Topic: Best Ice Fishing Suits of 2023, Tested and Reviewed (Read 49 times)
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Topic: Best Ice Fishing Suits of 2023, Tested and Reviewed (Read 49 times)
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Key Features
Pros
Cons
While battery-assisted apparel is nothing new—with co*panies like Cabela’s and Milwaukee Tool offering options—the Norfin Element 2 Flotation Ice Fishing suit is the first ensemble we know of for hardwater use that offers lithium-power bank heat-assist technology.
In a nutshell, the Norfin Element 2 Flotation Ice Fishing suit is designed for serious abuse in the worst and coldest conditions imaginable. Even without turning the heating elements on, the suit is beyond warm.
With origins in Russia and popularity across the Baltic region and Scandinavia, Norfin products are now available stateside and have beco*e the de-facto choice with professional, co*petitive ice anglers.
While I wore the suit on a couple of outings, I let my friend and former colleague (and NAIFC co*petitor), Shawn Bjonfald, do the majority of the suit testing.
“The lightweight design is great, and it still offers floatation,” says Bjonfald. “It fits well. It’s not bulky or cumbersome like some floatation suits, and the pockets-design is great. The pockets are where they should be and easily accessible so you can organize all of your tackle and tools when you’re fishing on-the-fly outside.”
“I fish on foot a lot during the NAIFC tournaments,” continues Bjonfald. “I’m not hunkered down in one spot, so my suit beco*es my mobile shelter and my tackle box, so the Norfin pocket design is ideal. I had everything I needed on me in the suit for easy access and organization. From searching out fish on the ATV, then fishing by foot, and frequently moving from spot to spot, it’s probably the best suit I’ve ever worn.”
“I’ve gone through a lot of ice fishing suits over the years that didn’t fit well, were too bulky, or just didn’t feel right, which fatigue and wear you down. That’s not the case with the Norfin design.”
With regards to warmth, Bjonfald says it can’t be beaten.
“One of the times I wore the suit, it was -5 and gave off more heat than I needed. I reco*mend wearing the power bank-assisted base layer jacket with the outside shell for conditions below zero. For conditions above zero, all you need are the bibs and the outer shell jacket. I have yet to engage the heating on the bibs, but it’s there if I need it. Plus, the Velcro on the ankle/boot cuffs stays in place and doesn’t co*e loose, which is great for the slushy conditions I often co*pete in,” remarks Bjonfald.
Bjonfald concludes: “In terms of durability, I haven’t seen one lick of wear yet.”
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Key Features
Pros
Cons
My fishing buddy, Ty Macheledt, tested both the Eskimo Roughneck and Scout suits. Macheledt works every day from 5 a.m. until 2 p.m. and fishes almost daily from 2:30 until dark—both on the ice and during open-water months.
Living in western North Dakota, he’s used to a lot of wind and cold and was the perfect candidate to test these candidates for the best ice fishing suits, which claim extremely rugged and warm features. He also makes several trips to Fort Peck, Montana, to chase lake trout through the ice, where he also tested the suits this winter.
“The Eskimo Roughneck suit is warm without the bulk and weight of a typical flotation suit,” says Macheledt. “Then imagine the knee pads you’d put in your football pants. That’s the quality and thickness of the pads in the Eskimo Roughneck Bibs, which you can leave in or remove via pockets inside the bib. I’ve never seen anything co*parable in other bibs. Plus, you’ve got big hip pockets on the bibs, which is handy for tackle and other gear. The bibs also have ankle gaiters to prevent slush from getting in, but I don’t use them because my boots are so tall that I don’t need them.”
“I wore the Roughneck down to about 5 degrees and was perfectly warm. I just had a sweatshirt on under the jacket and blue jeans under the bibs. I was fine.”
Key Features
Pros
Cons
StrikeMaster has a long, respected history in the ice fishing world for manufacturing high-quality ice augers, accessories, and more recently, ice fishing suits.
First off, the StrikeMaster flotation suit won’t break the bank; it’s priced realistically. Testing it on a couple of outings earlier this ice season, I was amazed by the range of motion you get, rare for a flotation suit, which tend to be heavy and bulky. I didn’t get fatigued wearing the StrikeMaster Surface jacket and bib at all.
The suit is also loaded with co*mon-sense features. Side zippers on the bib pull all the way to the hip making slipping the bib on or off easy, even keeping your boots and cleats on. I also appreciate the padded knees, which make kneeling on jagged ice to set tip-ups, move a transducer, or land a fish way more co*fortable.
My frequent ice fishing buddy Bruce also tested this suit and fell in love with it immediately.
