Here we discuss which quiver is the right one for you. You will see my recommendation on the hip vs. field quiver debate and how to choose the right quiver if you are bowhunting or doing field archery.
If you ever wondered which quiver you should choose then you are in the right place.
The paragraph below specifies what quiver is best for target archery, bowhunting, or 3D archery.
Here are the best quivers based on the type of archery you do:
If you are doing target archery use a hip quiver.
If you are bowhunting use a bow quiver.
For 3D archery use a back quiver.
These are the 3 types of quivers best suited for these archery situations.
In fact, there are actually 4 different types of quivers available to you. Let’s examine each of them right now.
The 4 Different Types Of Quivers
So, what is a quiver? Let’s begin with the official definition.
A quiver is a case specially designed to safely hold and transport arrows for an archer.
As a general rule here are 4 different types of quivers available for archers:
- Bow quiver (perfect for bowhunters)
- Back quiver (good for 3D archery)
- Hip quiver (perfect for target archery)
- Field quiver (good for target archery)
As you might imagine each of these quivers has its advantages and disadvantages with one of these being the optimal choice with little to no downside. Which will also be my recommendation. You will see why in just a moment.
So, now let us dissect each of these quivers one by one and see their advantages and disadvantages.
Let’s begin with the bow quiver. What it is and where it can be useful.
The Bow Quiver
A bow quiver is a case for holding arrows that attaches directly to the archer’s bow. The main purpose of the bow quiver is to hold the arrows in place for the archer.
The bow quiver has an important benefit that other quivers do not. So, let’s delve deeper into the benefits and disadvantages of the bow quiver.
Pro:
- It is easy to attach
- No weight on your shoulders and hips
- It is very silent (which is perfect for bowhunters in the woods)
Con:
- It adds weight to the bow, which can lead to your bow arm getting fatigued faster
- If attached improperly it can affect the performance of the bow
- It can only hold a small number of arrows
Overall it is a great quiver to have if you are into bowhunting. The design allows for the arrowheads to be inserted into the foam compartment while the arrow shafts are kept separate by a lower piece of the quiver.
The Back Quiver
A back quiver is a quiver that an archer wears on his back while transporting and shooting his arrows. It’s the quiver you most often see in movies like the Avengers or shows like Green Arrow (when it aired).
Pro:
- It can fit a lot of arrows
- Looks cool when using it
- Comfortable to wear when walking
Con:
- The number of arrows freely moving inside the quiver causes a lot of noise when the archer is moving. Making it impractical for bowhunters that rely on silence.
- If you are firing a hundred arrows per session the act of reaching for the arrow at the back can cause fatigue in itself. And the more fatigued you get the tougher it will feel reaching behind your back towards the end of your practice session.
This is also one of the reasons you don’t see these often at your local archery range. As cool as they are not very practical for target archery. I would recommend using back quivers if you’re doing 3D archery. Walking around in the woods firing once in a while from a back quiver will not hurt you.
Now, let’s continue with one of the most popular quivers
The Hip Quiver
A hip quiver is a quiver an archer wears on his belt. And they are one of the most popular types of quivers in existence today.
Pro:
- Ease of use. You simply pull the arrow out with minimum wasted effort.
- You can see your arrow before pulling it out. This comes in handy if one of your arrows has a damaged fletching or a damaged nock. You can simply bypass it.
- They can be really cheap. You can get them on Amazon from 15$ to 50$. Any beginner would do fine with a 15$ version since beginners don’t require much.
Con:
- With hip quivers, the issue is that the arrows are pointing forward. So transporting your arrows indoors and in a crowded range can be troublesome. Don’t be surprised if you accidentally poke someone from behind.
Hip quivers are ideal for target archery. They are cumbersome for bowhunting and 3D archery since transporting them while walking causes noise and just isn’t as comfortable as a back quiver or a bow quiver. But overall hip quivers are perfect for anyone interested in starting target archery.
This leads us perfectly into our last quiver category. And that is field quivers.
Field Quiver
A field quiver is a quiver an archer wears on his belt but unlike the hip quiver where the arrows are pointing in front of the archer, field quivers allow the archer to have his arrow point backward.
Pro:
- Easy to use
- Are relatively cheap
- Minimal motion to take the arrows out of the quiver which reduces fatigue in long shooting sessions
- Easier to move around within crowded archery ranges since arrows are pointing backward thus allowing you to have a clear field of movement in front of you
Con:
- You do not see your arrows before taking them out
- Impractical to use in the woods while bowhunting
That is it. It was hard to find anything wrong with the field quiver. As you can see it is a very efficient way of guarding and transporting your arrows while you are at your archery range.
With all that, let’s discuss the ongoing debate about which one is better. Hip quiver vs. Field quiver?
Hip Quivers vs. Field Quivers – Which Ones Are Better
Hip quivers are better than field quivers because they provide a full view of the arrows in the quiver to the archer. This allows the archer to notice any defects or damages in the arrows before nocking them.
This debate is ongoing in large fact because both field quivers and hip quivers are similar since they both hang from the waste.
But the large drawback of the hip quiver is that you often bump into things in front of you or poke people by mistake in a crowded area. All that can easily be fixed.
Simply move your hip quiver from your right hip (if you are right-handed to your left hip whenever you are in situations where having arrows in front of you can turn out clumsy. And voila, instant field quiver.
You can do this most of the time with minimal adjustments.
So, in the debate of field quivers vs. hip quivers the answer is that hip quivers are superior to field quivers in target archery.
In Conclusion
All in all, quivers are wonderful devices that help you in your pursuit of archery greatness.
So if you are into Bowhunting or 3D Archery I suggest you stick with bow quivers or cylindric back quivers. And if your main goal is to get better in target archery then stick to hip quivers.
If you wish you can continue exploring the world of archery by checking out this article where I explain in detail every part of the bow and its purpose. So, that you can know which pieces are essential and which are just fluff you can do without. You can learn more here.
Thank you for reading.
Take care