The Best Changing Robes for Swimmers and Surfers

There are four adult changing robes in the Cosimac collection, including this eye-catching leopard print design. Its water-resistant and weatherproof exterior is designed to handle all but full downpours. We tried the medium robe—designed to be worn by adults who are 5'3" to 5'7"—and strutted our leopard-print-clad bod on the beach.

What we instantly noticed when putting on the robe is how light it is, while still managing to make us feel suitably protected and comfy with a very soft fleece-lined interior. The robe comes with long sleeves for warmth, and we found it did well at soaking up the water and keeping us comfortable after we had changed. Its very large fleece-lined hood also kept us cozy and our faces well hidden from the elements.

We liked how the interior “hot water bottle” pocket was positioned halfway down the robe, instead of at the bottom, which gave the design a good sense of balance. There is also an interior zipped pocket with an opening for headphone cords. Its long sleeves come with Velcro straps that can be adjusted, while there are two fleece-lined zipped pockets on the exterior for convenience. Cosimac also sells a kids’ robe, in a more sober black finish with an “Ocean Blue” interior, designed for those that are 4'2" and under.

Vivida is the only company we discovered to offer a puffer-style change robe, which is good for insulation over long periods. With its sophisticated tailoring, the coat has been designed so that it wouldn’t look out of place on the commute or school run. This alone would make it feel like a sustainable choice as you can double up. With Aventurine Green, Fossil Grey, and Mineral Blue finishes, we fell for the subtly stylish colors offered. The robe comes in four sizes, and we felt medium was a cozy option that seemed to work well on both tall and shorter people. It provided us with enough room to change with our arms inside the coat.

The company prides itself on the coat’s eco material, which features 100 percent “post-consumer” recycled polyester. The “post-consumer” part is important as most brands just use recycled plastic, which can be made solely for the purpose of recycling into the fabric. The coat also has a Bionic Finish Eco, PFC-free, water-repellent (to 5,000 mm) coating that allows the water to bead up and roll away effectively, while the honeycomb fleece lining, wadding, and hem fabric are all recycled materials. Attention to detail adds a luxury feel to this coat, with an Erin Hanson quote printed on the inside pocket.

The Vivida’s insulated design immediately felt cocooning when we put it on. We found that its padded finish was reassuringly warm and the material was very soft on our skin after we got out of the cold sea. Its QuiltedClour synthetic filling is designed to mimic the properties of down for a warm, lightweight feel, and we felt that the coat really did make us feel like we were wrapped up in a quilt. The interior is made from 200-gsm moisture-wicking fleece that is designed to warm up your body effectively.

We felt that its padded structure helped to dry us up that bit quicker than some of the robes we tried. Like the Red Original, it has a toggle hood that helps keep our heads warm too. The pocket offering was impressive too, except there's no headphone cable opening in the interior pocket. Otherwise, there’s a large open pocket that houses a coat bag with enough room for a bottle or lunchbox, and an ample-size zip pocket. Two large exterior pockets come with both zip and velcro openings, which is useful as it lets you store quite a bit of kit on the go.

Alpkit sells a nice range of clothing and equipment for hiking, biking, running, and swimming, including this Haven Change Robe. The unisex robe comes in a simple yet stylish black finish (though with a big logo and slogan on the back), and it’s oversized and lined for convenience and warmth. We tried the Haven Change Robe in small, which is designed for the average 5'2" person. It comes in four sizes (though some are currently out of stock), with a windproof fabric, long sleeves, and a shower-proof PU coating to keep you dry. The polyester insulation doesn’t have the fluffiest feel, but it did well to dry off our testers and keep us warm after use.

This is the most compact robe that could pass as a standard jacket in design. Inside we found two pockets. One is placed on the lining of the coat, as opposed to on the fleece, and can be zipped up. The other, big enough to carry a bottle, is on the bottom right-hand corner. The two exterior pockets have been left with open entry—as opposed to a magnetic or zip closure—and aren’t as deep as on the other designs we tried, but they are suitably fleece-lined to keep your hands warm. Slightly different in design from the majority of changing robes we tried, the Alpikit has a drop hem in back that is long enough to sit on, with the slides split for more freedom of movement.

Available in up to five sizes spanning from small to extra large, this Sundried robe is an elegantly cut waterproof garment. It has a pure polyester outer layer and an acrylic and polyester red fleece lining to keep you warm, dry, and protected from all types of weather. We tried the Swimming Changing Robe in medium, which is designed for people who are 5'2" and above.

Our testers found the design particularly roomy, with a good amount of space for stepping in and out of a wetsuit. When zipped up, the group found it easy to pull their arms out of the sleeves and inside the robe to rummage around. As the robe is large, you can use it to wrap yourself up nicely, keeping you cocooned and comfortable inside. The Sundried robe has adjustable sleeve straps, which let you tighten the arms at the wrist to keep out the cold air, while the two exterior fleece-lined zip pockets felt deep and snug. The design has a large reflective Sundried logo on the back that helps you get noticed when the light is low, which we thought was a useful way to use a logo.

Passenger is best known for its colorful waterproof jackets, polar fleeces, and surprisingly stylish “fisherman” beanies, many of which are made from recycled materials. Its range of changing robes and ponchos are ideal for the beach and walks in the countryside alike. The Escapism Recycled Sherpa Lined changing robe stands out not only for its vibrant range of color finishes but also its luxurious, super-soft interior. The moment we put it on we appreciated just how lightweight the jacket feels compared to some rivals. This is no doubt due to its fluffy Sherpa fleece that lines the fully recycled polyester changing robe. Though do note that this may feel a little too wide and puffy for some.

The Escapism robe comes in five sizes, and we found that even the smallest size (which is designed for those between 5'4" and 5'9") is incredibly roomy, so there’s plenty of space inside to change out of a tight and hugging wet swimsuit. A two-way zip makes it easy to undo and zip up, while the two front pockets with a hand-warming tricot lining will keep your extremities suitably toasty when you come out of the water and get hit by the cold. There’s really not much to fault with this design, and it comes in a range of chic colors including Rust, Larkspur Blue, and Wine.

Voited’s Outdoor Change Robe and Drycoat is ideal for camping, wild swimming, and van life. It’s constructed from 100 percent recycled 50D Ripstop fabric, with 2,500-mm water resistance on the inside and a Teflon EcoElite coating on the outside.

While this wasn’t one of the lightest robes we’ve tried, it was one of the most compact, alongside the Red and Alpkit options. The Voited robe comes rolled up in a sleeping-bag-style carry bag and folds up neatly for traveling when not needed. It has a polar-fleece-lined hood and arms, with an extra layer of Voited’s CloudTouch insulation in the form of a panel inside that is designed to hug your lower back. What we liked most about this design is the quality finish, conveniently zippable pockets, and discreet logo. It’s not too puffy, either, which means you can get away with wearing it in town as well as at the beach and outdoors. Cons? It’s currently available in just two colorways, a bold black and attractive sea blue, with limited sizes.