namuk Dash lightweight ripstop pant

A pair of pants that can handle the wears and tears of a toddler. Great for outdoor families needing sturdy apparel.

Testing Conditions:

My daughter has worn these pants for 6 months, from late spring to early autumn. She’s worn them on camping trips, at the playground, and countless times while playing in the backyard. She’s certainly got them dirty and abused them as well as any toddler can. During testing, my daughter turned 2 years old and wore size 12-24 months. 

Fit/Sizing:

When compared to other toddler pants the sizing is a bit off for two reasons.

First, is that the range of sizes seems a bit vast when compared to other toddler pants. For example, the sizes are 12-24M, 2T-3T, 3T-5T etc. Traditionally, such sizes are separated and not lumped together as one size.

Also, the sizing seems much larger than other brands. For example, my daughter is currently 2 years old and almost all of her pants are currently size 3T. The 12-24M pair of Namuk pants still fit her better than the 2T-3T pair (note: the manufacturer sent a pair of each size for testing). My daughter outgrew all of her other 24M (and 2T) clothes a long time ago, but these pants in size 12-24M still fit and the 2T-3T ones are still too big.

In total, Namuk offers these pants in 7 different sizes (from 12 months to 13 years) and 3 different colors (navy, chocolate, and purple-blue).

Layering:

On cold days, we’ve added a layer underneath (usually leggings but sometimes even tighter-fitting sweatpants) these pants for my daughter to stay warm. There is plenty of room to do so, as they are slightly baggy (definitely not leggings). With a recent snowstorm, I was able to easily get a pair of snowpants over top of these, with leggings underneath. As for a diaper, even the largest ones fit comfortably under these pants without the bulging-butt look. 

Key Features:

As a safety measure, the pants come with some reflective zig-zags on the back of the pants just above the back of the ankles. This is a great feature, but I wish the manufacturer would add a little bit more of this reflective material either to the side of the pants or the front to serve as an increased safety measure for playing in the evening and wouldn't be covered up by tall (i.e. winter or rain) boots. 

The pants also come with two front pockets and a back pocket, which my daughter loves to stash things into her pockets, so this is a big win for her. The back pocket also has a little owl patch on it, making it look like an owl is peeking out of the pocket, hence why we call these her “owl pants.” 

Abrasion:

This is where the Namuk Lightweight Ripstop Pants really outperform all other pants in my daughter’s wardrobe. When I know she is going to be playing hard and getting muddy (which is usually the case), I always put these on my daughter because I know they will hold up well and not wear out like so many other pants have. The pants are made of 61% cotton, 21% polyester, 16% Cordura and 2% Lycra. There aren't a lot of toddler pants on the market made of material like Cordura, that are built to regular wear-and-tear. 

Cost:

While I wholeheartedly believe in the mantra of “you get what you pay for,” there was a bit of sticker shock for me when I saw the retail price for these pants at $100 USD. Considering most toddler clothes are worn only for a season or two before they are outgrown, $100 is a lot to spend on one pair of toddler pants. Fortunately, because they don't easily wear out, these pants can easily be passed down to another kid (or two), making the price a little easier to swallow. 

Brand:

I hadn't heard of Namuk prior to my daughter testing these pants so I did a little research. They are a Swiss-based premium outdoor brand for kids. They've been around since 2016 and began selling in the US market in late 2021. Most of their offers are kids apparel for the outdoors, and to a lesser extent, kid's outdoor equipment like bike helmets (partner with Giro) and hiking boots (partner with Lowa). 

Overall Recommendation:

I recommend the Namuk Dash Lightweight Ripstop Pants for those who have active toddlers and don't want to worry about replacing pants after getting them muddy and scratched up. These pants can take a kid-sized beating. Just be sure to check the sizing.  

Background

As a first-time parent, I'm learning the ins and outs of introducing my daughter to the outdoors. With that has come various kids-specific gear and apparel for her use.