I have been thinking of doing a review of the best budget wellies for a while now but have been somewhat reluctant. The reason being is I believe that there is some truth in that saying you get what you pay for or buy cheap buy twice. A lot of cheap wellies now are made in china with mixed views of quality control. Then there is the issue of so many newcomers into the wellington market and so many fake reviews online that it can be hard to do proper research before I write about something.
Unless I buy every pair of wellies and try them out for a year then I can only judge from other peoples experiences and online reviews and of course my own past experience as well. Then there is also quality for price I can’t really understand why someone will buy the cheapest product they can get that they know nothing about and then complain when it does not last.
In my experience you will be lucky to get a year out of cheap wellies and there is a lot of very bad quality wellies on the market now too. That being said I know that many readers have their own reasons for buying cheaper wellingtons like budget or even buying for there children who will grow out of a pair of wellies very quickly.
If you are someone who wears wellies every day I would say buy the best you can afford. For this review I am going to stay under £55 sterling starting at the cheapest and working my way up. The reason I am going over 50 is there are some good quality for just over 50 that I think are worth the money.
Dunlop Pricemastor Wellington
Dunlop have been making wellies science 1927 and while they do it quite well the price master it really bottom of their range in the bargain basement as far as wellies go. They are cheap and will keep your feet dry and would suit someone who does not need to wear wellies too often like growing kids or even an adult who just want to keep their feet dry while they block a gap or something.
They are cheap and will get the job done for someone on a budget but there are more comfortable wellies out there and if you are wearing them every day for long periods then I would buy something that cost a little more.
Nora Anton Wellington Boots
I really liked any pair of Nora wellies that I have had in the past they are very light and comfortable with good grip and soft rubber. I would much prefer the noras over the pricemaster by dunlop and think they are great value. They are one of my personal favourite and one of my top picks out of all the wellies listed here.
They are great summer wellies but due to the fact they are light and flexible they can puncher easily and are cold in the winter without thick socks but in saying that they should still last for as long as you could expect for anything in this price range. Nora also have Como in their range for around the same price or Iseo wellingtons which are a bit cheaper but also a bit shorter. Or if you want something a with a bit more style or colour look at the Nora winner wellies
Any of the Nora range of wellies are great for summer but I like the style and comfort of the Anton and the feeling from the soft leather. That might sound a bit weird but you will get it once you try them on.
BISON RUBBER WELLINGTON FIELD BOOT
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For a wellie with 4mm of neoprene lining these wellies made by bison seem to be good value. While they are a little heavy they are reasonably warm and comfortable. These are a tight fit so it would be better to order at least a half size up so if you wear size 9 get size 9.5. I like the fact that they have an adjustable strap at the side. While straps do tend to come undone while walking around or working it still gives you some flexibility for people with a wider calf and makes for a more snug fit.
Again don’t expect them to last too long but even expensive wellies can crack or leak but these are not a bad wellie and will be warmer than Dunlops over the winter months. I’d prefer neoprene wellies and a warm pair of socks over wellies with a lining that comes out ever time you take off your wellies any day.
Nitehawk Camouflage wellingtons
Nighthawk specialize in hunting and fishing gear. The neoprene material again make these a good choice for winter and make them warm and comfortable once you don’t mind the colour and can get the right size to fit you as they seem to be a large fitting.
They have a good sole with good grip but there have been some complaints about bad quality and like a lot of wellies in this price range I think you would be lucky if they lasted longer than a year. In my view they are like a cheap version of muck boots and might suit for very cold days over the winter.
Goodyear Petersfield Rubber Wellington
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Like dunlop another tyre company that knows a bit about rubber and grip are good year. The petersfield are good summer wellies not as warm as the bison wellies above but not as light as something as the step lite belkinis either. They are still a good well-made rubber wellington with an adjustable gusset and calf strap.
Available in green or navy I think they are a bit like hunters used to be with heavier rubber and an affordable price but they also have the advantage of being a wider fit and not just made for thin legs.
I can’t get this joke I heard out of my head now about what’s the difference between a car tyre and 365 condoms, One was a good year and the other was a great year !!!
On that note if you get a good year out of the petersfield wellies I think they are a good choice for the price they are.
Viking Men’s Balder 2.0 Wellington Boots
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Viking are a Norwegian brand that make very good quality wellies. My wife has a pair of Viking gumleaf wellies with the last few years and is very impressed with them. The balder 2.0 would be one of their entry level makes of wellies but is still in my view a good wellington from a very good company that are known for making quality products.
I think as the price gets higher you have a better chance of getting something of quality and I would be expecting that the viking wellies should outlast anything that I have mentioned up to this point in my review of budget wellies.
Dunlop Purofort Professional Full Safety
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I have a pair of these dunlop as a second pair of wellies and I think they are very well-made and comfortable. While they don’t look that much different from cheaper dunlops in the range they are very different for starters they are industrial wellingtons and that ISO number printed on the side means they have been tested for a whole range of safety features from the amount of pressure the steel toe cap can handle to slip resistance and even comfort levels.
I think with more and more sub standard products being sold to the domestic consumer with little quality control knowing that your footwear has passed a series of tests that is standard across Europe means something.
Apart from any of that I own a pair and can say without a doubt they are a very light comfortable pair of wellies and while I had puroforts before for some reason the industrial safety ones with the ISO number printed on the side seem to be better than other pairs. I wonder if there is a different product for the domestic market. there is also a signature version of the puroforts that look even better but they are not in the budget range.
Bekina Steplitexs5, Unisex STEPLITE X Full Safety S5
Bekini are a really light wellington made in Belgium with great grip and very good levels of comfort. They are well respected by a lot of dairy farmers who spend hours every day standing on hard concrete. They are made from neotane which is lighter than rubber and has better insulating properties.
This makes the belkini a great all round wellie as they are light in the summer and warm in the winter with a steel toe cap and 3cm heal with excellent grip. It is because of the last 3 wellies on this list that I have gone over the £50 mark with my budget wellies review and because I honestly feel the extra cost is worth it if you can afford the price.
Top 5 budget wellies
While I consider all to be good value for the price I think the wellies on the top 5 offer exceptional value based on style build quality and comfort. There very little in the top 3 and they are all at a similar price point. I could just as easy buy any one of them but the fact that I own a pair of dunlop purofort professional wellies myself means that I have more of a test given to them. My usual everyday wellies are skellerups which are my No.1 in the review for best mens wellingtons but they are not in the budget category.
I have had noras but despite the good comfort they did not last but still offer very good value if you are on a shoestring budget and there are many converts who would wear nothing else.
No.5 Bison Rubber Wellington
No.4 Nora Anton Wellington Boots
No.3 Viking Men’s Balder 2.0 Wellington Boots
No.2 Bekina Steplitexs5, Unisex STEPLITE X Full Safety S5
No.1 Dunlop Purofort Professional Full Safety
Since brexit there are some issues with Amazon.ie being linked with Amazon UK in that now extra shipping problems and taxes such as duty might come into effect readers from the republic of Ireland.
Around half the visitors to this blog are from the UK with the rest from Ireland and other parts of the world so It might be worthwhile to click the link below to amazon Germany and compare prices there against the UK site. I have ordered from Germany in the past as there can be a price difference and savings to be made.
As far as I remember you can log in with your normal password and just click the flag at the top of the page beside the search box to change the language to English.