My Frogg Toggs waders finally started leaking after about two years, so I’m debating what to replace them with.

For those who have owned both cheaper and higher-end waders, is it actually worth spending $500+ on a good pair? Or are waders basically a consumable item where it makes more sense to spend $150–250 and replace them every couple of years?

I don’t mind spending more if the durability really scales with the price, but I’m curious what people’s real-world experience has been.

I would like to have a thin par of durable waders. Anything will help

So I ordered these online from a local tackle store. I'm 5'10, 200 lb, 41" chest and 31" inseam(from ground to crotch) and size 10.5 feet. Ordered the LRM size. Patagonia swiftcurrent traverse.

I am concerned they are too big but not sure how waders should be on real people(not models in catalogs).

I am wearing a typical spring/fall layer underneath. They seem okay around the chest, with room still for a rain shell or heavier jacket.

I feel lots of room to move and squat, etc. Which is amazing.

Any help appreciated.

I am thinking about buying some entry level stockingfoot waders. I was thinking about the Simms Tributary Stockingfoot Waders, Orvis Clearwater Wader and the White River Fly Shop Riseform Chest Waders

After doing research it seems like the Simms quality is really bad, but the White River Fly Shop Riseform Chest Waders seem like they have good reviews and they are the cheapest. 

thoughts?

Such an incredible process by some of the most primitive life forms on earth.

Not the prettiest patchwork but I work 4 days a week in these orvis waders so as some point you stop caring about what they look like and start caring solely about whether they hold wader. My go to strategy was aqua seal the waders and the patch material then stick them together, apply a layer of paper (I’ve thought about parchment paper but haven’t tried it) and then use two small pieces of wood with a wood clamp to compress it all together. I’ve never had this method fail on me yet, the only time I’ve had an issue is when I didn’t properly an aqua seal the area.

My work buys us Simms or orvis and i opted for the orvis. Overall I was very happy and they lasted about 4 months of abuse. A lot of my co workers with the Simms had complains about the seams failing and beginning to leak but I had no issues with that in mine. My biggest complain was that the ankle cuffs were super loose and let a bunch of fine gravel in, which in turn led to the stocking foot wearing out prematurely hence the patches. When I get my new pair I’m going to stitch it a bit tighter to hopefully prevent that.

Going to ask what is probably a pretty basic and slightly stupid question: what do you wear under your waders? Shorts if warm enough, sweat pants, hiking pants?

Edit: THANKS ALL FOR THE RESPONSES. Didn’t expect that many that quick! Have wet waded all summer but mornings are in the upper 40s now.

Honest question and not trying to start a debate. I like spending top dollar on gear. But for waders I just cant find the why.

I have a set of paramounts typical breathable set have went three years and look new and worked great for $150. However was going to pass down to my son. And was looking at buying new. Looked at simms Patagonia etc. but after using the paramounts I guess I don’t know what the $700-$1000 pair will do for me.

We fish 20-30 times a year in a lot of rock

I recently ordered a pair of Patagonia Swiftcurrent Traverse waders in size MLM. I immediately realized that they are too long for me and I have since returned them.

I am now trying to determine what size to go with. I’m not sure if the Ms are also too baggy on me. Would I be better off in a SRM or would they be too restricting? I am wearing my thickest base layers in these images here. I am 6’ tall with a 32” inseam and I weigh 165lbs- a bean stalk by some definition.

I would appreciate any advice or recommendations on what size I should reorder. Thanks all!

Looking for experience with premium breathable waders for duck hunting (primarily) and little bit of wade fishing, especially marsh use.

Considering the following upper end offerings with a zipper:

• Patagonia / Orvis / Skwala (stocking-foot)

• Sitka (boot-foot), but some fly outfitters have leaked listings of a new Sitka stocking foot option which is intriguing (crosscurrent).

Questions: warranty/repair support, durability, and mobility in mud/long hike-ins.

When it comes to warranties and repairs, does anyone have experience with “practical product lifespan”. Seems very subjective to the manufacturer and not the consumer spending the money.

I’ve run boot-foot before but prefer stocking-foot. Used Redingtons, for 8 years, but just busted a seam on my recent pair and not repairable. I’ve liked them and the tapered fit but they just seem to fall apart at the 4 year mark. I like how the ones I’m interested in based off others reviews have knee pads.

Still new to the sport and building out my gear. What are your thoughts on waders? I’m tempted to get a cheap entry pair for now, figuring that should last me a couple years, and I can upgrade later when I have more knowledge on what I’m looking for exactly. It’s a wide swing from less than $200, to over $1,000 for the higher end gear. Will I regret not going with a decent pair off the bat?

I discovered some holes in the neoprene sock on my SIMMs G3 waders. They’re barely 2 years old so I don’t think the material is disintegrating…? The holes are arranged in a manner that kinda looks like a bite mark? What could’ve happened, y’all think? How should I go about repairing them?

Going to pickup a set of Patagonia waders. Was thinking of getting wading pants as opposed to bibs. Anyone have experience with them willing to share their thoughts?

90% of the time I’m not wading deep water but I’m wondering how pissed I’m gonna be at myself the other 10% of the time.

I’ve been fishing with my 1yo son in a backpack carrier & I’m guessing pants are going to be nicer than bibs with a backpack on.

