Why I Sold My Orvis Ultralight Waders
In late 2019, I bought myself a pair of Orvis Ultralight Mens Convertible Waders. I was replacing some leaky Magellan brand waders that had lost their waterproof capabilities after a stumble I took while walking a muddy river bank. The excitement that comes with your first pair of “legit” waders is hard to describe. It’s a little bit like unboxing a new iPhone or slipping on a brand new pair of socks…it’s just good in a different way.
The quality of the waders was absolutely top notch. The material, the seams, the neoprene sock feet…all of it. I wore the waders on the water for three different fishing trips, two in our RV at Montauk State Park in Salem MO and one at Rockbridge Trout Ranch outside of Springfield MO.
I want to make something very clear, I think the Orvis Ultralight Waders are great waders…like really great waders…but I had four problems that I just couldn’t get over, and in the end, caused me to sell them in favor of…a cheaper pair of Simms waders.
Getting Into The Waders Is Difficult
Low Conversion Mode Isn’t Convenient
Magnetic Buttons Were Uncomfortable With A Backpack
No Kangaroo Pocket
First, the whole design feature that makes these waders “Convertible” is a set of shoulder straps that stay connected to the front and back of the waders at all times. The waders themselves ride up and down these straps using some internal loops and some magnetic buttons that keep the waders held up when fastened. Here is what’s important to know…if you put your waders on once a day…leave them on and them take them off at the end of your day…this won’t be a big deal for you. However, if like me you are taking your waders on and off 3-5 times a day, bouncing back and forth between the river and your campsite, it may be a bigger pain in the ass.
Secondly, I never found myself putting the waders into the “converted” low mode, freeing up the upper half of my body to cool down because the shoulder straps were still in place, often not as taught without the weight of the waders pulling them down. I found the straps falling off my shoulders if I hunched at all while in the lower converted mode.
Thirdly, I carry a camera, sometimes two. I carry a water bottle, my fishing gear and a bunch of other crap when I’m heading out to the river. I use the Patagonia Stormsurge Line of packs to keep my gear dry and organized. I did a full review of the 20L sling bag, you can see that here. Unfortunately, the magnetic buttons that Orvis uses on the Ultralight waders are quite thick and align exactly where the straps on my backpack fall. On longer walks, the buttons dig into my chest and require me to make regular adjustments. The button on the back is dead center along my spine and also digs in when wearing a backpack. I also found the button in the back extremely hard to reach when trying to fasten it while already wearing the waders.
Fourth and finally, the designers chose to omit a pass-through kangraroo pocket, providing the promised weight savings. I didn’t think this would be a big deal and figured I wouldn’t miss having a place to put my hands or warm them when they were cold. I was very wrong…it’s honestly the feature that bothered me the most. I found myself trying to put my hands away on a regular basis to only be frustrated it wasn’t there. Again, I’m not blaming Orvis here, I’m just saying it didn’t work FOR ME.
I want to be very clear…these are actually really good waders!
The quality, the look, the materials are all top notch. If they made this exact same wader with a traditional strapping system, in the same price range…I’d be super pumped.
I wanted to provide my feedback for MY USE CASE so you can make a more informed buying decision. If you travel to fish, keep your waders on most of the day and don’t carry a backpack…These might be absolutely perfect for you.
For me…they weren’t.
