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Rubber vs leather chainsaw boots

Updated: 17 October 2026

You know the class the saw needs, and amazon.co.uk is showing rubber at £66.99 beside dearer leather that states Class 1. Rubber vs leather chainsaw boots is the next choice: where you will walk, and whether the boot will stay on. The speed sum stays on the [class 1 vs class 2](/hub/protective-clothing/chainsaw-boots/sub/chainsaw-boots-class-1-vs-class-2) page. The six listings are on the [chainsaw boots comparison](/hub/protective-clothing/chainsaw-boots). We updated this on 15 October 2026 from those files and Oregon's UK pages. We did not walk a test mile in either pair. A purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You know the class the saw needs, and amazon.co.uk is showing rubber at £66.99 beside dearer leather that states Class 1.

Our top picks

Oregon Oregon Sarawak Class 1, UK 8

Best overall

Oregon Oregon Sarawak Class 1, UK 8
7.7/10about £71.44
View offer
Oregon Oregon Yukon rubber chainsaw boots

Preis-Tipp

Oregon Oregon Yukon rubber chainsaw boots
8.1/10about £66.99
View offer
SAFETOE SAFETOE Class 1 chainsaw boots

Rank 3

SAFETOE SAFETOE Class 1 chainsaw boots
9.1/10about £108.88
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.The upper is not the class
  2. 2.What UK reviews say about the rubber Yukon
  3. 3.What the leather rows actually state
  4. 4.When to pick which

The upper is not the class

Leather and rubber are the outside. The cut test is a separate mark. Leather titles that state a class here all say Class 1, the 20 m/s test: SAFETOE at £108.88 and the Sarawak sizes at £71.44, £72.49 and £82.52. The Yukon rubber title, at £66.99, states no class. Oregon's page for part 295385 states Class 3 at 28 m/s. The title has not said Class 3, so the parcel is not that boot until you read the mark. A higher class on a web page does not make a loose boot safe. UK reviews say this rubber size runs large and the insole is missing. One reviewer called a wrong size unsafe. The clogging layer only covers a boot that stays on.

What UK reviews say about the rubber Yukon

The listing is 4.4 from 951 reviews, and the first 50 in the file are from the UK. The boots run large, by one size or by two. A usual EU 44 to 45 buyer took 43. A size 6 buyer was still loose in a size 5. There is no always-drop-two rule. Order down, add the insole you will wear, and return them if the foot still moves. The insole is not supplied. Reviewers add one, sometimes two, and then describe grip and dry feet. The title does not say waterproof, so that is reviewer experience. One reviewer would not walk far. One tried climbing stirrups and doubted tree climbing. Laces and the missing insole are on the how to wear chainsaw boots page.
Oregon Oregon Sarawak Class 1, UK 8

Testsieger

Oregon Oregon Sarawak Class 1, UK 8
7.7/10about £71.44
View offer

What the leather rows actually state

The Sarawak rows state Class 1 and a size: UK 8 at £71.44, UK 9.5 at £72.49 and UK 12 at £82.52. They are model 295448, one photograph, and Oregon calls that model level 1. The UK 8 file includes a sole leaving the upper after about 15 weeks. SAFETOE at £108.88 states Class 1, a steel toe, cow leather and memory foam. UK reviews describe a true-to-size fit, including a UK 9. The title does not say waterproof. Yukon leather at £99.99 states no class. Oregon's page for 295449 states Class 1 at 20 m/s. Walk in this leather group only when Class 1 is already the right test.

When to pick which

Choose the rubber Yukon for wet ground, a short walk, a smaller size and your own insole, after you read the class on the boot. In that use it is the best value here, at £66.99. Choose leather when you will walk between cuts and Class 1 covers the saw. Take a Sarawak if your size is UK 8, 9.5 or 12. Take SAFETOE if you want the steel toe in the title and you will pay £108.88 for the same stated class. Choose neither row when the saw needs Class 2 leather. No title here states Class 2. Rubber whose maker states Class 3 does not become a walking boot at 24 m/s. The order, standard then class then upper, is the buying guide. If the rubber pair is still loose, sort that before you cut.

Common questions

Are rubber chainsaw boots waterproof?
The Yukon rubber title does not say waterproof, and the wet-weather question on the page is unanswered. UK reviews report dry feet, including one person who paddled in them, after the size was corrected. That is experience of this boot, not a waterproof code. A dry boot that will not stay on is still the wrong size.
Are the leather ones waterproof?
SAFETOE reviews describe dry feet in mud, and the title does not say waterproof. The Sarawak titles do not state a membrane. The Yukon leather title leaves a waterproof question unanswered. Check the label on the boot if water is why you are paying.
Do I size down by one or by two?
Both show up in the Yukon rubber reviews. Some buyers drop one size and some drop two, including an EU 44 to 45 foot in a 43 and a UK 6 still loose in a 5. Try one size down with your insole. If the foot still moves, that pair was called unsafe to wear.
Is rubber always Class 3?
No. This Amazon title states no class. Oregon's page for part 295385 states Class 3 at 28 m/s, and two UK reviews agree. Another rubber boot can be a different class. Read the mark on the pair you unpack. The maker's page is not a line the title printed.
Can I walk all day in rubber chainsaw boots?
One UK reviewer would not walk far in them. Another liked the stiff sole in stirrups and still doubted tree climbing. Leather is the walking side of this set, with thin soles in the Yukon leather reviews and a peeling sole in one Sarawak UK 8 review. A long walk belongs in leather only when that title states your class.
Which leather pair states a steel toe?
SAFETOE does, with Class 1 and memory foam, at £108.88. The Sarawak titles state Class 1 and do not state a toe cap. The Yukon leather title does not state a steel toe. On SAFETOE the chainsaw class is still Class 1. The toe cap does not raise the test speed.

Related pages

Best chainsaw boots

Chainsaw boots

Chainsaw boots buying guide: standard, class, then size

Chainsaw boots class 1 vs class 2: use 20 or 24 m/s

How to wear chainsaw boots and when to stop using them

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings used for this comparison, last checked on 17 October 2026.

  1. HSE, chainsaw PPE (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  2. HSE, working with chainsaws (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  3. PPE at Work Regulations 1992 (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  4. STIHL UK, cut-protection classes (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  5. SIP Protection, finding your class (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  6. Oregon Sarawak declaration, model 295448 (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  7. Oregon Yukon leather, model 295449 (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  8. Oregon rubber boot, part 295385 (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  9. Solidur UK chainsaw boots (retrieved 17 October 2026)