Hub Shelter Question

I’m seriously thinking about buying an insulated hub shelter. I think it would be great to use as a central post for me and my buddies. We like to hole hop with our sleds but having a hub would give us a place to warm up in and take a break.
I’ve been looking at a few of the big name hubs and also been considering best bang for the buck. I saw one that I’m really interested in but it is new and I don’t know anyone who has it. The price seems reasonable as well.
Does anyone have a Polar Bird hub ? I’d appreciate any feedback. TIA

I don’t own either but I personally would go with an Otter lodge over the Polar just because of what has been said about Otter quality here in the Midwest. Plus if you needed to do a return or upgrade or downgrade there are many retailers locally that you can deal with vs all the shipping expenses you may occur if you don’t like the Polar product as I have never seen the Polar product here in Southern Mn/N iowa
Just my 2 cents worth

Look at Polar Bird. They make an amazing shelter with an optional insulated floor. The hub is fully insulated as well. I beleive they make three models from 2-4 fisherman in size. I did a ton of research before i bought mine and found that they were designed to withstand the winters in Siberia. Turns out the company is huge in Russia. Once i saw the price, i decided to get one. I bought the 3-man (3T model) with the floor and i think it cost me $260 w/ free shipping at the time. The poles are solid fiberglass too. I saw some videos of guys at the fishing shows trying to break them for a free shelter. lol. Good luck in your search! Polar Bird won my business for sure.

Have you had the chance to use it yet ? Could you supply some feedback on the shelter ? TIA

I own Eskimo and otter hubs, and I’ve used bud’s clam hubs in the past. Both Clam and Eskimo have made some much needed improvements on their designs in the past few years, but I have to say the Otter hub was perfect out of the box. What I like the most about the Otter is that it is quite draft free, zippers run up and down like cake, anchors are by far the easiest to screw into the ice, the stitching inside and out is high quality, windows are “break-free” but are individually replacable if the unforseeable happens, and the design allows more floor/ceiling space than the other designs. The carry bag is an oversized duffel that the hub fits into well with a center zipper for easy packing and unpacking. I prefer hub designs for clients as they allow more people to fish together and Otter has more than impressed me with their hubs.
I have not encountered a Polar Bird yet, so I’m afraid I have no helpful input on its comparison.

Ben thank you for insight into hub shelters and in particular the Otters. They sound like a very good option. I’m also trying to get the best bang for the buck and as Andrew said the Polar Bird seems well made and at a reasonable cost.
I guess I have it narrowed down to Polar Bird and Otter.

Last season I bought a Eskimo 949i. I haven’t looked back since. If I’m fishing with one other person we are able to set up and put the sled with all our gear in front of us in the hub house because of all the extra space. It helps keep everything warm and close by. If I am fishing with 2 or more people we can all fit very comfortably. Friends always commented on how much they liked the 2 large pockets sewn into the walls. They are perfect for throwing your gloves/hat or whatever you want close into. My hub is also super warm.

I just bought an Eskimo 949 Fatfish and used it today. Simple and quick to set up. LOTS of room inside. I used a small heater and it stayed warm. The inside pockets are perfect for gloves and hats. I will admit, it was better than I expected considering I also own 2 2 person flip over shacks.

I have the shappell 6500. So far I am impressed. The windows are at a better height than other hubs, more room then the fat fish, and the fabric seems thicker then other noninsulated hubs. Since the hub is black and blue any sun warms it up a lot.

The best bang for your buck is Reeds Sporting Goods. They have some great buys on all Hubs right now with Free Shipping. I’ve been runnin and gunnin with the Clam XL4000T Bigfoot for two years now. No complaints at all with this unit. Very roomy for 3 and all your gear. Can fish 4 but gets a little crowded. Thermal is the way to go in my book. Most below zero days my Mr. Buddy Heater will keep up on low with having to shut it off a few times through out the day. Reason for buying Clam was I did a lot of research on Hub Style Shacks and Clam seemed to have the best reviews at that time. Larger Duffle bag for storage, larger skirt for snow pack, more storage nets inside for your gear, 2 double zipper doors, high quality cams and rods. Retail is $289.95 with Free Shipping from Reeds. Best of Luck!!!

