Best chainsaw safety boots: Top kevlar professional chainsaw boots reviewed

I’ve decided to shake up the review this time round. Instead of the Oregon leather boot getting top spot I am giving it to the rubber boot. Why you ask? Well for a start, they are half the price and are class three so spot on for 28 m/s chain bar speed.

Not only that, they are much higher quality than the wellington boots I’ve just been reviewing and cost less in some cases than the more expensive ones…In short they are a right little bargain and I hope it remains that way! 🙂 In fact they have a 200J rated steel toe cap too. This means you can drop 20kg on them from a metre high and expect protecting!

They are comfortable on the foot, very few complain of rubbing but there are some so they obviously don’t fit all feet perfectly. Talking of which – in fact, the only complaint I see with these is people warning you to buy one or two sizes smaller than you are! Also whilst on fitting and comfort. They weigh 3kg so pretty hefty. A small price to pay for a waterproof boot though, ideal for walking through wet and muddy woods and gardens.

Being class 3 you’ll use them with most petrol chainsaws no problem. Always check the bar speed though to be sure but it’s hard to pick much in the way of fault with these boots and so they are the new top pick for the best chainsaw boots in the UK!

Probably the best value for money chainsaw safety boots we came across are these Oregon Yukon class 1 leather boots when I compare what’s available elsewhere. Class 1 means that they can be worn with confidence if you are using a chainsaw with speeds up to 20 m/s. If your chainsaw runs faster than that you will probably need to buy class 2 or even class 3 chainsaw boots.

One of the most important things when it comes to choosing a good pair of chainsaw safety boots is comfort. It’s all good having impenetrable armour on your feet but if they are so heavy and uncomfortable that you can’t wait to take them off, well, that’s not exactly money well spent in my book.

Luckily these Oregon Yukon boots come up trumps in the comfort department with a leather/PU construction that manages to be thick and strong yet flexible at the same time and I especially liked the padded shaft where you insert your foot.

The sizes are a little larger than what you would expect. I usually take a size 11 so that’s what I originally tried only to find them a little bit too big. Next I slipped on the 10 and a halves and they were perfect, so I’d suggest going down a step from your shoe size.

Some chainsaw safety boots can be quite heavy and over the space of a long day, can add to your fatigue, especially if you are a forest with heavy vegetation on the floor. Again, Oregon has done well to keep these fairly lightweight at 2 kilograms and unlikely to cause you any problems.

Oregon has done a good job at marrying effective safety, very high build quality, and attractive aesthetics, all the while keeping the price down so that these chainsaw boots are affordable by most people. For around 80 pounds you get nice looking boots that are water resistant, anti-static, have great outsoles that not only provide outstanding grip, but are also anti-perforation and resistant to hydrocarbons so you won’t damage the material should you step in a puddle of oil or petrol. There are also steel toe caps and heels that have been designed to absorb a lot of energy and shock.

With safety equipment in general, durability usually comes down to the weakest links on a product and is usually some small component that the makers overlooked. With chainsaw boots is sometimes the lacing hardware (the loops where the laces go through on the instep and front of the shin). If these are not made up to standard, they wear down and break faster than the rest of the boot leaving you with footwear that can’t be laced up properly which makes them ineffective. Oregon has given these Yukon chainsaw safety boots non-corrosive metal lace loops to prolong the durability and working life and also made them resistant to pulls up to 65kg, meaning they won’t break off easily at all.

These Yukon class 1 chainsaw boots are a bargain at their current price and match much more expensive brands for quality. They are relatively light weight but still manage to be large and substantial enough to offer good all round protection for your feet, and are worth every penny of their very reasonable price tag.

If you are on a tighter budget but still want outstanding protection, you’d be wise to give these Skellerup Chainsaw safety boots a go.

While the Oregon Yukon boots are made from leather and resemble normal work boots, these Skellerup ones are more in the Wellington style and are made from rubber. This has advantages and drawbacks.

On the plus side, they are completely waterproof as long as your chainsaw trousers go over the top of them) because there are not many separate sections stitches together. This is also the reason that they tend to be very hard wearing and durable.

