Kahtoola  LEVAgaiter Tall GTX Gaiters

These gaiters made it one trip and exactly 3 miles in the hills. These things are just too fragile for what they are designed to do. To start with they do feel like they are made with quality product and for the most part I feel like they are. However the fabric of the main body is just not a strong enough material to handle the abuse of the woods and creek. They are light weight and pack down into a neat little pouch but that’s about as far as the positives go. My first trip out while wandering around in the hills I noticed that the top of my shoe felt wet. After investigating I found that just walking through the hills and brushing up against trees and light brush had tore these gaiters. This fabric just is not strong enough to handle any real outdoor activities.

I have been wanting a pair of gaiters of my own for several years now, so I was excited to try these out. I really liked the material; the zipper especially seemed well-made (I've reviewed items from cheaper sources and the zipper is always the first thing to go; not so on these). I used them hiking trails and odd jobs in town too to keep my pant legs dry (we've had multiple snow days lately). I cannot wait to use them when it get warmer and the snow begins to melt. Unfortunately for me, I ordered a size too small so I wasn't able to use the foot harness; on the plus side, those pieces are removable, so I simply took them off. Even if I were to use them, however, I'm not sure I liked the rigid plastic they were made of. If you need a pair of gaiters to keep your shins dry and the ticks out, this is a solid option. Comes with a handy little baggy to stuff them in.

First of all, these gaiters are very lightweight and will be easy to toss into my daypack. I’ll be taking them along on all my fall, winter and spring hikes. But weight isn’t the most important factor to me – I appreciate their light weight, but the fact that my pantlegs stayed 100% dry on all my hikes and walks wearing them, that’s my top priority given I live in Seattle. Yes, it really does rain a lot in the Pacific Northwest and I’ve been able to try these out several times in only a week! For my neighborhood walks, these kept my jeans completely dry (and warm) from just below the knee down, even hard rain. They also worked very well post-rain on narrow trails with encroaching (and dripping wet) plants. I didn’t know how well the gaiters would fit my various hiking footwear, given that only my North Face boots have a notch on the sole at the arch, but that’s not a problem. The instep strap still fit within the treads of my Hoka Speedgoats and my Keen boots with no issues at all. That instep strap is made of tough stuff, and comes with a 1000 mile guarantee. The strap is easy to adjust, once I understood how to do so, and can be replaced. I wanted to see how well the strap fared on rocky trails and wore the gaiters on such a trail with no evidence of any damage to the strap after a few miles. Time will tell, but I’m impressed with its durability so far. And, I really like how they look and feel. The top of the gaiters is easily snugged to fit above the calf and doesn’t fall down at all. I was also able to remove my shoes without having to take off the gaiters, a nice feature. After use, the material is easy to wipe clean of any dirt before storing in the included bag. The offset zips and right/left design also contributed to ease of use. The Medium size fit my various shoes well, even the Hokas which are notoriously big.

I was really excited to receive these for review, because I've been using the Kahtoola Instagaiters for a long time and really love them for everyday hiking. They're very easy to pull on and off, hold up over many, many hikes, and keep sticks and dirt out of my shoes. The LEVAgaiter Tall GTX Gaiters are very similar in ease of use and operation, so I was very happy with that. I was able to put them on in no time, and the zipper stays in place throughout 5+ miles of hiking. A big plus is also that you can also put them on when your shoes are already on. The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the fit around my calves and their height. Maybe my calves are small, but I had to really cinch the drawstring down so that they stayed in place. Once I did this, they didn't go anywhere, but it made them kind of baggy (you can see in the photos). I also wish these were a little higher, as I primarily will use them for hiking in snow. These only go about halfway up my calf, and I kind of wish they went closer to my knee. Overall I am very satisfied and would get them again, even with the minor flaws. These Kahtoola gaiters still have the best function out of the many I've tried.

I love my new Kahtoola Gaiters. Easy to put on and light weight. They hook stays in place, something I've had a problem with on other gaiters. Very nice snug fit, I used snowshoeing in Maine - no snow got under the gaiter. The adjustable inset strap is easy to use and helps make a tight fit, it appears to be durable. Waterproof, I used in the rain while on hands and knees digging in the snow - gaiters stayed in place and kept my feet dry.

