Request for gear review – Gloves

Bigwig - December 31, 2021

Gear

I’d like to see a gear review on gloves.  There are so many types of gloves (work, winter, tactical, disposable, etc.) and so many brands that it is hard to know which ones area the best value.

14  

Mechanix brand gloves are some of the best all around gloves for the money. They make a wide range of styles too, from lightweight with a lot of dexterity, to leather work gloves, even winter work gloves. I use them all the time for work and shooting. 

 

Mechanix gloves are my favorite. I keep a pair on me almost at all times.

 

I used Mechanix gloves for years when I was piloting a big brown truck.  Several years back, I found the quality to be slipping.  They would split along the seams after a couple of weeks.  I found a similar glove at Duluth Trading.  More expensive, but they last me 4-5X longer.  

 

Agree they split, but I’ve found they still hold up. Mine have gotten a little split but usually can wear them out anyway. Maybe better options still, but they’re a decent one. 

 

Agreed on Mechanic gloves. I’ve owned the leather versions and the Material 4x version, which I preferred because they’re more flexible and generally more comfortable.

FWIW, for me anyway, if the 4x material gets wet, it stinks like a herd of diseased goats used a locker room as a comfort station. There’s a pair airing out on my porch now, and when I walk by, it hits me. 

Fantastic product, but I’m sticking with leather in the future…

 

Now there’s a phrase I am going to have to use someday. HA HA

 

Here’s a good starting point for outdoor recreation:

https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/search?ftr=gloves

Other types of glove reviews can likely be found on sites specializing in work, tactical, etc.

 

The problem I have with gloves is finding a decent thickness of work glove in a size that fits! Most decent quality work gloves I’ve seen for sale are sized for men with big hands and anything in my size is a light weight gardening style or the type with a rubberised palm. 

Happy to hear what other ladies in this group use!

 

I got these CLC custom leathercraft for the bug-out bags and GHBs .  They fit both me (small) and my husband (x-large) both really well and reasonably priced.  I think they’ll do double duty as both work gloves and with a Smartwool liner glove, also for cooler temperatures.  We don’t have winter temperatures where we live.  

 

Great suggestion for a gear review article. You are right, there are many types of gloves and they play an important role in our preps.

I got these work gloves for Christmas

They feel incredibly well made and seem very durable. The padded area in the palm is thick and durable feeling, gloves fit perfectly, and the rubber protection on the back of the hand feels strong too.

I chose these gloves as a good cost/quality fit for me after watching this review on the best work gloves. 

 

That video is excellent. Here’s the summary chart at the end. Milwaukee Level 5 Cut Resistant Goatskin Leather Impact Gloves came out as the clear winner if you ignore the price, and at $35 I’m tempted to just get the best.

 

I have gloves like my wife has shoes.

I like Wells Lamont, and Mechanics gloves.

I usually have try on gloves before I buy them.

 

I have gloves like my wife has shoes.

Ha! Me too.

I wear thin polyester grippy gloves when working in all but the hottest weather because my hands are really dry and I can’t get much purchase. Like $5 at the big box. Not the knit kind.

If it is real cold I like the convertible mitts, all wool for most warmth and a shell if it is a blizzard. Cold and wet like bottle calves in the winter: neoprene is the best but you can’t do anything heavy because it is soft. They can be expensive like at at Bass Pro but I think $20 Wally’s.

For heavy duty protection with balls of barbed-wire or especially brambles, leather with fleece lining works best.

Old worn-out leather or Mecanix with the fingers cut off and a thin grippy glove as a liner is what I usually wind up with. Pretty warm, the palm and finger bases are tough but the fingers are nimble. This one even has a phone-dialing feature, LOL

 

 

I like the Youngstown kevlar lined gloves for heavy duty jobs and bike riding. Kevlar lining is important to me because it makes it much less likely I will leave skin on the road if I get into a bad slide and put my hands down for stability. Putting your hands down in a bike crash is not a good idea, but you’re on automatic when something that bad happens. 

The kevlar lining has also been nice when working with sharp saws, splintery wood etc; I ride with the new pair and use the old, beat-up pair for heavy duty jobs. 

Protection is very good, the winter version of the kevlar lined gloves is reasonably warm (although I was riding today in 30 something degree weather and my fingers did get quite cold). The main downside is a significant loss of dexterity when the gloves are new; as you break them in the dexterity improves. 

 

The goatskin gloves from Oregon Glove Company are fantastic gloves for any kind of yard work. 

At $50, they aren’t cheap. But they are well made, very durable and comfortable. A little stiff at first, but they break in nicely.

I have very big hands and my wife has petit hands, and the available sizes fit us both just fine.

We’ve given a couple pairs as gifts, and the recipients have all commented how much they like them after using them.