I recently had the opportunity to test out the heat retaining, waterproof, Snugpak Geothermal Gloves. At 8.47 ounces per pair when first hefted, my initial thought was that there must be some kind of drawback. Upon closer inspection the sense of quality construction was undeniable. My experience with outdoor textile products guided my inspection carefully to the most likely areas to find the tell tale signs of less than top quality production. My searched yielded me nothing; all visible seams were tight, every stitch evenly spaced and tightened, and the transitions from the shell to the reinforced finger and palm material showed no signs of weakness. After this tedious examination I had to assume that these were some high quality gloves. Then I set out to see how well would they live up to the claims on the tag.
The true greatness of these gloves became apparent the first time I pulled one on to my hand. My previous inspection had informed me as to the quality of their construction, but said nothing about comfort. As my hand began entering the glove it was a whole other experience. The interior was incredibly soft and almost cushioning. I became concerned that this would create the usual problems with dexterity and sense of touch experienced while wearing many gloves. My concerns were immediately addressed as the heel of my palm and fingers seemed to pop into place past the gusseted cuff. At this point the heat retention became immediately obvious, the combined effect of the soft lining and the insulating layer made it hard to believe that the gloves weren’t somehow heated. The way the gloves hugged my hands firmly in the least obtrusive places left my hands with very close to 100% range of motion. I was confident at this point that i would be able to preform all but the finest of motor skills while wearing these gloves.
Next test was the cold. And here I don’t have much to say. Wearing these gloves in single digit temperatures negated the cold completely. It was as if the cold just wasn’t there. I took them off for about 10 minutes to let my hands get sufficiently chilled. Putting them back on, it was less than 30 seconds before my frozen hands felt the warmth and tingle familiar to anyone who has ever rapidly reheated their extremities. The coldest weather I had to test was 8 degrees, however, I would certainly trust these gloves to maintain their effectiveness for extended periods down into the negative teens at least.
The last thing I could test was the waterproofing. Pulling on the gloves and tightening the cuff and gusset, I submerged my hands to the wrist in a filled sink. Pulling my hands out immediately, I waited to feel the seeping that usually follows such a test. Nothing happened. In fact, upon removal from the water the outside of the gloves were dry within a minute. I submerged my hands again this time for 5 minutes, with the same result. These gloves seem totally waterproof, as their label claims. A rare find indeed, within the outdoor clothing industry.
I have since spent a few days wearing my Snugpak Geothermal Gloves, working on an outside construction project. They are none the worse for the wear. I have been able to mark boards, flip switches, and hammer nails. The reinforced fingers and palms coupled with the one hand operated adjustable cuff and gusset, allowed for easy movement of heavy objects without any feeling of slipping or losing my grip. Digging things out of the snow was no longer a dreaded process. It is nice be able to function fully and without discomfort in the cold and wet. Wearing these gloves a person can be confident that no draft of cold or drip of wet will ever touch their hands. Find them at proforceequipment.com
– Luis
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the Snugpak Geothermal Gloves from their US distributor, Proforce Equipment, Inc., in consideration for review publication.