Short answer
Measure the child, then use the chart of the exact pair. The makers I looked at do not share a chart. Simms and Orvis size kids' stockingfoot waders in Small, Medium and Large, using height, chest, inseam and a shoe or bootie range. frogg toggs has a youth tab on its size chart page with separate bootfoot and stockingfoot chest wader tables. Some budget brands use age-style labels instead.
I am not copying any of these charts. They are the makers', they change, and a stale table is worse than none. The pairs we track are on the kids' waders page. For how to take adult measurements and read labels, see our general wader size chart guide.
What to measure
Use a soft tape, and measure over the thin layer the child will wear, not over a bulky jacket.
- Height. Standing straight, without shoes. Simms and Orvis both put height on their kids' charts.
- Chest. Around the fullest part of the chest. Orvis notes this can be the largest girth.
- Inseam. From the crotch to the floor along the inside of the leg. Simms spells this out as crotch to floor.
- Shoe size. The child's current shoe or big-kid shoe size, which maps to the bootie or boot range.
Simms says its kids' chart figures are body measurements, and Orvis says its charts use body measurements and not clothing measurements. The frogg toggs wader tables differ: that page says its wader numbers are the garment's actual dimensions. So with frogg toggs, leave margin between the child's measurements and the number.
Who uses what
- Simms: kids' stockingfoot waders in Small, Medium and Large, using height, chest, inseam and big kid's shoe size. Kids' wading boots are matched to a kid's street shoe size and to adult sizes.
- Orvis: kids' stockingfoot waders in Small, Medium and Large, with chest, inseam, bootie range and height columns.
- frogg toggs: a youth tab with a regular bootfoot chest wader table and a regular stockingfoot chest wader table.
- Budget brands: in our Amazon data, the 8 Fans kids' neoprene chest waders use labels from 2T to 14/15, the Trudave Splash Youth waders from 3T to 12/13, and the Night Cat pair 4/5 to 12/13 (listed as age sizes). Caddis lists Small to Extra Large.
Age labels are the least reliable guide. Children of the same age differ by several inches in height, so treat 6/7 as a starting point and check the maker's measurements if they are given.
Bootfoot or stockingfoot for a child
Most kids' waders we track are bootfoot: at our last check (October 2026) we list 15 youth or kids' waders on Amazon US, 10 of them bootfoot, 3 stockingfoot (Simms, Caddis and Compass 360) and 2 with no foot type stated.
On a bootfoot pair the boot is attached, so one size has to cover body and foot, and a growing foot outgrows it quickly. On a stockingfoot pair the wader has a neoprene bootie and the child wears separate boots, which can be replaced when the foot grows. The stockingfoot route has more parts and more to get right, including boot size. Simms matches its kids' boots to street shoe size, and you should follow the boot's own page. See bootfoot waders and stockingfoot waders for the general trade-offs.
Growth
None of the kids' chart pages I read gives a rule for buying room to grow, and I won't invent one. What I can say:
- A little extra length lets a child wear a warm layer and bend a knee. That is normal.
- Much too large is a problem. Fabric bunches at the knee and ankle, straps are hard to adjust, and a boot that moves on the foot makes walking on rocks harder.
- Waders that fill with water are heavy for a small body, and bulk makes it harder to move.
If your child is between two sizes and the maker offers no guidance, I would go with the one that fits now. A wader that fits for one season is better than one that is a hazard for two.
Safety comes first
This part is serious, and it matters more than the size.
- Waders are not a flotation device. A life jacket is separate gear. The Iowa DNR page says children's life jackets are sized by weight, with infant, child and youth ranges, and that children under 13 must wear a life jacket at all times on a vessel.
- Keep children in shallow, slow water, within reach of an adult. A child who is not a confident swimmer should not wade beyond where an adult can grab them.
- Check the fit with the child standing in the waders on dry land first. They should be able to walk, squat and step up without the waders pulling at the crotch or dragging at the heel.
What our data shows
Of the kids' waders we track, only a few state a size range. Orvis and Simms list Small to Large, Caddis lists Small to Extra Large, and the budget brands list age-style sizes. For the rest, the Amazon listing gives no range, so open the maker's chart before you order. Sizes quoted from Amazon listings are listing values and are not confirmed by the maker.
Buyer feedback on fit
I did not read buyer reviews for the kids' pairs while writing this page, so I won't summarize them. Read recent reviews on the exact pair for comments on height and boot room, because kids' sizing varies between makers more than adult sizing.
From size to shopping
Once you have the child's measurements, the kids' waders page lists the pairs and lets you filter by foot type. If you want to see how a maker's adult guide works, see our Simms wader size chart, Orvis wader size chart and frogg toggs wader size chart guides, and the main waders page for everything else.
Questions people ask
How do I size youth waders?
Measure the child's height, chest, inseam (crotch to floor) and shoe size, then use the chart of the specific pair. Simms and Orvis both list height, chest, inseam and a shoe or bootie range on their kids' stockingfoot wader charts. Each says the figures are body measurements, so measure the child, not the clothes.
Are youth wader sizes based on age or height?
It depends on the maker. Simms and Orvis use Small, Medium and Large with height, chest, inseam and foot columns. Some budget bootfoot brands in our data use age-style labels such as 4/5, 6/7 and 8/9. An age label is only a guess about height, so check the chart for the actual measurements.
Should I buy kids' waders a size big so they grow into them?
I wouldn't buy far too big. None of the kids' chart pages I read gives a growth rule. Waders much too large bunch at the knees and ankles, a bootfoot boot that is too big moves around the foot, and a water-filled wader is heavy. A little room for layers is reasonable. A lot is a hazard.
Do kids need a life jacket with waders?
For a child near deep or moving water, a life jacket is separate gear and waders do not replace it. The Iowa DNR page I read says children's life jackets are sized by weight, and that children under 13 must wear one at all times on a vessel. Keep children in shallow water, within arm's reach of an adult.
Is a bootfoot or stockingfoot better for kids?
Bootfoot is simpler because the boot is attached, but it must fit the foot, and a growing foot outgrows it. Stockingfoot needs separate wading boots and more steps to put on, but the wader and the boots can be replaced at different times. Our kids' waders page lists both kinds with what the makers state.
Save this guide for later
Sources
- Simms: Size and fit guide — accessed 2026-10-15
- Orvis: Kids' waders size chart — accessed 2026-10-15
- frogg toggs: Size charts — accessed 2026-10-15
- Iowa DNR: How to choose the right life jacket — accessed 2026-10-15