Women’s Blundstone Thermal Chelsea Winter Boot Review

Bottom Line

We love the Blundstone Thermal Women’s Chelsea winter boots because they are both functional and fashionable. These boots are warm, and the leather is highly resistant to water.

Although the elastic around the ankle and the low height of these boots can allow moisture to enter, they work well for running errands around town. We found these boots comfortable enough to wear for 10 hours at a time after they were broken in.

However, we wish they had more adjustability or were available in wide toe boxes. They are relatively expensive compared to other boots we tested, but the leather construction justifies the price. As a lightweight boot, they are really intended for casual use. With that in mind, we love how they perform and believe they are worth the investment

How We Tested

We mainly wore the Blundstone Thermal Women’s Chelsea winter boots to work. Our lead gear tester is a teacher who spends most of the day on their feet. They were worn during winter nights when outside temperatures dropped below freezing. We also used these boots while walking dogs and around town.

Weight

Weight is an area where the Blundstone Chelsea boots excel. When we placed one of these boots on a kitchen scale, it weighed 14.9 ounces. At under a pound per shoe, this is significantly lighter than many of the clunkier boots we tested. This makes them easier to walk in, especially over the course of a long day.

They feel more like wearing a regular shoe than a boot. The tradeoff is that they do not offer as much coverage in snow. However, for a boot intended for the office or outings around town, they are a great choice.

Water Resistance

The leather of these Chelsea boots is highly water-resistant; however, it can leak through the elastic in extremely wet conditions. To assess their water resistance, we placed these boots in a tub of water, ensuring the water level reached over the toes to mimic walking through puddles. A rock was placed inside each shoe to keep them submerged.

As we monitored the Blundstone boots, we were pleasantly surprised by their performance. The leather showed no signs of leakage, and the wool insole remained completely dry throughout the test. However, after about an hour and ten minutes, water began to seep into the elastic material at the ankle. This occurred slowly, as the material needed time to absorb the moisture.

Considering these boots are designed for casual use, we found the amount of time they stayed dry to be very impressive. We wouldn’t necessarily choose to wear them for extended periods in deep snow, but they are perfectly suitable for navigating occasional puddles while running errands.

Warmth

The Blundstone Thermal Chelsea winter boots provide good insulation from the ground and keep your feet warm on cold days. During side-by-side testing, we placed these boots in a snowbank and measured the temperature inside over the course of 30 minutes. The lowest temperature recorded was 35°F. While this is still chilly, it’s warmer than most other boots we tested.

We appreciate that the temperature remained above freezing. While wearing Blundstones for work and around town, our feet were consistently comfortable. There is less insulation at the top of the foot since the leather is unlined. However, the insole is lined with a thick wool that provides extra insulation from the ground. Overall, the warmth of these boots appears more than sufficient for their intended use.

Comfort

We found the Blundstones to be comfortable to wear all day at work, but they lack certain features that would make them more adjustable for different foot sizes. Comfort is a challenging metric to assess since there are various foot shapes and preferences. For this reason, we concentrated more on features that can be used to customize a boot to each user’s needs.

The Blundstones have a relatively simple design and therefore lack some customization options. For example, since they are slip-ons without laces, sizing becomes more crucial to ensure a proper fit. While they do come in half sizes, there are not as many smaller and larger sizes available compared to other boots in our lineup. It’s also disappointing that these boots do not have the option to be purchased with a wide toe box.

In our experience wearing these boots for 10 hours at a time, we found them to be a bit tight and uncomfortable initially. Because these boots are made with leather, it is important to allow them time to break in. The leather stretches with use and becomes more comfortable. We also found the wool insert to be comfortable on the foot, which is a point in favor of these boots. It can be replaced if desired.

Traction

The tread on the Blundstone Thermal Chelsea boots is decent, especially considering their intended use. We placed these boots on our slope angle measuring device to assess how steep of an angle they could maintain on a rock. The steeper the angle, the better the traction. This also enabled us to compare the different boots in our lineup more effectively. The Blundstone boots performed very well during this test, achieving one of the highest angles. We did adjust their ranking slightly since the tread is not as aggressive on these boots as it is on models specifically designed for hiking. There is a height difference and a considerable amount of surface area. The more surface area present, the more friction is produced, which improves traction. Overall, these boots offer moderate traction.

Should You Buy the Blundstone Thermal Chelsea Winter Boots?

We love wearing these Chelsea boots to work and around town. Their neutral colors and sleek design make them stylish to wear. On cold or wet days, they complement the professional attire we wear to the office while keeping our feet warm and dry.

However, since the tops of these boots are only ankle-high, they won’t keep out snow. Forget about using these shoes to shovel snow or walk through powder. They can be worn on short hikes, but they’re not as well suited for that as dedicated winter hiking boots.

What Other Women’s Winter Boots Should You Consider?

There are a wide variety of winter boots available for every situation. We performed rigorous testing of the 10 best women’s winter boots and found that the following also make great options for casual use around town.

Columbia Minx Shorty IV Review: The Minx Shorty boots are another model we love to wear to the office. They are stylish and comfortable enough for all-day wear. Although these boots are not as warm or water-resistant, they are adequate for short trips between the car and the store. 

Columbia Ice Maiden II Review: We like the Ice Maidens because they are another pair of boots that are designed for use around town. They offer more protection from snow due to their calf-high tops but wet out faster than the Blundstones.  

Oboz Bridger 7” Insulated Review: Compared to the Blundstone Thermal Chelsea boots, the Oboz Bridgers are more like hiking boots. That said, we wear them to work fairly often since they are a bit more fashionable than the typical hiking boot. We love how cozy the inside of these boots feels, as they are lined with a wooly synthetic material. They are our best-performing boots for warmth and for staying dry after more than two hours in a tub of water.