The Best Gaiters of 2024: Tested

If it is maximum protection you seek, consider the Outdoor Research Crocodiles your prize. There is no tougher piece of gear in this lineup. Made of ridiculously strong Cordura nylon and backed with a GORE-TEX® membrane, these knee-high fortresses seal out everything from water and snow to brambles and thorns. Our testing samples have also withstood ski edges, crampon sharps, a territorial cattle dog and even a rattlesnake (don't try at home).

To deploy the Crocodiles, you open the full-length hook-and-loop closure, step into the strap and close the gaiter like a book. Connect the lace hook to your boot and fasten the webbing with a cam buckle around your calf and you're primed for whatever Ma' Nature will throw your way.

"Off-trail hiking, rainforest romping, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, ski-mountaineering, peakbagging—the Crocodiles can handle it all," says one editor. "They are the four-wheel-drive off-road vehicles of any hiking kit." Sure, the Crocodiles may be overkill for easy-breezy hiking, but for everything—and we mean everything—else, there may be no better option on the market. Buy here.

"Everything you need, nothing you don't," declared one tester of these no-frills gaiters from REI Co-op. Ideal for someone who logs most of their miles in drier climes, the Flash gaiters are constructed from a stretchy nylon (like hiking tights) that seals out grit, nettles and seeds from your shoes. A lace hook snugs the gaiter to the top of your trail-running shoe or boot, and a pull string cinches the cuff 7.6 inches up your ankle. A doubled elastic cord secures the gaiter below your arch. No need to shed your shoes to put these gaithers on, either—hook and loop closures along the top make this gaiter easy to don and doff on trail.

The nylon material of the Flash gaiters is dense enough to prevent fine dust from slipping through the stitching, but it isn't waterproof. That design helps keep the gaiters lightweight and breathable, which, combined with maximum 50+ UPF sun protection rating, lends them to desert and chaparral hiking. But should you find yourself battling unexpected rain like one Colorado-based tester did, don't fret. The Flash gaiters are water-resistant and—best part—dry super quickly after a good dousing.

Buy here.

Rain or snow in the forecast? The Rocky Mountain High gaiters from Outdoor Research are up to the task. A burlier nylon material sheds off droplets easily, and knee-high protection helps prevent moisture from climbing up your pant leg when you're brushing past wet ferns and dewy brush. Still, all that protection comes in a featherweight package that makes these gaiters a great insurance policy against a wet day.

Outdoor Research slices ounces by omitting a waterproof membrane—these gaiters are not fully waterproof. But their extremely effective water-resistance makes them a great choice for most types of hiking (just don't submerge them). Without a membrane, the Rocky Mountain High gaiters remain breathable around the calf: "I didn't feel like I was wearing two layers," said one tester after a fast-paced hike along the Taylor River Trail in Washington. (Note: The breathable material isn't as durable as that in the Outdoor Research Crocodiles—it won't stand up to crampons or ice axes.)

Our testers appreciated the step-in strap and full-length hook-and-loop closure, so you can deploy these gaiters without removing your shoes. "When I hit an overgrown section of the trail, I pulled out the Rocky Mountain High gaiters and slapped them on over my pants and boots, almost without breaking stride," one tester says. Our testers also praised the webbing and cam-closure system at the top of the Rocky Mountain High gaiters, calling it "much more comfortable" than other cordage designs that can dig into your calves. Indeed: These gaiters earned perfect marks from our testers when it came to comfort. Buy here.

You want to enjoy the trail, but don't want to bring it with you for the rest of your run. If that sounds familiar, take a flyer on the Trail Gaiters from Altra, which are designed to keep unwanted rocks, grit and mud from sneaking inside your kicks as you log your miles.

The Trail Gaiters use a strapless design, so you won't feel like you're standing on a stick or otherwise off-kilter. Instead, a lace hook secures the gaiter to the top of your shoe and a hook-and-loop closure to the back. (These gaiters work seamlessly with Altra trail-running shoes, but they come with a hook-and-loop attachment system that you can affix to the back of your non-Altra running shoe for compatibility.) An elastic cinch keeps the Trail Gaiters above your ankle.

Because the Trail Gaiters lack a strap and hardware, they weigh next to nothing. That's good news for ounce-counters and folks who may want to stuff them in a hydration vest or their waistband just in case. Our tester wore the Trail Gaiters for a series of early-season conditioning runs in Colorado's Tenmile Range and noted the extreme difference compared to simply wearing mid-calf socks. "I never had to stop to empty my shoes," she says. She said the gaiters sealed out slush and mud, but points out that they're not waterproof, so don't submerge them. Best part? You can put the Trail Gaiters on or take them off without removing your shoes, and you can change your socks without taking the gaiters off, as well. Buy here.

If you think Outdoor Research's Rocky Mountain High gaiters aren't enough and its Crocodile GORE-TEX gaiters are too much, then chances are you'll think the Helium gaiters are just right. They split the difference between the two, serving up durable, waterproof protection without of all the armor (and thus: ounces). They weigh a hair more than over-the-ankle options on this list and can be rolled down tight enough to fit inside the hipbelt pocket of most overnight packs, making them a slam dunk for backpackers and thru-hikers in the market for barely-there protection. Buy here.