Redington Escape Zip Waders Review (Hands-on & Tested)

Today, in this review we’ll be taking a look at my own personal pair of Redington Escape Zip Waders. I’ve been wearing these waders and fishing them now for quite some time, so I feel I am fit to create an in-depth review of them for you guys.

I took them up to Northern Arizona and gave them a really great test in some cool temperatures and runoff water. Now, I’m excited to tell you my thoughts in this Redington Escape Zip Waders review.

Redington Escape Zip Waders Review

The Redington Escape Zip Waders are perfect for fly anglers. They were created with us in mind.

Many companies make waders, and their waders can do multipurpose things. The Redington Escape Zip Waders can too, but they were made with us in mind.

The waders work in a variety of weather conditions. They are made of a DWR fully sealed, fully weatherproof and waterproof material.

The upper portion of the waders, essentially from about the middle of your stomach and up, is made up of three layers of material. If you’re fishing on a warm weather day but in a cold tailwater, you can keep your upper body a little cooler. You don’t have to wear as many layers, and the material on the waders won’t heat you up too much.

If it’s a cold weather day, you can layer up or throw on a wading jacket, and you’ll be plenty warm. But if it’s a warmer weather day, you don’t have to worry as much about being too warm with just the waders on.

The lower portion of these waders, basically from the middle of the stomach down, has four layers. This is obviously the part that’ll be in the water more.

If you’re in cold water on a warm day, your legs and torso will stay quite warm, while your upper body will have a little bit more room to breathe. It’s a nice design feature that Redington thought of to keep us comfortable.

Redington Escape Zip Waders Construction and Build

The booties are 3 mm neoprene. I fish with these waders in runoff in 40° weather, so the water is about as cold as it can get. My feet don’t feel cold at all throughout the day.

They have a nice comfortable feeling. I don’t even feel the temperature of the water. My legs don’t get too hot or too cold.

The booties are a nice fit to my foot. They don’t feel too boxy in my wading boots. I slide them in comfortably, and I’m able to walk around. I don’t feel any rubbing or anything uncomfortable by any means.

I just wear athletic socks underneath, so there isn’t much separating me from the frigid water. I really don’t feel the cold temperature at all.

I like the general makeup of everything else on the Redington Escape Zip Waders. The clasps are very high quality. You don’t have to worry about them breaking.

They’re a bit smaller than what you’d find on traditional waders. They’re an easy clasp in and out, not a bulky, hard-plastic feeling clasp. These ones slide in and out nicely.

The zippers are fully sealed, waterproof, and corrosion-proof, even the zip on the front of the waders. You don’t have to worry about getting stuck or water getting through. Obviously that can be an intimidating feature for anglers because they don’t know if water will seep through and get them wet.

It’s not super easy to zip up the zipper, but it’s simple enough and it gives you confidence that no water will get through it.

If you want to cover up the zipper, there’s a little button at the top. You can keep yourself clasped in nicely, and you’re good to go.

Overall, the waders have a really solid feel, and that’s not surprising from Redington. They’ve been around for years. They’re well respected, and they really knocked one out of the park with the Escape Zip Waders.

Comfort Level of the Redington Escape Zip Waders

As fly anglers, we spend a lot of time in waders, whether it’s at the start of spring, late in the fall, or we’re just fishing a tailwater in the middle of summer. We use waders a lot, so we need them to be comfortable.

Many waders feel kind of tough and rigid. They don’t really adapt to you. That’s not the case with the Redington Escape Zip Waders.

First of all, they’re downright comfortable. I camped out in my truck the night before I was fishing, and I almost put them on.

I was a little cold, and I knew that I’d stay warm and I could still sleep with the waders on. I wouldn’t feel like anything was sticking to my skin or that I couldn’t move around.

They’re a comfortable, good-feeling wader, and they look good too. They also have a slimmer fit. I’m a skinny guy, 6 feet tall and 165 pounds. With a lot of waders, I can fit both legs in one leg.

But the Redington Escape Zip Waders have a nice slimming fit to them. The zipper helps slim things too, and there’s an elastic band on the inside that you can tighten or loosen to fit it around your chest a little bit more.

It’s a feature I’ve never actually seen in waders before, and again Redington thought of it to include on these waders.

The waders have a nice fee, not too heavy or too light. I didn’t really notice that I had them on. Ten minutes after I put them on, they felt like a normal part of my outfit.