I took my LEVAgaiter Tall on a quick trail run when we got our first snow this year. The water/snow proofing is superior and kept my pants dry all around. The adjustable Instep Strap is easy to use when changing from trail shoes to heavier snow boots. Drawcord held the top around my calf yet is flexible and comfortable. I forgot I was even wearing them! The 3D Performance Fit kept snow from getting up under the bottom seam in deeper snow and allowed plenty of free movement of my shoes. There is also a small hook on the front that keeps the gaiters in place and hooked to your laces. If wearing larger, insulated boots or thicker pants, you may want to consider sizing up if you are on the high end of the size recommendations. If you are on the low end of the size range, they should be fine either way. Otherwise, these fit great for regular shoes or hiking boots and pants. The zipper position on the outside is a little difficult to reach when putting on if you are wearing many layers but I got used to it very quickly. These are light and simple with some nice high end features that make them versatile and useful.

I'm a big fan of hiking with gaiters in the mud and in gravel or scree -- they're great at keeping little pebbles out of your shoes and help to protect your legs/ankles from the mud. I used these Kahtoola gaiters while hiking in muddy brushy area and in gravel, and also used them while working on a clean-up day in muddy marshy areas. They worked great and proved to be really waterproof (unlike my shoes). I tried them onto my boots and shoes ahead of time, which I would recommend, since the red plastic instep strap is tough to manipulate -- especially if your fingers are cold. I wore them with a pair of hiking shoes and also with a pair of hiking boots, and had to adjust one hole when I moved from shoes to boots. But there were still several holes left over, so they seem to adjust to footwear of all sizes. I was worried the red strap would bug me when walking because I don't have a clear delineated heel on either pair of shoes, but I didn't even notice it. i do assume that red strap will wear out after a while. The zippers weren't too tough to use, and it's easy to put the gaiter on, as long as you start with the heel first. The drawstring at the top concerned me a bit, as I thought it would slip since it landed sort of high calf (not right at my knee). But after hours of use, it never budged. The Goretex worked as promised and the gaiters are much lighter than others I've used. They come with a little pouch to pack them in, which is super handy to quicly stow them away.

I used these a couple times and ended up exchanging them for the REI brand. There are a few pros; lightweight, waterproof, packability, however, these did not stay up on my leg while I was trecking through fields/brush. The cord that tightens around your leg kept dangling and getting snagged on debris or getting stepped on. I tried tucking it inside, but it managed to always find it's way back out. Like I mentioned above, the gaiters would not stay up on my leg, no matter how tight I made them. Could just be my chicken legs. I would recommend buying something different unless you're in need of something super lightweight, packable, and/or for occasional light use.

This is my first pair of gaiters and I’m impressed. I live in Nashville and we don’t get much snow but we just happened to get 7 inches right after I got these and they performed perfectly! No more wet pants running into the shoes. Also used them hiking through a creek bed (shallow water) and stayed nice and dry. Finally, used them while pressure washing around the house and washing the car…I can see many uses for these!

I bought a pair of the mid-sized for an expedition up Mt. Kenya. They failed rather badly, with one of the primary and endlessly frustrating issues was that the zipper refused to work. Every single day, day after day for eight days, four of us fought with the zippers. They'd catch, fill with mud ( I don't do big hikes with a tiny brush JUST for zipper on my gaiters) and they caused us fifteen to twenty minutes of delay every single day. Not only that, they didn't protect my shoes from water, and my Merrills ended up soaked. Now that's also a problem with the Merrills but these gaiters, which I initially loved for their lightweight and curved design, ended up being one of the bigger gear fails on my entire trip. They tore easily. I am taking them back today to REI, won't be buying these again. As the only woman (and at 66) on many of my big hikes, I don't need to be hamstrung with gear that makes me late, doesn't work, doesn't protect my shoes, and above all, I can't even zip up. They were the right size, they just didn't work, got jammed up with dirt and mud (this is hiking reality folks, you don't get pristine conditions where I go hiking). Bad experience.