This is the 2nd parka I've purchased from LLBean. The last one hasn't worn out yet and my son needed the next size up. The parka is extremely durable-think active 11 year old boy. It has held up in many washes and I am completely satisfied. The versatility of this parka is a plus. My son wears the fleece alone unless it is raining. The added shell increases the warmth during cold spells. He also liked the green/black color on the parka. I was even more pleased when at the time of ordering, the parka was on sale! Delivery was quick and again, LLBean comes through on quality and value.
the 3 in 1 feature is excellent - start with the 3 in the chilly morning & if it warms up they can take one piece off & put it in their backpack. Not too pleased with the light colors - too difficult to keep clean. Would be great if they came in darker colors for girls.
I have a very fussy 9 yr old grand-daughter that doesn't like anything to frilly or too pink. The Purple Sunset colors were just right. She could not wait to try it on, and loved the fact that the hood is hidden. ( That's apparently another thing that shouldn't show ). She wore it on a cold morning of 40 degrees and it kept her warm. When taking off the sleeves, she pulled one arm out without any problem and used her hand to hold the fleese lining in place for the other arm. No Problem. Don't know how it will wear or wash, but it has passed inspection with Grace.
2 jackets in 1. Inner fleece is great for fall/spring on its own. Outer hooded water-proof shell is also good for rainy fall/spring days. Zip them together and it is good for winters. There is no "fill" so you'll need some layers underneath, but my daughter wore this through our past winter snowstorms in the mid-Atlantic. It may not stand up to, say, a harsh Midwest or New England winter, though. Sizing is pretty standard to LLBean - I don't feel that it runs big or small.