I have the Cabelas 2000XT which is awesome. It has tons of space and an insulated roof. I think Cabelas has them right now for $239. They also have a fully insulated version for just under $300.

I had an Eskimo 949i for a few seasons and loved it. Was great when I was fishing 2-3 guys a lot. Now when I use the hub its normally 4 people, so I upgraded to a 6120i simply for more room. They’ve made great improvements over the years and I’d never look in another direction for a hub because I’ve had a great experience with both and Eskimo’s CS is top-notch. To me, they are a great blend of quality and affordability.

I like my Clam 4000T Bigfoot. I want the Otter XTH Resort, but (as I’ve said before on IDO) I won’t buy one until they get cargo netting and an oversized bag. But, it’s a nice shack other than my want list. And, I saw they have them on sale for $350 right now at Capra’s. The cheapest I’ve seen it other places is $400 and that was a good price.

I think I’m going to go with the Polar Bird. I see they have the 3 man on sale for $259 with free shipping and the free floor. I’ve seen good write ups on another site and my uncle said he saw one in person and he said they appear to be very sturdy and quality built. I called them and they said they also have a 30 day return policy so if I don’t like it I can send it back unused and in original box.
I’ll let you know how it goes.

I saw one on the ice last night. They really show up from a distance with the lights on inside them. Looks a little like a lantern from a ways away.

I just received my Polar Bird hub shelter. Boy that was fast. I opened it up and so far I’m really impressed. Everything looks to be very well made – even the stitching. The hubs and poles have strong tension. So far I’m glad I chose this hub shelter. I guess time will tell. Thanks guys !

Set up, what is the height? Watched a review on YouTube, the guy couldn’t even stand up in the 3 man hub house…??? To me, the main reason I like my hub house (Clam 1660 Six Pack) is because it has a 7′ ceiling.

Keep us posted, Jig4am. Enjoy it!
Josh, I don’t know about the Polar Bird’s height. But, I also like the height of my Clam 4000T Big Foot.

I had it all set up and the inside height was probably at just over 6′ in the center. I’m 6′ and I could stand in the center. Closer to the walls it’s less. But honestly I’m sitting most of the time fishing anyway.
I’m just guessing but the taller, wider, etc. would probably just add weight anyway. I do like the lighter color because it lets a bit more light in so it’s easier to see. I know I hear everyone likes dark hubs for sight fishing. I hardly ever sight fish. I use my electronics almost exclusively so it doesn’t affect me. As I said so far I’m impressed but I’ll have to actually use it a few times to find out the pros and cons.

After I get it out a few times I’ll let you know the pros and cons or at least what I think are the good and bad points.
I went on youtube and found many videos showing the shelters before ordering. I think this video showed it in pretty good detail.

I have the 4 person octagon Clam that’s 2 years old, can’t remember the model. It works well, I think it was around the $300 mark new.

First I’ve ever heard of the PolarBird shelters been watching videos on them all morning. Love it when you find a product that doesn’t put a ton of money into advertising such as the Clam, Otter, Eskimo etc… But the quality is just as good if not better. I’m sold! Want one just want to hear more feedback. Thanks again!

Sorry for not getting back sooner guys. The 3T model i have is incredible. We just got our first ice here in SW MI and have been using it quite a bit. The insulation and floor are amazing. the quality is incomparable to the competition IMO. The other hubs are great, but these just stand out. Hoping the price doesnt jump up to that of the other brands once they catch on.

dingerboy8292 as soon as I get it out for a test run I’ll post back here. If I can I’ll try and take some pictures for you.

I had never heard of polar bird before reading this post. after researching for about an hour I saw enough and made an impulse buy for the 4T model. the innovations from this company are really cool and the videos show what appears to be a high quality house. I have been on the fence for a while about buying a hub house, as I have always been a sled house guy, but I really like what this house has to offer and the price is really reasonable. Helps that there is a 30 day money back guarantee too. Ill still be using my otter cottage when I fish alone but when I bring out the wife and kids and, I thought it would be especially nice for bringing my dog with me, ill be using this hub house with the insulated floor. ill let you know a review about it once it arrives.