10 Best Fishing Vests In 2022

How To Choose The Best Fishing Vest – Buying Guide

Material

Obviously a fishing vest isn’t used as a normal vest, it’s not going to keep you dry if it rains and it’s not going to really keep you warm when it gets cold. It’s there to provide you with easy access to your vital pieces of equipment such as your clippers, weights and toppers among other items. Therefore the material they are made out of needs to be strong enough to handle the items but also breathable as well.

Fishing vests are generally made out of mesh and traditional fabric which often doesn’t look the most stylish but you’re not out there for a catwalk, you’re out there to catch fish and these vests will help you do just that. While all of the vests that we have reviewed here contain some sort mesh, some vests contain a lot of it than other.

This doesn’t really make a difference when it comes to the quality of the vest and is more of a personal preference. If you’re in a colder climate then a vest of mostly fabric might be the best option for an added layer of warmth whereas a mesh vest will be a more breathable option.

Pockets

The whole point of a fishing vest is to have pockets and storage available so you’d think that it would be a case of the more, the better but this isn’t always going to be the case. With pockets you need to work out what exactly you need and what items you intend to be carrying. Once you know that then you’ll know how many pockets you’ll need.

Sometimes it can be a case of having too many options and this depends on what type of person that you are. Some of these vests have pockets inside the pockets as well as having dividers inside of the pockets. For a lot of people, these are just unwanted extras that they’d never use, for others they are key features to keep everything where it should be.

You’ll know what type of person you are and before you buy a vest it’s good to look at one and make a plan for each pocket and think about what it will be used for, that way when it comes to wearing it you won’t be left short by having too few pockets or you won’t be left confused by having far more than you use.

Accessory Clips

When it comes to any equipment in and around the water the humble D-ring often makes an appearance as it can be a harmless extra that is put onto clothes and equipment that can come in very useful every now and again.

In a fishing sense this can be useful for such pieces of equipment such as clippers where they can be easily attached to the D-ring until you need to use them again. They are great for any time when you just want to get your hands a bit more free for a moment to do something else but they aren’t really a permanent storage solution.

With the number of storage options you have in terms of pockets, D-rings really aren’t that important and you could happily live without them. Some companies go overboard and attach too many to your bag but you only ever really need a couple of them at most.

Comfort

These are vests that you will most likely be wearing for a long time so it’s vital that they are comfortable. One of the key areas in that respect id weight as you want to ensure that the vest is going to be light enough and won’t weigh you down. The vests that we have reviewed here all have minimal weight and won’t strain you too much.

When you start to fill up your life vest with all your essential items though, it can start to weigh a significant amount and therefore you want to ensure that you have the right padding in place around the shoulder or on the neck and the vest needs to be adjustable so you can get it in the right position.

With comfort as well also comes the factor of wearing a fishing vest on top of your clothing. On a hot day this could very quickly become very uncomfortable so having a mesh back is vital in order to make sure that you don’t overheat, having an open fishing vest can help in this regard too.

Also you need to consider what you’re going to be doing while wearing the vest. If you’re just fly fishing from a bank then you won’t require as much freedom of movement as you would if you’re fishing from a kayak where you’d be paddling. If you’re going to be doing a physical activity then you need to ensure that the vest won’t make you uncomfortable.

Design And Color

The fishing vest was obviously not made to be a style classic as it is there to serve a purpose but some of them do look better than others. Of course though, they do have a similar style as they need to give you access to those pockets but those pockets need to be in the right location and designed in a way to make it as easy as possible to quickly get your items.

Some of these vests have a lower profile and some are a bit bulkier and a lot of that comes down to preference. The same can be said for how much fabric the vest has as some are a lot more open. One big design difference though is whether or not you want any buoyancy from your vest and this naturally depends on whether you are going to be on or in the water.

If you’re fishing from a kayak using a fishing kayak, for example, you want to be wearing some buoyancy in case you find yourself in the water but if you’re on a jetty then there is less of a need for this. Other great features to look out for in terms of fishing vests is that they have enough space to move your arms around freely and there is enough support on the vest that you’d be able to wear it all day.

