The Best Rain Boots of 2024

Baffin gives this boot its highest waterproof rating (B-TEK DRY). Thermoplastic Rubber (TPR) construction does its job with no hint of moisture inside the boots. The temperature rating is a lot more confusing (Elemental Rating). Baffin defines this as “Cold comfort is most successful during light levels of activity.”

It describes light activity levels as a percentage of max heart rate and suggests you consult a medical doctor before exercising outside. This is some of the most unhelpful language we’ve ever seen used to help consumers choose a product. Baffin is lucky the product speaks louder than the marketing. To be more precise, these boots are uninsulated and are just a cloth liner adhered to the rubber exterior.

There are some inherent insulative qualities to rubber (including operating as a vapor barrier), but these are more a four-season boot than something aimed for winter use.

The insole is thin and uncomfortable. But, the price offers wiggle room for replacing it with a quality aftermarket insole. The stiffer rubber folds in on the instep when walking, particularly while climbing hills. This isn’t much of an issue on short walks, but depending on your foot shape and sock choice, it could lead to chafing or blisters.

For the price-conscious shopper not looking for an insulated rain boot, the Enduro is hard to beat. The retail at several online retailers is under $50, which takes these from well-priced to a screaming-good deal. And they are the only brand besides Grundéns to offer a lifetime warranty.

The Baffin Enduros have become the first boots we grab for outdoor work, motorcycle and bicycle washes, and muddy shore canoe launches. If the Enduro were more comfortable, they might have unseated the Grundéns Crewman as best-in-test. Color us impressed.

As the only lace-up boot in the test and the most expensive, the Bean Boot has its work cut out. However, while the boot design might be over 100 years old, a GORE-TEX membrane and Thinsulate insulation are a modern touch of technology in an unassuming package. The Bean Boot is a family of boots with various heights and levels of insulation, but all are still made in Maine.

These boots might seem more fashionable than functional, but their comfort and performance delivered in all kinds of conditions. They work well anywhere the other boots did (except for deeper water), but they also had the comfort and support to tackle rocky hikes in the rain. They were an easy choice when packing space was limited, as these can go from woods to brewery without missing a beat.

The sole is an odd chain link pattern, which did much better in most conditions than expected. But, it still wouldn’t be our first choice as a boot designed for stomping around in the woods. The heel is surprisingly narrow. We would love an update or option for a wider, more stable heel.

The thin sole provides a lot of tactile feedback about what was going on underfoot, perhaps too much feedback during a long day, especially compared to the sole of a more traditional hiking boot. Some of this might be due to the very thin insole, but the low-volume forefoot doesn’t leave much room for a thicker one. Bean dropped its lifetime warranty in 2018 but still offers a very affordable resole service for these boots.

The L.L.Bean Men’s Bean Boot 8″ GORE-TEX/Thinsulate quickly proved why it’s an enduring design. The rubber lower is easy to keep clean, blocks the wet and wind, doesn’t absorb water, and holds up better than an all-leather boot. The leather upper is much more comfortable and supportive than an all-rubber boot. These boots leave us feeling that in a few years, they will still be breaking in rather than wearing out.

Bogs uses a 7mm Neo-Tech bootie wrapped in a rubber lower. There isn’t much info about Neo-Tech, but it seems similar to neoprene. The rubber only goes halfway up the boot, but the Neo-Tech had no issue keeping water out, even in the bathtub soak test. The lugged sole doesn’t look aggressive, but it kept us surefooted on wet wood, rocks, and mud.

The top opening is an inch wider than the Muck Arctic (17.5” versus 16.5”), which leaves more room for calves, clothes, and comfort, but it can still feel tight. The thick algae-based insole is impressively comfortable, and the upper is easier to flex than the Arctic, but we still wouldn’t grab this boot for a long walk or hike.

For many folks, these boots could serve as a three-season rain and snow boot. Even without a full rubber upper, they shed mud well. Of all the boots we tested, these are the hardest to find complaints about. If they wear out, Bogs will even send you a shipping label to recycle them. If it is under 40 degrees, it’s almost impossible to go wrong in the Bogs Classic High Boot.

The Crewman is designed for commercial fishing, one of the world’s most dangerous professions. The deck of a commercial fishing boat is a brutal place full of hazards and no protection from the weather. This is where the Crewman is designed to perform. 

Grundéns and Michelin teamed up to design this boot. A Michelin-branded sole is rare, but more and more brands are pairing up with Michelin for outdoor footwear. We have some experience with Michelin soles on mountain bike shoes and have been impressed. The sole on the Crewman stood out for its grip and stability. Since its low-profile sole was designed for use on a boat deck, it can pack up with mud, but all things considered, it still does an admirable job on all terrain. 

The suppleness of this boot stands out, even against the other uninsulated boots on test. Combine the comfortable upper with a name-brand insole (Ortholite), and these boots are third in comfort only to the Xtratuf and Bean boots, an impressive feat for a heavy-duty boot going up against a sportfishing boot and a lace-up classic. The orange stripe around each boot is a silicone band to keep rain pants in place, a feature we haven’t seen anywhere else. 

The only real complaint with these boots is the shallow lugs on the sole. Grundéns sells a boot with deeper lugs (the Deviation: $165) that would be a better choice if mud and loose terrain are the primary use case for your rain boots. 

The Crewman is for someone looking for a rain boot to cover the widest variety of uses. We didn’t make it onto a commercial fishing vessel, but we rambled all over the place in these boots, and they never failed to impress. Warm enough for cold weather but not too warm for summer-time yard work, the Grundéns Crewman Tall was the clear winner for most versatile boot. Add in a no-questions-asked lifetime warranty, and these look like an investment rather than an expense.

