Reima vs. Patagonia: Which brand should you buy? [2026]

Reima is a Finnish brand dedicated to durable, functional, and colorful outdoor clothing specifically for children, from infants to teens. By contrast, Patagonia is an American outdoor company known for its premium, versatile gear for all ages and its industry-leading commitment to environmental sustainability and ethical manufacturing.

Let's compare everything you need to know to choose the right outdoor brand for your family's adventures.

Reima: The Kids' Outdoor Gear Specialist

Reima is a Finnish expert in children's outerwear, founded in 1944. The brand is purpose-built to help kids stay active, warm, and dry, even in harsh Nordic weather. Their focus is on creating durable, practical, and safe clothing that stands up to rain, snow, and rough-and-tumble play, making them a top choice for parents who value resilience and weather protection.

• Product mix: Reima's entire range is for children, from infants to early teens. This includes winter snowsuits, rainwear, insulated jackets, UV-protective swimwear, and accessories like hats and gloves.
• Price point: Generally mid-range and accessible for high-quality kids' gear. Jackets typically cost between $50 and $150, offering a great balance between performance and price.
• Quality & Materials: Known for its proprietary Reimatec fabric, which is windproof, waterproof, breathable, and highly durable. Their designs incorporate smart features like sealed seams, smooth linings for easy layering, and reflective details for safety.
• Style & Aesthetic: Reima's style is functional, cheerful, and unmistakably for kids. They use bright colors and playful patterns that enhance visibility and appeal to a younger audience.
• Sizing & Fit: Sizing is offered for children through age 14. Garments often run slightly generous to allow room for layering underneath, a practical feature for colder climates.
• Sustainability: The brand is committed to eco-friendly production, using recycled materials, bluesign-approved fabrics, and fluorine-free water and dirt-repellent finishes.

Reima delivers exceptional durability, smart kid-friendly features, and reliable weatherproofing at a competitive price, making it a go-to for parents of active children.

Shop Reima: reima.com

Patagonia: The Sustainable Outdoor Pioneer

Patagonia is not just an outdoor apparel company, it's a global leader in environmental activism and ethical business practices. Founded in 1973, it creates high-performance gear for adults and children designed for silent sports like climbing, surfing, skiing, and hiking. The target customer values longevity, repairability, and a brand's mission as much as the product's technical performance.

• Product mix: Patagonia offers a massive range for men, women, and children. You'll find technical alpine jackets, base layers, wetsuits, fleeces like the iconic Synchilla, pants, and everyday casual wear.
• Price point: Positioned in the premium segment, with prices reflecting quality, extensive research, and ethical sourcing. Adult tech jackets can range from $100 to over $300, with kids' items often landing in the $60-$200 range.
• Quality & Materials: The brand uses best-in-class materials like GORE-TEX and its proprietary H2No Performance Standard shell for weatherproofing. They are pioneers in using organic cotton and recycled polyester, ensuring top-tier durability and performance.
• Style & Aesthetic: Patagonia's look is classic, rugged, and understated. They focus on earthy, natural tones and functional designs that don't go out of style, making their pieces versatile enough for the trail and the city.
• Sizing & Fit: Both adult and kids' lines generally run true to size, with fits designed for active use and layering. Their website has detailed charts for ensuring a proper fit for all activities.
• Sustainability: This is Patagonia's cornerstone. They donate 1% of sales to environmental causes, use Fair Trade Certified sewing, and offer the Worn Wear program to repair, trade-in, and recycle old gear.

Patagonia builds premium, long-lasting gear for the whole family with a deep commitment to environmental and ethical responsibility.

Shop Patagonia: patagonia.com

Reima vs. Patagonia Comparison

Price Comparison

Reima is decidedly more affordable, making it a more practical choice for many parents outfitting fast-growing children. With snowsuits around $150 and rain jackets sometimes under $60, their prices offer fantastic value for the durability and weatherproof technology you receive.

Patagonia is a premium investment. A comparable kids' shell jacket like the Torrentshell 3L starts at around $100, and an insulated winter coat can exceed $200. While the price is higher, it reflects the company's investment in sustainable materials, ethical production, and a lifetime "Ironclad Guarantee," making it a long-term purchase that can often be passed down.

Quality & Materials

Both brands produce high-quality, durable outerwear. Reima's strength lies in its kid-specific durability. Materials like Reimatec are designed to resist tears from playground falls, and seams are heavily reinforced. The technology is focused on keeping a child consistently comfortable and safe during everyday outdoor play.

