The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Seeland are definitely a bit less top end than Le Cham. Aigle parcours/parcours iso are the shooting industry standard by which others are judged. Le Cham do have a 3 year warranty on some of their top end stuff. I personally wouldn't be seen dead in French wellingtons Have a look at Uttings/Sportsmans Gun Centre - they are one and the same company - often have good clearance deals

About 12 years ago I was on holiday and realised I had left my wellies at home, Mole valley Farmers were just down the road, so I went inside and was looking at an amazing array of wellies, when a farmer who was buying some overtrousers saw me , and said if I was looking for Wellingtons then I should go for the Bekina Steplights, he had a pair that he used every day , they kept his feet warm in the worst weather, they were not too heavy , and they were the toughest wellies he had ever had .
I thought that I would not ever be wearing a pair of wellies every day, so as they were not going to break the bank I may as well try them. I did not need steel toecaps, but when I tried them on I could not believe they had them fitted as they were anything but heavy or uncomfortable .

It was the best money I have ever spent, I do a lot of beach fishing , crunching along the shingle, sand and mud a lot in the winter chasing cod ,on frozen sand , climbing cliffs , in the summer I wear them when out on the boats, and I wear them when coarse fishing in the rivers . They are the warmest and most comfortable boots I have worn, and that is including so called thermal boots.

https://www.moleonline.com/bekina-safety-wellington

I have every confidence in them and would recommend them as price for price they are worth five times what I paid for them, and far better than any others I have owned .

David

I always found the plain rubber wellies were no use for keeping feet warm... the Neoprene ones are superb in this respect... toasty toes...

I am in a similar predicament as my nearly 20 year old Gates wellies have developed a split!
The cold seems to be effecting me more now than I can remember in the past but a replacement pair of neoprene wellies of decent quality that would hopefully last a good few years are all a bit spendy for me, so I have decided to go down the cheap boot, Merino wool and boot liner route.
I brought my wife a pair of neoprene Seeland wellies approximately 8 years ago and they have just started leaking as well! They were great, quite heavy, with a sole like a walking boot but had good protection for ankles and heels and kept her feet nice and warm but they no longer make them.
From what I can gather Hunter outsourced their manufacturing in 2008 and quality issues came to the fore but with some clever marketing they have become the must-have accessory for the festival going brigade-almost a 'use once and bin it' mentality.
I am going to try some JCB Hydromaster boots, on offer at less than £20 from the local workwear shop. If they last all well and good, if not then I haven't lost too much.

Catfish.017 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 22, 2021 8:32 pm My last two pairs have been basic Dunlop lasting almost three years. £15 to £20

Yer can't beat Dunlop for price. Had mine four years and still like new!

le Chameau were good but theyre not made in France anymore and word is theyre not so good now. I got a pair of their waders a couple years ago and have not been happy with them. Been replaced once. Aigle supposed to be good still. I have had a pair for very many years and still good. Pricey but good value given the wear you get.

Ive had a couple of pairs of Chameau and been happy enough with them. Last time I opted for Seeland which, at £50 were less expensive than Chameau. I like the Seeland boot; it is more substantial than the Chameau, heavier, but very comfortable ....

Screwfix do a decent selection of wellingtons, I bought a pair of the Site branded boots based on reviews, I added some cushioned innersoles and have the option of using some Swedish Army boot liners for cold weather. I've used them most weeks for about a year and they are still okay. They sell more expensive wellingtons from different makers, some pairs are available in green.

A timely thread as one of my Muckboot wellies has recently developed a split. So having read OMR/Davids recommendation I have just ordered myself a pair of Bekina Steplights although from a different agricultural supplier
Trevor

Thanks one and all for your very helpful comments.
I still have a pair of Dunlop steel toe cap wellies that I bought about 35 years ago. I used them for caving for about 10 years and since then they've had the occasional outing for mowing the lawn and general gardening work. They don't leak and have coped with the wear and tear admirably. The problem is that because they are steel toe capped they are cold in the winter and uncomfortable to walk any distance in.
I've decided to go for Dunlop this time as they sell wellies with rubber soles and uppers for a reasonable price which I read somewhere are less prone to splitting.
As for Le Chameau, I saw a pair for sale for €345! Excuse me but €345 for a pair of wellies? I guess as long as there are people willing to pay that sort of money the manufacturers will charge it.