Baffin Tundra Mens Size 8 Black Polar Proven Boot Review

Price: $150 List

Pros: Warm and comfy

Cons: Clunky for walking

Manufacturer: Baffin

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The Baffin Chill is a serious boot for serious conditions. If yous will be standing effectually in the coldest of conditions, cheque out the Arctic for keeping your toes warm and safe.

Performance Comparison

Every bit the warmest and most protective boot in our test, the Baffin Arctic won one of our Top Pick awards.

Credit: Jediah Porter

Fit and Comfort

As one tester put it, the Arctic boots "are like sofas for your feet". Merely similar with a couch firmly affixed to your bum, wearing these Baffin boots will not encourage vigorous activity, but you will be very comfortable. The lining is luxuriously soft with a smooth inner fabric. The soft uppers are most like old-fashioned moon boots (incidentally, a style that has gained renewed traction among women's wintertime footwear, just not for men…). Additionally, the Chill boots don't feel heavy on your feet. With one-half of our tested boots heavier and half lighter, but none warmer, the Arctic model brings an impressive weight-to-warmth ratio. This lightweight construction means that the bulky stature is less oppressive than it might otherwise exist.

Lead examination editor Jediah Porter and his Dad walking across town to shovel the skating rink. In this context, loose-fitting, warm shoes are only the ticket.

Credit: Jediah Porter

Warmth

Hands-downward, these are the warmest boots in our test. Only its close cousin, the Baffin Maple approaches the aforementioned insulating value. As compared to the Maple, all the same, the Arctic is far more purpose congenital. While the Maple strikes a strange design compromise with bulky insulation and a low cuff height, the Chill pulls no such punches. The thick insulation is packed into a high-topped construction to bridge the gap between shoe and pant. This gap would otherwise allow in water, snowfall, and cold. If a boot is to keep feet warm, information technology must go along them dry and keep out drafts. Also, the kick must integrate well with the wearer's pants. In the case of the Arctic, in order to insulate ankles and lower calves while still going on easily, the upper must be quite bulky. This means that simply the most loose-fitting pants will fit over the boot cuff. Most will wearable their standard pants inside the gage of the Arctic kick. In this configuration, the gage of the Baffin Chill is equipped with a drawstring to seal out drafts. In short, the whole construction is built to optimize warmth.

The Baffin Chill, disassembled to evidence the silver reflective accents in the insole and exterior the liner. The actual functional advantage of these is debatable, only it can't hurt to reflect radiative free energy.

Credit: Jediah Porter

Water Resistance

Merely like almost of the boots we tested, the Baffin Arctic never let water in through the construction. Modernistic materials and construction, specially in insulated footwear, makes for a pretty waterproof package. With extended submersion, the textile uppers could conceivably leak. In the fifteen to twenty minutes nosotros spent testing submerged in slushy puddles, the Arctic boots never leaked. The only alienation possibility is over the peak, but with by far the highest upper cuff of all the boots we tested, you can wear the Chill boots in the deepest snowfall and water without moisture penetration. In our test, only the Bogs Archetype High Wintertime Kick approached the water resistance of the Arctic. In the case of the Bogs, we have a little more confidence in the waterproofness. The Bogs achieves this protection with a high cuff and near seamless neoprene structure. The Arctic, while it never failed to keep the water out, leaves united states a little concerned for a breach at the junction of fabric and safety.

While primarily designed for the coldest conditions, the Baffin Arctic pac-style boots also do well in warmer and sloppier wintertime weather condition.

Credit: Jediah Porter

Traction

Both Baffin brand boots have the same deeply lugged sole. In soft snow, nada gripped better in our review. Lower profile lugged soles, like on our other Acme Pick winner, the Lowa Oslo GTX, don't grip soft snow besides as the Baffin shoes do. On ice, all of the boots we tested grip with roughly similar tenacity. Likewise, and this is the best way to ensure traction on water ice, all of the boots we tested can be equipped with aftermarket metal traction aids. That beingness said, we did experience subtle differences in icy terrain grip. On moisture, relatively warm ice, and on cold, dry out h2o water ice, some products performed slightly better than others. Notably, our Editors' Choice Bogs Ultra Mid performed near the pinnacle of the heap, with the soft rubber of the Baffin products not far behind.

The beefy lug soles of the Baffin Chill complement its loftier-acme, highly insulated design. If its snowy and cold plenty to need the loftier cuff, you'll appreciate the deep sole tread.

Credit: Jediah Porter

Ease of Use

The alpine gage slightly compromises the ease of entry, but the generous girth and soft construction of that cuff negates much ill result. It would do the consumer well to consider these boots picayune more than than skid-ons. While there is a short section of lacing just where the instep and shin meet, it does footling to secure the foot. These boots are not fabricated for extended walking. Yous can cinch them down, and the laces secure with a spring loaded cord lock rather than requiring a traditional knot, merely the tightening effect is reduced by the thickness of the insulation. The upper edge of the gage is as well equipped with a laced drawstring to seal out snow and drafts. This cord operates smoothly and finer. Again, in the stop, these boots are little more than slip on parkas for your feet. Like you lot will not be able to exercise yoga very well while wearing a parka, you won't exercise very much locomotion in the Baffin Arctic.

The Baffin Arctic disassembled.

Credit: Jediah Porter

Style

These are not fashionable boots. The Arctic model is designed most purely for function. With a neutral black color scheme, however, the boots kind of disappear on the wearer's feet. Don't think too much nigh how they expect; these are purpose-built cold conditions gear. Similar a pick-up truck, the functionality is the aesthetics. When a tool similar this is so well suited to its function, the design and appeal is clear. While many will look and see clunky, blackness moon boots, others will see the practicality as its own art.

The Baffin Chill in utilise. The cuffs on these are loftier and tall plenty that merely the baggiest pants will fit over them.

Credit: Jediah Porter

All-time Application

These are perfect boots for riding a snowmobile or working exterior on a construction site. If you lot are looking for something for walking greater distances, consider the Lowa Oslo GTX. The Lowa is our other Top Choice winner, selected for its specific suitability in extended hiking applications.

Value

Baffin'due south Chill kick is on the more than expensive side of our test spectrum. If you need absolute insulating value, you won't listen the greater price. The function is well worth the additional investment. If yous won't always max out your anxiety's exposure to cold atmospheric condition, our All-time Buy winner, the Kamik NationPlus, volition serve you simply fine.

Conclusion

We didn't hesitate to grant the Elevation Pick honor for ultra-cold protection to the Baffin Arctic. This is hands-downwardly the warmest boot in our examination, and perhaps the near specialized. If y'all need this boot, you lot probably already know the value of well-built equipment. Any true craftsman in his field appreciates the right tool for the task. In truly common cold conditions, where the practitioner is exposed for a great deal of time and is largely sedentary, the Baffin Arctic is the correct tool for that job.

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Source: https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/reviews/shoes-and-boots/winter-boots/baffin-arctic-men

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