Fly Fisherman's 2025 Gear Guide Best New Wader: Simms Flyweight Packable Wader

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Click here to see a preview of all the 2025 Gear Guide Award Winners.

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In the past few years there’s been some griping that top-end waders are far too expensive, with too many bells and whistles. There are now  plenty of alternatives in 2025 with three top brands introducing breathable waders that have all the essentials, but are significantly simpler and more affordable. Simms, for example, has incredibly lightweight, packable three-season waders for under $400.

This wader has a single zippered chest pocket and the whole wader folds in and out of it, forming a compact, lightweight pouch that’s easy to clip onto the outside of a pack, onto your raft frame, or stow under a seat. The whole package weighs 30 ounces. Our tester used the Flyweight Packable Wader for early September small-stream fishing when the weather made it unclear if he’d be wet wading or if he’d need waders. It’s the ultimate shoulder-season backup—keep it in your boat or truck just in case you need it. You can also start chilly mornings in the wader, and by the time lunch rolls around you can reverse the wader back into the pouch without creating storage problems. It goes without saying these are the waders you need for backpacking into icy alpine lakes, or for Alaska float plane lodges where your baggage weight limit is tightly controlled. With these waders, your allowance can now include a bottle of whiskey.

The newest Simms wader uses breathable four-layer Toray QuadraLam fabric in the lower leg. It’s the same tough fabric used throughout Simms Freestone waders and has proved extremely durable. The upper wader is a newer lightweight Toray fabric that is much lighter and super breathable. Another secret to the packability of this wader is the 1mm embossed neoprene booties that are foldable, rollable, compact, and dry quickly. The upper wader slides down the suspenders for a waist-high conversion and there is a drawcord at the top for deep wading or use under a jacket. The suspenders adjust with Duraflex buckles and click into place with Shimada Snaps.

$379.99 | tridentflyfishing.com

To read all of the nitty gritty, field-tested reviews of new fly-fishing gear for 2025, grab a copy of Gear Guide 2025 at https://www.osgnewsstand.com/product/ff-gear-guide-2025.

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