SealSkinz Waterproof Gloves

Although I’ve had good experiances with sealskinz socks, when I tried the gloves I was sorely disappointed. They weren’t waterproof at all, for that matter they soaked up so much water I would take them off and wring them oute every hour or so. Maby I just got a bad pair?

Sealskinz act more as a vapor barrier so your hands will usually end up being quite soaked from sweat as much as anything.

If you want to go the vapor barrier route, using a pair of latex gloves (like the ones medical people use) INSIDE of any other gloves or mittens will generate toasty hands pretty quickly. You should also be able to figure out if this is a route worth exploring for a very small investment of money and carry weight. I carry latex gloves in my first aid kit anyway so I also have them as an emergency inner glove too.

Keep in mind that thick gloves aren’t necessarily warmer than thin gloves, too. Windproofness, how much water they can absorb, and even radiant heat loss from a larger surface area on thicker gloves can be factors.

If you are going out in the winter, you ought to have mittens and overmitts too. Even if you don’t like them or find them awkward, your hands will most likely be warmer in them than in gloves. The combination of liner gloves, fleece mittens, and waterproof/breathable overmitts is hard to beat.

Make sure any gloves or mittens you have aren’t too tight.

Make sure you have a warm hat. More specifically, if your core temperature isn’t being adequately maintained, your body will compensate by restricting blood flow to extremities like your hands and feet.

Good ideas all and I don’t know why I didn’t think of the latex glove thing. I have some I use for gardening and will give them a try.

You will need to wear the SealSkinz as the inner layer. SealSkinz do breath remarkable well if used correctly. See the web site http://www.sealskinz.com for an explanation of Hydrophilic membranes.

If you want to try an alternative to sealskin take a look at nrs’s neoprene line,from 1.5mm to 3.5mm. They also offer a mitt which is warmer then a glove. Just make sure you use a poly liner with neoprene. The other option I like is lobster or split-finger mitts, these can be found at performance bike or a cross-country ski shop.nrs can be foubnd at http://www.nrsweb.com.If you still can’t solve your cold hands you may want to try crazy creeks thermabands, mini heat warmers that keep your blood vessals from constricting. I have a friend with raynaud’s syndrome that uses these.

I have had a similar experience.

I bike all winter in Portland, OR in the rain wearing the gloves/socks. My main gripe is that once they are wet, they take forever to dry out and start to stink.
I wouldn’t say they don’t breathe, but expect clamminess in sustained activity.
I am looking for better options for gloves/socks in a wet cold climate.