There are lots of Leather Conditioner available in the market. You can use them to keep your boots in good condition. Lots of them are made for specific jobs. I was confused for a long time, I didn’t know which Conditioner I should buy to clean and take care of my boots.
That’s why I chose the 11 most popular leather conditioners and tried them all in a controlled space.
Finding the best leather conditioner for your boots requires lots of platform searching and video watching and I spent a lot of time looking for the best conditioner for a specific type of leather, like Horween Chromexcel.
And then I realized that I’m the person who takes care of the boots. It’s my job to make this simple. I got 11 widely used boot conditioners and tried them on plain pieces of untreated vegetable-tanned leather circles.
You will notice if these leather conditioners make the leather darker. I will also show you how well they moisturize the leather and how they protect it from the weather. By the end of this article, you’ll know which leather conditioner works best for your boots.
How Did I Come Up With My List?
I bought 11 Most Popular Boot Conditioners. I tried them on plain pieces of untreated vegetable-tanned leather circles. The three main things to decide on good leather conditioner for your boots are:
1. Does it make the leather darker, and how much?
2. How good is it at keeping the leather moist and soft?
3. How well it can handle different types of weather?
My experiments are all about these three things. I don’t pay much attention to how things smell, except for Huberd’s, which has a strong bacon scent.
Making it easy to use is also somewhat important. If you’re similar to me, you’ll do whatever to find the best Conditioner to take care of your shoes.
➤ My Recommendations
Out of the 11 leather conditioners I tried, 5 were outstanding. I will talk about the conditioners that I didn’t select for my final five later. To help you choose the right leather conditioner for your boots, I decided to pick only the top choices for your boots.
1. Venetian Leather Balm Top Pick
Venetian Leather Balm wins the top award for being the best leather conditioner. In my experiments, it did the best job of deeply conditioning the leather without making a big change to its color.
You also get some protection from the weather because of the waxes in the mixture. Depending on how you use Venetian, You can make your leather a little shiny if you want (or you can keep it not shiny if that’s what you like).
➤ What I Like in this
◈ Venetian doesn’t make your leather dark.
◈ It works great on many different types of leather. Such as Horween Chromexcel, hot stuffed leather, natural vegetable-tanned leather, and more.
◈ It gives deep conditioning and also gives little protection from the weather.
➤ What I Dislike in this?
◈ Venetian might split apart, so make sure to shake it well before you use it.
2. Obenauf’s Heavy Duty LP Best for Waterproofing
If you’re not worried about making your boot leather darker and just want them to resist weather well, then Obenauf’s Heavy Duty LP is the best choice.
Obenauf’s and Huberd’s Shoe Grease work similarly for keeping your shoes waterproof. I noticed that Huberd’s Shoe Grease makes leather a little softer. While Obenauf’s has more wax and provides extra protection against weather for a longer time.
For both of these, I would only use them on work boots. They make the leather too dark if you use it on Casual or Dress boots.
If you’re trying to make your new work boots more comfortable, Huberd’s could be a good choice. if you’re mainly looking to keep your boots waterproof, Obenauf’s Heavy Duty LP works well and stays effective for a long time.
➤ What I Like in this
◈ Obenauf’s has a lot of wax, which makes leather super resistant to water, and it stays good for a long time.
◈ It’s simple to spread it evenly on your leather so you won’t have any dark spots.
◈ Great for boots used in firefighting such as Nick’s and White’s, Because of the amount of wax compared to Huberd’s tar content.
➤ What I Dislike in this?
◈ Obenauf’s makes the leather much darker, and this change lasts a long time.
3. Leather Honey Great for fixing cracked leather
If your leather is worn out and needs good care, I recommend using Leather Honey. After I tried it on my boots, I also applied it to a leather footrest near a window that had become very dry.
Leather Honey is a fitting name because it feels like honey. It makes the leather a bit darker, but I suggest using it mainly on leather that needs some conditioning.
I love to condition my boots to prevent the leather from drying and cracking. If your boots often get wet while you are at your job. Or If you want to wash your boots many times every month, especially if you live on a farm or deal with concrete.
If you’re searching for something that takes care of leather. Leather Honey’s deep conditioning features could be just what you need. I think that Leather Honey works better for restoring leather Instead of just a normal leather conditioner.
