Recently purchased a pair of Grip Grab waterproof winter gloves. Took them on a touring trip in Switzerland where it rained all day. Gloves were sodden both the outer and the inner fleece lining. Lost my rag with them tonight whilst trying to get the inner fleece glove back into the finger holes of the outer and ripped the inner out hoping I could then just use my merinos inside, but discovered the reason they are "waterproof" is that they have a crappy PU (think plastic bag) liner between the material outer and the attached inner. As a result the outer soaks water up like a sponge and the inner gets drenched from sweat as your hands are basically in a plastic bag. Utter crap and going in the bin.
Rant over.
Is there a glove that doesn't use this PU layer and actually stops water on the surface of the outer?
Get some over mitts for this kind of stuff.
Aldi cycle sale at the end of the month
Get some over mitts for this kind of stuff.
I tried googling for over mitts but couldn't really find any. Is there a brand you have in mind?
Is there a glove that doesn’t use this PU layer and actually stops water on the surface of the outer?
Sort of: there's a technology called OutDry that's owned - or at least was - by the guys behind Columbia and Mountain Hardwear. Most waterproof gloves - including Gore-Tex - use a floating liner between the outer glove and the insulation, so water can pool inside the outer glove. OutDry is a PU liner that's heat bonded direct to the inside of the outer glove, so it's not the actual outer, but there's no gap between the outer and the waterproof layer if that makes sense.
Mountain Hardwear did use it for outdoor gloves. Pearl Izumi had a couple of models using the technology too. Also, I think, Rapha. It works pretty well ime. Not sure what's available currently.
Edit: OutDry Extreme gloves would do what you're asking for. The waterproof membrane's on the outside and google says Columbia did make some gloves from it, though no idea if they still exist or it anyone else has used the technology for gloves. These:
https://www.columbia.com/mens-outdry-ex-glove-1827741.html
Your other option is maybe Neoprene gloves, but I've never really got on with them. YMMV.
Is there a glove that doesn’t use this PU layer and actually stops water on the surface of the outer?
The problem is the waterproof membrane has to be very thin if it is to be able to breath at all; so it is fairly fragile. Hence it is normally in the middle to protect it from abrasion.
Having said all that, if it's raining all day, whatever you buy will wet out and stop breathing, so you may as well go for something that's warm when wet eg fibre pile gloves.
5 pairs of cheap gloves are better than one expensive pair. Swap when they soak through.
I have never had a pair of waterproof gloves that lasted at all well. The best I have found are ones that retain warmth when wet like the aldi ones or neoprene type ones
5 pairs of cheap gloves are better than one expensive pair. Swap when they soak through.
This.
I've a few thin gloves of various thermal abilities.
I've an ancient pair of Gore mittens with no liner at all.
Juggle to fit or when wet.
If it’s cold and wet I have absolutely no complaints about the performance of my gore gloves.
On at least a couple of occasions I can remember (one just steady heavy rain for an entire night ride, the other an absolutely gopping day at afan with the valleys’ finest sideways rain) my hands have only, eventually, got damp from my jacket sleeves eventually giving up and getting the layer underneath wet.
They’re more breathable than they have any right to be too, although you will get hot hands if it turns out more clement than expected. Which leads me to my only real issue with them- they don’t exactly pack down small, rucksack rather than pockets really, so it’s mostly a decision to be made at the beginning of the ride. I confess to liking the dissent 133 approach for dealing with changeable days.
Glacier perfect curve, but you will sweat like **** in them. Only to be worn on proper cold days.
I have some Gore ones that come out once in a blue moon , but only when it's bitter.
Also a pair of Endura ones that are ok - a little boil in the bag.
I run quite hot so unless it's absolutely Baltic, it's windproof all the way.
North Face Pamir gloves for me.
Windstopper with microfleece.
Ring them out if they get wet and keep riding. Stops the windchill dead and keep your hands warm.
Suffer badly in winter/cold etc. These babies help loads with the wet days.
Aldi ski gloves for cold and wet.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Glacier-Glove-Perfect-Curve-Black/dp/B0029YI6QU
I use waterski/kayak gloves, can use with a silk liner to absorb sweat, have a few of these for multi day stuff.
Try some neoprene gloves and just embrace the wet warm feeling
From time to time i spray my waterproof gloves with a waterproof coating to try and stop water going in and bead off. I think they Al come with a dwr that wears off with use.
In summer I picked up a pair of sealskinz dragon Eye (I think) they are like a normal pair of gloves just a bit stiffer so no liner, it's all bonded together. They are a really nice fitting glove. Not had chance to really test them in the rain properly.
Prior to that used sealskinz all weather gloves which are OK but not brilliant.
I carry a pair of these overmitts in the rucsac on days / night rides when it's likely to get very cold and wet. They fold up very small and weigh nothing.
They are a bit clumsy in use being mitts and you'll need to go a couple of sizes up especially if you have long fingers, but they make a big difference during really minging prolonged downpours. The other thing of course is to make sure your jacket sleeves go over the mitts not under so water doesn't flow down into the glove.