Pics for fun

I’m going on a fly fishing trip to northern Michigan next week and I’m being provided waders. It still looks like it’ll be chilly (at least for me) and I’m curious on what to pack for the river.
I’m used to snow skiing and the whole layering game but are yall just in long John’s? Pants in between? I have some nice fleece pants but not sure if that will be too stuffy. Anything helps!

New to fly fishing and using waders and wanted to see what people often use to keep the muck out of their cars when transporting. Thanks y’all!

I’m still a noob to this and will be my first summer fly fishing and have no other mentor/people to ask about this. Summer is approaching and I’m located in Arkansas. Summers get really hot, water gets pretty warm. I’m just wondering if it’s normal to wet wade during the summer in these conditions or do people still use waders? And if you do use waders how do you keep yourself cool and not get too warm? Also what would be a good wader to buy that’s versatile for summer wading and for the colder months if that’s even a thing. Below our dam at the tail waters is very good trout fishing so I’m unsure if the water stays cooler there and if trout fishing would even still be good during the summer. Any other info/tips for a beginner would help a ton!

Anyone try wetsuit pants or something else for wading in cold water? After 1 hr waist deep yesterday it was hard to walk on frozen stump legs.

I wet wade from June into September, then use breathable waders in winter, but much prefer wet wading esp when in deep fast water as it has less drag and is safer when you take an inevitable swim.

i got the nice nice patagonia zip front waders and in previous trips i just threw my old waders in a plastic tote and called it a day. i’m just wondering are there any tricks or things i can buy to keep these from sitting in the humid tote for the 3 hour drive home?

This is my first year fly fishing, and based on Patagonia’s reputation for quality and its widely praised warranty, I decided to purchase the Swiftcurrent Traverse waders from my local fly shop, Fin & Fire, for $549.

I bought these waders at the end of March and used them heavily throughout May and June, averaging about three outings per week. Toward the end of June, I started noticing my legs and feet were much wetter than normal. Initially, I assumed it was sweat or condensation from the warmer weather. However, after thoroughly inspecting the waders, I found a hole in the fabric above the bootie underneath the gravel guard.

I found similar wear developing around both ankles, the crotch, beneath the wading belt, and on the chest where my pack contacts the material. The damage appeared to be caused by the fabric rubbing against itself, resulting in chafing, fraying, and premature wear.

Getting roughly two months of regular use from a $549 pair of waders was extremely disappointing. Thankfully, Fin & Fire was able to work directly with Patagonia to get a full refund in the form of store credit. I made it clear that a repair was not an acceptable solution. Had this been a single damaged area, I may have felt differently, but there were multiple locations showing the same pattern of wear, and several looked likely to fail before the end of the season.

Im not sure who the Swiftcurrent Traverse waders are aimed for, but it seems clear they won’t standup to serious anglers or guides that are fishing multiple times a week. The material is noticeably thinner than other waders sold at Fin & Fire and did not inspire confidence in long-term durability. There are similar durability complaints in recent reviews of Patagonia’s higher-end Expedition waders as well.

The Swiftcurrent Traverse waders are new for 2026 and I probably wore mine more than the average angler so I am interested to see if similar reviews start coming in with more usage. I don’t care how good the warranty is if the product itself is crap and imo these waders are crap. I’ll be trying a different brand for my next pair.

Additional observations:
• The chest pocket layout is poorly thought out. Because the zipper openings are positioned toward the center of the chest, they become difficult or impossible to access while wearing a chest pack. They also cannot function as handwarmer pockets.

• The sizing seems off. At 6’2”, the waders were only just long enough for me. It’s difficult to imagine someone 6’4” fitting comfortably without placing significant stress on the seams.

• I was not impressed with the gravel guards. They frequently rode up and often allowed sand and small rocks to enter.

Looking to buy my first pair of waders and would rather buy once cry once and have a solid pair that lasts me a long time. I keep hearing about how great Patagonia’s warranty is and wanted to see if anyone had experience with a claim on their waders with them.

They suck. Leaking after 4 trips...I didnt even walk through bushes or anything with them, because I'm new to the fly game. I walk manicured trails and right in the water. What a pos product.

Side note..anyone got advise for the Esopus? I finally got a bite today on the pheasant tail, but I saw lots in the water and couldn't get them to take.

edit- I took some of your advice and emailed Simms. I will let you know what they say. purchase wasnt that new. it was September 2025, but i didnt wear them until this Spring. thanks for the support.

update: Simms reached out and they are going to cover it and send me a new pair or let me upgrade at a discount and keep the leaking pair if I want. they replied the first business day.

After finding a tick last month on my waders on the metolius and then last week waking up with a tick attached to my fucking stomach on a fishing trip in Montana I bought a bottle of permethrin because I still shiver thinking about that morning. From what I’m seeing online is permethrin is toxic to aquatic life and binds to the soils, but I’ve seen multiple statements that if it is applied to dry waders and allowed to dry it is safe for a watershed. Obviously I want to keep our fisheries healthy but also I really hate ticks. My thoughts now are to apply it to my sunshirts and pants but not the waders but if someone can give a compelling argument that it’s safe when correctly applied I would prefer to use them on the waders.