Six neoprene gloves reviewed
In cold water, it is often your often extremities that freeze first. With neoprene gloves you can avoid the dreaded ‘claw’ and stay comfortable in the water for longer. Whether you swim in a wetsuit or without, they are a great bit of kit to extend your swimming season. We asked H2Open reader Wendy Roberts to check out a few of the best gloves on the market. All the gloves were tested with a 30-minute swim in the Cromarty Firth in water of approximately 9 degrees Celsius.
What to look for
Thickness
The thickness of the neoprene of the gloves on test varied between 2mm and 4mm. Basically, the thicker the neoprene, the warmer your hands will be – but at the expense of flexibility. If you are a cold water swimmer choose gloves with thick neoprene to keep your fingers toasty
Flexibility
If you want to swim longer distances in your gloves, flexibility is key. Thick neoprene can affect your stroke by removing any feel of the water, so choose one of the sleeker-styled gloves.
Fit
No matter how technical the fabric, your hands will get cold if your gloves let in water because they are too big. Remember, neoprene stretches: your gloves should be a snug fit.
C-Skins Wired 2mm Gloves
£26.99 c-skins.com
Huub Neoprene Swim Gloves
£29.99 huubdesign.com
BlueSeventy Thermal Swim Gloves
£35 blueseventy.co.uk
Gul Flexor Glove 4mm
£30 gul.com
Lomo Swimming and Triathlon Gloves
£17 ewetsuits.com
Flexibility: 4
Verdict: The best value gloves on test. Perfect for winter swimmers venturing out in very cold water.
Zone3 Neoprene Swim Gloves
£25 racezone3.com
Jonathan Cowie
Jonathan is a year-round skins swimmer with a particular love of very cold water. He has competed in ice swimming competitions around the world. He is a qualified open water coach with a particular love of introducing new swimmers to the open water.
