Best Women’s Wader Jackets 2023 – Buyer’s Guide

// By Leonard Schoenberger
Leonard Schoenberger
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If you’re an avid fly fisher, or like to spend at the water, you will surely have seen a wading jacket.

Most commonly worn by fishermen or anglers, these sturdy and durable pieces of clothing play a key role in keeping you dry even in the worst conditions. 

Oftentimes during fly fishing, it is necessary to go into the water to have a better chance at catching something. Needless to say, getting wet is an expected part of fishing, and that’s also why wading jackets have become an essential part of fly fishing equipment! In this article, we will be looking at the different types of wading jackets for women.

Table of Contents

Most Important Features of Women’s Wading Jackets

5 Best Women’s Wader Jackets 2023 – Quick Answer Guide

Best Women’s Wading Jackets Reviewed

Conclusion

FAQs

What are the Most Important Features in Women’s Wading Jackets?

Wading jackets, often known as fly fishing or fishing jackets, are created primarily for wading, as the name implies, such that, the cut is noticeably smaller than standard rain coats. This allows you to go deeper without getting soaked. A decent wading jacket must do two things, to keep the wearer dry and to be breathable. The majority of current wading jackets are constructed of polyester or nylon textiles. Most of them have a polyurethane membrane for maximum protection.

Aside from these essential qualities, the greatest wading jackets offer huge chest pockets where you may store your fly boxes. They frequently have loops and nippers for attaching gear such as fly fishing pliers. Furthermore, they should feature sealed wrist cuffs that allow you to drop a fish in the water without getting your sleeves wet on the inside. The better ones also have rear pockets for additional storage and a D-loop for attaching a fly fishing net. Let’s have a look at some of the top wading jackets for women on the market.

Casting in the rain at lake Walchensee - fishing lake trout. Review of the best women's wader jackets 2021
A quality fishing jacket is essential to have fun fishing in the worst conditions

5 Best Women’s Wader Jackets 2023 – Quick Answer Guide

Simms Challenger Women’s Fishing Jacket

Filson Women’s Swiftwater Rain Jacket

Orvis Women’s PRO Wading Jacket

Patagonia Women’s River Salt Jacket

Simms Women’s G3 Guide Wading Fishing Jacket

Best Womens Wading Jackets 2023

Notice: The Wading List is reader-supported. We take part in the Amazon Associates Program and earn a small commission at no extra cost for you if you end up making a purchase. We only recommend products we are convinced of and use ourselves. Thanks!

Simms Challenger Women’s Fishing Jacket

The Simms Challenger Women’s Fishing Jacket is designed for rainy and windy days and is filled with waterproof materials. It contains an inside pocket to keep valuables dry, a 3-point adjustable hood for extra protection from the environment, and flexible cuffs for a tight fit. This jacket has a robust, waterproof shell that will keep you warm and dry on those cold, rainy, windy fishing days.

The Simms Challenger Women’s Fishing Jacket is a waterproof fishing jacket designed specifically for women. It has a hood built for high speeds and torrential rain, with the previously stated 3-point adjustment, wind and water drainage holes, a collar base, and a high collar for severe weather shielding. 

When not in use, the hood folds up in a centre rear collar tab. There’s also a weatherproof storm flap on the center-front zipper, a zippered chest pocket with a detachable sunglass chamois, and an internal zippered chest pocket for necessities. 

Additionally, the Simms Challenger Women’s Fishing Jacket features zippered hand warmer pockets with an adjustable waist cinch inside, as well as articulated sleeves and adjustable cuffs for mobility and comfort. There are also zipped hand warmer pockets with an adjustable waist cinch inside, articulated sleeves, and adjustable cuffs for movement and comfort. 

The cherry on top of this fantastic wading jacket is a cinchable hemline with a kill switch D-loop that you can use when running to the honey hole!

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Filson Swiftwater Women’s Rain Jacket

The Filson Swiftwater Women’s Rain Jacket is impermeable, flexible, and exceptionally lightweight, and is intended to keep you comfy even when it rains. It’s made of a 2.5-layer nylon laminate with a durable mesh pattern etched on the inside and is small enough to fit in with the rest of your gear. 

Unexpected rainstorms won’t catch you off guard with water-resistant zippers and a two-way adjustable hood. The front closure and hand pockets on this jacket are also closed with YKK AquaGuard zippers. The Filson Swiftwater Women’s Rain Jacket also boasts a microfleece-backed chin guard, a connected hood with 2-way drawcord adjustment and a reinforced brim, and a drawcord-adjustable hem. 

With the included Velcro construction, the cuffs of this jacket may be altered in size. It may also be packed into its own compact bag and has a 20K/15K waterproof/breathable rating. 

