Sealskinz Close Fitting Ultra Grip Waterporof Breathable Gloves with merino wool
Bought to use for commuter cycling
Bought October 2013
Price : Around £22/$36
Current Conclusion (after 3 month use) : Seem to be waterproof but only comfortable for temperatures around 1-6 degree celsius ( 33.8 - 42.8 degrees fahrenheit). Too cold and they are freezing. Too warm and they are hot.
I would look for another alternative.
I base this review on using the gloves for commuter cycling.
Good things :
Seem to be waterproof
Seem to have a degree of breathability
Good for finger movement (I bought x-large so that they are not too close fiitting)
Grip dots seem to stay on
Bad things :
I find these are not warm enough for cold weather, and too warm in mild weather.
When raining the outer membrane seems to absorb the rain, making them heavy. If you keep taking them off/on in wet weather you end up wet inside
In warmish weather, it feels like condensation builds up in the glove.
I have seen an excellent video on youtube where a window cleaner reviews the glove for window cleaning. In his video the inner membrane of the glove ripped apart after about 6 months use. So far there is no sign of this happening in my commuter cycling use.
Temperature problems :
I find that these gloves are only comfortable at around 1 degree celsius (33.8 fahrenheit) to 6 degree celsius ( 42.8 fahrenheit). Any lower and the let in the cold, especially the fingers. Any higher and they tend to give me sweaty hands. The window cleaner review described them as possibly 'spring/autumn gloves'. I am not sure how 'breathable they are' but I suspect not too breathable. If it's not raining and the temperature is around 3 degrees celsius, I think it will likely not generate any sweat condensation.
Close fitting :
I would prefer if the gloves weren't close fitting. I picked a pair a size up from my normal size. This allows me to put in base layer gloves when it's cold, but I tend to still feel the cold.
Waterproof and breathable :
The gloves do seem to be waterproof, although in the video one of my gloves seemed to have a small 'leak' when placed in a bowl of water. But if it's heavy rain the outer membrane seems to absorb the rain, making them heavy (is this the merino wool ?). Also if it's really wet and you take the gloves on/off a few times, my hands feel wet but I'm not sure if this is condensation. If it's cold and the gloves are wet, it seems to make the cold worse. When it is heavy rain my hands seem to be wet but I think it is condensation.
Movement in the gloves and the grip dots :
Ability to move the hands in the gloves is pretty reasonable,but mine are a size too big by choice. They don't seem too restrictive. I can work my gears and brakes easy enough, and the grip dots are pretty good. The window cleaner review saiud the grip dots are pretty permanent (i.e. they haven't fallen off yet). The gloves are pretty light when not wet. They feel like wool gloves.
Inner membrane :
The window cleaner review seemed to show that the inner membrane ripped off for the glove used for window cleaning after about 6 months use. So far my gloves are still in good condition after 3 omnths commuter cycling. I will update if this problem happens to my gloves.
Final comment :
I would say these gloves are ok for temperatures around 1 degree - 6 degree celsius. Any higher or lower and they become too hot or too cold. They seem to be waterproof although it feels like the outer layer absorbs the wet. The quality seems pretty reasonable so far.
Recommend them for commuter cycling ?
I would probably look for another alternative for commuter cycling. But if you do buy them you will probably use them in very mild temperatures.
I will update with any new news on my Sealskinz Ultra Grip gloves
