Reviews > Clothing > Socks > SealSkinz Socks and Gloves > Will Reitveld > Initial Report

SealSkinz Test Reports 1&2

SealSkinz Glove, XL, Black

SealSkinz All Season Socks, L, Black

Tester Name: Will Rietveld

Date: 3/2/2002

e-mail: willjanet@frontier.net

Gender: M

Age: 59

Height: 6'

Weight: 170

Experience Level: 45 years of hiking, backpacking, XC skiing, bicycling, canoeing, and rafting.

Test Location: mountains, deserts, and rivers of Southwest CO, Southeast UT, and Northern AZ

SealSkinz Gloves -- Initial Impressions and Proposed Test

The gloves arrived on 2/28/2002 via priority mail in a Tyvek envelope. The contents were complete and in good condition. The gloves were packaged in a zip-lock plastic bag along with a wrap-around card providing product description on the outside and information on other products and care information on the inside. My impression of the packaging is that it is efficient and communicates clearly.

The gloves tested are the standard, or multi-purpose gloves. They are wrist-length and have no membrane to create a water-tight seal around the wrist. In size XL the gloves weigh 3.8 oz. The color is black, and they have gripper dots on the palms and fingers, which is a nice feature. The gloves fit my hands a bit loosely, which is what I wanted. When I measured my hands to determine the size to order, it came out at the limit for size L. I opted for the XL size because I didn't want a tight fit, and I wanted to have room to wear liner gloves inside them if I want.

The gloves appear to be well made, with no flaws evident. The product information states that SeakSkinz is a 3-layer fabric structure containing a membrane capable of allowing perspiration to escape while not allowing water to penetrate, in other words waterproof-breathable. The material has a 2-way stretch. The outside fabric bonded to the membrane has a soft feel and appears to be durable. The inner fabric bonded to the membrane is cotton-like and also has a soft feel. The product information does not state what the outer and inner fabrics are.

Based on the product information, my expectations for the gloves are: 1) waterproof, 2) breathable, and 3) multi-purpose. They are primarily intended for wet weather protection in a variety of sports. The attributes that are most important to me are: 1) waterproofness, 2) breathability, 3) how well they keep my hands warm, and 4) durability. The product information does not make any comment or claims on how warm the gloves are. This is an important factor for me because I have a condition called Raynoud's Syndrome, where my fingers go numb when I get chilled, so it is important to keep my hands dry and warm as much as possible.

I made an initial test by immersing my gloved hands in the kitchen sink full of cold water. They did not leak, which is expected since the product information states they are pressure tested to ensure there are no leaks. The outside fabric absorbed water, so I needed to hang them to allow them to dry out. The gloves appeared to have some insulating value; my hands were warmer inside the gloves compared to dipping my hands in the water.

Proposed Test: The gloves will be tested in the mountains, canyon country, and rivers of Southwest CO and Southeast UT in all types of weather. During the upcoming cold months, the gloves will be used on almost a daily basis. I day hike 3-4 days/week and do quite a bit of bushwhacking. I am planning several backpacking trips to the UT canyon country this winter and spring, and to the mountains this spring and summer. The test will likely include some canoeing and rafting in cold water and possible rainy conditions. I will subject the gloves to "normal use", I.e., the same use they would get had I purchased them and used/maintained them normally. I have no intention of challenging (abusing) the gloves to see if they will fail.

I will test the gloves with and without liners, and will keep a log of data/comments on the following:

1) Are the gloves truly waterproof, and do they maintain their waterproofness with continued use?

2) How breathable are they? The product information states that they are "capable of allowing perspiration to escape", which is a bit vague. Do they breathe well or will they feel clammy inside, and under what conditions?

3) How warm are they, with and without liners?

4) How durable are they, i.e., how well do they hold up over time?

5) How well are they suited to their purpose, i.e., keeping my hands dry while pursuing a variety of outdoor sports?

SealSkinz All Season Socks: Initial Impressions and Proposed Test

The socks arrived (with the gloves) on 2/28/2002 via priority mail in a Tyvek envelope. The contents were complete and in good condition. The socks were packaged in a zip-lock plastic bag, along with a wrap-around card providing product information. The inside of the card provides some testimonials, other product information, and info on using SealSkinz with liner socks. My impressions of the packaging are that it is efficient and communicates clearly.

The socks being tested are multi-purpose and primarily intended to keep your feet dry while pursuing a variety of outdoor sports. They do not have any specific membrane to create a water seal at the ankle, only a normal fabric cuff. In size L the socks weigh 3.9 oz. The color is black. The socks measure 10" high from the back of my heel to the top of the cuff, which is about the same height as normal hiking socks. Compared to hiking socks, they are higher volume, especially in the instep area. The fit is basically good, and they will fit well with either a liner sock worn inside the SealSkinz, or with another pair of socks worn over the SealSkinz. I size my boots to be worn with two pair of socks, so I will be using the SealSkinz in combination with other socks most of the time.

The socks also appear to be well made, with no flaws evident. The product information states that SeakSkinz is a 3-layer fabric structure containing a membrane capable of allowing perspiration to escape while not allowing water to penetrate, in other words waterproof-breathable. The material has a 2-way stretch. The outside fabric bonded to the membrane has a soft feel and appears to be durable. The inner fabric bonded to the membrane is cotton-like and also has a soft feel. The product information does not state what the outer and inner fabrics are.

Based on the product information, my expectations are for the socks are: 1) waterproof, 2) breathable, and 3) multi-purpose. They are primarily intended for wet weather protection in a variety of sports. The attributes that are most important to me are: 1) waterproofness, 2) breathability, 3) how warm they keep my feet in cold weather, and 4) durability. The product information does not make any comment or claims on how warm the socks are by themselves, although they include information on recommended liner socks to use with the SealSkinz.

I made the same initial test with the socks as I did with the gloves, i.e., immersing my socked feet in a sink of cold water. Again, there were no leaks, and the socks appeared to provide some insulation. I must admit that I have not used waterproof/breathable socks before, so at this point, I have no idea of whether I will like them or not. I have no doubt that they are waterproof as claimed, so the real test (to get my satisfaction) is how breathable and comfortable they are under exertion conditions.

Proposed Test: The test locations and conditions will be the same as for the SealSkinz gloves. I will spend a lot of time experimenting with them to determine where and when they work best. I have hiking boots that are not Gore-Tex lined which I can use under wet weather conditions to see how well the socks perform. I also have trail running shoes that I use for ultralight backpacking, and I would like to see how well the SealSkinz work in combination with them. I will subject the socks to "normal use", I.e., the same use they would get had I purchased them and used/maintained them normally. I have no intention of challenging (abusing) the socks to see if they will fail.

I will test the socks with and without liners, and with and without hiking socks, and will keep a log of data/comments on the following:

1) Are the socks truly waterproof, and do they maintain their waterproofness with continued use?

2) How breathable are they? The product information states that they are "capable of allowing perspiration to escape", which is a bit vague. Do they breathe well or will they feel clammy inside, and under what conditions?

3) How warm are they, with and without liners or a second pair of socks?

4) How durable are they, i.e., how well do they hold up under mostly hiking conditions?

5) How well are they suited to their purpose, i.e., keeping my feet dry while pursuing a variety of outdoor sports?

Thanks for the opportunity to test the SealSkinz gloves and socks.

Will Rietveld

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