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Frogg toggs road toad rain gear quality?

12K views 33 replies 21 participants last post by  newride  
#1 ·
I finally bought my first set of rain gear today since it's supposed to rain this week. I decided to buy local to save on shipping costs and I ended up with frogg toggs road toad set. They look really good quality and are comfortable.

I'm looking to see other peoples experiences with them? How long did they last? What problems if any did you have with them? I am a commuter in the great northwet and want to know that these will last me awhile.

Thanks for any input!


Sent from my Motorcycle iPhone app
 
#2 ·
Fortunately I haven't had to wear mine regularly while riding - my commute is short enough that my regular riding gear (currently a Roadcrafter) is sufficient. I have worn them while at an outdoor even for several hours. Only problem there was that the elastic at the end of the sleeves gets really wet and retains the water. Since they were in contact with the sweatshirt sleeves I had on underneath, I got some wicking action.
 
#3 ·
Mine lives in a side case for those days when I foolishly ride without my usual fieldsheer gear. One of those foolish days came up last month, and I wore them for an hour plus ride in torrential rain. They worked great, but my pant cuffs got wet as did my back at the waistband.

If I was to buy them again, I would go the next size up. It would be nice if Frogg Toggs made the jacket longer, or perhaps used a cinch cord rather than an elastic waist.

I've also used them several times as general purpose rain gear when we're out in nature with the kids, and kept completely dry, although I found the hood to be useless.

I didn't buy them as my primary rain gear though, and I really don't think they'd last long in that role. You might want to look at the slightly more spendy Icon PDX gear if that is what you're relying on.
 
#12 ·
I didn't buy them as my primary rain gear though, and I really don't think they'd last long in that role. You might want to look at the slightly more spendy Icon PDX gear if that is what you're relying on.
i will eventually be buying something along the lines of the Icon PDX gear, but for now i was looking for something less expensive, as i am still trying to acquire a complete set of riding gear all over. i can only afford so much at a time. i am hoping by this spring to have the Icon PDX in hi-viz yellow, and then will move my frogg toggs to the travelling set i carry with me.
 
#4 ·
i have been looking for Frogg Toggs lately too, mostly for the hot humid summer weather here. Apparently there's 3 versions. i too am looking for some feedback from owners of any of the versions.

here's what i could gather over the internet:

1) Road Toads - the original. Pros: very thin packs extremely small; very breathable;
Con: the thinness also meant that its a bit flimsy and have to be put on carefully otherwise seams get ripped easily; some says its crap others love them

2)Elite Highway- more study version; Pro: double stitching on seams around the crotch area; better reflective;
Con: thicker material means it makes bulkier; does the thicker material means less breathable to original version

3)Horny Toadz- new version; Pro: as sturdy as traditional PVC material; good reflective on the legs
Con: Any one has this one? Are they a lot less breathable as the earlier thinner ones

Is the heat patch required for vstrom riders - i have heard the pants melt on contact or close proximity to exhaust?
 
#5 ·
My first set of rain gear was the yellow Frogg Toggs.

Overall they worked well except that water would pool in my lap or seat area and eventually would leak through and it would look like you had just pissed on yourself when you took the gear off.

The other issue is that the bottom of my legs would always get wet. I don't think that this was an issue with the gear but rather the lack of a rain booty to go over my boot and under the toggs.

I would have bought another set except for the issue I had with the zipper on the top. It basically fell apart during a very wet ride. I managed to get it back together but since then if would open apart at random times. I don't think the zipper was the best quality.

On the plus side I like how they breath.

The rain gear I have now (Tour Master) is more like wearing a plastic bag. You get warm and sweat under it but it does keep you dry (from the rain).
 
#7 ·
I've had 2 sets. Each worked very well for about a year and a half. They pack up small, they breath very well, and they kept 99% of the rain out. There was slight leaking at the zipper. After about a year and half they began to leak heavily rendering them useless as rain gear. In my experience riding naked and mostly naked bikes, the pulling of the wind weakens the fabric and it loses it's waterproof properties.
 
