First Light suspender review.

[muddydogs]

So I ordered a pair of First Lite suspenders from Black Ovis which I ended up picking up from there store. As soon as the sales guy handed me the package I knew they were cheap and not going to work well but for $15 I took them.

My main issue is the elastic is thin and weak plus not very wide so to hold up one's pants they have to be set tight as all the weak elastic does is stretch to its maximum length then the narrow straps tend to cut into ones shoulders. I would say this applies to Sitka suspenders as well, they had a pair of these on display and there made from the same elastic as the First Light ones.

The First Lite suspenders are not made for the tall man, I realize that I'm taller then most but I would think anyone over 6'2 would find these suspenders to short and probably find that the D ring in the back where the shoulder straps meet up will cause problems when wearing a backpack.

I have already cut the stitching and removed the pant loop hooks and plan on sewing them onto a set of older real suspenders that I have. After messing around with the FL suspenders and seeing how cheap they are I got serious about finding the pant loop hook as I remember seeing them some place and sure enough I found the hook at a camera bag place for $1 a 2 pack. Wish I would have found these first as I would have made my own since I had my suspicion as to the quality of the suspenders in the first place.

If your a guy that wears suspenders regularly I think you will find the First Lite suspenders lacking, if you just use them on your hunting pants and don't know the difference between good suspenders and cheap suspenders then you might be happy with the First Lite ones.

 

[justinspicher]

This is interesting as I haven't had a problem with my first lite suspenders, even wearing a pack. I'm also not as tall as you are, I'm only 5'10".

 

[twall13]

I don't have much experience with suspenders but I wanted to give them a try when I got my kanabs a few years ago. I'm 6'1" with a long torso and they were too short to work for me.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[Backpack Hunter]

I don't typically wear suspenders. What is the difference between a good set and a cheap set?

 

[Mike7]

Can you post a link of the "hook from the camera bag place"? Is it metal?

I don't like the Sitka ones because they are metal and come off easily. I don't care about the elastic, because I can replace that.

Are the first lite connectors good? If so, I might try them, since I can always change out the elstic if needed.

 

[muddydogs]

The hooks are plastic with a wire gate clip to close off the opening. The gate clip can be hard to open with one hand when wearing them but with a little practice I got the hang of it. I want to be able to drop my pants without stripping off coats and gear if the need should arise. Travel Parts - Travel Accessories – TOM BIHN These are the exact same ones used by First Lite.

 

[muddydogs]

I don't typically wear suspenders. What is the difference between a good set and a cheap set?

The quality of the elastic. Good elastic will wear for a few years before it takes a permanent stretch, cheap elastic will only last a few months. There are many strengths of elastic from super strong that takes some muscle to stretch it down to weak enough to stretch under its own weight. The First Lite suspenders aren't quite the weakest elastic but close, I would think for a hunting application they would have uses some with a bit better elasticity then they did. Basically the FL suspenders are along the same lines as the fancy designer suspenders that the pretty boys wear to look cool. I'm more of a logger or contractor kind of suspender guy as I want my suspenders to hold up my pants not look cool.

 

[Mike7]

Great, thanks. I ordered some of those clips

 

[sparelink]

The quality of the elastic.

Do you have and recommendations on some affordable suspenders? I have been thinking about picking up the FL ones but would rather buy right the first time. I have never worn them before so i dont even know what to look for.

 

[muddydogs]

Do you have and recommendations on some affordable suspenders? I have been thinking about picking up the FL ones but would rather buy right the first time. I have never worn them before so i dont even know what to look for.

I've worn suspenders for 20 plus years and the best I have found are Hold-Ups 2" Wide Graphite Black Work Suspenders w/ Patented No-slip Ju – Holdup Suspender Company They might not be for everyone but for me wearing them everyday they work great. Yes the pin inside the clip does wear a hole in the waist of the pants but by the time it does I have worn the pants thin and have holes where my knife rides and wear in the pocket from my keys not to mention I have sewed up the crotch a time or two already. Were talking around 5 year old pants and I only have 4 or 5 pair of pants at any one time. I get 2 to 3 years out of a set before the elastic is getting weak and they are generally getting stretched out and the clips aren't working well anymore.