Merrell Moab 3 vs Keen Targhee III | Which One Is Better?
Disclosure: Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which can provide compensation to me at no cost to you if you decide to purchase. We update the links daily for the lowest possible price!
In this article, I'm going to share my HONEST Keen Targhee III vs Merrell Moab 3 comparison in detail after personally owning both hiking boots. I have thoroughly tested both of these hiking boots on the trails for countless hours, and I aim to offer a professional hiker's critical opinion.
I'll be comparing these two head-to-head in categories like price, comfort, traction, overall protection, fit, breathability, and durability.
Then, at the end, I'll share which product offers the best overall value for the money and provide my overall recommendation for which you should buy.
Also, if you're interested in learning more, I have tested each product individually in my Merrell Moab 3 review and Keen Targhee III review.
Keen Targhee III vs Merrell Moab 3 Price Comparison
Currently the Moab 3 are $65 cheaper than the Targhee III
Keen Targhee III Price: $170
Merrell Moab 3 Price: $105
Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE
(Do NOT pay retail):
At the time of this writing, the Merrell Moab 3 are priced at $130 retail, but available on Amazon below for as low as $105 brand new by clicking on our link below.
Comfort
Starting off with the Targhee III, I felt it had a decent amount of comfort. It is fitted with a CMEVA Midsole which has decent plushness. The boot does contour to the fit of your heel and forefoot. One area that is lacking with the III Is the amount of shock absorption. I felt a little bit of unnecessary strain on my ankle and knee joints while hiking.
Where the Targhee III Makes up in comfort is the fact that the boot is so voluminous. It almost has the feel of a wide fitting boot however it is in a 360° fashion there is more than enough room at the top and bottom of the boot not just the sides. There are no unnecessary areas of friction therefore I never had any issues with blister formation or hot spots.
When speaking of the Merrell Moab 3, I felt a lot more comfort straight out of the box. The midsole is very plush with comfort all around. While it is not as voluminous as the Targhee, it definitely has more than enough room with no areas of friction.
One distinct difference between these two, is the fact that the Moab has a nice sleek sheet of synthetic material around the ankle cuff, which makes them very comfortable. The Targhee is lacking In terms of ankle cuff comfortability and really does not have any protective layers next to your ankle.
Overall, Both of these hiking boots are pretty comfortable, but I found the Moab 3 to have a slight edge in terms of comfort.
Keen Targhee III Comfort: 4 out of 5
Merrell Moab 3 Comfort: 4.5 out of 5
Winner: Merrell Moab 3
Traction
What is unique about the Targhee III is the fact that it has its own outsole that is manufactured by Keen themselves. This is very important because Keen is able to manufacture theirs also just based on customer reviews and recommendations.
Many outsoles are manufactured and outsourced for more than just hiking boots such as Vibram outsoles. The outsole of the Targhee Is very grippy and holds up traction against any surface imaginable.
I was very impressed with the traction of these hiking boots throughout the winter and summer months during testing.
The outsole of the Keen Hiking boots also is very firm. This helps increase traction as the outsole does not give in with increased pressure.
Compare that with the Moab 3 Outsole which is manufactured by Vibram. The Vibram Megagrip is also very excellent in terms of traction and grippiness. The moab was able to hold its own against any surface possible.
We tested the Merrell Hiking boots and all different types of conditions it held up great against uphill inclines with any terrain imaginable.
Overall both these hiking boots have excellent traction and I would recommend them for any serious hiker or trucker. this one is going to be a tie.
Keen Targhee III Traction: 4.5 out of 5
Merrell Moab 3 Traction: 5 out of 5
Winner: Tie
Overall Protection
The Keen Targhee III Is known to be a very rugged hiking boot. made with nubuck leather, it has outstanding protection all around the boot. The leather is able to protect your feet from any sharp rocks or objects while hiking.
The thick rubber toe cap known as the keen.protect will ensure nothing pierces the front of your shoe. This is so tough and rigid that it almost acts as a steel toe boot. Moving towards the heel there's a nice thick band of rubber that protects your heel from any sharp objects as well.
The Moab comes in a mid and low cut version. The mid version does not have the ankle protection you would expect from most “mid” hiking boots. I wish the Moab 3 had higher ankle protection.
Crafted from leather as well, the Moab 3 does have decent 360 protection. However the leather is not as stiff as the Targhee III, and is slightly more flexible. There are pockets of synthetic material weaving throughout the boot that leaves you vulnerable to sharp objects.
Both these hiking boots have superior overall protection compared to most hiking boots. I would say the Keen Targhee III Has the upper hand here due to the thick stiff leather and Keen.protect rubber toe cap.
