I've tried nearly all of them and IMO, these two are the top contenders. So now having had time to fondle both, here are my thoughts... Keep in mind that I am primarily a bowhunter. Neither are perfect.
The FHF is good, I really like the harness attachment points and the way the top straps to the pouch and Bino connector straps are seperate. Makes for a very solid feeling hold on your body with glasses in or out of the pouch. But a couple of things... The lid opens the wrong way. Not a big issue when taking glasses out, but then it flops down to cover the pouch opening when you want to put them back in. Annoying. So you have to either use your other hand to lift the lid or fuss with it to get your binos back in the pouch one handed. But the most annoying thing about it is the noise. IMO, cordura has no place on the upper body front of a bowhunter. It's just too loud when your clothing, bow, or even your binos rub against it. I messed around with it on a cold still evening and tried to pull the glasses out while in a tree stand with a wary muley doe 15 yards away. Got instantly busted. Deal breaker for me. Not an issue for rifle hunting though.
Upon first glance, I thought the Kuiu would solve all these issues. The fabric is soft and quiet, and the pouch is even lined with fleece. Smart. The lid opens the proper way so that it pulls away from the pouch. In theory, that means you could easily put the glasses back in the pouch one handed. That is important for bowhunting. But this is where the functionality is lacking. There is no top strap to the pouch. It relies on the bottom strap only (going around your chest) and the little straps that connect to the binos are entirely separate. There is nothing connecting the top of the pouch to the harness. This is not an issue with the binos in the pouch, but once you pull them out the pouch slides down an inch or so since there are no top straps holding it up. To combat this you must cinch the bottom straps that come around your chest really tight, but then this restricts breathing if you are working hard. So since the pouch slides down just a little when you take the glasses out, you cannot put them all the way back in without pushing the pouch back up from the bottom with the other hand, or at least fiddling with it a little bit. This could be so easily remedied with top strap attachment to the pouch, like the FHF. If you could rig that, the Kuiu would be pretty much perfect. Not a deal breaker, but an annoyance. For the record, I'm sticking with the Kuiu, but sure wish they would add a top strap.
My $.02.
The FHF is good, I really like the harness attachment points and the way the top straps to the pouch and Bino connector straps are seperate. Makes for a very solid feeling hold on your body with glasses in or out of the pouch. But a couple of things... The lid opens the wrong way. Not a big issue when taking glasses out, but then it flops down to cover the pouch opening when you want to put them back in. Annoying. So you have to either use your other hand to lift the lid or fuss with it to get your binos back in the pouch one handed. But the most annoying thing about it is the noise. IMO, cordura has no place on the upper body front of a bowhunter. It's just too loud when your clothing, bow, or even your binos rub against it. I messed around with it on a cold still evening and tried to pull the glasses out while in a tree stand with a wary muley doe 15 yards away. Got instantly busted. Deal breaker for me. Not an issue for rifle hunting though.
Upon first glance, I thought the Kuiu would solve all these issues. The fabric is soft and quiet, and the pouch is even lined with fleece. Smart. The lid opens the proper way so that it pulls away from the pouch. In theory, that means you could easily put the glasses back in the pouch one handed. That is important for bowhunting. But this is where the functionality is lacking. There is no top strap to the pouch. It relies on the bottom strap only (going around your chest) and the little straps that connect to the binos are entirely separate. There is nothing connecting the top of the pouch to the harness. This is not an issue with the binos in the pouch, but once you pull them out the pouch slides down an inch or so since there are no top straps holding it up. To combat this you must cinch the bottom straps that come around your chest really tight, but then this restricts breathing if you are working hard. So since the pouch slides down just a little when you take the glasses out, you cannot put them all the way back in without pushing the pouch back up from the bottom with the other hand, or at least fiddling with it a little bit. This could be so easily remedied with top strap attachment to the pouch, like the FHF. If you could rig that, the Kuiu would be pretty much perfect. Not a deal breaker, but an annoyance. For the record, I'm sticking with the Kuiu, but sure wish they would add a top strap.
My $.02.
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