.  He rides his bike to school each day and it’s regularly about 20 degrees outside, and he’s yet to complain about the cold when wearing his Element Insulator.

When we first got this jacket out of the package I noticed instantly that there’s more insulation in the core and less insulation in the arms. This is such a great feature because it really helps keep kids warm without adding extra bulk.  This makes them less likely to overheat and start sweating and also the reduced bulk gives them more freedom of movement! 

 The Element Insulator also has the Shred Dog adjust to fit system so that the sleeves can be shortened or lengthened which is just such a great feature for families that are passing gear down or for kids who just really need a custom fit.

Shred Dog Elevated Convertible Snow Pants $180

 As soon as we got the Elevated Snow Pants for kids from Shred Dog I was instantly in love with them. They are seriously unlike any other snow pants for kids that I’ve seen. My favorite feature about them is that the bib at the top can be zipped on or off depending on your kids preferences. I have a few of my kids who absolutely love bibs and other kids of mine who just hate them. This has made the struggle of passing down snow pants through my kids really difficult, so finding a pair of snow pants that really works well for both of those options will be a huge game-changer for our family.

Like the Elevated Hard Shell jacket, the snow pants also have a 20K waterproof and breathability rating, which is fantastic especially for snow pants. So often you’ll have kids snow pants that are maybe 10 K waterproof rated and by the end of a long day in the snow, they are absolutely soaked in the seat or the knees. My kids tend to be always crawling around in the snow  or rolling around and the snow pants take the brunt of the beating. 

Getting really waterproof snow pants is an investment that parents should really consider, since that’s where snow is most likely to soak through to clothes. I also love that since my kids crawl around in the snow all the time, that in Shred Dog snow pants the knees and bottom hem are reinforced. Since the Elevated snow pants are insulated so you don’t need to layer as much underneath, and with the zippered leg vents, you can really help control how warm or cool they are.  

If you can only afford to purchase one item from Shred Dog, the Elevated snow pants is my top suggestion. 

Shred Dog Base Layers

While we haven’t been able to take these skiing yet (the resorts open in about a month), we got some Shred Dog base layers for kids just in time for a super chilly camping trip, and they were fantastic!  We really put them to the test since our RV heater decided to break on this trip and the only reason the kids stayed warm was their base layers and lots of running around! 

Truthfully, this kids base layer clothing was so great that I’m confident that they won’t just be reserved for layering, but for everyday clothing choices for my kids throughout the winter. To see how Shred Dog base layers for kids compare to other base layer brands, check out our full base layer comparison article.

Foundation Base Layer Bottom $30

These children’s base layer bottoms are so cozy, I wish they came in my size! The 4-way stretch allows them to fit a variety of body types well, and the inside is brushed making them extra soft.  As my daughter described them, “They’re basically the best combination of base layers and fleece pants…can I wear them every day?”

In fact, for girls, these girls ski base layers can be worn every day and I can see her wearing them to school as leggings throughout the winter, making them great girls base layers.  As a mom, I also love that they’re thicker than most base layers and leggings, so if she does want to wear them as leggings I don’t have to worry about them being see through in areas.  

Another feature that I love about the Shred Dog base layer bottoms is that they’re gender neutral.  My son is at the age where it’s embarrassing to just wear around a pair of boys base layers with a “pouch” if he ever wants to take his ski pants off.  Since these are gender neutral, they look more like a fitted pair of joggers (my son is slim, so they would be tighter on bigger kids).  As a mom, I love that this means that FINALLY my daughter can get hand me down boys base layers from her older brother without feeling like she’s wearing boys underwear!

Foundation Base Layer Top $36

The Foundation kids base layer top is made out of the same wonderful material as the bottoms are.  It’s stretchy, and has a perfect microfleece brushed feel on the back.  My daughter wore this base layer top on a desert camping trip where it was freezing in the morning and evening and then really warm during the day. 