“I can’t believe that a flotation suit can be this light,” remarked Bruce. “It’s easy to move around in and you don’t get tired from wearing heavy, bulky gear. Plus, it’s super warm. And when I get back to the hard-house from drilling holes and setting tip-ups, I just take off the coat and unzip the bibs to stay co*fortable. I keep it on all day long, inside and out.”
Key Features
Pros
Cons
My ice fishing buddy, Mike, tested this suit in 3XL and was pleased with its fit and warmth. We ventured out on a Northern Minnesota lake in -10 degree air temp and -30 degree windchill. I was wearing the SIMMS Challenger and he was wearing the Ice Runner. Neither of us were cold.
“Hard to believe they can sell this whole flotation suit for 200 bucks,” said Mike. “And it’s super warm, doesn’t weigh much, isn’t bulky, and has tons of pockets. Perfect for me and my budget, that’s for sure. More anglers should know about this Ice Runner suit. And it’s got flotation, which for me at 300 pounds and 6’3” is a pretty real consideration during early- and late-ice—or on big, unpredictable lakes.”
Key Features
Pros
Cons
“I really like the Scout jacket,” says Macheledt. “But the pants aren’t overly warm. The other day I was fishing, and it was 25 degrees with a 15 mph wind, and I don’t think I would have wanted it any colder, unless I wore a bigger size and put on long underwear under my jeans.”
“My favorite ice fishing suit of all-time is the Eskimo Keeper jacket and bib, and now I’ve had the chance to test the Roughneck and Scout. What I can tell you is they all fit differently. The Keeper bibs are the same size as the Roughneck and Scout bibs, but they run bigger, which I like. I love the Eskimo Keeper for fishing day in, day out here in North Dakota. I’m used to two hip pockets on each side of the Keeper bib, which the Roughneck and Scout don’t have.”
“Besides warmer days on the ice, I think the Scout would be the perfect spring and fall bib open-water coat and bib for fishing out here on Lake Sakakawea,” adds Macheledt.
One thing, Macheledt notes is that Eskimo Fishing’s customer service is outstanding. He ripped the crotch out of his Keeper bibs while pulling off his boots and cleats and they sent him a new pair, which arrived in a few days. Perfect for Macheledt, who fishes every day…
Key Features
Pros
Cons
“I like how the suit is contoured to my curves and doesn’t look boxy like the workwear I typically wear on the ice,” says ice angler, Krysta Gregory. “Plus, it’s super warm and not bulky at all. I’ve got a good range of movement. And it doesn’t require a lot of extra layering unless it’s below zero outside.”
“I also like that it offers flotation for peace of mind if my husband and I are fishing sketchy ice,” adds Gregory.
Gregory concludes: “The other thing that’s kind of nice is there’s a place for my cellphone in both the jacket and the bibs, so I don’t need to worry about dropping it down the hole!”
Key Features
Pros
Cons
When it co*es to taking kids ice fishing, co*fort is key to a full day on hard water. So, I bought his suit for my daughter last fall, wanting her toasty warm and having fun. Although a bit on the expensive side, it’s been a great investment.
She not only wears the DSG suit for ice fishing, she wears the jacket to school and playing outside in the snow. She loves how it looks, fits, and how lightweight it is. Plus, with quality flotation assist, I can rest assured that she would be fine in the event she fell through the ice.
From my 10-year-old, “I love this suit, dad. It’s awesome!”
Key Features (Jacket)
Pros
Cons
I’ve worn the same pair of SIMMS waders for over 15 years without any leaks, so I thought I’d buy the SIMMS Challenger cold-weather suit for this ice season, after giving away my old Frabill suits to fishing buddies. Good decision.
Featuring 120 grams of PrimaLoft® Rise insulation, the SIMMS Challenger jacket and bib is lightweight but warm. The jacket is roomy enough to allow layering for extremely cold temperatures, but I haven’t needed to do that all season, wearing the suit sans base layers in temperatures down to -10 with -30 degree windchill.
The Challenger is lightweight and offers great range of motion when fishing outside, setting tip-ups, hole-hopping, etc. Even when cruising across the lake on a snow machine, it’s been warm. The only drawback is it doesn’t offer flotation, but even without, makes a great mid-winter, safe-ice jacket and bib.
One thing I really like about the Challenger bib is the reinforced knees with internal zippered pockets that include foam knee pads. While the knee pads that co*e in the bib are perfectly fine, I added additional foam construction pads to double up on the padding since I kneel a lot on outside to fish.
Another thing I’ll mention is SIMMS customer service. I didn’t unzip the bib legs all the way up to my knees and tried to pull my tall, insulated Norfin rubber boots through the openings and ended up ripping a hole in the crotch. I called SIMMS and they sent me brand-new bibs free-of-charge without any return necessary. After some sloppy stitching, I now have two pairs of Challenger bibs, one for fishing and another that lives in the back of my truck with the rest of my winter emergency gear.