Liner Glove Recommendation

[DayTrip]

I've been searching for the "right" liner glove for many years now and can't seem to come up with exactly what I want. Admittedly, I am being very particular and what I want may well not exist but if it does I suspect someone here knows about it. So....I am trying to find a liner glove that is very form fitting and snug, like the way compression pants are, and are fairly durable for "light duty" stuff. I frequently wear just the liner gloves in Winter so they are exposed to the wear of holding trekking pole grips. I also frequently take my gloves off for picture taking, zippers, etc. so I want the dexterity of a thin glove more so than major insulative properties. Basic short term protection from cold and high winds is really the main purpose and the ability to slide relatively easily back into my main gloves.

There are many form fitting gloves out there but they are generally on the thick side and are awkward to slide into other gloves, make the fingers tight and hard to bend, etc. I also find that most of the liner gloves I've owned, whatever the construction, have seam failures within a year and the tips of commonly used fingers wear quickly. At first I thought it was because I was wearing too small a size but even after adjusting for that I still get that issue across brands. I guess what I'm trying to find is a surgical glove like product made from material capable of holding up to extended use. I was out on a local hike this morning in compression pants and all I could keep thinking of is why nobody has made a glove out of this kind of material. Maybe it's because the amount of seams and sewing make it impossible? Maybe there is such a thing but it is not considered a hiking product but is in use for another reason/industry? I do use nitrile type gloves on really cold days but they are really sticky/awkward for using on phone, GPS and camera screens and the lack of breathability can be a problem too. And of course they are easily damaged on things like zippers.

Anyway, if anyone has any thoughts or suggestions on a glove such as this it would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Rhody Seth]

I've bought a couple pairs of lightweight running gloves from the New Balance outlet in North Conway during one of their sales. While they are my go-to running gloves I also use them a lot for hiking because they are thin yet do a good job of warming my tender digits. Since they're form fitting they work great with my mittens too. Durability is an issue though with regard to scrambling up rocky sections so maybe not quite what you're looking for. But any durability issues seem to come from ripping against hard surfaces, not necessarily from use. Anyway good luck on your search!

 

[peakbagger]

Good luck on your quest. My experience is if you are going to use them without a shell on top that wool or other natural fibers will not hold up even though wool is superior as a baselayer. I shredded a few wool pairs before I figured that out. Therefore its down to polypropylene. The Fox Rivers are cheap and durable but its a coarser scratchier weave. There are numerous companies that pop up on Amazon with imported liner gloves made out of lightweight polypro that is somewhat thicker but the companies or trademarks seem to come and go so what worked last year is probably not available today. If I do get a pair that I like, I usually reorder a second pair before they go out of stock. Even polypro wears out

 

[sierra]

Not sure if it would fit your needs, but I bought a pair gloves that might. Black Diamond lightweight softshell. I grabbed them off a clearance rack and they have become my go too gloves. I like them because they are not hot like fleece and they don't get wet like fleece. I'm in my 4th season same pair, no rips or seem issues. When these fail, a new pair will be bought. If you sized down, you might get that tight fit your looking for.

 

[DayTrip]

I've bought a couple pairs of lightweight running gloves from the New Balance outlet in North Conway during one of their sales. While they are my go-to running gloves I also use them a lot for hiking because they are thin yet do a good job of warming my tender digits. Since they're form fitting they work great with my mittens too. Durability is an issue though with regard to scrambling up rocky sections so maybe not quite what you're looking for. But any durability issues seem to come from ripping against hard surfaces, not necessarily from use. Anyway good luck on your search!

I need to revisit the running products. I had researched cycling products awhile back but never pulled the trigger on anything. I'll check out those New Balance gloves. Thanks.

 

[DayTrip]

Good luck on your quest. My experience is if you are going to use them without a shell on top that wool or other natural fibers will not hold up even though wool is superior as a baselayer. I shredded a few wool pairs before I figured that out. Therefore its down to polypropylene. The Fox Rivers are cheap and durable but its a coarser scratchier weave. There are numerous companies that pop up on Amazon with imported liner gloves made out of lightweight polypro that is somewhat thicker but the companies or trademarks seem to come and go so what worked last year is probably not available today. If I do get a pair that I like, I usually reorder a second pair before they go out of stock. Even polypro wears out

It does indeed feel like a quest. I usually do the "double up" thing too when I find stuff I like but I have yet to get through a Winter with a pair of liner gloves that doesn't rip open on my dominant pointer finger and split on the seam between the pointer and thumb. The past 2 seasons I've been using an Arc'Teryx glove which is super comfortable and thin but just doesn't last (I forget the model series; they're pretty expensive too). I feel like I should at least get a few seasons out of a liner glove unless I'm scrambling or doing something to beat on them beyond normal.

 

[DayTrip]

Not sure if it would fit your needs, but I bought a pair gloves that might. Black Diamond lightweight softshell. I grabbed them off a clearance rack and they have become my go too gloves. I like them because they are not hot like fleece and they don't get wet like fleece. I'm in my 4th season same pair, no rips or seem issues. When these fail, a new pair will be bought. If you sized down, you might get that tight fit your looking for.

