REI Co-op Rainier Rain Jacket — Toddler Review

It was raining hard at West Thumb Geyser Basin, and our choices were a camper full of restless kids or the boardwalks. We picked the boardwalks. Oren (2) spent the morning in a yellow REI Co-op Rainier, pointing at Bluebell Pool and a steaming hillside geyser while the rain came down sideways. He stayed dry, the hood stayed out of his eyes, and the soft chin guard kept the cold zipper off his face. It’s our favorite toddler rain jacket. The one thing to know before you order: it fits true to size, so size up if you want two seasons out of it.

4.8/5.0

Best toddler rain jacket overall

REI Co-op Rainier Rain Jacket — Infant/Toddler

A soft, tricot-lined chin guard, a hood that adjusts, and easy pockets. Fully seam sealed and true to size. It's a shell, so layer underneath on cold days.

Shop at REI$59.95

Sizes: 12M to 4T | Waterproof: Yes (2.5-layer waterproof/breathable shell, fully sealed seams) | Windproof: Yes (up to 60 mph) | Weight: 4.9 oz | Fabric: 100% recycled ripstop nylon, DWR made without PFAS

Is the REI Co-op Rainier toddler rain jacket waterproof?

Yes. REI lists a 2.5-layer waterproof/breathable shell with fully sealed seams, and it backed that up at West Thumb, where it poured the entire time we were on the boardwalks. Oren stayed dry underneath. It feels like it blocks wind well too, and REI rates it windproof up to 60 mph.

Where we tested the REI Co-op Rainier

Yellowstone, on a day the weather did not cooperate. We were camping, it was really raining, and the choice was stay stuck in the camper or go out in it. Out in it. Oren (2) walked the West Thumb boardwalks past Bluebell Pool (a ridiculously pretty blue pool), Perforated Pool, and a hillside geyser steaming away in the downpour.

Afterward we drove down to the Grant Village Visitor Center and hung out by the water for a while, still in the rain. We were very much forcing ourselves outside, and this was the jacket that made it work. Back home in Colorado it became the everyday jacket.

REI Co-op Rainier features: what actually stood out

Here’s a surprise: the detail we noticed most was the chin guard. It’s lined with soft tricot, so when the jacket is zipped all the way up there’s something soft against his chin instead of a cold zipper. It’s also, honestly, a good place to catch snot.

The hood has elastic on both sides and a Velcro tab on the back, so you can snug it down and keep it from falling over his eyes. The front zipper is short, with three Velcro tabs that close the placket the rest of the way up. The cuffs are plain elastic (no Velcro, unlike the kids’ version). Reflective details on the arms and back mean he shows up in headlights.

The hand pockets are open, with no zippers, and lined with the same fabric as the outside. Easy for a 2-year-old to use, which is how a toy horse ended up in one. It runs a little long and covers his bottom when he sits on a wet bench. REI makes it from recycled ripstop nylon with a water-repellent finish made without PFAS. And we got it in bright yellow, which we love in a rain jacket.

What doesn’t work on the REI Co-op Rainier

It isn’t warm. There’s no insulation, so on a cold rainy day you’re layering underneath. The good news is the 2T has room for a puffy jacket. The pockets have no zippers, which makes them great for horses and terrible for anything you want to keep. There’s also no elastic at the hem, so wind can sneak in from below (the Reima Lampi and Amazon Essentials skip it too).

How to care for the REI Co-op Rainier

REI says to secure all zippers and closures, then machine wash cold. Skip bleach and fabric softener, and tumble dry low. If the outside starts soaking up water instead of beading after a wash and dry, REI suggests renewing the water repellency with a wash-in or spray-on DWR product.

REI Co-op Rainier toddler sizing guide

We ordered a 2T for Oren at age 2, and it fits like a 2T. It fits nicely, with some extra room in the sleeves and enough space for a big puffy jacket underneath. REI makes it from 12 months to 4T. Once your kid outgrows 4T, the kids’ version picks up at XXS, and we tested that one too in our kids’ Rainier review.

If we were ordering it for a 2-year-old again, we’d get the 3T. It would work now with the sleeves rolled, and it would last another season.

Who is the REI Co-op Rainier best for?

Families who go out when it rains, not just when it drizzles. It’s the jacket we’d hand a parent heading to Yellowstone, the Pacific Northwest, or a soggy Colorado spring, and the one we’d buy first if a toddler only gets one rain jacket. Pair it with a fleece or puffy and it covers most of the year.

Pro tip: Set the Velcro tab on the back of the hood before you head out. Once the hood is sized, it stays put and they stop pushing it off.

How the REI Co-op Rainier compares to other toddler rain jackets