Keen Targhee III Overall Protection: 5 out of 5
Merrell Moab 3 Overall Protection: 3.5 out of 5
Winner: Keen Targhee III
Keen Targhee III Vs Merrell Moab 3: Which Fits Better?
Starting off with the Keen Targhee I would say it has excellent fit. there's more than enough volume as I had mentioned before. there's no areas of rubbing or extra friction you would not expect.
Overall it is not a wide fitting boot, it just has more than enough volume. If you have more of a narrow foot I would recommend wearing a thicker sock, rather than sizing up.
Compared to the Moab 3 I did not have to size up or down with this model. it is pretty voluminous over not as voluminous as the Keen model.
Had no issues with fit with either of these boots. I would not recommend sizing up or down picking your normal size would be great for both of these.
Keen Targhee III Fit : 5 out of 5
Merrell Moab 3 Fit : 5 out of 5
Winner: Tie
Breathability
Due to the thick leather of the Targhee III, there is not much room for breathability. As we compared on a previous article, the Targhee has its own in-house waterproof membrane called keen.dry, where most hiking boots use Gore-Tex.
The issue with Gore-Tex is that it reduces the breathability of hiking boots by a large margin. The Keen.dry does not reduce the breathability as much as Gore-Tex does.
I would say that is an important point for the Targhee III. However, overall the Targhee is not the most breathable you can get on the market as it is rugged and meant for technical terrain rather than summer strolling.
Moving over to the Moab 3, It is still a mid-weight and rugged hiking boot however It is more breathable than the Targhee. Equipped with synthetic materials on the side this allows air to enter the boot and cool you down during summer hiking months.
Overall the Moab 3 takes the winners trophy here as it is breathable enough to use year-round.
Keen Targhee III Breathability : 3.5 out of 5
Merrell Moab 3 Breathability : 5 out of 5
Winner: Merrell Moab 3
Durability
Both these hiking boots are extremely durable. As I said before I've tested these both for over a year now without durability issues. Regarding the Keen Targhee, I haven't noticed any issues of breakdown especially with the resilient nubuck leather.
I also have no future issues or concerns with breakdown of the Keen Taghee III, A small combination of synthetic materials makes this a resilient hiking boot.
Moving towards the Moab 3, I also have not noticed any issues or breakdown. One concern I would have in the future is a synthetic material around the ankle cushion of the hiking boot.
The thin synthetic material that I praised before may wear over time and breakdown. I'm not sure how much of cushion is underneath this but I would assume there's not much. I have begun rubbing onto the rough edge of the hiking boot near my heel.
Overall you can't go wrong with picking either of these boots to last you a long time. They both lasted me over a year without any issues or breakdowns at this point
Keen Targhee III Durability : 5 out of 5
Merrell Moab 3 Durability : 5 out of 5
Winner: Tie
Keen Targhee III Overall Rating: 9.1/10
Comfort: 4.5/5
Traction: 4.5/5
Overall Protection: 5/5
Fit: 5/5
Breathability: 5/5
Durability: 5/5
Total: 27.5/30
Merrell Moab 3 Overall Rating:9.3 / 10
Comfort: 4.5/5
Traction: 5/5
Overall Protection: 3.5/5
Fit: 5/5
Breathability: 5/5
Durability: 5/5
Total: 28/30
Keen Targhee III vs Merrell Moab 3 Which One Is Better Overall?
Overall these are extremely well valued hiking boots. As you can see the Merrell Moab 3 scored better than the Keen Targhee III during our comparison testing.
Now add on the fact that the Moab 3 is also $65 cheaper than the Targhee III and you have yourself a clear winner. The Merrell Moab 3 Is overall an excellent hiking boot choice and you will not go wrong with picking this one. Now that the Keen Targhee IV is out, You may see the price of the Targhee III drop down so keep that in mind.
Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE
(Do NOT pay retail):
At the time of this writing, the Merrell Moab 3 are priced at $130 retail, but available on Amazon below for as low as $105 brand new by clicking on our link below.
Disclosure: These links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to run the website 🙂
How We Personally Tested Our Methodology
I personally tested the Merrell Moab 3 and Keen Targhee III during 2023 and beginning of 2024 with the sole intention of providing you with the most unbiased review possible. Mountaineer Journey is a 100% independent publisher with years of testing and reviewing outdoor equipment.
We currently pay for the products we test ourselves; no company or manufacturer pays us to sway our opinions or decisions.
Adventure Awaits,
Tyler
Disclosure: Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which can provide compensation to me at no cost to you if you decide to purchase. We update the links daily for the lowest possible price!