Patagonia's quality revolves around high-performance technical fabrics suitable for extreme conditions. They use materials like GORE-TEX for guaranteed waterproofing and recycled materials that don't compromise performance. The attention to detail in their construction makes their gear suitable for everything from mountain climbing to school recess.

Style & Aesthetic

The brands' styles are worlds apart. Reima's designs are bright, bold, and energetic, featuring vivid colors and fun patterns. Reflective details are a primary design feature, built-in for safety and visibility - a critical concern for parents.

Patagonia's aesthetic is timeless and more subdued. Their color palette leans towards classic nature-inspired and earthy tones. The focus is on clean lines and a classic outdoor look that’s versatile and won't feel dated next season, appealing to both adults and children who prefer a more classic style.

Fit & Sizing

Reima centers its entire sizing system on children, from babies up to 14 years old. Their fit is often slightly generous, with many items including "Room to Grow" features like adjustable cuffs or waistbands to extend the life of the garment as a child grows.

Patagonia offers sizing for the entire family, with kids' sizing that is straightforward and typically true to size. Their fit is often an "active fit," designed for layering and freedom of movement, aligning with standard technical outdoor apparel brands.

Sustainability & Ethics

Both companies are strong in this category, but Patagonia is the clear industry leader. Their commitment to environmental causes is foundational to their brand identity. They actively campaign for land conservation, utilize Fair Trade Certified factories, and have a transparent supply chain. The Worn Wear program, which encourages repair over replacement, is a model for the entire industry.

Reima has strong sustainable credentials in its own right, incorporating an increasing amount of recycled fiber, using safe, fluorine-free finishes, and holding certifications like bluesign. Their focus is on creating products that last long enough to be handed down, which is a powerful form of sustainability.

Which One Should You Choose?

The right choice comes down to who you're shopping for and what your primary priorities are.

Choose Reima if:

• You are solely shopping for durable outdoor clothing for babies, toddlers, or school-aged children.
• You want functional, kid-first features like reflective safety details, removable hoods, and easy-care materials.
• Your priority is finding fun, vibrant designs and colors that kids will be excited to wear.
• You're looking for high-quality, truly weatherproof gear at a more accessible, mid-range price.

Choose Patagonia if:

• You are shopping for yourself, older children with a more understated style, or the entire family.
• Your #1 priority is supporting a company with a deep, proven commitment to environmental and social responsibility.
• You need versatile, high-performance gear that functions just as well on a mountain as it does on the playground.
• You're willing to invest in premium gear with the expectation that it will last for many years and is backed by a robust repair program.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Reima or Patagonia cheaper for kids' jackets?

Reima is almost always cheaper. Their kids' jackets typically cost between $50 and $150, while similar products from Patagonia can start around $100 and go up from there.

Which brand is better for sustainability?

While Reima has strong environmental practices, Patagonia is globally recognized as a leader in corporate sustainability and activism. If this is your most important factor, Patagonia is the standard-bearer.

Can adults wear Reima clothing?

No, Reima specializes exclusively in apparel for babies, toddlers, and children up to approximately 14 years of age.

Is Reima's outerwear truly waterproof?

Yes. Reima's product lines featuring Reimatec fabric have excellent waterproof ratings (typically over 8,000 mm) and fully taped seams to keep water out effectively, making them perfect for rainy and snowy days.

Which brand is warmer for harsh winters?

Both brands offer excellent insulated options for very cold weather. The warmth of a jacket depends on the specific model and its insulation type and weight, not just the brand. Patagonia may offer more technical high-loft down options for extreme alpine conditions, while Reima focuses on durable synthetic insulation ideal for active play.

What is Patagonia’s Ironclad Guarantee?

Patagonia guarantees everything they make. If you are not satisfied with one of their products at the time you receive it, or if one of their products doesn't perform to your satisfaction, you can return it to them for a repair, replacement, or refund.

How does Reima sizing run for kids?

Reima sizing is generally true but often described as slightly generous. This is intentional to allow for layering comfortable clothes underneath and sometimes offers a bit of room to grow.

Where are the two brands from?

Reima is from Finland, with a design heritage born out of navigating harsh Nordic seasons. Patagonia is based in Ventura, California, inspired by the mountains and waves of the American West.