#8 ·
I had my first set for about 10 years. Found that after a couple of years they were starting to leak. Had a fellow rider tell me that if I would wash them on delicate and then hang dry them they would become water proof again. With doubt, I tried it and it worked. Finally after several years I did treat them with a water-proofing spray. I only used my Frogg Toggs on my bike in the rain, didn't use them otherwise but I did ride with them in heavy rain a couple of times for several hours. I always found that I was damp at the end of those rides but never as wet as I would have been had I been wearing the plastic/rubber rain wear and sweating. I do use rain covers for my boots and my hands so the issue of my cuffs getting wet has never been an issue for me. As to water pooling in my crotch, I did notice that once I did have leak through there so after that I made sure I would reach down from time to time and give my Toggs a little shake in that area to help keep water from pooling.

I think my Frogg Toggs as the best rain gear for riding I have ever owned. Not necessarily the most water proof, but the best for keeping me relatively dry and not causing me to over heat in the Southern summers.
 
#9 ·
just for clarifications, everyone is referring to road toadz- the thin original ones, right?

i wonder if anyone has any experience with the elite highway and horny toadz series? esp in terms of breathability with the supposely sturdier thicker material used.
 
#10 ·
I bought my Frogg Toggs two years ago and have them stored in the stuff sack that came with them. I have used the a few times, maybe three or four and they have performed perfectly. I have adopted a bead rider to prevent the ponding or pooling of water that others have mentioned. The bead rider works very well to allow any water collecting on the seat between your legs to drain away immediately. I also have a Tourmaster Flex riding suit that is water proof, but I have not really tested this suit, since, if I see impending rain, I will stop and put my Frogg Toggs on over my Tourmaster suit. It may seem like over kill, but I believe in my Frogg Toggs more than my Tourmaster. If I were caught in a shower, I suppose I would just ride through relying on my Tourmaster, but that hasn't happened yet. Good riding! :beatnik:
 
#13 ·
that is very vague. if you can go some where and try them on as i did. if that is not an option then all i can do is comment on how mine fit. i'm 5'10" and about 220, and the XL are the size i got. the L were way too small in the pants and jacket. The XL jacket i would say is a perfect fit for my body, but the pant are quite long on my 30" inseam. i would say that the XL would probably fit a 36" inseam but that's judging them off of my 30" one.
 
#14 ·
one more reply because i can

well this was the first use of the road toads this morning on my commute. and i will say that they have worked flawlessly for the first time. now it will be a longevity thing, and from the sounds of it most of you have been quite pleased with them!

:mod2_scooter::mod2_scooter::mod2_scooter:
 
#15 ·
I'm 5'-10", 200# and the large Elite Highway works fine. I had an XL Road Toad and it also works but it flaps more.
 
#18 ·
I have not noticed a breathability difference. I don't ride in rain gear much unless it is raining though. Less flapping is due to both issues.
 
#19 ·
We used toggs for years, and they were okay. Never completely waterproof (with age), but light weight and packable. Stayed dry enough. For the last several years we have gone to First Gear rain gear. I would never go back to Toggs now. What a difference. Inexpensive, easy on and off (right over the boots while standing up without all the hopping around trying to balance on the side of the road!), and does not ride up on my shorter boots.
 
#22 ·
I just came back from a group ride and used mine for helping keep out the cold. It dropped to 35 and I had no cold weather gear so I put all the clothes on I could including a second pair of jeans under my draggin jeans. Then I put the frogg toggs on over everything. I kept warm for the 100 miles back to my truck. except for my hands.

As I put them on I realized they appear to be made from Dupont Tyvek, which is a breathable fabric in cheap disposable hazmat suits. Anyone else notice that? A standard hazmat is $10 with the high end suit being $20 with an added polyethylene coat and is available in yellow instead of the standard white.
 
#24 ·
Just a general comment on rain gear.

I've never found any with single stitched crutch seams that was worth a damn if you actually rode any distance in rain. Water always pools and seeps though.

Here (Queensland) I use a pair of real motorcycle trousers, with double layer, double stitched seams in the critical areas and a good quality lightweight foldaway nylon jacket (Huski from memory). The combination mostly works well because it doesn't leak significantly and the jacket breathes very well.

