REASONS TO BUY
Durable
Easy-to-attach lace hook
Waterproof
REASONS TO AVOID
Disappointing instep strap
Somewhat restrictive
Black Diamond Apex GTX Review
A heavy-duty, full-length gaiter with an ultra-durable lower panel for winter adventures
The Apex GTX by Black Diamond
Credit: Black Diamond
Price: $100 List
By Ben Applebaum-Bauch ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ Apr 9, 2021
RELATED: Best Gaiters of 2024
Our Verdict
The Black Diamond Apex GTX is great for the cold. With a super hefty lower half, this durable gaiter can resist abrasions from snow, ice, and even crampons. It has a classic, easy-to-use lace hook and secures at the top with webbing and buckle. This model is meant for anyone who is primarily looking for a winter weather gaiter for snowshoeing, hiking, or even more serious mountaineering. Though we found them to be a little bit stiff, they certainly kept us protected.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Black Diamond Apex GTX | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Overall Gaiter |  Most Comfortable Full-Length Option |  Best Bang for Your Buck | Best for Trail Running and Thru-Hiking | |
| Price | $89.95 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $85.00 at REI Compare at 3 sellers | $47.37 at Amazon | $45 List $21.83 at REI | $20.00 List |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | Full-length gaiters that are meant for the rigors of wet and snowy weather | A comfortable, full-length gaiter that keeps out snow, mud, and rain | A full-length yet lightweight gaiter that feels good and is great in the shoulder seasons | Durable gaiters that can handle many different types of nasty weather | These light and simple gaiters are a go-to for long-distance hikes |
| Rating Categories | Black Diamond Apex GTX | Rab Muztag GTX | Outdoor Research He... | REI Co-op Backpacke... | Dirty Girl Gaiter |
| Comfort and Breathability (25%) | |||||
| Debris Protection (25%) | |||||
| Durability (15%) | |||||
| Ease of Attachment (15%) | |||||
| Water Resistance (10%) | |||||
| Weight (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Black Diamond Apex GTX | Rab Muztag GTX | Outdoor Research He... | REI Co-op Backpacke... | Dirty Girl Gaiter |
| Weight (each) | 4.0 oz | 3.8 oz | 2.6 oz | 3.5 oz | 0.7 oz |
| Length | 13 in | 16.5 in | 17 in | 10 in | 7 in |
| Material | Gore-Tex 3-Layer | 300D nylon, PU coating | Nylon | Nylon | Polyester |
| Water Resistant? | Yes, Gore-Tex 3-Layer | Yes, Gore-Tex Pro | Yes | Yes, 3-layer waterproof/breathable fabric | No |
| Attachment | Hook and loop, webbing, slide release buckle | TPU underfoot strap | Hook and loop, hypalon instep strap, elastic back heel, reinforced boot lace hooks | Hook and loop, instep strap | Hook and loop, velcro heel |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
At 16 inches high, these triple-layer Gore-Tex gaiters are durable.
Performance Comparison
This full-length gaiter is for cold weather and snow.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
Comfort & Breathability
For everything that this pair offers, they are not exceptionally comfortable. Here it is a tradeoff between mobility and durability and these gaiters opted to lean into the latter. The lower portion is especially stiff and feels like an extension of a winter boot further up the leg. The webbing that secures the gaiter at the top is definitely noticeable and the feeling of having it tightened around our legs never really went away as it did with many other models that use stretchier elastic in that area.
They get a little bunchy if the webbing at the top closure isn't tight enough.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
Debris Protection
The length of this gaiter alone means that it easily repels dirt, dust, snow, and ice with ease. Our feet never suffered for it, but the stiffness of the lower section somewhat prevented the gaiter from conforming closely to our boots, allowing some snow to get lodged in the space in between.
Even knee-deep in snow, almost none of it ended up down our legs.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
One note is that the top closure is webbing, instead of elastic. In most cases, this isn't an issue since winter pants fill the extra space, but if you have skinny legs and/or find yourself wanting to wear these gaiters with shorts, you will discover that you can't always tighten the top strap as much as you'd like.
Durability
There is no doubt that the Apex is a durable gaiter. There are a few different types of fabric that come together to make this pair what it is. The thinner Gore-Tex upper and the canvas-feeling outer lower portions are both already more substantial than a lot of gaiters. Then there is the 600D interior portion which feels like kevlar. It is highly resistant to abrasion and punctures.
The lower portion is super thick and feels like kevlar. It protects against microspikes and crampons.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
As is the case with most gaiters, if we had to predict the first part to go, we would expect it to be the instep strap. It is well-secured to the gaiter itself, but both the neoprene-coated nylon that it is made from as well as its buckle don't match up to the longevity of the rest of the gaiter.
Ease of Attachment
As with most gaiters, the most challenging part of attaching them is getting the front velcro halves to line up properly. With an instep strap, underhand metal lace hook, velcro, snap, and top buckle setup, there are a lot of pieces to securing this pair.
The large underhand lace hook is super easy to attach and stays securely in place.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
It's a little unwieldy to adjust the instep strap before the first wear, but once you do, hopefully you won't have to return to it for a long time. The lace hook is one of our favorite designs. It is oriented in an underhand direction (that is, the hook faces up) and it is wide, with a large opening. This makes it easy to attach, and all of the other components keep it in place. Once you get the velcro in place, the top buckle clips and tightens easily.
Water Resistance
The Apex is meant for heavy use in snow, so precipitation is no problem for it either. Melted snow and rain bead up well and roll off.
The multi-layer Gore-Tex is impermeable. Legs stay dry throughout our snowy romps.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
Because of their length, your legs and feet will stay dry through water crossings that flow below your knee. Even if you found yourself in a swift-moving stream that rose above the height of the gaiter, it would still take some time for water to work its way down in a catastrophic way.
Weight
At four ounces per gaiter, these are heavier than some other full-length models but still relatively light. We suspect that the extra weight comes mostly as a result of the extra thick fabric, so the tradeoff is the added durability.
Three different styles of fabric come together in this gaiter. They are all thick and durable, thus adding (albeit marginally) to the overall weight.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
Because of their stiffness, they don't pack down quite so small, but if you are considering these gaiters anyway, it should be because you are headed into an environment where you know you are going to need to be wearing them.
Value
These gaiters have good value for the right type of user. The instep strap notwithstanding, they are one of the more durable full-length models that we have tested, meaning that those looking for protection from harsher weather will benefit the most from them. However, for most folks who need a more versatile full-length gaiter, there are higher-value options out there.
Conclusion
The Black Diamond Apex GTX is a full-length, winter weather gaiter. Its nylon shell is super durable and is meant to take on the full force of rocks, debris, and precipitation.
The Black Diamond Apex GTX can be worn with winter boots or hiking boots and will protect your legs from snow, water, and wind.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
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Ben Applebaum-Bauch
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