As far as comfort level is concerned, the Redington Escape Zip Waders are soft, breathable, and with a great feel to them. I’ll absolutely continue to wear them as much as I possibly can.

Features of the Redington Escape Zip Waders

Comfortability can be a huge factor in choosing waders, but what I think sets different companies apart are the features that they provide on their waders.

Like I said, the clasps don’t feel bulky at all. They have a nice, small appearance on the waders. They don’t stick out or fold over because they’re so heavy. They’re sleek and nicely designed.

Another thing that sets these waders apart from any other that I’ve tested or owned are the warming pockets on the front.

They were designed to not get caught on oars. We’ve all been there floating, ready to start rowing, and we push an oar right into a pocket and it gets stuck. We either rip a pocket or lose the flow of our rowing.

The Redington Escape Zip Waders were designed with that in mind. There’s a flap that covers the pocket. You have to pull it back and then slide your hand underneath to get into the waders themselves.

It’s a smart feature, and they’re also lined with fleece on the inside. You don’t often see fleece-lined pockets in waders. Basically, they add a layer to the waterproof fabric and you can stick your hands inside it.

Redington went above and beyond by putting some fleece in there, and it was perfect for one really cold day I was fishing.

When I finished either changing a fly or releasing a fish, I slid my hands in my pockets quickly to warm up, and I was ready to go.

There’s a D-ring in the center of the back. You can hook your net to it and let it hang down. Then you can unclip it, scoop up your fish, and do what you need to do.

It’s a nice feature that you need to have, especially if you don’t want to carry around a backpack while you’re on the water.

The waders also have an elastic wading belt around the waist. It’s easy to adjust and not a huge presence on the waders, just a nice sleek design.

The booties have gravel guards, of course. You clasp the guards to your laces, and you don’t have to worry about anything getting in your boot and making things uncomfortable.

The Redington Escape Zip Waders also have an internal pocket. It’s not tiny. Many companies have a tiny pocket in the waders that you can barely put your keys in.

You could easily fit a phone as well as keys in it. Zip it up, and you don’t have to worry about anything falling out or getting in the way while you’re fishing. You can keep your prized possessions close to your chest and access them easily if you need to.

As far as features are concerned, Redington does a great job, especially with the zipper. The zipper is a new, unique thing for me. I really didn’t know what to expect when I put them on, and the more I had it, the nicer it was.

Just for the ease of putting the waders on and taking them off, you can unzip them, roll them down, and out you go. If you want a little breathing room, you can unzip and let the waders hang open, getting some airflow in there if it gets to be warm.

Lastly, if you fill your waders, you can unclasp them, but you can also unzip them. That’s a feature I’d never really thought of, and the more I thought about using it, the smarter it seemed to me.

You can unclasp and unzip the waders, and then they’ll naturally fall off of you. If you’re filled, and your wading belt is keeping things in, by just unzipping the waders, the water will fall out and it’ll be much easier to move around.

Redington had both comfort and safety in mind when they designed these waders, especially with the zipper on the front.

Watch the Redington Escape Zip Waders Review Video

The Price and My Overall Thoughts on the Redington Escape Zip Waders

The Redington Escape Zip Waders will cost you $300. For high performance waders, that’s really nothing.

Redington sells much more expensive waders and some more affordable waders. The Redington Escape Zip Waders are their middle-of-the-road waders, and from what I’ve worn and tested in my time, I’ll put these at the top of my list.

Their design, fit, and comfort level all surpass other waders that I own. For someone who likes to wear slim-fitting clothing, I always struggle to find waders that work for me.

Redington had that in mind. The Redington Escape Zip Waders fit nicely on me. They aren’t too baggy or too tight. For someone that’s 6 feet tall and 165 pounds, that’s not easy to find.

I wear a size medium, and they have all sorts of different sizes. You can find regular medium, medium short, and medium long, and they go from small to extra large, depending on what you need. Redington has a full chart on their website to help you with your sizing.

In sum, for $300 for a set of high performance waders, I highly recommend the Redington Escape Zip Waders.

If you liked this Redington Escape Zip Waders review, please hit the like button on this page and check out our YouTube channel. I really appreciate you reading this.

As a part of the Amazon Associates Program and other affiliate programs, Into Fly Fishing® may receive a comission if you order products through links on this website.