Cairngorm Treks Review - Montane Womens Powerstretch Pro Grippy Glove
Posted by Cairngorm Treks on Oct 15, 2018
Used throughout Autumn in the Cairngorms and surrounding areas
Before even handling these gloves, you can tell they are designed for comfort and to maximise dexterity. They lack the bulk that comes with many cold-weather gloves, and the cut of the Polartec Power Stretch Pro fabric alludes to a good fit with a focus on non-restrictive movement. At this point you may be sceptical that these non-cumbersome gloves could actually provide the required warmth for a cold mountain day.
While the gloves pack well, and at 46 grams are lightand small enough to carry comfortably in outer-layer pockets, they can easily be worn continually, acting as a second skin and not impeding any necessary hand movements such as adjusting baffles, tying laces and, importantly for our guides, operating photography equipment. This is thanks to Montane’s signature pre-curved, ergonomic boxwall construction.
Worn on a frosty autumnal day in the Cairngorms, the Power Stretch Pro Grippy gloves certainly performed in regards to warmth, keeping all parts of the hand toasty without the clammyness that can come with a close fitting glove. In regards to using in wet conditions, the gloves are by no means waterproof, but remain warm and when given the opportunity dry quickly. In colder true winter conditions, they could comfortably be worn as an under-layer to thicker gloves or mittens, while never allowing the hand to be exposed when performing actions that require good dexterity.
The grippy silicone palm and fingers worked nicely with trekking poles, and with a good length of elasticated material up the wrist,the gloves could easily be tucked into a jacket cuff to avoid any unwanted rubbing from straps.Small loops on the inside of the wrists also offer an easy way of pulling the gloves snugly.
Undoubtedly, the conductive fingerprint feature is a welcome addition and worked relatively well with both a touchscreen phone and camera, although the seams around the fingertips sometimes interfered. This is likely down to a sizing issue (a borderline S/M wearing a Medium) so it is worth trusting the ‘Power Stretch’ on this one.
Our Verdict
The Montane Power Stretch Pro Grippy Glove is a worthy contender for a go-to cold-weather glove. The dexterity offered alongside the warmth provided by the Polartec Power Stretch material means that whether worn alone or with an additional layer, your hands will always be protected from the cold while being fully operational. However, if you’re looking for a wet-weather glove, these are not for you unless you are prepared to wear further waterproof layers.
