Posted by Hooked Tackle on 2nd Nov 2026

Is the Fortis Tundra Still the Best Winter Fishing Suit? 2026 Review

By Hooked Tackle · Last updated 2 November 2026
We are a tackle shop in Newmarket, and we sell the Fortis Tundra alongside the Vass and Fox suits it is compared with here.

Quick Answer

Yes, for anglers who sit out cold, wet winter nights, the Fortis Tundra is still the best-specified winter suit we stock. It has a 25,000mm waterproof shell, a jacket comfort tested to -20°C and salopettes to -15°C. It is also expensive at £429.98 for both pieces. The Vass 230 Winter Lined set gives you 20,000mm waterproofing for about £195 but needs more layers underneath in a hard frost. The Fox Collection V2 Winter Suit at £109.99 is the budget choice for day sessions.

What Is the Fortis Tundra?

Quick answer: an insulated, fully waterproof jacket and salopettes, sold separately, that Fortis call their warmest waterproof kit.

Most winter suits are either warm or properly waterproof. The Tundra was built to be both: a fully waterproof, windproof shell with synthetic insulation inside. CARPology reviewed it as brand new in January 2024, after four winters of development, so this is its third winter on sale.

	Tundra Jacket	Tundra Salopettes
Price	£249.99	£179.99
Shell	2-layer Triflex, fully taped seams	2-layer Triflex, fully taped seams
Waterproof / breathable	25,000mm+ / 25,000g/m²	25,000mm+ / 25,000g/m²
Insulation	300g/m² recycled Primaloft	200g/m² recycled Primaloft
Comfort tested to	-20°C	-15°C
Sizes and colours	S–3XL, olive green or DPM	S–3XL, olive green or DPM

Specifications from Fortis's own product pages for the jacket and salopettes. In our shop: the Fortis Tundra Jacket and Fortis Tundra Salopettes.

How Warm Is the Fortis Tundra?

Quick answer: very. Fortis comfort test the jacket to -20°C and the salopettes to -15°C, with the right layers underneath.

The jacket uses 300g/m² of Primaloft, a synthetic insulation that keeps working when it gets damp, which matters on a long, wet night. The salopettes use slightly less, at 200g/m², which is why their rating is 5°C higher. Fortis designed the range to be worn over base and mid layers rather than on its own, so the ratings assume you are dressed properly underneath.

Inside the Fortis range, the Snugpak x Fortis pieces sit above Tundra for the most extreme cold, but they are water-resistant rather than waterproof. That is the Tundra's point: it is the warmest Fortis kit you can sit in through hours of rain.

Is the Fortis Tundra Waterproof?

Quick answer: yes, fully. The shell is rated over 25,000mm with fully taped seams, and it is windproof too.

A 25,000mm hydrostatic head is a serious waterproof rating, built for sitting out heavy rain and kneeling on soaking grass rather than just shrugging off showers. The 25,000g/m² breathability rating means moisture from walking a barrow or playing a fish can escape, so you are not damp from the inside. The outer fabric has four-way stretch, so it does not ride up when you cast or net a fish.

The jacket has a stormproof hood with a stiffened peak, a two-way YKK Vislon front zip with a storm flap, handwarmer pockets you can reach while wearing a rucksack, and an internal zipped pocket for your phone or alarm receiver. The salopettes have YKK boot zips, so you can get them on over boots.

What do waterproof ratings mean? The figure in millimetres is the hydrostatic head: how tall a column of water the fabric holds back before it leaks. As a rough guide from Angling Times:

Rating	What it handles
5,000mm	Moderate rain
10,000–15,000mm	Heavy rain and storms
20,000mm and over	Long spells in a downpour without shelter

Taped or welded seams matter as much as the fabric, because stitching holes are where water usually gets in first. All three suits in this guide have taped or welded seams.

Fortis Tundra vs the Alternatives

Quick answer: the Tundra has the best waterproofing and the only published cold ratings of the suits we compared. The others cost a lot less.

Suit	Price, top and bottoms	Waterproof rating	Warmth	Best for
Fortis Tundra	£429.98	25,000mm+, taped seams	Primaloft; jacket -20°C, salopettes -15°C	Long winter nights in any weather
Vass 230 Winter Lined	About £195	20,000mm minimum, welded seams	Winter lined; no rating published	Wet weather, all-winter use with layers
Fox Collection V2 Winter Suit	£109.99	8,000mm, taped seams	Insulated; no rating published	Budget winter day sessions

Prices correct as of November 2026 — check the product page for current pricing and availability.

Vass 230 Winter Lined

Quick answer: the best value waterproof winter set we stock, at about £195 for the jacket and bib and brace, but you need to layer up for real cold.

The Vass 230 Winter Lined Jacket (£109.98) and Vass 230 Winter Lined Bib & Brace (£84.98) are built around waterproofing. The Vass-Tex 230 fabric is rated to a minimum of 20,000mm, the seams are welded rather than stitched, and the waterproof coating is part of the fabric, so Vass say it never needs reproofing. It is windproof, machine washable and has no PTFE finish.

It is lighter and less bulky than a typical winter suit, which makes it easy to wear from October to March. Vass are open that it is not designed as a sub-zero arctic suit: the idea is that you add layers underneath on the coldest days. If you mostly fish days and want a suit that will sit out a downpour, it is hard to beat for the money. The bib and brace has a double-layer knee with a pocket for knee pads, which helps on wet banks.

