RNLI's limited edition Dryrobe Nexus marks £400,000 raised, with £50 from each £225 robe sold going directly to the lifeboat charity.
RNLI’s limited edition Dryrobe Nexus arrives with a better reason for existing than most special-edition outdoor kit.
The £225 changing robe has been launched to mark two milestones: 25 years of RNLI lifeguards on UK beaches and more than £400,000 raised for the charity through Dryrobe’s partnership with the lifesaving organisation.
Of that £225 price, £50 from every limited-edition RNLI Nexus sold will go directly to the RNLI.
That is a sizeable contribution by merchandise standards, and considerably more meaningful than sticking a charity logo on a sleeve and hoping everyone feels virtuous.
Dryrobe’s RNLI fundraising passes £400,000
The partnership began in October 2022, when Dryrobe pledged to raise £100,000 a year for three years.
It passed the intended £300,000 three-year total in a little over two years and has since gone beyond £400,000.
Dryrobe says that amount would cover the annual training costs of 295 volunteer lifeboat crew members or provide 645 lifejackets.
The wider partnership sees the company donate £1 from every Adult and Kids Dryrobe Advance and Towel Dryrobe sold through its own website.
Dryrobe founder Gideon Bright said: “Reaching more than £400,000 in donations to the RNLI is an incredible milestone and one that we’re extremely proud of. Our partnership is built around a shared love of the water and a commitment to helping people enjoy it safely, so it feels particularly fitting to mark 25 years of RNLI lifeguard service with a limited edition changing robe.”
A Dryrobe designed around the RNLI’s coastal identity
The anniversary Nexus takes its colours from the coastline rather than the fashion department.
It has an Ocean Blue and Grey outer, Red trim and Light Grey lining, with special internal branding marking the 25th anniversary of the RNLI lifeguard service.
The palette is inspired by maritime heritage, working harbour clothing and the contrast between open water and shore.
Underneath the commemorative treatment is Dryrobe’s existing Nexus platform. The company specifies a durable rip-stop outer shell, a lightweight mid-volume fleece lining, reach-through pockets and 30,000m waterproofing.
Its main fabrics are made using 100% GRS-certified recycled materials.
Those are manufacturer specifications rather than independent test findings, but they place the new robe firmly in Dryrobe’s premium technical range rather than making it merely a collector’s colourway.
Twenty-five years of RNLI lifeguards
The launch also gives Dryrobe a timely reason to draw attention to the RNLI’s work away from the lifeboat station.
RNLI lifeguards have now been operating on UK beaches for 25 years, while the organisation continues its broader work around the UK and Irish coasts.
Lottie Chase, RNLI Partnerships Manager, commented: “The RNLI is incredibly grateful to Dryrobe for its generous support. The £400,000 donated to date is helping the RNLI to continue its lifesaving work around the UK and Ireland.
We’re excited to see the launch of this new limited edition robe, marking the 25th anniversary of the RNLI lifeguard service, and we thank Dryrobe for their long-standing partnership.”
The partnership also extends into water-safety campaigning. Dryrobe shares RNLI messaging through its website and social media channels, including support for the charity’s Float to Live drowning-prevention campaign.
Approximately 140 people accidentally lose their lives around the UK and Irish coasts each year.
More than another limited-edition colourway
There is an obvious commercial benefit for Dryrobe in attaching one of its most recognisable products to one of Britain’s most trusted coastal charities. Equally, the numbers prevent the exercise from feeling cosmetic.
More than £400,000 has already been raised, the partnership has continued beyond its original three-year pledge, and £50 from each anniversary Nexus will go straight to the RNLI.
That gives the robe a clearer purpose than most limited editions manage.
Plenty of outdoor kit is designed to keep you warm after getting out of the water. This one is also helping fund the people who may have to come and find you if getting out proves to be the difficult part.
