MidCurrent Tested & Trusted: Patagonia Swiftcurrent Traverse Zip-Front Waders

September 25, 2025 By: Spencer Durrant

The author has put his waders through a lot over the past nine months, and they’ve held up admirably. Photos: Spencer Durrant

I’ve had the chance to use the Patagonia Swiftcurrent Traverse Zip-Front Waders ($549) for nine months now. Minus the time I spent wet-wading this summer, they’ve been my go-to waders as I’ve fished throughout Utah, Nevada, and Wyoming. Earlier this year, I reviewed these same waders after just over two months of use. At the time, I raved about their comfort and pocket space, even if I’m no fan of the chest-pocket layout. I also mentioned that these waders had the makings of a durable product, but only time would tell just how tough they are.

Holding Up

After nine months across varied conditions—wading wide tailwaters and freestones, scrambling through pocket water, and hiking to alpine lakes—they show very little signs of wear. There are no leaks, and no material fraying along the seams. That’s huge, because Patagonia built these waders from 100% recycled materials. The fact that they’ve held up so well is flat-out impressive.

It’s also impressive given how lightweight the Swiftcurrent Traverse Zip-Front waders are—just over 44 ounces—which is part of why they’re so comfortable. Often, the tradeoff you make with ultralight waders is a sacrifice in durability. That’s held true for just about every pair of lightweight waders I’ve personally owned.

The zipper is durable, waterproof, and super convenient—surprising for waders at this price point.

That’s just not the case with the Swiftcurrent Traverse Zip-Front waders. I wouldn’t call these bomber-style waders, and they’d probably get fairly beat up during a season guiding in Alaska or Canada, but for the average trout angler, they’re phenomenal.

Feature Focused

Patagonia also included a convertible system, so you can wear these waders as waist-high when the weather warms up. All the clips and buckles are in great shape, the convertible system still works without a hitch, and it’s nice to air things out during the warmest part of the day.

I initially raved about the pocket space, and that still holds true. There’s more than enough room in these waders for the items I normally keep in them, including an extra fly box, spare leaders, indicators, a granola bar.

The only problem with the pockets is the orientation of the zippers on the chest. The access to the pockets is in the center, instead of on each outside edge. This is also the ONLY access to those pockets.

The chest-pocket orientation takes some getting used to.

This doesn’t seem like a problem until you go to warm your hands up, and have to reach across your entire body to access a pocket. That there’s no access from the outside edge is baffling, and enough of a design flaw to sink any other pair of waders. After nine months of use, I’m still not a fan of the pocket layout, although I’m finally getting used to it.

Honestly, though, the fact that these waders are still in such great shape is their biggest selling point. Waders are a tough buy, because you know they’ll eventually wear out. Buying some that last as long as possible is obviously the goal, and the Swiftcurrent Traverse Zip Fronts have set a bar that’ll be hard for other waders to clear, especially at the $549 price point.

Click here to learn more about the
Patagonia Swiftcurrent Traverse Zip-Front Waders

Spencer Durrant is a fly fishing writer from Wyoming. He’s the host of the weekly podcast Untangled: Fly Fishing for Everyone, as well as a staff writer for Flylords. Connect with him on Instagram/X, @Spencer_Durrant.