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Orvis Women’s PRO Wading Jacket

Orvis Women's PRO Wading Jacket: One of the best ladies wading jackets
Orvis Women’s PRO: One of the best ladies wading jackets

This is a wading jacket that makes no compromises on its quality. A guide class wading jacket created just for ladies, the Orvis Women’s PRO Wading Jacket is comprised of a three-layer proprietary woven shell that is extremely robust. 

This jacket is made of resistant and flexible fabric and has completely taped seams for extra weatherproofing. This product also has a DWR finish (Durable Water Repellent), which repels water from the fabric surface, as well as a 20K Waterproof and 15K Breathability classification. 

For extra comfort, the Orvis Women’s PRO Wading Jacket boasts a brushed micro-suede chin guard and zipped hand warmer pockets. A great wader jacket for the serious female fly fisher!

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Patagonia Women’s River Salt Jacket

The River Salt Jacket is one of the strongest and most resilient wading jackets on the market today, featuring a robust, 4-layer waterproof/breathable H2No Performance Standard twill microfiber shell designed for the most demanding situations. 

This jacket also has strong zippers, including two water-repellent front-zip pockets suitable for fly boxes, a water resistant and corrosion-resistant YKK front zip, and all other zips are constructed of plastic to avoid corrosion. The Patagonia Women’s River Salt Jacket also has a flexible, vented hood with a single-pull adjuster that fits snugly and stays in place even at fast boat speeds. 

This item also incorporates waterproof adjustable cuffs and a mesh-lined shell that drains excess water and houses an elastic drawcord at the hem. The finish on this jacket is DWR. 

The DWR finish is a coating applied to the fabric of some waterproof/weatherproof clothes that helps water build up and roll off the outside fabric; this protects the wearer from being soaked from the outside and becoming chilly, clammy, or damp, which might be life-threatening under extreme temperatures.

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Simms G3 Guide Women’s Wading Fishing Jacket

The Simms G3 Guide Women’s Wading Fishing Jacket, designed and thoroughly tested by female anglers, sets the norm for fishing utility and ups the ante with Gore-Tex 3L fabric for pro-caliber protection from wild conditions. 

This wading jacket has a single-adjustment storm hood, fly box-compatible chest pockets, huge rear game pockets accessible via the front hand warmer pockets, and shingled, no-catch waterproof cuffs. The Simms G3 Guide Women’s Wading Fishing Jacket is available in two colors: Mocha (pictured above) and a light green color (that Simms calls Seafoam).

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Conclusion on the Best Women’s Wader Jackets 2023

Well there you have it, five of the best women’s wading jackets on the market today. You can now easily choose your favorite from these options, as you won’t go wrong with any of them! Fly fishing can be an extremely fun and rewarding hobby, but you should always make sure you are in the right gear and are carrying the right equipment. 

If you think you can get away with fly fishing in a normal jacket, thing again! The wading jackets we have covered today are specifically designed to deal with the harshest elements the environment can throw at you.

FAQs: Women’s Wader Jackets 2023

Why is a Wading Jacket Essential for Fly Fishing?

All fly fishers need to be protected from the elements. It’s true that good fishing will almost surely not overlap with clear skies, so keep in mind that your outer shell needs to be waterproof, weatherproof, and breathable. The jacket will also be used to store a range of supplies, such as flies, leads, food, and some water, so it is critical to have pockets that are the right size and form and are simple to reach.

What is the Best Breathable Material for a Fishing Jacket Women?

Nowadays the available jacket varieties on the market are extensive, but to cut it down, just examine jackets made of breathable fabrics. GORE-TEX is the most well-known of them; this material is not only completely waterproof, but it also enables moisture created from your exertion to travel through the fabric and back into the air. 

GORE-TEX is presently solely licensed for usage in fishing apparel by Simms. Numerous manufacturers provide materials with comparable qualities, and many of them have shown to operate effectively in the field and may be less costly.

What is DWR?

Durable Water Repellency (DWR) is a method of coating the fabric after a laminate or membrane has been sprayed to build a defensive shield against droplets of water on the upper shell. 

DWR, a synthetic treatment, is not waterproof, but it helps prevent condensation formation, allowing for more breathability and allowing less moisture to contact your skin. DWR should be reapplied and retracted to increase its effectiveness. 

Because DWR is applied to the fabric’s face, it is frequently impacted by dust and oils, which quickly coat the DWR layer, reducing effectiveness. Regular cleaners may also eliminate DWR, thus it should always be handled with a particular substance that can refresh it.

Notice: The Wading List is reader-supported. We take part in the Amazon Associates Program and earn a small commission at no extra cost for you if you end up making a purchase. We only recommend products we are convinced of and use ourselves. Thanks!