The short answer
Stout waders are cut for a bigger chest, waist or hips on an average or shorter leg. Gator lists Stout for 5’5″ to 5’11” and jeans 36 to 40. LaCrosse’s breathable Stout has a 1 in. shorter inseam and 5 in. more chest and hip than its Medium at the same boot size. Measure, then use that maker’s chart.
The name is the hard part. Simms and Redington call their wider cuts King, Frogg Toggs says Husky, and Orvis offers Short lengths instead, while LaCrosse and Gator use King for a size that is both bigger and taller. The charts below come from each maker’s own size page (Gator’s from a retailer that publishes it), and each rule stated here holds for every row of the chart it comes from.
Charts also measure different things. Simms, LaCrosse, Redington and Orvis list body measurements; Frogg Toggs lists the wader’s own dimensions. Read the note above each chart before you compare numbers.
What “stout” means on each maker’s chart
Gator Waders’ men’s charts, as published by Waders.com (a Minnesota retailer), show the idea most clearly: Stout keeps the Regular height range and adds room for a bigger build.
| Maker | Size name | What changes against the regular size | Chart basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gator | Stout | Same 5’5″ to 5’11” height as Regular; jean size 36 to 40 instead of 28 to 34 | Height, jean and shoe size |
| LaCrosse | Stout | Breathable: inseam 1 in. shorter, chest and hip 5 in. bigger than Medium at the same boot size | Body |
| Cabela’s SuperMag | Stout | Chest 45 to 53 in., inseam 29.5 to 31.5 in., shoe sizes 8 to 15 | Not stated |
| Caddis | Stout, Short Stout | Sizes offered; no measurements on the product page | None shown |
| Simms | King | 2 in. more girth, same inseam | Body |
| Redington | King | Next size up’s waist, on the base size’s inseam | Body |
| Orvis | Short | Same chest, 2 in. shorter inseam | Body |
| Frogg Toggs | Husky | Bootfoot: 2 in. more chest and waist, same inseam. Stockingfoot: longer inseam | Garment |
Note
King is not one size type. LaCrosse’s breathable 10 King has a 38 in. inseam against 37 in. for its 10 Medium, and Gator lists King for 6′ to 6’6″. At Simms, a King keeps the inseam of the standard size.
How to measure for waders
Measure your chest
Simms’ size guide says: “Chest: Measure the widest part of your chest.”
Measure your waist
Simms: “Waist: Measure the smallest part of your waist, usually just above your belly button.”
Measure your hips
Simms: “Hips: Stand in a natural stance, measure the fullest part of the hips.” LaCrosse defines it the same way: “Hip: Measurement around widest part of hips”.
Take the largest of the three as your girth
Simms heads its chart column “Largest Girth (Chest, waist or hips)”, and Orvis marks its chest column “*Largest Girth (body measurement)”.
Measure your inseam
Simms says: “Inseam: Measure along the inside inseam of your pants from the bottom of the crotch to the floor. If you don’t have a fabric measuring tape, use a piece of string or dental floss, then hold it against a ruler.” LaCrosse’s charts add the outseam: “Outseam: Measurement from armpit to floor”.
Note your shoe size
On stockingfoot waders the neoprene bootie covers a range of shoe sizes: Simms heads that column “Stockingfoot Size (Shoe Size)” and Orvis gives a “Bootie range (US size)”. Charts for waders with boots attached, such as LaCrosse’s, go by boot size instead. Wading boots for stockingfoot waders are sized on the boot maker’s own chart.
Match girth first, then inseam, then foot
Simms’ order is: “Start by determining the largest girth measurement. Then match to inseam and finally to stockingfoot bootie size.” It adds: “PRO TIP: Use the wader size finder on the product page for the model you are interested in to confirm your size.”
Stout and big-cut size charts by maker
All figures are in inches. Check the chart for your exact model, since makers say not every wader comes in every size.