On the other hand, rubber wellington style chainsaw safety boots tend not to be as comfortable as leather ones. That doesn’t mean they are uncomfortable, because these certainly are, just not quite up to the same standard of comfort as leather boots. Although I have to say that the fact that these Skellerup boots lace up in the back does add to their comfort for someone with thicker calves like myself.

Safety wise, these boots are top drawer. Being class 3 means that you can use them with chainsaws with spinning speeds of 28 m/s. They have solid steel toe caps, which are a must have in any decent chainsaw safety boots, and also a steel midsole that is penetration resistant. On top of this, they have a ballistic nylon shin guard and a suregrip 360 nitrile outsole.

As for the size, I chose the same as my shoe size and the length was just about right. They were slightly narrower than some other boots that I’ve worn in the past, but unless you have unusually wide feet, it shouldn’t be a problem, especially after they have been worn in.

All in all, I can’t really fault these chainsaw safety boots, especially not at such a low price. They are comfortable, have top class safety standards, offer a good grip on the soles, and are easy to put on and take off. What more could you want?

Cofra power chainsaw safety boots are another product worthy of your consideration, offering up excellent quality and great protection an when compared to the first two picks stand up pretty well.

At just shy of 90 quid, they are slightly more expensive than the Oregon Yukon boots but hardly enough to be a deal breaker, and these chainsaw safety boots are class 2 so you can rely on them to protect you from chainsaws running at 24 m/s which is better than the Oregon pair.

These boots are made from high quality Italian leather with equally high standard stitching holding them together and making them water repellant. The leather is thick and strong but also affords a decent amount of flexibility and movement, particularly after you’ve been wearing them for a while.

The makers say that these are wide fit but I wouldn’t say they are any wider than normal and would even go as far as to say that I found the toe area a little tighter at first, although this area did loosen up after the first day. I think I would suggest buying a size one up from your usually shoes just to be sure you have ‘wiggle’ room for your little piggies.

To ensure shock absorption and comfort, Cofra have constructed the footbed out of a full piece of soft PU. This also makes these chainsaw safety boots antistatic which is an important feature on these kinds of products that some people overlook.

The outsole is completely made of nitrile rubber, much like the Skellerup Chainsaw safety boots we just reviewed. This material is often used in nuclear power plants and the aeronautical industry due to its high level resistance to chemicals, oils, and heat, and even acids. The only real drawback of nitrile is that it is less flexible than standard rubber, but for an outsole on chainsaw safety boots, it’s a worthy trade off.

Again, apart from needing to order a size larger than usual, I can’t find much to fault this product. They are extremely well made of high quality materials and offer a very high standard of safety and protection for your feet.

When we choose products to test and review, we usually pick the most popular products within a price rang that the average person would deem reasonable and affordable.

Priced at £199 on Amazon, these Chainsaw safety boots from Rock Fall might cost a little more than most people are willing to pay, but if you have deeper pockets and don’t mind shelling out the extra, these are some of the best boots I’ve ever tried.

Certified to the highest cut resistance-class 3, the Rock Fall Chatsworth boots are very heavy duty and have been constructed out of only the best materials.

First of all, the full grain leather outer layer is incredibly durable while not restricting movement. This makes them a joy to wear for even long periods of time.

Then there are several layers of Kevlar, a material that is used is bulletproof vests, and ant-stab clothing due to its strength and effectiveness, to protect you from being cut.
Inside these premium chainsaw safety boots is the Sympatex inner membrane making them both abrasion proof, breathable and waterproof, and the footbed is made of moisture absorbing material.

Finally, solid, HRO, HI, and SRC nitrile rubber has been used for the outsole to protect against extreme heat and chemicals, and Crush and shock resistant steel toe caps, and a composite protective midsole are just more excellent safety features that these boots are armed with.

The soles have been designed to grip both ladders and loose ground, and under our tests they did both exceptionally well, so if you’re going to be working up at heights, these boots could be just the thing for you.

To sum up, I would have to say that although these boots are a little on the pricey side, what you get for those extra pounds is a superior pair of chainsaw safety boots, made to the highest standards with the best materials available. That, to me anyway, is worth shelling out for.