As with many items when it comes it fishing, a lot of it boils down to what you need and what works for you might not work for someone else. For example, if you’re going to be wading through water then you’d want a vest that rides high and well clear of your hips but if you’ll always be out of the water, this isn’t an issue. It’s important to check what your needs are than then you can choose the design and color to match that.

You might also like:  Top Fishing Jackets

Durability

A fishing vest isn’t like a vest that you’d be wearing on a night out as it’s going to be in a lot more difficult situations, but used a lot more and deal with more difficult conditions than any standard piece of clothing, due to that they have to be well-made and last you for a long time.

A company that focuses on build-quality will very often tell you how proud they are of their quality so it can often be easy to see which companies pride themselves on it and which don’t. That being said, durability is a very difficult thing to judge off a product listing and this is where it can be great to look at user reviews to see what people who have actually worn the vest are saying.

Another good marker of whether a product is well-made or not is if they offer any type of guarantee or warranty on their vest in case anything goes wrong, this is a useful thing to have as a fishing vest is one that is going to take a lot of punishment over the course of its life.

All the products we have reviewed here are quality and are made by some of the most respected companies on the market so that will also give you confidence. What is for sure is that if you buy a cheap and poorly made vest, you’d soon regret it as if it breaks it would leave you very frustrated.

Water Resistant

Water resistance is something that is a nice feature to have in a fishing vest but not a critical one as your fishing supplies getting a little wet wouldn’t be much of an issue in most circumstances and if you’re going to be fishing off land then this becomes even less of an issue.

A level of water resistance is a good thing though and a lot of these vests have a material that is coated in a layer that will be resistant to water to stop it getting through to you and this can be useful in protecting your belongings from any rain or splashes that they might face along the way.

Another good feature to have if you’re going to be very close to the water is a waterproof casing that can come with some models as this could protect your phone or other electronics should an accident happen and you find yourself in the water. These types of items can be bought separately though so they’re not critical.

Ventilation And Breathability

Fishing can be hard work and sometimes trying to find the right clothing when temperatures increase can be a challenge. Fishing vests can make this more difficult as they are a layer of clothing that you don’t really take into account and they work at their best when they don’t try to be.

What I mean by that is that you don’t want to feel the presence of your vest as, for example, if it had a full fabric back then this could make you feel very uncomfortable as it makes you overheat and sweat. You want your vest to allow air to flow through it.

That way you’ll be able to dress for whatever weather you’re going to be in and don’t have to worry about if your vest is going to make you too hot when you’ve got it on. If you’re going to be in colder climates then this is less of an issue but having mesh build into your vest can be a great way to keep it light and breathable.

FAQs

Globo Surf Overview

A top rated fly fishing vest can make your time out in the water a lot more convenient as you don’t have to constantly go back to your tackle box in order to get your supplies. You might be looking for a trout fishing vest or you could just be the type of person who wants to have everything close by even if you have access to a tackle box.

Whatever your reason for wanting a fishermen vest, you want to ensure that you’re getting one of the best products on the market and that means looking at all the essential features to judge which will be the best for you. Pockets are probably the biggest consideration in this regard as the number can vary from one product to the next so it’s important to judge how many you need.

Other factors are important too such as making sure that the vest is made out of good enough material, seeing if it has accessory clips, making sure that the design suits you and ensuring that it’s durable enough for your adventure. You need to take all these aspects into account before making a decision on the right product for you.

If you’re going to be over deep water then you will want a fishing flotation vest but these aren’t as popular as regular vests so looking specifically for a PFD fishing vest is required if you want to stay safe while you’re out there on the water.

Hopefully this buying guide has answered all of your questions in regards to fishing vests so that you can go out there with confidence knowing that you’re going to have all the pockets in all the right places. Getting the best fishing vest will ensure that your day out on the water is as relaxed and enjoyable as you were hoping it would be.

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• Boonie Hats
• Fishing Gloves
• Fishing Shirts 
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