LaCrosse: Stout
LaCrosse’s breathable wader chart notes: “Measurements listed in size charts are body measurements (in inches). They are not the dimensions of the waders.”
| Boot size | Inseam | Outseam | Hip | Chest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Stout | 35 | 57 | 59 | 54 |
| 9 Stout | 35 | 58 | 61 | 56 |
| 10 Stout | 36 | 60 | 63 | 58 |
| 11 Stout | 36 | 61 | 65 | 60 |
| 12 Stout | 36 | 62 | 66 | 61 |
Against the Medium at the same boot size, every Stout row has a 1 in. shorter inseam and 5 in. more at hip and chest: the 10 Medium lists a 37 in. inseam, 58 in. hip and 53 in. chest. Stout comes in boot sizes 8 to 12 only.
LaCrosse’s neoprene chart is cut differently. There, each Stout inseam is 2 in. shorter than the neoprene Medium and the chest or waist 1 to 2 in. larger (8 Stout: 29 in. inseam, 44 in. chest or waist; 8 Medium: 31 and 42). LaCrosse adds that “Neoprene waders can accommodate a range of sizes due to the high degree of stretch.”
LaCrosse’s figures run larger than Simms’ or Redington’s for similar sizes, so never carry a size from one brand to another.
Gator: Stout
These are Gator’s figures for its Omega waders, as published by Waders.com. Gator’s own size-chart page did not display its tables when this guide was written, so check it before you order.
| Fit | Height | Jean size | Sizes offered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | 5’5″ to 5’11” | 28 to 34 | 8, 10, 12 |
| Stout | 5’5″ to 5’11” | 36 to 40 | 10, 12, 14 |
| Long | 6′ to 6’6″ | 28 to 36 | 10, 12, 14 |
| King | 6′ to 6’6″ | 38 to 44 | 12, 14 |
The number is the boot: an Omega Stout 10 is listed for men’s shoe sizes 10 to 11. Across Gator’s six men’s wader charts, Stout is always 5’5″ to 5’11”, with three exceptions to watch: the Shadow Stout is for jeans 36 to 38, the Shield’s shoe sizes run half a size lower (Stout 10 is for shoes 9 to 10.5), and the Evo1 and Swamp Uninsulated come in Stout 10 and 12 only.
Simms: King
Simms has no Stout size. Its King sizes add girth without changing the inseam. Simms notes: “Please note that this is our full chart of size offerings, and not every wader comes in every size.”
| Simms size | Inseam type | Largest girth | Inseam | Stockingfoot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S King 8-9 | Regular | 37-38 | 31-32 | 8-9 |
| M King 9-11 | Short | 41-42 | 31-32 | 9-11 |
| M King 9-11 | Regular | 41-42 | 33-34 | 9-11 |
| L King 9-11 | Short | 45-46 | 31-32 | 9-11 |
| L King 9-11 | Regular | 45-46 | 33-34 | 9-11 |
| XL King 12-13 | Regular | 49-50 | 35-36 | 12-13 |
| 2XL King 12-13* | Regular | 53-54 | 35-36 | 12-13 |
Each King has 2 in. more girth than the standard size with the same letter and inseam type, and the same inseam: the M 9-11 Regular is 39-40 in. and the M King 41-42 in., both with a 33-34 in. inseam. The S King also moves the bootie up, from 7-8 to 8-9. The 2XL King is a custom size: Simms’ footnote reads “*These sizes are only available through our Custom Shop.” For a shorter, heavier build, the M King and L King also come in Short, with a 31-32 in. inseam.
Redington: King and Short
Redington’s chart reads: “Measurements are based on body size and not garment proportions unless otherwise specified. Not all wader models have all of the sizes listed below”.
| Size | Chest | Waist | Inseam | Shoe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M | 39-41 | 32-34 | 30-32 | 8-10 |
| M-King | 43-45 | 35-38 | 30-32 | 8-10 |
| L (9-11) | 43-45 | 35-38 | 32-34 | 9-11 |
| L-Short | 43-45 | 35-38 | 30-32 | 9-11 |
| L-King | 46-48 | 39-42 | 32-34 | 9-11 |
| XL | 47-49 | 39-42 | 32-34 | 10-12 |
Redington’s M-King takes the Large’s chest and waist on the Medium’s inseam and shoe size. The L-King takes the XL’s 39-42 in. waist with a 46-48 in. chest (the XL’s is 47-49 in.) on the Large’s 32-34 in. inseam. Its Short sizes keep the chest and waist on a shorter inseam.
