With the cold Illinois winter upon us, I have been dreading any outdoor work. Last year’s gloves didn’t perform as well as I needed them to. My fingers were cold, I couldn’t get a good grip on anything, and I was pretty much disconnected from everything since using my cell phone was impossible without removing them. And since I live on a farm, which requires a lot of time outside even in the coldest of conditions, it’s vital that I have gloves that work as hard as I do.
Enter the Arctic Cold Weather Gloves from Worldwide Protective Products. Designed for extremely cold conditions, the gloves feature:
- 150g high loft insulation
- Ripstop nylon shell
- Rubbertec palm and finger grips
- Touchscreen compatible index finger and thumb
- Microfleece, moisture-wicking lining
- Hook-and-loop wrist cinch
- Elastic toggle cuff closure
Worldwide Arctic Cold Weather Gloves Features
My first impression when I opened the package was how light they are. In my experience, winter gloves are generally on the heavier side due to their bulk. While these gloves do have some bulk to them thanks to the high loft insulation, they are very lightweight.
I took them out of the package for a closer inspection. They were clipped together with a simple squeeze-release closure. I found this much easier to operate than the tiny spring hooks that are often found on gloves. It also seems much less likely to break compared to the hooks.
The outer shell of the gloves is a lightly textured, ripstop nylon, and the palm features a soft, rubber grippy surface. The rubber has a nice feel to it – it’s not stiff and it doesn’t hamper my hand movement. I found it to be nice and sticky when handling equipment; nothing slipped out of my grip.
One of my pet peeves with winter gloves is the bulk, which makes it difficult to do anything. Because the WWP Arctic Cold Weather Gloves use a higher level of insulation, it cuts down on the thickness needed to achieve warmth. So while they are thicker than gloves insulated with something like Thinsulate, they aren’t so bulky as to make grasping and handling equipment a chore.
This higher level of insulation – 150g to be precise – is perfect for the blistering cold we get here in the winter. With wind chills easily reaching 25 degrees below zero, I need gloves that will keep my hands warm when I’m outside working.
The index finger and thumb are touchscreen compatible, although I found it a bit cumbersome to use my phone with the gloves on. The fingertips are just as insulated as the rest of the gloves, so my ability to accurately tap the screen was minimized. For long text conversations, I’d have to take the gloves off.
The gloves also feature a hook-and-loop cinch at the wrist, which allows you to adjust how snug they fit. I found by tightening the cinch, the gloves didn’t move around as much on my hands, which gave me more control when handling equipment.
One of my favorite features of the gloves are the cuff toggles. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten snow in my gloves! The toggles are easy to operate with one hand, and once they’re pulled snug, you can leave them. The elastic has just enough stretch to allow you to remove the gloves without loosening them.
The Fit
I usually wear a size 8 glove, or an XL in ladies gloves/L in men’s. The gloves I reviewed are a size L, and I found them to be a smidge too big. The fingertips had just a bit too much room in them, which made finer work a bit difficult for me. My husband, who normally wears a men’s Large, found the fit to be just right. So sadly, I think these will become his gloves and I’ll have to order myself a smaller pair.
In summary, the Arctic Cold Weather gloves from Worldwide Protective Products are a great choice for any cold weather work, particularly where warmth, dexterity and grip are paramount.
