Hand Out Pro Glove: Review

Ease of use

Durability

Price

Comfort

An innovative approach to gloves that makes a big difference.

Summary : Hand Out Gloves are in a category all their own. They're leather, waterproof, breathable gloves that can be easily zipped open so you can do things like take a pic or tie a fishing line while keeping your hands warm.

I was at a trade show a few years ago and walked by a booth that had an odd looking glove on display. The gloves seemed to come apart just below the knuckles, and a wooden hand was sticking out. “Alright, you got my attention. What’s the deal with these gloves?” I asked. I end up finding that the company Hand Out Gloves is co-owned by this hardcore outdoor thrill seeker named Don Wildman. At 85 years old he’s still regularly big wave surfing and helicopter snowboarding. He, along with Jake Sullivan, set out to create a more functional outdoor glove and Hand Out Gloves was born.

You might think that a zipper to stick your hand out isn’t a big deal. You’d be wrong.

It is a big deal, and I can’t believe how often I use it. When it’s cold outside I like to have my glove situation dialed in, which means that the gloves are fully tucked inside my jacket and everything is snug. The problem is that if I want to take a quick picture, tie a hook for ice fishing, or even turn up the bluetooth speaker, I have to start this process all over again. Is it the end of the world? No. Is it annoying? Yes, to me it is. Hand Out Gloves make all of these things easier to do. In two seconds you have the use of your fingers AND your hands are still warm right up to the fingers.

Aside from the clever zipper, they’re also durable gloves made to last. They’re made from leather and they have waterproof, breathable Hipora linings. One quick word about that – if gloves aren’t breathable your hands are going to sweat and get cold quickly. I haven’t had that problem with the Hand Out Pro Glove at all. If anything my hands will get too hot if I’m active, and here’s another nice thing about that zipper – you can use it for a heat dump. If you unzip it and leave your hand in you can cool down but still stay protected.

Hand Out Gloves have a hand warmer pocket! Just behind the zipper you’ll find a sneaky little pocket that holds a hand warmer. My wife wore them last weekend when we were ice fishing and loved them. Ice fishing is a relatively inactive pastime where you end up sitting and waiting. In situations like this the hand warmer is a game changer. It also helps to keep your hands warm if you zip them open to use your fingers. Last but not least, there is a built-in pass pocket on the sleeve that works well with ski passes that need to be scanned via RFID. I haven’t used it for that, but it was easy to keep cash in there for burgers at the ice fishing tournament we were at. It’s another feature that I really liked.

The hand warmer pocket makes a big difference on cold days.

If you have to use your fingers for a longer period of time you can secure the fingers with the velcro strap. Neato.

If the only thing I liked about the Hand Out Pro Glove was the nifty zipper, I wouldn’t be raving about them to all of my friends. But here’s the thing: if they had no zipper at all they would still be a remarkable pair of gloves. They’re incredibly comfortable and they’re WARM. When you throw in the zipper feature it really makes them stand out in my book. I’ve been grabbing them more than anything else this winter.

$125

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