9 Best Fishing Vests (Review) in 2020

If you love fishing, then you are sure to appreciate this highly adjustable vest from Bassdash Fishing. The beauty of this adjustable and unisex verst is that you can conveniently have access on demand to your tackle and tools at all times. Just imagine how much pleasurable your fishing experience will be without the need to carry a cumbersome tackle box? With 18-pockets in total and a D-ring gear attachment plus a variety of useful accessory loops, this fully adjustable fishing vest is ideal. Whether you prefer to fly fish, head out on a boar or cast from the shore, this durable premium polyester constructed vest delivers a customized fit. With a breathable mesh back, it’s also designed to keep your cool even in active heat. In an assortment of colors too, this suspension style fishing vest represents excellent value and choice.

With a wide range of classic and traditional colors to choose from as well as various sizes and styles, there’s a Gihuo Fishing vest to suit everyone. This stylish and highly versatile lightweight jacket is ideal for a wide range of outdoor activities from fishing to hiking, camping to photography. With 16 varying sized pockets, including secure zippered pockets as well as velcro fastening ones, you can handily store all your personal possessions discreetly away for unrestricted access. All the while ensuring that your hands are free to focus on whatever activity you are engaged in.

Made from a lightweight fabric blend that’s designed to offer a minimal amount of waterproof protection, it’s the ideal vest for those drizzly and damp, early morning starts. With plenty of breathable mesh incorporated into the design, this jacket is well ventilated and will ensure the wearer remains cool and comfortable at all 

For those of you who love to combine your fishing with a healthy dose of adventure, then this fishing backpack from Anglatech delivers plenty of features you’ll appreciate. Designed for the explorers among you who enjoy spending long days on the water, not only does it come with expandable storage but it also includes a water bladder. So now you can stay hydrated all day long without having to take along extra water bottles with you. Constructed from a breathable mesh fabric that allows plenty of airflow, you will stay both cool and dry no matter what the weather. With fully adjustable shoulder and waist straps, it’s ideal for all shapes and sizes. The Anglatech vest is made from a heavy duty and hard wearing ripstop nylon. If you want to ensure that your essential fishing gear is always well organized and easily in reach, then grab yourself this comfortable, adjustable and stylish fishing vest today.

From hunting to fishing, camping to kayaking, the Lixada Fly Fishing Vest is a versatile and functional choice. The highly practical design features a series of secure pockets, ideal for storing all your valuables while ensuring your hands are kept free. There are fully adjustable buckle straps at the shoulders and waist so that it can be worn by both men and women. The universal adult size should be suitable to fit just about anyone and a stylish range of colors are available.

Designed with a breathable mesh back panel, it allows air to freely flow through the fabric ensuring the wearer remains cool, dry and comfortable no matter what the weather. Fabricated from a superior, premium ripstop polyester shell, it’s highly durable and reliable There’s the added convenience of being able to use this Lixada Fishing Vest either with or without replaceable EPE foam, providing the wearer with superior buoyancy plus added security and protection in open water conditions if requried.

You’d be surprised at how quickly a dozen pockets get eaten up, so how about twenty-six? That’s how many pockets the Master Sportsman fishing vest comes with, which gives you an absolute ton of space for bait, extra hooks, and just about everything else you can imagine. Each pocket has a sturdy closure, most of them being zippers. You get a zipper closure on the vest as well, with an addition fold-over snap button to keep things nice and secure. We just wish that this vest was a bit longer.

It rides up fairly high on your torso, even if you’re a slender guy. While the material feels great and remains breathable, the primary build is cotton, so stains and odors are far more likely to kick their feet up and stay a while, even after a long spin cycle. So long as you keep the usage lightweight, this inexpensive vest is an excellent way to conquer the water, and fill up your cooler before you head out. Everything is at your fingertips, including a loop to hold onto your rod while you’re sorting through your catches. Be sure to also check out our list of the best fishing nets for more great items like this.

You mean you didn’t have an uncle Milty? Rothco took the most classic fishing vest design, and put their own twist on the aesthetics and function. With the Uncle Milty fishing vest, you’ll be able to dip into over a dozen different pockets, and stash your bait, extra hooks, and just about anything else you’ll need, including your smartphone. While the polyester material helps to keep you warm, it is very thinly crafted. Veteran fishers will have to be a bit careful not to tear it.

The only other major downside is that it’s difficult to clean, primarily because of all the zippers and pockets. Stains are difficult to lift, but odors do wash out fairly easily. Rothco built this with an accurate sizing chart in mind, so what you select is what you get: nothing runs small or too big here. Last but not least, you get a little extra protection from the single fold-over button closure over your zipper, and three solid colors to choose from. This is a perfect gift for fishermen in your life.

When was the last time you had a true fly fishing vest? M MaximumCatch is willing to bet that even if you could recall your old fly fishing vest, their model would beat it tenfold. We’re inclined to agree. You get a total of sixteen pockets, and a fully adjustable harness system that can loosen at the shoulders and waist. That helps it retain its breathable design, keeping you cool from dawn until dusk. The only major design flaw is that half of your pockets are located on the interior section of your fly fishing vest, making them partially inaccessible.