She kept this top on the whole time and kept telling me how nice it was to be able to have the same shirt keep her comfortable both when she was hot AND cold.  It does a great job of insulating, but once she got warm, she simply unzipped the top and the material wicked her sweat away This exactly how the best kids base layers should perform while skiing on the mountain, so I’m thrilled! 

Of course, the kids favorite feature of these kids base layers, was that it has thumb holes, which always makes layering up in the winter even easier.  

Advanced Performance Base Layer Top $44

This is an ultra stretchy kid base layer top with a ¼ zip at the neck for easy ventilation control.  This is the top of the line best base layer that Shred Dog makes.  I love that the material is super stretchy so that it can keep up with my kids who barely ever slow down.  One of my boys is also really sensitive to different fabrics and seems (especially for base layers), so I was thrilled to check it out and see that the entire top is seamless.  If you’re trying to decide which Shred Dog kids base layer to get, this is their best base layer for cold weather and really active kids. As a mom, I love that even though it has a 1/4 top, there is a mesh gusset sewn in, so my kids are still well covered!  

Shred Dog Kids’ Mid-Layer Fleece Jacket $54

Our kids have also been trying out Shred Dog’s mid layer fleece, and with the cool weather that’s been settling in lately, I haven’t seen either one of them outside at our mountain home lately without it on. 

This winter kids jacket is one of those pieces that you really have to touch to fully appreciate.  The outside is a jersey knit, and the inside is a grid styled fleece that’s super soft and cozy.  It’s not super thick which is exactly what you want in a mid-layer, so it’s a perfect stand alone jacket during the fall and spring and gives you lots of layering versatility throughout the winter.  

Perhaps my favorite feature of this kids winter jacket is that since it isn’t bulky, it doesn’t inhibit movement at all, which is a problem with a lot of other brands’ layering systems.  In fact, just today my son had to go outside and run the mile for PE…when it was 20 degrees outside (realities of living in a mountain town).  He said that he was so glad he had this warm winter jacket because it kept him just the right temperature while running in the cold, and all of his friends were either way too hot or way too cold with what they were wearing. 

I know that if this kids winter jacket gets my teenagers seal of approval with running that it will exceed our expectations throughout the winter, and I can see it being an essential layering piece for my kids as they cross country ski and snow shoe this winter.  

Is Shred Dog clothing worth the money?

Absolutely!  When I buy cheap outdoor gear for my kids, it rarely lasts, so instead I end up buying more and more, costing me more in the long run.  So instead of paying $50 for a pair of great mittens that will last a few years, I pay $20 every 3 months and my kids always have wet, cold hands.  RIP OFF! (Save yourself the pain, and just get a pair of gloves off of our best gloves and mittens chart!)

When my oldest son was 3, I succumbed to the Target and Costco trap for both his coat and his mittens.  Each time it would snow, he would last for about 30 minutes outside before he was absolutely frozen, and we’d head inside to dry all his gear out.  As a new mom, I thought that was “normal”.  

Boy was I wrong.  

I’ve now learned that not only does good quality clothing make my kids enjoy being outside in the winter more, but it makes me enjoy being out there with them more as well (which is just as important).  

Shred Dog outerwear isn’t cheap at all (except the base layers – they’re a steal for what you get).  However, when you consider that to get outerwear with comparable specifications to Shred Dog, you’d easily pay $250-$300, their prices are fantastic!  Also as a mom with a large family, I know that if I invest in really great gear for my older kids, it’s going to last and be put to the test over, and over, and over as we pass that gear down to younger siblings at they grow.  

Don’t forget to use our exclusive Shred Dog discount code. To get discounted Shred Dog Gear, Head over to the SHRED DOG site and use the code BTK25 for 25% off any order or BTK35 for 35% off any order over $400.

This is the best discount on Shred Dog ski gear around and this kids ski gear discount will help you hit the slopes for less money this season. It’s an amazing deal because you gest top of the line ski gear at discount ski gear prices.

Remember, good gear isn’t just a purchase – it’s an investment in living the active and outdoor lifestyle that you dream of!

This article was created as part of a collaboration with Shred Dog. All opinions are our own and are our honest experiences with the clothing.