Grundéns Boundary Stockingfoot Waders Review

The new Grundéns Boundary Stockingfoot Waders use a high-quality GORE-TEX Pro fabric to create a durable yet comfortable wader. Even though the Boundary series represents the first fishing waders made by Grundéns, they’re surprisingly good and very competitive with other high-quality waders.

To get us a closer look, Grundéns sent Man Makes Fire a review unit. After testing the Grundéns Boundary Stockingfoot Waders while fly fishing in Idaho rivers, this is what we learned:

Review: Grundéns Boundary Stockingfoot Waders

The key to understanding the Grundéns Boundary Stockingfoot Waders is to understand the sum of all the parts. While there aren’t any radical new design elements, each component of the wader — including the burly waist built — was designed with purpose. The result is a very fishable wader.

The biggest benefit to the Grundéns Boundary Stockingfoot Waders is their outstanding comfort, which comes from the multi-layer GORE-TEX Pro fabric implementation and includes the roomy cut and very adjustable, no-fuss shoulder straps.

Grundéns also makes a men’s zippered version, which uses the same materials but splits the pockets to account for the waterproof zipper.

The Grundéns implementation of GORE-TEX Pro in its new Boundary Stockingfoot Waders is downright excellent

At their core, the Grundéns Boundary Stockingfoot Waders are rugged-yet-supple, waterproof-yet-breathable, and . . . comfortable.

 

Outstanding Comfort

The comfort comes from the cut, the suppleness of the multi-layered fabric, the breathability, and the shoulder straps. First, let’s talk about the cut.

With the Boundary Waders, Grundéns errors on the side of roomy vs trim. I’ll talk about sizing recommendations in more detail below, but the point here is that a bit of extra fabric in the torso and plenty of inseam tends to increase comfort. While the Grundéns Boundary Stockingfoot Waders aren’t as ‘baggy’ as cheap entry level waders, they don’t seem quite as trim as competitive regular-sized waders from Patagonia, Orvis and Simms.

Of course, some competitive waders also offer a greater number of size options, including “King” size options, which basically means the King sizes have bigger torsos while the regular sizes do not. Grundéns doesn’t offer a King size option with its first batch of waders, so for fit, Grundéns seems to have chosen a middle ground that should work well for many body types.

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GORE-TEX Pro Waterproof/Breathable Fabric

Grundéns is most known for making high-quality fishing apparel and footwear, including waterproof rain gear. Even though the Grundéns Boundary Wader Collection — and the company’s Fly Collection — are new, the company behind the new gear is not.

To further this point, you have to be able to produce very high-quality apparel in order to get a license to use GORE-TEX at all. GORE-TEX Pro is basically a thin waterproof/breathable membrane sandwiched between two more durable fabrics. For fishing waders, the waterproof part should be obvious, but for many new fly fishers the breathable part isn’t so obvious. Basically, when you’re out doing something, like fishing, your body is producing water vapor. You want this water vapor to exit to the outside of the wader and not build up on the inside. Cheap waders don’t breathe well and can get clammy on the inside — which is one reason to invest in a better pair of waders.

 

Great Breathability

One of the ways I like to test wader breathability is to wear them fly fishing on a hot summer day when I’d rather be wet wading without waders at all. In this test situation, I’m more likely to heat up fast and produce more water vapor that could get trapped inside my waders, leading to a clammy, uncomfortable feeling.

The Grundéns Boundary Stockingfoot Waders breathe remarkably well. When I wore them for a few hours in full sun with temps rising into the 80s while wading in an Idaho river fishing for cutthroat trout this summer, I stayed comfortable.

The Grundéns Boundary Stockingfoot Waders seemed to breathe as well as the Orvis Ultralight Convertible Wader, which is my usual go-to wader for hot-weather wading because it’s a lighter weight fabric.

In fact, the Grundéns implementation of GORE-TEX Pro in its new Boundary Stockingfoot Waders is downright excellent. I was pleased. If you’re an active fly fisher who likes to cover ground on the water even on warm summer days, you’ll likely be happy with the Boundary Stockingfoot Waders.