Orvis: Short
Orvis’s men’s chart for its PRO, Ultralight and Clearwater waders has no Stout or King size. Its Short sizes keep the chest and take 2 in. off the inseam. The chart is from Orvis’s UK size guide, in inches with US bootie sizes.
| Orvis size | Chest | Inseam | Bootie (US) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium/Short | 38-40 | 28-30 | 8-10 |
| Medium | 38-40 | 30-32 | 9-11 |
| Large/Short | 42-44 | 28-30 | 9-11 |
| Large | 42-44 | 30-32 | 10-12 |
| XL/Short | 46-48 | 28-30 | 10-12 |
| XL | 46-48 | 30-32 | 10-12 |
Frogg Toggs: Husky
Frogg Toggs’ wader charts carry this note: “*The measurements below refer to the actual dimensions of the garment, not body measurements.” So these numbers are not comparable one for one with the body charts above.
| Size (foot) | Husky chest | Husky inseam | Regular chest | Regular inseam |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MD (9-11) | 43-46 | 37 | 45 | 34 |
| LG (9-11) | 46-49 | 38 | 47.5 | 36 |
| XL (12-13) | 49-52 | 39 | 51 | 38 |
| 2XL (12-13) | 52-55 | 40 | 54 | 38.5 |
These are the men’s stockingfoot chest waders. Frogg Toggs has no Stout size, and this Husky is not a short, stocky cut: its chest and waist ranges sit around the Regular’s figures, and its inseam is 1 to 3 in. longer in every size.
Its insulated bootfoot chest waders come in Slim, Regular and Husky, and there the Husky is the wider cut: 2 in. more at chest and waist than the Regular in every boot size, with the same inseam (size 10: 55-56 in. against 53-54 in., both with a 36 in. inseam).
Cabela’s and Caddis
Cabela’s, a retailer that sells its own SuperMag waders, publishes a SuperMag Stout chart by shoe size: chest from 45 in. at size 8 to 53 in. at size 15, inseam 29.5 in. at size 8 and 31.5 in. from size 10 up. The chart does not say whether these are body or garment measurements, so ask the retailer before you compare them with your own.
Caddis sells its men’s breathable stockingfoot wader in Standard, Stout, Short Stout and Tall, but its product page shows no measurements. Ask Caddis for the chart before ordering.
If you are between sizes
- Go by your largest measurement. Orvis’s fit guide: “If your measurements correspond to different wader sizes, it is best to choose the size of your largest measurement.”
- Allow for layers. Orvis: “Also be sure to take into account the thickness of the materials you’ll be wearing under your waders.” That includes thick socks inside the bootie; our women’s merino wool socks roundup covers one option, and the outdoor clothing section has more layers.
- Leave room in the leg. Orvis: “Tip: Measure slightly higher than your natural inseam measurement to leave room for comfortable movement!”
- Round half shoe sizes up on boot-sized charts. LaCrosse: “Waders are available in full sizes and one width only.” and “It is recommended that customers needing half sizes order the next full size listed on the chart.”
- Fix the right dimension. If the girth fits but the leg is long, look for a Short size (Simms, Redington and Orvis make them); Stout also adds girth, so it suits only a bigger build on a shorter leg; if the leg fits but the girth is tight, look for a King size at Simms or Redington.