I've tried a couple of Black Diamond models and they do have a good fit but I blew the seams out on both pairs. Didn't leave me feeling very confident about their stuff.

 

[egilbe]

I've found the Black Diamond gloves to be unisex sizing, so they tend to run small. So annoying. I've purchased 3 pairs of Rab liner gloves. I really like them. Rab Powerstretch, but not the ones with the textured palms and finders. I like a simple glove.

 

[DayTrip]

I've found the Black Diamond gloves to be unisex sizing, so they tend to run small. So annoying. I've purchased 3 pairs of Rab liner gloves. I really like them. Rab Powerstretch, but not the ones with the textured palms and finders. I like a simple glove.

I have that model (Rab Powerstretch) bookmarked from an earlier search.

 

[nartreb]

I've been using the UnderArmour ColdGear glove liners, just because that's what I found last time I went shopping a few years ago. (I bought two pairs.) They've held up well. They're close-fitting, they've got a cuff that goes way up the wrist, and they've got silicone grippy stuff all over the gripping surfaces of the fingers and palms, which is extremely useful when you're gripping a walking stick or just clambering over rocks. They're not the thinnest ever, you may need to go up a glove size on your outer glove when venturing above treeline or getting hands-on with deep snow, but for hiking they're a very good balance of warmth and breathability when worn all by themselves, and I can manage the little buttons on my cameras well enough without taking them off.

Previously I'd tried super-thin silk liners, and found that the lack of grip was a deal-breaker. Plus I wanted a little bit more warmth when not wearing a heavy glove over them. Finally, though they were OK to squeeze inside my existing gloves, they tended to slip off when I removed my outers and were just generally more trouble then they were worth.

 

[DayTrip]

I came across those looking too and they are close to what I want. I think I've looked at just about every type of glove out there at this point. I think I am actually going to try a pair of golf gloves for rain. I haven't played golf in close to 9 years now but I'm pretty sure I have a pair in my golf bag. If not they're cheap enough for a new pair. They definitely fit snugly around fingers and have dexterity. Just not sure what the material will do in Winter temps. About the closest thing I can find to what I want. Everything else just has too much bulk or not enough stretch/strength.

 

[Tom Rankin]

These are pretty thin, and have the advantage of working on a cell phone screen.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YHS4SRM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[jfb]

I frequently wear just the liner gloves in Winter so they are exposed to the wear of holding trekking pole grips.

Anyway, if anyone has any thoughts or suggestions on a glove such as this it would be appreciated. Thanks.

My only suggestion is to find another pair of gloves with leather (or synthetic leather) palms for holding poles. If you need to use a camera or phone, you could remove the heavier gloves and put on the liners for a short time, so they won't wear out as quickly.

 

[DayTrip]

My only suggestion is to find another pair of gloves with leather (or synthetic leather) palms for holding poles. If you need to use a camera or phone, you could remove the heavier gloves and put on the liners for a short time, so they won't wear out as quickly.

It isn't that they wear out. The seams fail which is what I find odd. It's obviously something about my hands because I've had several different brands do it. I think it might have something to do with the reinforce patches and where they meet the regular material but really not sure.

 

[jfb]

It's obviously something about my hands because I've had several different brands do it.

It sounds like your hands are too large for the gloves you choose. If you insist on buying gloves that are made from thin material and fit snug, then you will put a lot of stress on the seams.

 

[DayTrip]

It sounds like your hands are too large for the gloves you choose. If you insist on buying gloves that are made from thin material and fit snug, then you will put a lot of stress on the seams.

I did originally but don't now yet still have that issue. Based on sizing charts it would seem maybe my hands are disproportionally longer than they are wide. My knuckle circumference in most sizes correlates to a smaller size than my overall hand width does with most companies. For whatever reason too there is a 1/2 inch gap in size with many manufacturers which I happen to fall into with my hand dimensions. Not a huge discrepancy but maybe enough to stress that seem more than normal? I do wash my gloves frequently too so I'm thinking I may be weakening the fabric or stitching in these areas versus air drying. No idea what kind of material is used in glove stitching.

 

[jfb]

Based on sizing charts it would seem maybe my hands are disproportionally longer than they are wide.

I think my fingers are shorter than normal compared to my hand's width, so I find that some gloves fit fine but with others the fingers are too long. Good luck finding some that fit your hands and have the durability you're looking for.

 

[jfb]

I found a short article that made me chuckle: https://www.outdoors.org/articles/amc-outdoors/best-liner-gloves-ever

 

[JustJoe]

Been using these for 20 years. Didn't have the touch feature at first. I swear by them.

https://www.rei.com/product/836503/seirus-soundtouch-hyperlite-all-weather-gloves-mens

 

[John H Swanson]

I switched to RAB vapour rise gloves for temps from 25-40F. They are not liners, though. Very happy now.

https://www.backcountrygear.com/vr-...eOIEs8C3KuO4ZF5q7uvpc392u3WDkuPoaAqStEALw_wcB