Grubs build neoprene-insulated wellingtons for standing still in the cold, which is a different job from walking in the wet.
The number is the insulation
Grubs name their boots after the Insu-Foam Ultra rating, and a higher number means a warmer boot — not a better one. Pick for what you are doing:
- Snowline 8.5 — the serious one. Fleece lining over a 3mm air-trap layer and 5mm of foam, rated -40°C to +10°C. Winter flighting, high seats, feeding rounds in January. Far too hot to walk any distance in.
- Frostline 5.0 — full-length, 5mm Insu-Foam Ultra, rated -10°C to +30°C. The all-round choice and the one most people should buy: warm enough for a cold morning, wearable in September.
- Midline 5.0 — the same 5mm insulation in an ankle-height boot, on a Nitrocell footbed. Yard work, kennels, in and out of the truck.
- Rainline — lighter, for wet rather than cold.
- Woodline 5.0 — a slip-on shoe for the back door.
- Muddies Icicle 5.0 — the children's boot, calf length, rated -20°C to +20°C.
Sizing
An insulated welly needs room for the air in the lining to do its work. If you are going to wear a thick sock, do not also size down — a boot crushed tight on the foot will be colder than a roomy one.
Other rubber in wellingtons, thick socks in socks, and dry them out properly on a boot dryer.
