The 5 Best Hunting Bibs
No matter which type of hunting you like the most, one thing is common and obvious: having the right outerwear may make a difference on your hunting experience and performance. Your gear has to help you remain silent, dry, concealed, still so that you can be successful in your hunt.
Some hunting clothing performs better in a wet environment, while other is better for the summer, so it’s highly important to choose your hunting clothing according to the weather conditions as well.
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What makes a good hunting bib?
There are many features that a good hunting bib should have. First of all, it should slide quickly and quietly, just like your comfortable trousers around the house.
A good hunting bib needs to perform well in difficult conditions and has to meet the balance between heavy duty and lightweight. It has to give you freedom on the move, especially in the knee area and the back.
An athletic fit is not bad at all for a hunting bib as you might not overlay every single time you go hunting. Even when you use hunting underwear underneath the hunting bib, this still is not supposed to feel bulky. It still has to let you move freely, with your mid-season base-layers on.
For the winter time though, in order not to gain too much weight and end up feeling bulky, it’s better to go for an insulated hunting bib. This way you won’t have to overlay that much as your winter hunting bib will keep you warm also.
A good hunting bib is solid and comes with articulated knee and seat system. That means is great when it comes to intensive wear and brings comfort just as well. The hunting bib comes with lower leg zips to put it easy over your boots or tuck it into some higher boots.
Many hunting bibs feature chest hand and thigh pockets which means multiple storage options for you, in a comfortable way. The larger and more expandable these pockets are, the better the options for storage. But, this is a personal liking also, as some prefer less and smaller pockets.
The pattern of the fabric of your hunting bib is also a thing to look for as you might prefer a Camo, which gives you the perfect hide into surroundings. The efficiency of the Camo might be seen on how much you hunt, even though it’s not a sure thing.
If you find a hunting bib with scent control feature, don’t sit on a fence and get it fast! It’s important to remain scent free when hunting so you can try all the tips to make your body scent disappear before hunting.
Breathable, waterproof are also important features for your hunting bib. It has to give you also some protection against wind, even though the main protection comes from your jacket or the mid-layer hunting clothing.
A good hunting bib takes great the elements and no thorns may tear it apart. And it’s able to stick around for some hunting seasons as it’s heavy duty and long lasting.
Choosing your hunting bib’s size
Getting the right size for your hunting bib might is a tricky job as many manufacturers have various sizing charts, but some tips are more common.
When you choose your hunting bib, it’s always wise to go up a size. Most of the hunting bibs are larger in some area, but they still need to fit your biggest part of the waist. The bib has to be big enough to fit around the waist at the belly button, but many hunters size up several inches from their regular pant size when getting the hunting bibs.
Take notice of the length of your hunting bib as the bigger it is, the longer it gets. This is why men with thick build buy hunting bibs shorter than their normal length.
In the end, your hunting bib needs to give you a good overall fit. Add some 4 to 6 inches when go choose the size of the hunting bib so that you can have plenty of room for your underneath clothing. The same principle applies to the insulated hunting bib also.
Top 3 Hunting Bibs Reviews
1. A good option for a hunting bib is the 10x Men’s Realtree Extra Waterproof Breathable Insulated Bib Overall.
As it’s made of 100% polyester, this hunting bib presents many nice features, so here are our pros:
- The polyester brushed tricot shell is waterproof and breathable
- There is seam seal construction for a better isolation from the elements and to retain your body heat inside
- The bib comes with sixth skin lamination which means more durability
- There is Scentrex scent control lining
- The bib comes with elastic inserts at back waist for an easier movement
- The scuff guard at back leg hem means longer life span for the bib
- The hunting bib keeps you warm and dry on your hunt
- It protects you against the elements
- There are hand warmer pockets
- The bib is wind resistant and snow waterproof also
- The bib features two-way front nylon zipper with cover
- There is knee-to-thigh zipper with storm cover
- The insulation is diamond-quilted Thinsulate
- There is also ankle-to-knee nylon zipper with snap storm cover
- The bib features right back open patch pocket with snap closure
- You get space to store your small items in the two deep front slash pockets at sides
- This is machine washable
- The bib gives a good fit
When it comes to the parts we didn’t quite appreciate, we can only mention that this is a long hunting bib, a bit roomy for any size you’d go for.
2. An amazing hunting bib for an amazing price considering its high capacity for performance, is the Under Armour Men’s UA Scent Control Barrier Bib.
