Thoughts on Amazon Fenders

[Letterkenny]

I’m getting a 35’ sailboat and there seem to be a number of 8.5”x22” or so fenders that are significantly cheaper than any from West Marine. Like $80 for 4 with lines versus $125 for Taylor Made. Any reason not to use these?

[Benz]

Until you actually handle them, there's probably no way to tell.
If you take a chance, let us know how it goes.
I tend to find fenders floating in the shoreside grasses all the time, but none of them match. I still pick them up...

[rslifkin]

Might be worth buying one to assess the quality of it. They might be almost as good as the expensive ones, or they might be crap. No way to know for sure until you've got one in your hands.

[dougweibel]

Many sellers on Amazon have liberal return policies and Amazon makes returns pretty easy. You may just want to order with the intention of returning if they seem inferior to a Taylor Made

[s/v Jedi]

I recommend that you ask the vendor about quality and only buy if they are returnable for free.

[S/V Illusion]

No clue which ones you are looking at - Amazon sells a myriad of fenders including TaylorMade. Fenders aren't ordinarily something to skimp on as they protect your boat. Regardless, 8.5 x 22 seems pretty small for a 35 ft boat.

[Letterkenny]

Sorry all thought I posted a link. Here is one that’s 8.5x27 which had a lot more reviews and following that is a 10x28. The later is about $60 cheaper per fender compared to Taylor Made. I also agree that as these protect the boat, you don’t want to skimp. However, we all know the marine markup and this really seems like a product that should be easy to manufacture for other parties to bring costs down.

VINGLI 4-Pack Ribbed Boat Fender, 6.5x23/ 8.5x27 inch, with Ropes & Inflator, for 20-30 ft. Boat, Small Sailboat, Ski Boat etc.… in https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07V34KY6C...ing=UTF8&psc=1

Mophorn Boat Fender Vinyl Boat Fenders Bumpers Pack of 4 and Pump to Inflate (Black, 10 x 28 inches) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TH9JRZG...RT8K011SR6TCF3

[Spot]

I bought a 6x22" 4pc fender kit from Overtons (fenders, lines, mesh bag) for about 50$ US a couple years ago, they seem pretty nice for the price. Boat is a short 21-footer. I got to choose colors. Being a lake and river trailer sailor up North I cannot say how they would last in daily use for warmer salty climes. They have not suffered from temp swings so that is encouraging.

[Letterkenny]

Originally Posted by Spot

I bought a 6x22" 4pc fender kit from Overtons (fenders, lines, mesh bag) for about 50$ US a couple years ago, they seem pretty nice for the price. Boat is a short 21-footer. I got to choose colors. Being a lake and river trailer sailor up North I cannot say how they would last in daily use for warmer salty climes. They have not suffered from temp swings so that is encouraging.

Thanks. I’m based in SD. Looks like the boat will come with 4x fenders anyways so I might buy a pack of these to use as additional fenders and spares.

[Spot]

The ones I got were called '5.5 x 20" Tuff Shield' for up to 25 feet and were offered in all colors of fender and line. I have taupe fenders and dark green lines, sort of matches the local mud and algae, neutrals and naturals...

The current 4pc kit is a little different.

[Cpt Mark]

You get a one year warranty with the cheap ones vs lifetime with the Taylormade

[sail sfbay]

Originally Posted by Letterkenny

I’m getting a 35’ sailboat and there seem to be a number of 8.5”x22” or so fenders that are significantly cheaper than any from West Marine. Like $80 for 4 with lines versus $125 for Taylor Made. Any reason not to use these?

Congratulations on your new sailboat!!

The cheaper ones are fine especially if you tie up the boat in a two-fingered slip do the boat never touches the fingers. Personally I like the quality of Taylor Made fenders and have used them for many years with Cape Hatteras Marine fender covers personalized with the boat manufacturer / model and boat name.

https://www.capehatterasmarine.com/c.../fender-covers

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Letterkenny

Sorry all thought I posted a link. Here is one that’s 8.5x27 which had a lot more reviews and following that is a 10x28. The later is about $60 cheaper per fender compared to Taylor Made. I also agree that as these protect the boat, you don’t want to skimp. However, we all know the marine markup and this really seems like a product that should be easy to manufacture for other parties to bring costs down.

VINGLI 4-Pack Ribbed Boat Fender, 6.5x23/ 8.5x27 inch, with Ropes & Inflator, for 20-30 ft. Boat, Small Sailboat, Ski Boat etc.… in https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07V34KY6C...ing=UTF8&psc=1

Mophorn Boat Fender Vinyl Boat Fenders Bumpers Pack of 4 and Pump to Inflate (Black, 10 x 28 inches) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TH9JRZG...RT8K011SR6TCF3

I prefer the "rope through type" like your link #2. They are PVC so should be good. For some reason they always seem to be fatter than the other style, and work well.

[GWilly]

West Marine has a bit of a reputation for being overpriced. For something as ubiquitous as a fender, I’d shop around, as you have done. But look at other vendors. Sure Amazon is plenty convenient, but I’ve never returned anything without having to pay something, either a restock fee, shipping, etc. The discount you mention is quite high, which would make me very suspicious on the quality. If it was $10-20, I’d go for it. But $60? Sounds sketchy to me.

[Woodland Hills]

Originally Posted by Cpt Mark

You get a one year warranty with the cheap ones vs lifetime with the Taylormade

You might want to check that “lifetime” warranty again: I just had to throw away a 32” ball for irreparable leaks when they declined my warranty claim.
From their FAQs:

Taylor branded fenders such as HullGards, SuperGards, StormGards and Big B’s must meet this simple criteria: The fender has split or burst from normal use and damage is not the result of a knife cut or puncture from sharp object.

Tuff End Fenders and Buoys carry a one-year warranty. If the fender/buoy is damaged from either a split or burst and is less than a year old,

Mine was 13 months old. Now I buy Polyform from Defender Marine.