dryrobe: the Devon brand that invented the changing robe

One winter, in the rain, a surfer comes out of the water and finds himself in a car park, a sodden towelling robe over his shoulders. That is the situation, as told by its founder, that gave birth to dryrobe: first a cape cobbled together by a mother at her sewing machine, then a waterproof, windproof changing robe lined with fleece. Today, the Devon brand sells the idea to swimmers, surfers and everyone who changes outdoors.

The story

Gideon Bright grew up surfing all year round around St Ives, on the north coast of Cornwall. According to the brand, the spark goes back to his teenage years: his mother, Anne, gave him a big home-made cape one Christmas, with a waterproof outer, a towelling lining and a hood with press studs. About twenty-five years later, coming out of a surf session, he decided to redo it, only better.

The first waterproof, windproof changing robe was worn at Woolacombe in 2010, and sold online in December of the same year. The founder says he started with a bedroom for an office and a local workshop for the manufacturing. According to Yahoo Finance UK, a turning point came in 2012, at a triathlon event where a British coach kitted out their team with robes.

The range

The piece that defines it is the Advance, the waterproof hooded changing robe, for adults and children alike. Around it, the brand offers other robes: the Tech-Lite, lighter and more compact for travel, the Nexus, parka-style, the Adapt, whose top and bottom zip together, and towelling robes in organic cotton for warm weather.

It has widened its offer to clothing: a poncho, jackets, a fleece gilet, trousers, as well as accessories such as storage bags and care kits.

The craft

For the Advance, the outer is recycled nylon and the lining recycled polyester; according to the brand, these fabrics are approved to the Global Recycle Standard and certified OEKO-TEX Standard 100. The water-repellent finish is said to be PFC-free. As for the cut, the robe is roomy so you can change underneath, with sleeves, fleece-lined pockets and a full-length zip.

According to the brand, fully recycled fabrics have been used for the Advance since 2020, after several trial phases with varying recycled content. Where it is made is not stated in what the brand publishes.

What the brand stands for

dryrobe says it has been a certified B Corp since 2022 and champions the idea of “buy less, buy better”: sustainable fabrics, made to last and to generate less waste, according to the brand. It states that it gives at least 1% of its profits, through its Warmth Project, to organisations that make the outdoors accessible to everyone or protect the planet. It also offers a trade-in of its old Advance robes, a second-hand offer and a Rework range, made from fabrics that would otherwise be thrown away.

Right now

The brand is expanding in Europe. According to FashionNetwork, the Hamburg wholesaler TTP has handled dryrobe’s trade distribution in Germany, Austria and Switzerland since March 2026, as well as in seventeen other European markets. According to the brand, more than a million robes have been sold worldwide.

On the figures, Yahoo Finance UK (17 August 2025) gives a turnover of close to twenty-two million pounds sterling and sales up 545% between 2019 and 2023, a period when, according to the founder, the public was encouraged to spend more time outdoors. The same article reports more than fifty employees, and the British team the brand has kitted out for the last three Olympic Games.

For readers in Switzerland

dryrobe’s international shop lists Switzerland among its delivery countries and displays its amounts there in Swiss francs. The European shop, for its part, does not offer Switzerland in its country list. On the trade distribution side, the wholesaler TTP has covered Germany, Austria and Switzerland since March 2026, according to FashionNetwork.