Fox Collection V2 Winter Suit

Quick answer: a full insulated jacket and salopettes for £109.99, the cheapest proper winter suit we stock.

The Fox Collection V2 Winter Suit gives you both pieces for less than the price of a Tundra jacket alone. It has an 8,000mm fabric with fully taped seams, insulated filling, a removable peaked hood, reinforced knees on the salopettes and a two-way main zip.

An 8,000mm rating copes with showers and damp banks rather than hours of heavy rain, so it suits day sessions and anglers who fish a few winter trips a year. Add a good base layer and fleece underneath and it will keep you comfortable on a cold, dry day.

So, Is the Fortis Tundra Still the Best?

Quick answer: for long, static winter nights in the wet, yes. For day sessions and tighter budgets, the Vass and Fox suits make more sense.

You fish overnight through the winter, whatever the weather. The Tundra. Nothing else here combines a 25,000mm shell with insulation rated to -20°C in the jacket, and it is the suit you can sit in through a wet, frosty night.
You fish all winter, mostly days, and rain is your main enemy. The Vass 230 Winter Lined set. It is fully waterproof for about half the price, and you add layers when it freezes.
You fish a few winter days a year. The Fox Collection V2 Winter Suit at £109.99.
You want Fortis but not at £430. Buy the Tundra Jacket on its own and pair it with salopettes you already own.

Sizing and Layering

Quick answer: buy your usual size for room to layer, size up if you are between sizes and wear a lot underneath, and always wear a base layer.

The Tundra has a classic, relaxed fit with room for layers. Fortis's jacket size guide goes by chest: Small 38–40in, Medium 40–42in, Large 42–44in, XL 44–46in, XXL 48–50in and XXXL 52–54in. The salopettes go by waist, from 30in in Small to 40in in XXXL. If you are between sizes and plan to wear a thick mid layer, size up.

No winter suit works on its own. Start with a thermal base layer that moves sweat off your skin, add a fleece, then the suit. The Fortis Tundra Fleece (£89.99) is made for exactly that job, a double-thickness 380gsm sherpa fleece designed to go under the Tundra Jacket. Our winter fishing clothing guide covers layering from base layers to boots.

What Most Anglers Get Wrong

Quick answer: buying on the price tag or the temperature rating alone, and forgetting what goes underneath.

Buying for the wrong fishing. A -20°C suit is overkill for a few winter day sessions, and a budget suit is the wrong choice for a wet January overnighter.
Ignoring the waterproof rating. Warmth means nothing once the rain gets through. 8,000mm handles showers. For hours of heavy rain, look for 20,000mm or more.
Nothing underneath. Temperature ratings assume proper layers. A suit over a cotton T-shirt will feel cold and clammy.
Buying too tight. Insulation works by trapping air. A suit that is tight over your layers is colder than one with a little room.
Treating it like a coat. Rinse off mud, wash it with a technical cleaner and dry it properly, so the insulation keeps its loft and the shell keeps its water repellency. If rain stops beading on the outside, re-proof it before the winter starts.

FAQs

Is the Fortis Tundra worth the money?
If you fish long, static winter sessions in all weathers, yes. It combines a 25,000mm waterproof shell with Primaloft insulation, with the jacket comfort tested to -20°C and the salopettes to -15°C. If you mostly fish days, the Vass 230 Winter Lined set or the Fox Collection V2 Winter Suit cost far less.

How warm is the Fortis Tundra?
Fortis comfort test the jacket to -20°C with 300g/m² of Primaloft insulation, and the salopettes to -15°C with 200g/m². Those ratings assume you wear proper base and mid layers underneath.

Is the Fortis Tundra waterproof?
Yes. Both pieces use a 2-layer Triflex shell rated over 25,000mm waterproof and 25,000g/m² breathable, with fully taped seams. It is windproof too.

Fortis Tundra or Vass winter suit?
The Tundra is warmer and more waterproof on paper, with published cold ratings, and it costs about £430 for both pieces. The Vass 230 Winter Lined set is about £195, rated to a minimum of 20,000mm with welded seams, but Vass recommend adding layers for sub-zero conditions.

What is the best budget winter fishing suit?
The Fox Collection V2 Winter Suit at £109.99 gives you an insulated jacket and salopettes with an 8,000mm rating and taped seams.

What size Fortis Tundra should I get?
Your usual size for a relaxed fit with room to layer. Fortis size the jacket by chest, from 38–40in in Small to 52–54in in XXXL, and the salopettes by waist, from 30in to 40in. Size up if you are between sizes and wear thick layers underneath.

Can I wear an outdoor or walking jacket instead of a fishing suit?
You can, but most walking jackets are made for moving, when your body makes its own heat, so many have less insulation. Fishing suits like the Tundra are built for sitting still for hours, kneeling on wet banks and fishing through the night, with salopettes to keep your back and legs covered. If you only fish short, dry days, a good outdoor jacket over warm layers will do.

What should I wear under a winter fishing suit?
A thermal base layer that moves sweat off your skin, then a fleece mid layer, then the suit. Add a hat, gloves and thermal socks. Avoid cotton next to the skin, because it holds sweat and makes you cold.

Get Kitted Out

For winter nights, the full Fortis setup is the Fortis Tundra Jacket (£249.99), Fortis Tundra Salopettes (£179.99) and Tundra Fleece (£89.99). For less, the Vass 230 Winter Lined Jacket (£109.98) and Bib & Brace (£84.98) or the Fox Collection V2 Winter Suit (£109.99) will see you through.