Review: GripGrab Hurricane Hi-Vis Winter Glove
Winter riding gloves are right up there on my list of 'the most important pieces of kit'. Get them right, and your hands are kept comfortable over those long winter base miles. Get them wrong, and you'll be struggling to grip the brake levers when the temperature plummets.
The Hurricane gloves from GripGrab have long been a favourite of mine, and as winter riding gloves go, they certainly "get it right". They were my glove of choice through much of last winter's inclement weather, and they provide that delicate balance between insulation, padding, feel and protection, which are all sought after at this time of year.
There's an exciting new change to the GripGrab Hurricane glove for Autumn/Winter 2015 though… They've gone Fluoro! Not only do they retain their great technical features, but now they've got a Hi-Vis safety benefit as well!
So, what makes the Hurricane such a great glove?
The first fundamental of any good glove, is fit. This is where the Hurricane really excels. These aren't an out-and-out deep winter glove, so they have just a single-layer construction, made from a wind-proof, breathable and water-resistant material. The construction means that the fabric can be closer fitting to the shape of your hand, whilst the material choice provides more stretch than you'd get with a fully waterproof glove. The result, is that the fit is outstandingly good, and you experience almost no loss of dexterity or uncomfortable fabric bunching. Impressive, for a winter glove.
The fit around the cuff is superb, too. Rather than a Velcro strap design, which can add bulk, the Hurricane has a high-stretch neoprene cuff. It's soft, comfortable and breathable, whilst also sealing the cold out effectively, and combining well with the sleeves on winter jackets.
The next fundamental factor, is insulation. As mentioned, these aren't a 'deep winter' glove, but are instead intended for use in roughly 3-15 degrees Celsius. [If you're looking for a real cold weather glove, check out the GripGrab Polaris]. The insulation in the Hurricane Gloves is effective though, because it is wind-proof, water-resistant and highly breathable. These three properties mean you keep the chill and the rain off, but you let the perspiration out; leaving your hands warm and dry.
The third essential for a good glove, is padding. You want enough to protect your hands from rough winter roads, but not so much that you're left with a loss of feel. GripGrab use a targeted padding approach with their gloves, and focus on protecting the hand from 'cyclist palsy'; a loss of feeling in your hands caused by nerve compression. The Hurricane gloves feature one 4mm DoctorGel pad on the palm, which provides notable protection from road vibration and discomfort. The rest of the palm features just simple silicone gripper dots, which help to provide a reassuring hold.
Finally, it's the little things that make for a 'great' pair of gloves. The Hurricane has touch screen compatible finger tips, so you can operate your phone without exposing your hands to the cold. It also has a soft sweat wiper on the thumb, so you can avoid that frozen-sweat problem. Then, there are neat reflective graphics, to help increase visibility to oncoming traffic.
Of course, the reason I'm especially shouting about these gloves this year, is the new Hi-Vis release. If you want the ultimate in Fluoro accessories, these have to be them! The bright yellow backs on the new gloves will help improve your road presence, and really help when indicating; whilst the rest of the glove retains the great features of the original black Hurricane model. It's a fantastic way to add a 'pop' of colour to dark winter kit.
The GripGrab Hurricane gloves then, are one winter glove that very definitely "gets it right". They provide comfort, protection and now added safety, all in one simple but highly functional glove. You'll 'Never Lose Your Grip' with these!
View the GripGrab HiVis Hurricane Gloves at Wiggle.co.uk (Link)
The Hurricane gloves from GripGrab have long been a favourite of mine, and as winter riding gloves go, they certainly "get it right". They were my glove of choice through much of last winter's inclement weather, and they provide that delicate balance between insulation, padding, feel and protection, which are all sought after at this time of year.
There's an exciting new change to the GripGrab Hurricane glove for Autumn/Winter 2015 though… They've gone Fluoro! Not only do they retain their great technical features, but now they've got a Hi-Vis safety benefit as well!
So, what makes the Hurricane such a great glove?
The first fundamental of any good glove, is fit. This is where the Hurricane really excels. These aren't an out-and-out deep winter glove, so they have just a single-layer construction, made from a wind-proof, breathable and water-resistant material. The construction means that the fabric can be closer fitting to the shape of your hand, whilst the material choice provides more stretch than you'd get with a fully waterproof glove. The result, is that the fit is outstandingly good, and you experience almost no loss of dexterity or uncomfortable fabric bunching. Impressive, for a winter glove.
The fit around the cuff is superb, too. Rather than a Velcro strap design, which can add bulk, the Hurricane has a high-stretch neoprene cuff. It's soft, comfortable and breathable, whilst also sealing the cold out effectively, and combining well with the sleeves on winter jackets.
The next fundamental factor, is insulation. As mentioned, these aren't a 'deep winter' glove, but are instead intended for use in roughly 3-15 degrees Celsius. [If you're looking for a real cold weather glove, check out the GripGrab Polaris]. The insulation in the Hurricane Gloves is effective though, because it is wind-proof, water-resistant and highly breathable. These three properties mean you keep the chill and the rain off, but you let the perspiration out; leaving your hands warm and dry.
The third essential for a good glove, is padding. You want enough to protect your hands from rough winter roads, but not so much that you're left with a loss of feel. GripGrab use a targeted padding approach with their gloves, and focus on protecting the hand from 'cyclist palsy'; a loss of feeling in your hands caused by nerve compression. The Hurricane gloves feature one 4mm DoctorGel pad on the palm, which provides notable protection from road vibration and discomfort. The rest of the palm features just simple silicone gripper dots, which help to provide a reassuring hold.
Finally, it's the little things that make for a 'great' pair of gloves. The Hurricane has touch screen compatible finger tips, so you can operate your phone without exposing your hands to the cold. It also has a soft sweat wiper on the thumb, so you can avoid that frozen-sweat problem. Then, there are neat reflective graphics, to help increase visibility to oncoming traffic.
Of course, the reason I'm especially shouting about these gloves this year, is the new Hi-Vis release. If you want the ultimate in Fluoro accessories, these have to be them! The bright yellow backs on the new gloves will help improve your road presence, and really help when indicating; whilst the rest of the glove retains the great features of the original black Hurricane model. It's a fantastic way to add a 'pop' of colour to dark winter kit.
The GripGrab Hurricane gloves then, are one winter glove that very definitely "gets it right". They provide comfort, protection and now added safety, all in one simple but highly functional glove. You'll 'Never Lose Your Grip' with these!
View the GripGrab HiVis Hurricane Gloves at Wiggle.co.uk (Link)
Get the full HiVis look from GripGrab! |
Hi Tim. What do they wash like mate? And can you tumble dry them? Cheers. Dave
ReplyDeleteHi Dave, they wash fine on a 30. They'll dry plenty fast enough on a radiator. Don't tumble dry them! (do you normally tumble dry your riding kit?! - I wouldn't!)
ReplyDelete