Check the fit before your first trip
Orvis suggests trying waders on with “the braces correctly positioned and tightened and that you are wearing any belt that is supplied with the waders”, then kneeling, sitting and “Stepping up on to a chair (the best way to model stepping out of the water and on to the bank!)”. The reason, Orvis says, is that “a tight fit in the most common tear and leakage points—the knees, crotch, and where the boot or sock meets the rest of waders—often stays hidden until you are moving around and bending”.
Both directions cost you. Orvis warns: “Waders that are too large are at risk of tearing as the excess material folds and hangs around you.” And: “If waders are too small, you are limited in the number of layers you can wear underneath and you’re more likely to bust a seam and experience leaking.” Simms adds that a poor fit “can also be a safety hazard” and says: “Waders that don’t fit properly hinder many aspects but the most significant is an angler’s range-of-motion.”
Safety
A wader that fits is only one part of wading safely. The National Park Service (NPS) fishing-safety list says: “Always wear your U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket when you are on, in, or near the water.” It also says: “Be aware of unseen water hazards – use caution when walking or wading in the water”, “Assess swift water before entering or crossing” and “Check the water temperature; get out of the water if you get cold.”
Women’s and youth wader sizes
Women’s charts use their own size types. Orvis lists Petite, Regular and Tall for women: its Medium Petite is for a 37½-39 in. bust, 29½-31 in. waist and 39½-41 in. hip with a 30 in. inseam. Redington’s women’s chart adds Short sizes (S-Short: 28-29 in. inseam). Simms sets its women’s inseam types by height: “Inseam based on height: REGULAR = Women 5’4″ to 5’7″ | SHORT = Women 5’1″ to 5’3″ | TALL = Women 5’7″ to 5’9″”. Caddis offers a Queen option on its women’s deluxe breathable wader, with no measurements on the product page.
For children, LaCrosse’s neoprene page includes a youth wader chart by boot size, and Simms’ size guide has a kid’s stockingfoot chart. More gear guides for anglers are in our fishing gear section and the Outdoors Explained archive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What size is stout in waders?
Stout is a fit, not a number; the number is still your boot or shoe size. Gator’s Omega Stout 10, for example, is listed for 5’5″ to 5’11”, jeans 36 to 40 and men’s shoe sizes 10 to 11.
Q. What size waders for a 42 in. chest?
Check your largest girth first, since your waist or hips may be bigger. A 42 in. girth falls in Simms’ M King (41-42 in.) and Orvis’s Large (42-44 in.); on Redington’s chart it sits between the Medium (to 41 in.) and the Large or M-King (from 43 in.).
Q. Is stout the same as king?
No. Simms and Redington use King for a wider cut at the same or a shorter inseam, while LaCrosse and Gator use King for sizes that are both bigger and taller.
Q. Do I order my shoe size in stockingfoot waders?
Pick the bootie range that includes your shoe size, such as Simms’ M 9-11 for shoe sizes 9 to 11. The wading boot that goes over it is sized separately on the boot maker’s chart.
Q. Are wader size charts body or garment measurements?
LaCrosse, Simms, Redington and Orvis give body measurements. Frogg Toggs gives the wader’s own dimensions, and Cabela’s SuperMag Stout chart does not say.
Q. Do waders come with boots?
Bootfoot waders have the boot attached, so their charts (LaCrosse’s, for example) go by boot size. Stockingfoot waders have neoprene booties and need separate wading boots.
Sources (12)
- Simms, Size & Fit Guide
- Simms, The Plug: Wader Sizing
- LaCrosse Footwear, How do I determine my breathable wader size?
- LaCrosse Footwear, How do I determine my neoprene wader size?
- Redington, Wader and Apparel Size Charts
- Orvis UK, A Guide to Wader and Wading Boot Sizing
- Orvis UK, How To: Wader Fit
- Frogg Toggs, Size Charts
- Waders.com (retailer), Size Charts – Gator Waders
- Cabela’s, SuperMag Men’s Chest Waders Sizing Guide – Stout (PDF)
- Caddis, Men’s Breathable Stocking Foot Wader
- National Park Service, Reel It In: Be Prepared for a Successful Fishing Day