➤ What I Like in this
◈ Leather Honey went deep into the leather and gave it some of the best care.
◈ It’s very easy to use on Leather, But I suggest warming it in your hands to make sure you cover your boots properly.
◈ It puts an extra layer on leather to keep it from getting wet.
➤ What I Dislike in this?
◈ If you don’t rub it between your hands to make it warm, the sticky feel of it might create spots on the leather. These spots can soak up more of the conditioner than other areas.
4. Saphir Renovateur Great for dress boots
Saphir Renovateur is a little expensive, and you don’t get a lot in each bottle. But, it’s my top pick for taking care of exotic leathers and dress boots. I use Saphir on my dress boots because it conditions boots like Venetian Leather Balm But you can make it shine even more.
Usually, I don’t prefer a lot of shine on casual boots. So, I don’t use Saphir on those. Also, Venetian is more budget-friendly. But when I wear my fancy shoes for a wedding or a special event then I like to make the leather shiny again without using polish.
➤ What I Like in this
◈ Saphir has about the same strength and ability to handle different weather conditions as Venetian Leather Balm. But it also gives an extra shine to boots.
◈ It’s very easy to apply on leather boots properly.
◈ It’s great for exotic leathers like crocodile or ostrich.
➤ What I Dislike in this?
◈ It’s veryexpensive leather conditioner as compared to others on this list.
5. Bick 4 Conditioner Affordable Choice
Bick 4 is a good leather conditioner, and I like it because it’s not expensive. A bottle costs around the same as other brands, but you get 8 ounces in a bottle. It doesn’t go deep into the leather, and it makes it very little resistant to water.
It’s not expensive, and you can apply it on many types of leather without worrying about making the leather darker. I occasionally use Bick 4 on my cheaper boots when I’ve worn them just a few times, and they don’t need much conditioning.
I mostly use Venetian Leather Balm because it keeps my leather boots in good condition and makes my boots last longer. This is important when you’ve invested $200+ in a pair of boots.
But if you’re looking for Budget-friendly leather conditioner for your leather boots, Then Bick 4 is my recommendation for your boots.
➤ What I Like in this?
◈ The regular bottle is 8 ounces, so you’re getting a good amount of product. This is awesome if you need something to condition your boots, couch, and car seats. Bick 4 works well as a basic leather conditioner.
◈ There is no wax, so it keeps the tiny holes in the leather wide open.
◈ It doesn’t make leather dark.
➤ What I Dislike in this?
◈ It doesn’t go deep into the leather and may require a few layers if you want to make your boots soft and nice.
◈ It doesn’t give good protection against water, so it’s not the best for keeping your leather safe.
Which One is Better for You?
The leather conditioner I use the most is Venetian Leather Balm. It gives your leather a good balance of making it soft and protecting it from weather, and it won’t make the color darker at all.
If I needed to get my work boots ready for a tough job, I would use Obenauf’s Heavy Duty LP. It’s mostly a water protector and It’s okay to keep your leather boots in good condition, but be ready for it to make boots darker permanently.
If your boots are getting old and the leather is starting to crack, give Leather Honey a try. It makes the leather darker but also conditions it deeply. Well, I prefer not to use Leather Honey like a usual conditioner. I think Venetian is the best choice.
How many times should you take care of your boots? I prefer to do it about every six months. But based on how much you use your boots, you might need to take care of them more often than that.
If you wear your boots occasionally and want them to look nice, you can condition them about once a year for a good shine.
FAQs
What’s the best product to use on boots?
The top leather conditioner is Venetian Leather Balm. It doesn’t make the leather darker, moisturizes well, and gives some protection against the weather.
Is using leather conditioner okay for boots?
Yep, leather conditioner works well for boots. Choosing the correct one can make your boots stay good for many years just by keeping the leather soft and bendable.
How can we take care of leather boots in the best way?
Clean your boots by wiping them with a dry cloth to remove any dirt. Take off the laces. Choose your leather conditioner and apply it over the boot. Allow the conditioner to stay on for 5-10 minutes.
After that, use a Horsehair Brush. If the leather still needs more conditioning, you can put on another layer. If you condition regularly, you’ll probably only need one layer.