Some water does get through the light nylon jacket eventually, but the airflow dries it almost as fast, so worst I've got (8+ hours of very heavy rain) is damp.

The trousers could do with breathing better. As Ace mentioned - in summer sweat is more of a problem than the rain, particularly riding off the seal. If anyone does find some which will breathe without leaking at the seams as well, let me know.

Pete
 
#25 ·
The original frogg toggs I had were great for riding in and out of light 5 minute showers but ... myself and 3 others I ride with got soaked to the bone riding in a long heavy downpour. We were all wearing frogg toggs. We all got proper raingear after that and never been wet again.

Maybe the newer ones are better, good luck.
 
#27 ·
In warm to hot weather, I want a rain suit to pull over my mesh gear in a hurry when the rain starts.
 
#29 ·
this is one of the reasons i started with a simple pull over set of rain gear, because in the future i plan on some long rides where this will be my rain gear and i wanted the simplicity and small packing size of the frogg toggs.

eventually they will be for my long trips only, and i will have seperate rain gear for my daily commutes. for now though, they have worked well two mornings in a row. they are easy to get on over my normal gear and are quite comfortable.

my only complaint is the pants kind of feel like parachute pants ("it's hammer time" :punk::var_6:)
 
#28 ·
I keep a set of Frogg Toggs on my bikes at all times.I'm on my second set. The first lasted 6 years and was the pullover top sold for fishing etc. That was inconvenient so I bought the Road Toggs version. I have also used them for an added layer over mesh gear when it got unexpectedly cold.

If I were designing them, I'd add some length to the bottom pant leg zipper to allow putting them on while wearing riding gear and boots a little easier.

I've got about 10 years of occasional Frogg Togg use. Maybe if I lived and rode in a wetter area I'd look for something else. But I've been happy with it for my use.
 
#30 ·
I've stopped on the side of the road to whip my Frogg Toggs out when rain is impending. I bought them extra big and I can just about pull the pants up under my arm pits if I try hard enough (I don't, but I could) and this allows me a generous overlap to prevent wind/rain from blowing up under my coat and the legs are down to my ankles. I wanted it big enough fit over everything I wear. I was worried about the flapping, but so far, nothing has made any noise at all. I was amazed when I donned it this summer because I was ready for the noise and, NOTHING, just like my textile coat. It was silent and comfortable. Pretty cool.

I just bought a pair of rain pants to match my Tourmaster coat so I plan to use my Frogg Toggs on my bicycle now. They work good for me. :beatnik:
 
#33 ·
I have been using Frogg Toggs for about 6 years now, and here's my 2 cents worth....


1. Buy the pants at least one size larger than you think. That way they are too long, but when you sit on the bike with your legs bent, there's still enough length that they don't pull up from your boots.

2. They melt like a son of a bitch, it you've got exposed pipes, do not use Froggs.

3. They are the most breathable rain gear available. PERIOD! I've worn them through thunderstorms, to 85* heat, and back to rain in a single afternoon, and I was comfortable. I carry them with me 365 as a back up jacket for any conditions. It's the most packable, practical extra layer you can carry.

4. the bit about washing them on gentle cycle to recharge the waterproof stuff really works, I don't understand it, but it works.

5. with any kind of rain gear, a bead-rider seat cover eliminates, literally any chance of "seat of the pants" leakage.

and finally, they melt like a son of a bitch. If you have exposed pipes anywhere that could contact the material, don't buy Froggs. I know it's a repeat, but I'm serious, they MELT instantly!
 
#34 ·
I had been using my Army Issued rain suit, but I am about to retire and had to turn in my gear. As an early father's day gift my fiancée gave me a Frogg Toggs Hogg Togg Rain Suit, and DaYuPai Motorcycle Bicycle Rainproof Shoe Covers. I got to use them in a thunder storm about a week ago. The Frogg Toggs worked just as advertised. I have no way of knowing how they will hold up over time, but new they kept me dry in a heavy rain at about 70MPH for half an hour and were very comfortable. The DaYuPai Shoe Covers were a different story. The zipper broke before I could even get on the bike. So my opinion is Frogg Toggs thumbs up:smile2:, DaYuPai, thumbs down:frown2:.