The 6 Best Gaiters of 2025: 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 women's. Buy men's.

"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—some testers say they work best with deeper lugs—and a pull string cinches the cuff at least 7 inches up your ankle. A doubled elastic cord secures the gaiter below your arch—though one tester in New Mexico found that the elastic needed to be replaced after 75 miles. 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, and helps them stay 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 treated with a nonfluorinated durable water repellent (DWR) to resist water and precip 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.

Gram counters: Save just a little pack room for the featherlight, durable and highly visible INSTAgaiter Low Gaiters from Kahtoola. At a max weight of 2.2 ounces (per pair M/L; the S/M weigh just 2 ounces), these over-ankle protectors provide remarkable protection for being so minimal. Asymmetrical zippers prevent blisters and strain on the top of your foot from flexing over long periods, and are a cinch to put on and take off without adjusting your footwear. One ultralight tester, who packed the INSTAgaiters for a hiking trip to Japan's Yakushima National Park, says, "At the end of the day, when I went to take off my shoes, I had forgotten that I was even wearing gaiters. They are super light and unobtrusive." While they might be easy to forget if you're wearing them, they're hard to miss on the trail: The bright pop of color adds a bit of cheer to days when you might otherwise be cursing the drizzle or dust. "I can confidently say I've never gotten compliments on my gaiters before," says one tester who wore these in deep January snow in Minnesota. "But I actually got stopped a couple times by people who wanted to know what the heck I was wearing—and where they could get some."

Breathable stretch-woven recycled nylon sits snug against your footwear without trapping moisture and heat inside, while a nonfluorinated durable water repellent (DWR) treatment keeps light rain out. While our testers reported that these gaiters held up under wet conditions—hail and snow, mud, and one accidental stumble into a shallow pond—they will certainly meet their match in a downpour. Dial in the round-ankle fit with the elasticized drawcord and toggle lock, and secure them using the integrated lace hooks for a confident ride. Adjustable DuraLink® instep straps help you seal the bottom to your shoes, but testers suggest picking up an extra pair in case these straps prove less durable than the rest of the gaiters. (The straps are not sold separately at REI but are available directly from Kahtoola.) 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.

Don't let snow slow you down: Our winter-loving testers applaud the LEVAgaiter Mid GTX gaiters from Kahtoola for hiking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. Despite the best-in-class weather protection from a 3-layer GORE-TEX fabric with a nonfluorinated waterproof membrane, these over-ankle gaiters are some of the lightest in our test—and the lightest waterproof gaiter the brand makes. "I don't even notice I'm wearing them," says one tester who took them out for winter hikes in Idaho. Despite being used to bulkier, taller gaiters, that same tester was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable the shorter, sleeker LEVAgaiters were and how much coverage they provided from rain and snow. The top cinches securely with an elastic drawcord, and toggle locks keep them snug and secure.

Water and snow are no match for the YKK AquaGuard® zippers, and their offset placement create less pressure and discomfort on your ankle as you move than front- or back-face zippers. Adjustable instep straps come with a 1,000-mile warranty from Kahtoola, which gave our testers more confidence about what they saw as a potential weak link in the design. One tester wore them for more than 30 miles cross-country skiing and says that while it seems durable enough, she worries that when the DuraLink® instep strap eventually fails, "replacement straps may be hard to find." She ended up ordering a spare pair (not sold at REI) directly from the manufacturer, but wishes there were a more universal option. Other versions: Also available in tall. Buy here.