Craft Thermal Split Finger Glove Review
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Craft Thermal Split Finger Glove
When I go on group rides, I have to admit that I do a lot of my shopping at 20+ mph. I have bike envy at times. The latest and greatest shiny carbon stealth looking high tech piece of machinery certainly catches the eye. Unless you are a Pro, a trust fund baby, or you just hit the lottery, you usually make do with what you got.
Initial Take on The Craft Thermal Split Finger Glove
When it comes to apparel, the envy for gloves goes a bit deeper. Freezing your digits off can certainly cause for an unpleasant ride, and the guys and gals sporting the “Lobsters” or heavy duty bicycle specific gloves with dexterity seem to be having more fun. After years of cold fingers, and doubling up with run, work, and casual gloves, I finally have the pleasure of taking these Craft Thermal Split Finger Gloves for a test ride.
The Craft Thermal Split Finger Glove inside and outside.
Winter in Colorado usually provides many days of riding, and these gloves will come in great. We are now entering the Spring cycling season which will still bring plenty of chilly morning rides, and I hope to get some good use out of these gloves.
Craft is a progressive and unique company out of Sweden. The Swedes deal with their fair share of inclement weather, but they do like their outdoor sports. Anders Bengtsson started the company in 1973 with a simple concept of getting the sweat moved away from the body through various layers of apparel. Their focus and expertise is a 3 layer system for a wide variety of outdoor sports and activities.
Dexterity
Fit for the Craft Thermal Split Finger Glove
I don’t have super large hands, but a Large is usually what works best for me in gloves. There might be a bit of space depending on the brand, etc., but a little extra breathing and wiggling room is just fine with me. Having said that, these Craft Thermal Split Finger Gloves fit true to size. The only thing I did notice was when in a more intense riding position, my hands were pushed forward onto the bar/brakes, and at the point where the split occurs, they were slightly digging into the flesh between my fingers. I would call that only the slightest of inconveniences, and in other words: HTFU. After a few rides, I didn’t notice it anymore anyway.
The Silicone lining on the palm provides adequate grip on the handle bars, brake levers, and your bottle because that’s something you don’t want to loose a grip on mid-ride.
Lots of Grip with the silicone lining throughout the palm.
Warmth and Waterproof for the Craft Thermal Split Finger Glove
Oh yes, these are warm. The 3M Thinsulate is one of the warmest insulators out there, and as it’s name suggests, it is thin enough to keep these gloves reasonable slim to allow for dexterity.
My first time out was an early March group ride with the sun not quite up, and 36 degrees. I’m sure these could handle much colder temperatures, because I did not have any issues with my fingers getting cold. As I was wrapping up my ride 50 miles later, the sun was beating down on me and the gloves became like little oven mitts. It’s times like these that are challenging to predict what you will need, but for the majority of the ride I was super happy to be wearing these.
Colorado boasts 300+ sunny days per year. Rain is almost an anomaly, but I got the perfect chance on a 32 degree rainy/wet snow day. I like a challenge, so a quick 20 mile loop was just enough to give me a good workout, not completely drench or chill me to the bone, and give these Craft Thermal split Finger Gloves a good test. As I got going, the wet snow really intensified, but my hands stayed dry and warm the entire time. I was able to confidently grip the bars, as well as gingerly apply the brakes when needed.
Soft Terry on the Thumb
I think our really frigid single digit temperatures are behind us, so I wasn’t able to test the extreme limits of cold for these gloves. My apologies for being so graphic, but the handy soft Terry wipe on the thumb is large and soft enough for that quick nose wipe as a ‘snot rocket’ just isn’t possible in the middle of a pack.
Split Finger Glove Reflection.
Visibility
The visibility of the Craft Thermal Split Finger Glove is the cool part that may save your life. When approaching stop signs with cars present, I will actually hold out and wave one of my hands to hopefully create another level of awareness to sleepy early morning drivers. I do have front and rear light, but this creates a sweeping flash that gets me noticed.
Technical Product Details
85% Polyester, 5% Reflector Material, 5% Nylon, 5% Spandex
- Wind- and waterproof shell fabric
- Fleece lining for optimal warmth
- Soft, water-protective softshell fabric inside palm
- Silicone print in palm for enhanced grip
- Velcro adjuster
- Ergonomic fit
- Soft terry on thumb
- Reflective print
Heavy duty Velcro Strap
Final Thoughts on Craft Thermal Split Finger Glove
The success of a ride can sometimes be determined if you were able to fight and conquer the elements. Having warm and dry hands will greatly aid in that goal, and still having the ability to properly handle your 2-wheeled piece of machinery is key. I would call these gloves a 3 season piece of necessary apparel. The winter is an obvious one, but early morning Spring and Fall rides are such a crapshoot sometimes that having these Craft Thermal Split Finger Gloves will make getting out so much more fun. This is a rather no-brainer investment if you ask me! For more information on the Thermal Split Finger Gloves and other fine Craft products visit: www.craftsports.us or www.amazon.com/craftsports.