As a side note, if you’re quite active, you might consider the zippered version. Why? In addition to easier entry, exit and calls of nature, I like zippered waders because they give you another option to release heat quickly on shore — kind of like underarm vents in rain jackets.

 

Stellar Shoulder Straps

The Grundéns Boundary Stockingfoot Wader shoulder straps look simple, but they’re well engineered.

What seems like a thin-but-wide Y-shaped shoulder strap turns out to be very adjustable — and comfortable. First, the shoulder strap itself is relatively wide, which spreads the load on your shoulders. Second, it also holds its shape well so it doesn’t roll or fold too easily. Third, it’s built with a two-way stretch in one direction. What’s this do? When you bend down, scramble over a log, or step into or out of a boat, the shoulder strap stretches a bit rather than digs into your shoulder.

The shoulder strap system also gives you front and rear adjustability. You can slide the back of the Y shape section up or down via a secure double-sided slot of Velcro. You get three inches of adjustment.

On the front, you have traditional slider adjustments that also give you another 3 inches of adjustment.

The 6 total inches of adjustment makes it easy to fit your particular back and shoulders. Plus, you’ll retain the great fit characteristics even if you end up wearing extra layers for cold-weather fishing.

Shop the Grundéns Boundary Stockingfoot Waders at Backcountry.com and get FREE Shipping on orders over $50!

Burly Waist Belt

For many other fly fishing waders, the waist belt seems like an after thought. What makes the Grundéns’ waist belt stand out from the competition is its burly design. It’s a stout wading belt that seems unlikely to wear out and lose elasticity any time soon. Another benefit of a wider, thicker wading belt is that it’s easier to grab and attach without twisting.

And to that usability point, Grundéns placed two belt loops on the rear of the wader — one on each side — to ensure that your wading belt is always in position and ready to go. Some competing waders use a single loop in the middle of the back — which makes it harder to keep track of when you’re focused on getting into the wader to go fishing. It’s a relatively small detail, but one you’ll likely appreciate.

 

Interesting Gravel Guards

One of the more controversial design choices comes to the built-in gravel guards: They don’t have a built-in hook to attach to your wading boot laces. Grundéns says this is to remove one more thing that can catch your fly line — because so many of these hooks come off your laces while you fish. They’re not wrong. It happens.

So what’s to keep the gravel guard from riding up your boots as you walk and wade? They’re made of a densely-woven stretch mesh that hugs your boot and drains well. For me, it works great, particularly with my go-to Korkers Devil’s Canyon Wading Boots that use a BOA lacing system.

Booties

The Grundéns booties are roomy and comfortable. They’re not as anatomically shaped as they are in the Patagonia Swiftcurrent Expedition Waders, which are also lined with a quilted nylon interior, but they have 4mm of neoprene on the bottoms and I have no complaints.

The key difference from other booties, Grunden’s says, is the use of two layers of Titanium-Alpha, which is a titanium coating. What does it do? It’s supposed to repel cold and increase heat retention back to your feet — by up to 40%. Does it work? I’m not sure. The waders are relatively new and I haven’t had a chance to try them in the winter when every bit of warmth is more of a big deal. If you suffer from cold feet, Grundéns doesn’t strike me as the sort of company to make bold claims like this without at least some reasonable functional improvement, so this might be worth trying.

Check Grundéns for in-stock options here . . . or jump down to Get the Gear for more buying options!

Should I Buy the Zippered Version?

If you’re wondering if you should or should not choose the Boundary Zip Stockingfoot Wader vs the non-zippered Boundary Stockingfoot Wader, the decision is easy: If you have the budget available, get the Boundary Zip Stockingfoot Wader. Full stop. The only reason to not choose a high-quality zippered wader is if you’re unwilling to pay more for the zipper. But are zippers reliable? YKK Aquaseal waterproof zippers have been around for many years. They’re burly and proven and with occasional lubrication, usually last just as long as the waders themselves.

