Is it worth buying a dryrobe? Our honest thoughts
We're big fans of the beach and we love to get in the sea, either for a swim or on our paddleboard. The sea is usually freezing here in the UK, and while we don't mind getting into the cold water, it's the coming out of the water which is usually the worst part.
Having a product like a changing robe is a total game-changer for situations like this - being able to cover yourself in something which is warm and waterproof is exactly what you want when you get out of cold water.
The Dryrobe has emerged as the leading brand of changing robe in the UK, but it comes with a pretty steep price tag. So we thought it would be useful to take a close look at the Dryrobe to see if it's actually worth the money, or if you should avoid buying it. Let's take a look:
Firstly, how much does a dryrobe cost?
The standard and most popular product within the Dryrobe range is the dryrobe Advance Long Sleeve, which costs £160 in any size. The short sleeve version of this product costs £140, The dryrobe Lite is the most expensive product in the entire dryrobe range by quite a long way, with a whopping price tag of £280.
What makes a Dryrobe so expensive?
We've tried a number of changing robes similar to the Dryrobe, as we outlined in our Dryrobe alternatives guide. And although we found some great alternatives to the Dryrobe, there is no denying that the Dryrobe has a few features which make it stand out from the others.
For starters, dryrobes are made from 100% recycled materials. This doesn't necessarily impact the feel or the quality of the product, but it's an expensive process to get recycled materials and make them good enough for a finished product, so this absolutely impacts the cost to make a dryrobe. In terms of the quality of the dryrobe, it really is top-notch - the outer shell is not only waterproof but is also windproof, really helping to keep you warm and dry as soon as you get back onto land.
The lining of the dryrobe is Polartec, which is hydrophobic and very fast-drying. Polartec is an amazing material which is absolutely ideal for a changing robe which you're going to throw on when you're wet, and we couldn't find any other changing robe on the market which had a lining made from Polartec.
The dryrobe is also very light, weighing around 1.3kg. This is quite a bit lighter than some of the other changing robes we've tried, such as the changing robe from Vivida Lifestyle which weighs around 1.5kg.
Other factors to consider
Aside from the quality of the product, there are other reasons which make Dryrobe a bit more expensive than other changing robes on the market. For example, the team at Dryrobe is very committed to sustainability. This means that the company uses materials and supply chains which cost a little more than what most other brands will use. The company also claims that due to the quality of the Dryrobe, the product will last longer than other changing robes on the market. So although the initial cost is quite a lot, it will pay off in the long-run as you hopefully won't need to replace your Dryrobe.
Trustpilot
There is a Trustpilot for dryrobe, and although we'd like to see a few more reviews on there, we're still impressed by the rating on there. Dryrobe is currently sitting with an 'Excellent' rating from almost 200 reviews, which is great. Overall, reviewers seem delighted with both the quality of the product and the customer service.
So, do we think a dryrobe is worth the money?
Overall, we'd say that if you're serious about getting dry and warm when you get out of cold water, then a dryrobe is absolutely worth the money. It's an extremely well-designed changing robe made using fast-drying materials like Polartec, and it's sustainably made too.
There are changing robes out there which are quite a bit cheaper and which still have many of the features that a dryrobe has, so if you're on a budget then you should check out our dryrobe alternatives guide.
We hope this guide helps you to decide if a dryrobe is worth the money or not. Let us know if you've tried a dryrobe or if you have anything else to say about this product!
Finn H
Finn is the editor of You Well and has been writing about travel, health, and more for over 10 years.