Grundens Vector breathable chest waders review, best I’ve ever used? Very expensive at £500+ but the returns policy means they could last for many years
I don’t know how important breathable chest and indeed waist waders are to you and your fishing, but for me they are an indispensable part of my fishing and working life. I feel fairly confident suggesting that no other UK saltwater angler or fishing photographer has worn as many different pairs of breathable chest waders (BCWs) over nearly thirty years as me. From cheap as chips to horribly expensive, and from a pile of poo to really rather good, I have a hell of a lot of experience at thrashing the hell out of BCWs. I am a nightmare on them. I fish a lot, I take fishing photos a lot, I walk a lot, I wade a lot, I scramble a lot, indeed the only person I know of who puts his BCWs through more hell than me is John Quinlan of Thatch Cottage fishing, the lad I do my co-guiding work with in Kerry. If I was a wader company and I wanted my waders tested I’d send them to John…………
Thanks to Dave from Labrax Mafia for the use of this photo of me
There is one indisputable fact when it comes to using BCWs for the sort of saltwater based lure fishing I spend so much time talking about here - all BCWs are going to fail eventually in saltwater, end of. I don’t care how much you spend on them, they will eventually let in water. Where and when that water ends up coming in depends on many factors, from you the angler ripping a hole in your waders as you unsuccessfully vault a barbed-wire fence (done that), to a properly shite pair of BCWs leaking through the crotch seams on their very first day out (been there). Via nearly thirty years of using and abusing BCWs, nothing has changed my opinion so far - if I get a solid year of leak-free use then we’re good (obviously factoring in whether you the angler messes up and causes a leak yourself). Bear in mind what a year’s use is for me as well.
I was drawn to the Grundens brand straight away when I spoke to one of their Scandinavian designers at the Big One Show a couple of years ago, mainly because he was THE first person in the fishing tackle industry to immediately understand what I was talking about when I mentioned “neoprene compression”. Not only did he understand what I was on about, he then said that within the neoprene socks on these (expensive) Grundens Vector waders, certain elements had been incorporated to prevent what I have come to understand as “neoprene compression” becoming a cause of wader failure. I won’t bore you with the whole neoprene compression thing right now, but for me it’s arguably the single biggest factor when it comes to BCWs failing on me over the last ten years or so especially.
I don’t wear these Grudens Vector BCWs all the time for my fishing and photography and co-guiding work, but over the course of a solid year and a half or so of use I have thrashed the living daylights out of them. I actually have the zip version and it’s the first zip pair of BCWs which haven’t let in any water at all through the waterproof zip over a decent length of time. I really like zip-front BCWs, but they are more expensive again than the regular non-zip version and I don’t think it’s worth paying so much more just for the waterproof zip.
These Grundens Vector BCWs are a heavier duty pair of breathable waders. For sure they breathe as much as you’d expect a decent pair of BCWs to breathe, but you can find lighter-weight pairs of waders out there. The really good Vision Ikon BCWs for example are lighter to wear and move around in than these Grundens Vector, but it doesn’t half inspire a lot of confidence how well made these Grundens ones are. Here’s the spiel from the Grundens website: “Built with ruggedness and durability in mind, the Vector Wader is designed to maximize movement so that you can fish harder and adventure further both in and out of water. Featuring proprietary Grundéns wading mobility patterning for ease of movement when navigating your river of choice, Vector doubly focuses on best-in-class ruggedness and durability with an all-new puncture resistant 4-layer wader laminate that won’t beat up the way we know you beat up your waders. Complete with molded-in kneepads, anatomically shaped, size specific, warming stockingfeet, The Vector Wader paves the path for a truly better wading experience”.
Features:
Ultra-Dense Poly-Nylon Outer Fabric: 4-layer bi-component puncture resistant laminate providing a 30K waterproof submerged rating.
Grundéns Wading Mobility Patterning: Designed for ease of movement on and off the river.
Anatomically Shaped, Size-Specific Stockingfeet: Features dual density TiAlpha warming neoprene for added comfort.
Vertical Zip Entry Chest Storage Pockets: Includes water resistant zippered hand-warmer pockets for convenience.
Molded-In Knee Pads: Provides extra protection and comfort during wading.
Stretch-Woven Gravel Guards: Helps keep debris out while wading.
2" HD Stretch Safety Wading Belt: Ensures a secure fit and additional safety while in the water.
I am a regular XL in these Grundens Vector BCWs and they fit me perfectly at exactly 6’ tall and “well built”. The shoulder straps are brilliant and I really like the high quality, stretchy wading belt that is supplied. The zip has seized solid on one of the little outer pockets which is a pain, but I don’t tend to store stuff in any of my wader pockets so it doesn’t affect me. All the other zips on the various pockets are just fine so I don’t know why they skimped on materials when it comes to one little outer pocket, but as ever, saltwater is a killer of most things and most BCWs are designed primarily for freshwater fly fishing use.
Heavier duty these things might well be, but I think that’s a good thing for the sort of fishing, photography and guiding I do. I find these Grundens Vector BCWs very easy to move around in and I wasn’t suffering any more or less than any of our anglers out in Kerry recently when the weather was just mad for the west coast of Ireland. I don’t think the “anatomically shaped, size specific, warming stockingfeet” are shaped as well as on various Simms waders I have used over the years, but these Grundens ones are fine with any wading boots I have been using, and most importantly they haven’t succumbed to any “neoprene compression” issues yet. So I take the neoprene socks on these Vectors as a win.
Thanks to Dave from Labrax Mafia for the use of this photo of me
I like the design of the inbuilt gravel guards and for the most part they work okay, but when you’ve got waves rolling in or there’s a lot of turbulence then they definitely ride up a bit and let bits and pieces of sand and small pebbles in. It has never been a real problem and in most respects the gravel guards are a clever design - but I’d like to see some sort of way to stop them riding up when the sea conditions are rolling in at you and stuff is swirling around in the water. In no way a deal-breaker, but you can tell that when prototypes of these waders were tested that the testers were not fishing in hectic saltwater conditions otherwise they’d have picked up on this.
What sets these Grundens Vector BCWs apart for me is their returns and repair policy
“Warranty and Long-Term Use - All Grundéns waders come with a two-year warranty covering manufacturing defects. After the warranty period, the product is still supported through our repair service. This means you can continue using your waders with confidence, knowing there is a solution when wear occurs. More details on our warranty policy can be found here”.
So we’ve got a pair of expensive BCWs which I think are bloody good and which have already provided me with leak-free fishing, photography and guiding for a longer period than I would hope for. Aside from being very comfortable to move around in, what sets these Grundens Vector BCWs apart for me is their returns and repair policy which you can read about here. For sure you are going to have to pay if it’s your fault that the waders are faulty (barbed-wire!) or it’s gone over the two year warranty period, but I really like the fact that literally every single thing on the waders can be repaired or replaced. I have seen the repair price list and it includes everything on there that I think could fail, including the option to return your waders for say a yearly or bi-yearly “service” and get the lot done.
Thanks to Dave from Labrax Mafia for the use of this photo of me
Yep, we’re talking about some expensive BCWs here, but with how vital BCWs are to my fishing and work AND with the option to keep the waders going potentially for years and years if you are prepared to pay to properly look after them much like you would service your car? Count me very much in. At some point these Grundens Vector waders will leak on me because all BCWs eventually will, but when you include that potential to keep them going for so long, I feel pretty confident that these are the best BCWs I have come across so far. You all have a good weekend…………
Disclosure - If you buy anything using links found around my website, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you anymore to buy via these affiliate links - and please feel entirely free not to do so of course - but it will help me to continue producing content. Thank you.