Here are the pros that got us:
- There is UA Scent Control technology used for this bibs, highly durable and efficient
- The UA Storm technology repels water
- The bib is highly breathable also
- There is a quiet woven outside
- The warm fleece interior is soft
- This bib works especially in the mild warm weather
- The ColdGear Infrared technology uses thermos-conductive inner coating to absorb and maintain your own body heat
- The bib comes with adjustable straps and center front zip for a better fit
- You get space to store your items in the hand pockets, back pockets and cargo pockets
- The waistband is adjustable
- The knees are padded
- There are leg zips also
- This fits like jeans
- This keeps you warm and dry during your hunting
- The bib feels lightweight
- There are great suspenders
- The bib doesn’t allow any wind, moist air or any other elements go through
- The pockets have the right size
- The bib doesn’t absorb any water
- There are useful and efficient belt loops
As for the cons, there are some things to mention:
- The bib fits like any other pants so you need to go up a size
- The bib is a bit short
- It’s not flexible as some sweats
- The pockets get wet as they are not made of the same fabric as the rest of the bib
- There is no bottom zipper fly
- The rear pockets do not fasten
But, all in all, for the price, this is a great hunting bib, highly resistant and repellent to elements.
3. If you want an extremely lightweight, yet highly efficient hunting bib, the Men’s UA Storm Ayton Bib is a great option.
Here are the pros:
- There is DWR finish to this bib to repel water
- The bib is yet highly breathable
- The bib is durable
- The high-loft exterior is smooth
- The soft Sherpa interior keeps inside the warmth
- The Moisture Transport System wicks sweat away from your skin
- The bib is quiet as the fabric doesn’t rustle
- The suspenders are highly adjustable
- There are secure low-profile cargo pockets
- You get also dual back pockets for your items to store
- There are knee high leg zips
- The bib keeps you warm and comfortable
- This is a great bib when bow hunting as it’s very flexible and silent
- The bib gives a good fit
- The bib protects you against wind, water and stains
- There is front zipper fly
On the other hand, there are some things worth to mention when it comes to the cons:
- The bib is a bit long
- The fabric picks up burrs
- There is too much green on the camo
- The bib could use more pockets
Other than this, we can only conclude that this is a good hunting bib for the mild weather, flexible and highly resistant to various weather conditions.
Best Insulated Hunting Bibs (for the winter)
If you are familiar with the Columbia brand, you already know that only a good thing may come out of it. That is the case with the Columbia Men’s Widgeon III Bib Pants which got us with the following features:
- This is made of 100% Polyester
- There is Omni-Heat thermal reflective and insulated fabric
- This bib keeps you very warm any fall or winter
- The Omni-Tech fabric is waterproof and breathable at the same time
- The fully seam sealed traps your own heat inside and doesn’t allow any wind/water get in
- There is watertight security pocket
- You get cargo pockets for your small items
- The bib has a good built and a relaxed fit
- The bib feels lightweight
- The thermal reflective lining maintains the body heat
- The bib is not bulky
- There are great details in cuffs and zippers
- The Camo pattern is very efficient and hides you well
- The bib keeps you comfortable and dry
- The bib is well insulated
- The fabric is high quality and tough
- The bib is highly functional and long lasting
- The bib is easy to put on/take off
- There are many pockets to store your small items
Some things need improvement, though and here are our cons:
- The chest “flap” is a bit lower than in any other regular hunting bibs
- The bib runs a bit short
- The suspenders could be longer
- The bib is not that quiet at the moment
- The outer shell is kind of soft
But, for the money you pay, you get a great, long lasting, warm and high quality insulated hunting bib from a respected brand.
If you want your hunting bib to meet your highest expectations and then more, then go for the Onyx-Arctic Shield-X-System Men’s Arcticshield Classic Insulated Bib.
There are many great things related to it, so here are our pros:
- This is made of 100% micro suede
- This is a high cut bib
- The bib gives you protection against elements as its waterproof, windproof
- It features zippered pockets for a more secure storing of your items
- There are 6 pockets all together: two in front, two in the back and two in the chest area
- There are side flex points
- The elastic waistband gives the right fit
- There are knee-high zippered side gussets
- The bib features storm flaps with snap closures
- The bib gives a good fit and is very comfortable
- This keeps you very warm
- The bib is very flexible and gives you freedom on the move
- You need to only machine wash cold the bib with similar colors, on gentle cycle
- Do not use bleach, do not wring, do not iron, do not dry clean and only drip dry
- The bib is quiet
- The fabric doesn’t pick up burrs as it easily sheds rain and wind
- The craftsmanship on this is top notch
As for the cons, we can only regret that this is for the cold weather only, and mention that its price is in the higher end zone.
Other than that, no complaints on our part.