Changing dry robes can be stylish and practical after all.

Disclaimer: The Beaufort dry robe was gifted to me by D-Robe, who did not ask me to write this review. It is an honest and open account of my opinion.

Whether your outdoor swimming pool is at the beach, a river or a lake, as winter approaches you can be sure of one thing.

The water is going to get colder.

Cold water swimming is amazing for your physical and mental health. I would recommend it and the communities that surround it to anyone. Wild swimming, especially sea swimming is absolutely the best way I’ve found of cheering myself up on darker winter days.

But I do find it difficult to warm up afterwards.

Until now I’ve resisted the urge to try a changing robe. In fact I’m almost the last person in my swimming group not to have one. but I am aware that putting the heating on to warm up after a swim isn’t great for the environment or my energy bills.

So when D-Robe offered me their Beaufort outdoor robe to try, I was keen to take the opportunity.

Changing robe review

It’s important to remember that although I’ve been an outdoor swimmer for many years, I came to this dry robe review as a sceptic.

More used to hikes and having to carry my kit in a rucksack, I struggled to see the advantage of such a big garment.

But that was until I tried one.

I actually quite like my new drying robe and have divided its review into my two favourite categories. Practicality and sustainability.

The D-Robe Beaufort Robe

• Style: 4/5 ****
• Warmth: 5/5 *****
• Practicality: 3/5 ***
• Sustainability: 3/5 ***

Practicality:

Warmth:

There can be no doubt, the D-Robe dry robe is warm enough to make a big difference after a cold water swim. Its fleecy lining feels lovely against the skin and its waterproof outer shell beads beautifully.

Anyone who has swum in the rain will tell you that rain swims are a wonderous thing, but emerging to a soggy towel can definitely put a dampener on the event.

The length (medium 115cm) of the Beaufort D-Robe, its full-length sleeves and its adjustable cuffs add to its level of warmth, as does its general fit, which is snugger than many dry robes.

Changing:

Although still generous, the D-Robe has been designed with a slimmer cut. As a result, it has more versatility and smartness than other changing robes. If you don’t like the flappy look some dry robes exhibit, this might be the choice for you.

This snugness of fit does restrict the amount of wriggle room underneath the robe. D-Robe recommend sizing up if you do want to use it for changing and its two-way zip  also helps.

Storage:

If I was going to review the best dry robes for 2024, I’d need a bigger house because one thing I’ve discovered since owning my own changing robe is that they take up a lot of space.

The D-Robe currently lives on a hangar on the back of my office door because it’s too big for my wardrobe. Bulky when folded, it doesn’t fit easily into my swimming bag, which means I have to wear it on the way to the beach as well as home.

Which, it turns out, isn’t an issue at all.

I had thought wearing a dry robe pre swim would make me too warm but I was wrong, the D-Robe is far more breathable than I had imagined  and its zips allow for venting.

Cost:

Prices correct October 2024

At £155, the D-Robe compares favourably with the Dry Robe Advance long sleeve (£165), the red long sleeve Pro (£134.95) and the Finisterre Tego long sleeve (£145) but is a more costly option than the Passenger Escapism Sherpa (£99.95).

I would argue that the value of any item of outdoor gear is in the number of times you wear it. For its price, the D-Robe has plenty of useful features such as its multitude of pockets (including one removable one), double hanging loops and drawstring hood.

Sustainability:

Sustainability in outdoor gear can be complicated. My previous blog post linked below explains the sustainability of dry robes in more detail.

Do you need a changing robe for outdoor swimming?

For the purposes of brevity, in this post I’m going to consider three aspects of sustainability.

• How useful is the garment?
• Which materials have been used to create it?
• Does the manufacturer take any post-sale responsibility for it?

How useful is the D-Robe Beaufort Robe?

We’ve all giggled at pictures of people wearing changing robes in non-swimming locations but in truth any piece of outdoor gear that can do more than one job is going to get plenty of use.

Which means it’s not fast fashion. If a garment is well made, stylish and super useful, it’s less likely to be replaced quickly and end up in landfill.

It’s clear that the design team behind the Beaufort Robe have taken this into account. The robe’s slim cut makes it suitable for a range of different outdoor activities in both practicality and looks. It’s been made to last with a high quality finish including YKK zips.

This change robe might not be my first choice for lightweight wild camping but I’ve already worn it on several dog walks and can imagine it being very useful on our winter campervan trips. I’m fairly sure I wouldn’t be embarrassed shopping in it either.

But most importantly, I think it’s going to increase the number of days I feel I can go swimming this winter.

Is this dry robe made from recycled materials?

I’m happy to report that the D-Robe Beaufort Robe (inner lining and outer shell) is made entirely from GRS certified recycled materials.

I don’t currently have any information about D-Robe’s choice of waterproofing material. The outdoor industry is in the process of making big changes towards avoiding PFAS forever chemicals in waterproofing, and the jury is still out on the repellency and breathability of some alternatives.

D-Robe currently don’t offer a repair, rehome or buy-back service, which might affect the longevity and eventual disposal method of this dry robe.

The above isn’t unusual for changing robe manufacturers. You can find out how other companies approach the issue of after sales responsibility in my dry robes and sustainability article.

How long does a dry robe last?

Whether you’re looking at sustainability or value for money, how long a garment is going to last and how many wears it gets matters in any clothing purchase. But it’s difficult to measure longevity until you’ve had an item for a long time. Aware of this, I’ve started to track how long one of my jumpers lasts.

I’m hoping it’s going to be a lengthy but interesting project.

Whatever our preferences for outdoor activities, we all need to think about the impact our outdoor gear choices have on the environments we love.

Carefully considering each purchase we make is a really important part of this process.