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Mantis

A

Alud555

Active Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2020
Messages
104
I'm looking to buy my first saddle. Everyone says the mantis is "uncomfortable". Is it really or just compared to others? I'm 6'2" 170 if that matters.

All my hunts are 4 hours max.
 
Everyone also says the phantom is uncomfortable and it gets a lot of hate but I love it . Granted it's the only one I've ever had so maybe it is compared to the others but I have zero complaints.
 
I personally didn't think it was too bad. There are a lot of points in the system that contribute to comfort, like tether height, lean angle, platform, etc.
 
I didn’t think it was bad. I needed to use the lower leg loops and really cinch them down to keep it in place to really alleviate hip pinch.
 
Comfort is subjective. I didn't have any issues with the mantis I had once I figured it out the settings I needed. I now just like the recon more. It's a personal preference. I would have no issues hunting from a mantis again.
 
I am 5'9" and 180. I have only used the Mantis. This will be my third season with it. I think it is comfortable. I do prefer using the back band, especially on longer sits over 4 hours.
 
I had one in size XL. I have a 38" to 40" waist (before Christmas/After Christmas) and were the bridge loops (at the waist belt) were sewn to the saddle they dug into my hip bone no matter where I located the waist belt. After 2 hours on my second sit with it I could not take it any longer and climber down. I also had a Recon that I used the rest of the season.
Not sure what the cause was, I think they got their sizing wrong. Maybe go one size up. I meet a guy with a 36" waist and he had a Mantis XL and loved it.
 
Alud555 said:
I'm looking to buy my first saddle. Everyone says the mantis is "uncomfortable". Is it really or just compared to others? I'm 6'2" 170 if that matters.

All my hunts are 4 hours max.
Click to expand...
I'm 6' and currently 195lbs, I would tend to agree with the guys above. The term "uncomfortable" is thrown around a lot. Truth be told, yeah the beginning of your journey may be a bit uncomfortable. Comfort is something you're going to find along the way after finding minor adjustments that alleviate that "uncomfortable" feeling. I started in a mantis in 2019 with an all day sit and it wasn't the best. 3 years later, I'm selling my summit climbing stand and hang on stands to fund another saddle purchase. The mantis started uncomfortable and now naps before shooting light are as comfortable as the living room recliner and all day sits are a common occurrence. I've only ever hunted out of the mantis, many guys on this forum have hunted around the saddle market much more and have more experience to offer on the starting comfort level of saddles. I'm only saying that with time, you'll find your adjustments to make any saddle comfortable for 4 hours.
 
so many better options now. I had one and hated it. phantom wasnt much better and i felt the build quality was actually worse. check out aerohunter! i will say the tethrd menace looks like the most comfortable design IMO.
 
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