Reviews > Clothing > Gloves > Ibex Wool Glove Liner > Shaheen Patel > Field Report

Ibex Wool Glove Liner

Product Information

            
Product Description
The Ibex Wool Glove Liners are lightweight gloves made of fine Merino wool/Lycra blend. They are designed to be worn alone, or inside another glove as a liner.

Test Location:
The product was tested in the Sierra Nevadas, California and on various trails in Northern California from March through May.  The weather conditions ranged from snow and drizzle to chilly conditions, with temperatures from 20F (-6C) to 60F (33C).
 

Field Experience:
The product was tested for the following features:

Fit and Ease of Use
The gloves fit my hand like second skin. I had a bit of extra space at the tips of my first and my last fingers, but overall the fit was very snug.  The more I wore them, the better they moulded to my hand.  There was no difference in the fit even after a few washes.  There was no shrinkage nor any sagging.  The gloves retained their original fit.

Pulling the gloves on and off was easy and smooth.  Since the gloves are so thin, after some time, I barely realized that I had them on;  I could zip on my coat, fish things from my pockets and even brush my hair with the gloves still on!!  This was such a pleasantly different experience from all the other 'thin' gloves that I have worn so far.

When I needed to wear the gloves as liners for my bulkier gloves, the smooth fabric made it very easy to pull on the thicker gloves over the liners. The only issue I had, was that each time I tried to pull the thicker outer gloves off, my Ibex liners would come right off too.


Warmth
With the product description of 'Merino wool', I expected hot hands.  But each time I wore the gloves my hands were just pleasantly warm. In snowy conditions my fingers were cold initially, but slowly the warmth set it and the warmth was retained by the gloves.  The only time I needed the extra layer was if I was in direct contact with snow and when chilly winds seeped in.

The comfort level these gloves give me has made them essential gear for my trips.

Wet/Damp conditions
In my experience the gloves did not absorb moisture very easily.  Even in snowy conditions, if I dusted off the snow my hands were dry and the wetness did not penetrate the gloves.  Now, a downpour was another thing altogether.  Yes, the gloves did get wet, very wet in rainy conditions, but they still did offer some level of warmth and did not chill out my fingers.  There was a comfort level even when the gloves were wet and they did not feel soggy, soaked nor did they chaff my skin.
The wool component in the gloves definitely works.

Drying
In my experience wool takes a real long time to dry out.  But that does not seem to be the case for this product, which wicks the moisture out real fast. 

Wear and Tear
Over the past 3 months I have used these gloves extensively, both as an inner and an outer layer and they have more than met my expectations in both cases.  For my hikes when I have used them as an outer layer, there have been plenty of times that I have had to make my way through shrubs and thorns.  Having the gloves on gives an extra layer of protection to my hands.  That is not to say that the thorns did not find their way thru the gloves and into my skin, but without them I am sure it would have been more painful. 

Even after a lot of use, I have not noticed extensive snags or any tears. The stitching and seams are holding just fine.

Extended Testing
This summer I intend to keep using the gloves for my hikes and backpacking trips, as standalone gloves.  I want to check out how well they stand up to my extended use.
 

Reviews > Clothing > Gloves > Ibex Wool Glove Liner > Shaheen Patel > Field Report