The main selling point of the Digger is hands-free on and off. Sure, we can jam our feet into other short boots and wiggle them around to get past the elastic neoprene, and maybe 25% of the time, we do not need to grab a pull tab to get the boots on. But with the Digger, just slip in, push down, and go. The heel-kick tab makes taking them off a breeze as well. The loose-fitting shaft leaves plenty of room for air to circulate, making these a lot more bearable in warmer weather.

The Digger gets Bloom-brand algae-based insoles and the familiar anti-stink and moisture-wicking treatments. The insoles are thin, and overall, these boots are comfortable but not as cushiony and supportive feeling as the Grundéns Deviation. We suspect a thicker insole would go a long way to improving this. We swapped insoles with the Bogs Classic Tall boots we also tested, and while both insoles are marked Bloom and are perforated and green, the insole from the Digger is half as thick. At least there is plenty of room to play around with thicker insoles!

The easy slip-on nature of these boots means the overall fit is very loose. Even though the outsole provides plenty of traction, the shoes’ lack of support makes them uncomfortable and unpredictable over uneven terrain.

While researching these boots, many places referred to them as “chore boots,” and we think that is an apt description. They are easy to get on for a quick task, but the comfort and support aren’t there for all-day use.

These boots are very much a yin-yang proposition. The easy on and off, wide opening, and loose fit make these easy to get enjoy for short spurts. Think farm chores or even a pair to keep in the car for changing out of waders, cycling shoes or ski boots. But the lack of support, loose fit, and open-to-the-elements opening makes them less appealing the longer we spend outside. These aren’t bad boots in the least, but should only be considered if ease of entry and exit are extremely important.

The Arctic Ice combines 8mm Neoprene with a thin fleece layer to provide tremendous warmth. Muck claims these will keep you warm between 30F and -60(!)F. We didn’t get to test that low rating, but we found these to be unbearably hot, much over 35F.

Muck uses a lot of jargon to describe the outsole (Vibram Arctic Grip All Terrain outsole with Vibram XS Trek Evo). The lugs combine a soft center compound designed specifically for wet ice with a harder all-terrain compound that surrounds the outside. A mild late winter didn’t provide much chance to test on ice, but these boots are the most surefooted on all surfaces of any we tested.

All that insulation and thick soles make this the stiffest boot in the test. While they weren’t uncomfortable to walk in, we got tired when needing to push past the flex of the tall upper with every step. The narrow opening at the top caused some issues with thicker calves or tucking in pants. The top of the cuff and pull loop jammed behind our knees while squatting or kneeling. Thankfully, rolling the tops of the boots down improved comfort while walking and kneeling.

These Muck Arctic Ice Tall Boots, could be a lifesaver for more sedate outdoor activities like ice fishing, watching winter sports games and tree-stand sitting. However, their weight and stiffness make them a hard sell for more active pursuits.

CLC is mostly a tool bag company but has a small line of inexpensive foul-weather gear, including PVC rainwear and boots. PVC is a waterproof synthetic material that is stiffer, less durable, and widely considered terrible for the environment.

These unlined boots are sweaty from the get-go, good socks are a must if you need to wear them for more than a few minutes. Steep hills have these folding and digging into toes. The sole is the slipperiest of the boots tested. We dropped in an aftermarket insole and comfort improved considerably, otherwise more than a few minutes standing around in these is a recipe for an aching back.

All of this could be somewhat understandable for the price. But the smell/off-gassing from these boots we experienced when we first took them out of the box was a deal breaker. Even after a week outside, the smell remained noticeable. Anyone who has been inside a Harbor Freight tool store will know the smell. We can’t say for certain what the odor is, but there is no way it is a good thing to breathe regularly.

The CLC PVC Rain Boots could be fine for occasional use if the smell wasn’t an issue. If you buy them, we recommend storing them in a garden shed or the back of a work truck. Available in some places for just $20 online, we understand the draw if you only use rain boots every once in a while. If you need something more often, we recommend you skip a few take-out coffees and spend more on the Baffin Enduros.

Marketed as a sportfishing-specific silhouette, these boots felt closer to a sneaker than anything else in the test. They were always the boots we grabbed for wet bike rides or longer walks in the city. When we did our testing, the reflective stripes on the pull-loops were a welcome bit of safety in the early spring low-light conditions. For straight-up comfort while walking, these were tops in the test. The only thing that comes close is the L.L.Bean boots.

These boots would also win the “Most Specialized” award. The sole is soft foam, which claims to provide exceptional grip on the slippery deck of sport fishing boats, but they are soft enough to pull off bits just by pinching it between my fingernails. Think of these as similar to bowling shoes.

You bring them to the activity(bowling/sport fishing) in a bag and only wear them on the activity surface (bowling lane/boat deck). We’ll keep wearing them to see how they hold up, but the 6” deck boot version of Xtratuf’s Legacy Boot would be much better suited to use on land, or for $30 less the non-sport version of this deck boot has a sturdier rubber sole.

In many ways, this type of rain boot is all we need to keep our feet dry the vast majority of the time. With a more sturdy sole and more subdued color these boots would cover most use cases for a “rain boot”. One caveat — while researching the Xtratuf Ankle Deck Boot Sport, we discovered an abundance of negative reviews on Xtratuf’s website.

Xtratuf is not taking them down, which leads us to believe that they are improving things and standing behind the products, but the reports of sole separation and cracks after just a few months are worrisome.