Functionally, here are the key benefits: Zippered waders are easier to get into, which is handy when you’re standing on the edge of the road trying to get your waders on so you can go fish. They’re also better for calls of nature. On hot summer days, you can release a lot of heat by unzipping the zipper. These features are especially appreciated by aging fly fishers. Youngsters who are still very nimble would likely rather save the cost difference in favor of other gear.

From an organizational perspective, the zipper cuts the front pocket in half, so you lose one large pocket in favor of two smaller pockets.

Shop the full Grundéns Boundary Waders lineup at AvidMax and get FREE Shipping on orders over $25!

Sizing Recommendations

As I mentioned above, the Boundary Wader cut is a bit roomy. I’m 6’3″ and weigh 220 pounds. Our X-Large Tall 12-13 fits me just a bit looser than I prefer — but I’m also a difficult fit. I have a long inseam with broad shoulders and a relatively flat waist. If I had a shorter inseam, I’m pretty sure the Large Tall would also work for me — but I always error toward longer inseams so I can maintain better agility over rough terrain. Even though I’m on the low end of the torso portion of the size chart, compared to similarly sized XL waders I’ve worn and tested over the years, the Grundéns fit is just a bit big.

What do I recommend? If you’re on the low end of Grundén’s size chart, you can likely size down to get a trimmer fit. If you’re in the middle or upper size range, I recommend that you stick with the Grundéns size chart, which should also give you room to layer for colder weather.

Similarly, I think the booties fit about a half-size large — which I appreciate very much. I’m technically about a 13.5 shoe size but, because no one makes size 13.5 shoes, I wear 14 shoes and boots. The 12-13 Grundéns booties fit my foot perfectly with enough room to add a thick wool sock. If you’re a size 14, I think there’s a good chance you could wear the 12-13 bootie size.

Check the ‘What’s my size?’ Boundary Waders Size Charts at Grundéns before you buy!

Competitive Alternatives & Options

If you’re looking for a great set of waders, check our 10 Best Fly Fishing Waders for the Money guide. We include entry-level waders as well as the very best quality waders from industry heavyweights Simms, Orvis and Patagonia. In the meantime, if you’re interested in the Grundéns Boundary Waders, these competitive alternatives might also meet your needs:

Simms G3 Guide Waders — The Simms G3 Guide Wader is widely regarded as one of the best all-around waders you can buy. Like the Grundéns Boundary Waders, you get GORE-TEX Pro fabric. The biggest benefit is that you get outstanding Simms quality in a wader that’s also made in America. Grundéns waders are made in China. If American manufacturing is important to you, Simms is your answer — but only with their GORE-TEX-based waders. Other Simms waders are imported (just like every other wader in America). The biggest drawback is the higher price point and smaller in-stock bootie sizes, which max out at a true 12-13.

Orvis PRO Waders — Instead of GORE-TEX, the Orvis PRO Waders use a burly 5-layer CORDURA fabric shell in the lower legs. One key benefit of the Orvis Pro Waders over the Grundéns Boundary Stockingfoot Waders is the inclusion of removable OrthoLite knee pads on the interior of the waders. It’s nice if you like to drop to one knee for fish photos.

Patagonia Swiftcurrent Expedition Waders — The Patagonia Swiftcurrent Expedition Waders use a burly 4-layer fabric that’s thicker than the lowers in the Grundéns waders. To maintain agility, Patagonia does a good job with its gusseted crotch and articulated legs. If you want to error toward durability, Patagonia is a good choice. For better overall comfort, particularly in warmer weather, the Grundéns Boundary Waders have a slight edge.

The Bottom Line

The Grundéns Boundary Stockingfoot Waders deliver excellent waterproof/breathability with its 3- and 4-layer GORE-TEX Pro fabric. They’re very comfortable, well made, and surprisingly supple. Plus, the two-way adjustable shoulder straps are a winner. Very highly recommended.

Get the Gear:

• Grundéns Boundary Stocking Foot Waders – men’s
• Grundéns Boundary Zip Stocking Foot Waders – men’s
• Grundéns Women’s Boundary Stocking Foot Waders – women’s

Check pricing & availability:

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