Pikeur Renee Rain Coat review *H&H Approved*

Pikeur Renee Rain Coat

The Pikeur Renee Rain Coat does not match my usual choice of yard or winter riding coat when it comes to style – I tend to opt for something that might be considered more practical, such as the WeatherBeeta Kyla. However, since having it on test, I have reached for it ahead of all my other options on many occasion and I have to say that I’ve been converted to the puffer style. If I want to feel like I’ve worn my duvet to the yard in the morning, this is my number one choice.

I’ve had a lot of compliments on this coat, too. And while I might not have chosen red initally, it does look good on and I feel good wearing it (and that’s not just because it’s super cosy). It felt like a bit of a strange shape at first – but I reminded myself that this is a riding coat, not a school run coat and it will come into it’s own once I’m in the saddle.

How well does the Pikeur Renee fit?

I am a 5ft3in curvy UK10 and the size 10 was the perfect fit. The bottom of the coat sits just above my knees when standing and covers most of my thigh when I’m in the saddle. One someone of average height, it would probably finish mid-thigh when standing. It’s available in UK4–18 and in dark navy or red.

Because of the two-way zip and the way the bottom half of the coat splits, it does sit nicely in the saddle, but I found that some areas of my leg felt the wind chill. Long waterproof riding coats that only split down the centre at the back are likely to cover more area without gaps, but I understand that a puffy design like this one probably wouldn’t work so well like that.

My leg was well covered, but I could feel the breeze on the back of my thigh

The sleeves were a good length, covering my arms without interfering – and the cuffs felt solid and didn’t sag over time, which I’ve found with other coats.

There are two zipped outer pockets in addition to a zipped inner pocket. The outer pockets sit quite high and aren’t accessible if you wear a hi-vis tabard – but this is unlikely to be an issue for many.

Otherwise, the coat was easy to move in (thanks for the four-way stretch material) and fitted well overall. The zip-off hood is generous (and accommodates a riding hat) and has an adjuster at the rear, but it still blew off in strong winds.

How does the Pikeur Renee stand up to bad weather?

The Pikeur Renee is water-resistant (8,000mm), which means it should stand up to light rain, but won’t be as effective as a waterproof coat in a downpour. I found it to cope absolutely fine in light rain or snow, and I wore it in a downpour, just to see, and while the water didn’t come through, I wouldn’t opt to wear it in that weather again. It did keep me dry for as long as it took me to do my yard chores that evening, but everything stuck to the material – I looked filthy.

After I wore the coat in heavy rain

If you’re looking for a truly waterproof coat, then this probably isn’t for you – but if you’re more of a fair weather rider and only don’t find yourself in heavy rain too often, this coat is a great option.

It’s also worth noting that this coat is very warm – absolutely ideal for cold days, but too much if you’re poo picking in mild weather.

Is the Pikeur Renee worth the money?

You can’t get away from the fact that this coat is expensive, but I do think Pikeur is always fantastic quality. If you wore the coat every day for five months over winter, it would work out £1.76/day – and that’s just one winter’s wear, this will last you a few. You could keep it on for the school run and supermarket trips, too, so you’d get a lot of wear out of it, increasing the value.

In short, yes it probably is worth the money – I’d certainly be reluctant to give it back and go through the rest of this winter without it, that’s for sure. And I wouldn’t have guessed that when it arrived.

Verdict

*H&H Approved* – I really didn’t expect to love this coat as much as I did – and I chose it over others far more than I imagined. It’s a great coat and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to feel like they’ve not really got out of bed in the morning.

Who tested the Pikeur Renee Rain Coat?

Georgia Guerin is H&H’s head of ecommerce and editor of PetsRadar. She has a 17-year-old Fjord, Utah, who is on DIY livery, so she’s at the yard twice a day doing all the jobs horse owners do and riding up to five times a week.

Find out more about how Horse & Hound tests products

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