You also get a removable foam pad that’s in a pocket in the vest. Trust us, you’ll know that it’s there. It’s fairly obvious and ironically uncomfortable, so we recommend removing it to regain mobility. Minor gripes aside, M MaximumCatch created this out of durable materials, making it simple to wash. Since the design is breathable, the entire vest is lightweight, keeping your mobility on-point throughout your fishing trip. Be sure to combine this with a cool fishing shirt from our list.

If you’re sitting on a boat with your rod poking in the water, you might nod off a bit. We’ve all done it, but on rare occasions it could send you tumbling into the water. With an ONYX on your back, you’ll be right as rain. This doubles as a floatation device to keep safety as the top priority, and also includes breast pockets and loops to keep everything close at hand. The downside is, there aren’t very many pockets, so you have to plan your space usage wisely.

Sizing is also a bit wild here. For us, and many gents who have tried out an ONYX vest, it’s oversized. Even if you follow the sizing information, it runs big. By far, our favorite feature had to be the drop-down tackle box tray, keeping everything accessible when you’re in the heat of the catch. ONYX created a great fishing vest here, with a sturdy front zipper and adjustable design, at half the price of many major brand vests. Our handy guide to the best fishing shoes features more great products like this.

There’s nothing wrong with the traditional fly fishing vest look. After all, it’s functional, and the perfect item for a minimalist fisherman who’s not looking to take the entire bait and tackle shop out on the boat with him. Allen Gallatin’s design keeps this totally breathable, but since it’s made of a durable nylon construction, the pockets aren’t very expandable. If you’re trying to stuff items in over capacity, you’re going to have one hell of a time zipping that pocket up.

On the subject of zippers, you’ll notice rubber caps on each one. These are fairly poor quality and will wear out very soon. With those small grievances in tow, note that the vest is extremely comfortable to wear. Traditional fly fishing vests put a strain on your neck and muscles, but with a padded neck piece and adjustable shoulder straps, the last thing you’ll be worried about is comfort, or stiff shoulders after you slide out of your vest. Find more great products like this by checking out our guide to the best sunglasses for fishing.

The one thing that we never really see fishermen talking about is the strain they’re putting on themselves. Kylebooker listened to this, and created a vest with a seriously comfortable pair of shoulder straps. This padding will not only leave you without tension on your shoulders, but it’s also completely adjustable to fit your size, no matter what. When it comes to fitting, it slips on like a glove, but it’s a different story when you fill the pockets to capacity. You’ll have an inhibited range of motion if you’re using the full storage capability of this vest.

If you keep it about 75% full, you’ll be good to go. Apart from storage, the only other thing we would seriously change about this vest is removing those orange ties on all the zippers. They’re fairly poor quality and will tear and degrade in no time. Kylebooker still makes a fantastic vest with ample storage, equipped with durable zippers, and even includes a dual rod loop so you won’t be slugging your pole over your shoulder. If you need serious fishing equipment, make sure you check our guide to the best ice fishing shelters.

M MaximumCatch has been putting out their famous Maxcatch lineup for years, and their standard fly fishing vest caught our attention. This vest comes with a premium design (without the premium price), but doesn’t hit every note the way we’d like. We’re big fans of the padded shoulder straps, but not exactly thrilled that when you pull on the adjustable straps, it tightens in the shoulders and leaves your lower section just sort of dangling there. If you’re using the pockets to store as much as possible, there’s another minor flaw.

The center zipper closure can only handle so much stress. When the pockets are full and pulling in two different directions, the zipper starts to slide down on its own. If you aren’t bringing the entire tackle shop with you, then you should be good to go. You’ll be able to enjoy the Maxcatch’s eyelet line feed, and stave off sweat with the full mesh panel construction in the back. It’ll stay breathable and won’t eat a hole in your wallet, but it wouldn’t be our first pick for an all-day fishing affair. Don’t forget to also check our guide to the best fishing watches.

Our last pick is another flotation device and fishing vest all in one. While that leads to there being way more padding than actual storage, it’s a toss-up if you want a versatile vest that can also be used during kayaking and white river rafting. The storage that you get won’t interfere with mobility, even if all the pockets are utilized to maximum capacity, for your knives, fishing bobbers, lures etc. Just note that those pockets are particularly hard to keep clean, as are the other components of this fishing vest.

The star of the show is the eight-point harness system, designed to give you nothing but unparalleled comfort and a tight fit that you won’t find with any other vest. NRS went all-out to ensure mobility and a contoured fit, but didn’t forget the aspects that make this a great fishing vest. You have multiple D-rings all across the bottom half, two loops to stash your fishing rod in, and a mesh back panel to help keep you cool throughout the day. Be sure to combine this with a cool fishing hat from our list.