I'm looking for a new pair of waders. Want to spend around $300-400. Whats the new best thing? Please don't mention Sitka, I know they are great but not for me. Im protesting that movement.

Frog toggs

X2 on the Toggs👍👍

I’ve had good luck out of Rogers brand. They are the exact same thing as frogg toggs but you can find em cheaper

Whatever u get be careful if u cross a barb wire fence...ive poked holes in several

I love my rogers breathables.

X3

I’ve got one season in my drake guardian elite breathables. Really like them so far.

Tons of people are running the Banded waders now.

Gotta be hell running with waders on!

Be careful with the banded waders.

I will say this, I was going to buy Frogg Toggs waders but I had a few questions so I called them. They told me that the Rogers waders were the exact same, as in no blemishes or anything. They just make them for Rogers. Turns out that Frogg Toggs didn’t have my size, so I ordered the Rogers. The ONLY complaint I have is that their shoe size runs really big. I wear a 13 in all my past waders but the Rogers 13 is like a 14.5! If I start marching around in sticky mud, it pulls the boot right off, but I gave up hunting fields a while ago and only stand next to trees so it doesn’t matter anymore and I don’t mind dealing with it.

Rogers is having a sale/clearance right now on waders.

I've run em all. Will never buy another pair of lacrosse or Cabelas.

Banded gets my vote. I actually got almost two seasons out of my last pair which is remarkable. For the previous 16 seasons I've gotten less than one season out of any wader.

Rogers/FT would be my second vote.

Which bandeds are you wearing? Elite, red zones, black labels? This is the first year in a while that I’ve made it through an entire season with one pair wearing the drake guardian elites.

One of the best pair of waders I ever had was a pair of cabalas instinct hip waders. I still have them after 7-8 years. Dry as a bone, still. Of course I don't think they make them anymore.

I bought a $300 pair of lacrosse breathable a few years back that leaked from the get go. I sent them back after a couple seasons and they sent me a brand new pair...only things was one boot was a 10 and the other was an 11!

They since sent me a new pair and they don't seem to leak. I had a pair of breathable orvis fly fishing waders (without the boots) I bought in probably 2009. I fished in those a lot and they kept me dry.

Most companies make them just good enough to squeak by. And sometimes they don't even squeak by. I refuse to spend over $200-300 for a pair. I'm sure I'll continue to buy lemons from time to time.

Elites.

I know a lot complain about them, but mine have been great.

Breathable is definitely the way to go. I haven't bought waders in a few years, but 300-400 oughta buy a pretty nice pair.

With that being said. I've seen guys buy the cheap thin brown neoprene waders that have lost as long as the expensive ones.

Banded Elites this year did well. The breathable waders were easy on my back. Been wearing neoprene waders since they were introduced. The progression has been nice. Those old Red Balls
And Hodgdons of my early days were rough