Thursday, January 19, 2012

Manzella Fahrenheit 5 Gloves Review

I have been testing out the Manzella Fahrenheit 5 Gloves this week since the weather has turned nice and cold.  So far I can say these are some of the lightest yet warmest gloves I have ever owned.  Being a Minnesota resident I can attest these gloves will keep your hands warm well into the -10 degree range with a -25 to -35 degree windchill.



Fit
Due to the abnormal dimensions of my hands (I have wide hands with shorter fingers) I don't believe that I will ever find a pair of gloves that will "fit like a glove".  In my case I always seem to either have excess material in the finger tips or I have a difficult time getting my hands into the gloves.  These gloves are no exception I have about an extra half inch or so of glove left in the fingers; But I can easily slide my hands into the gloves which is the way I prefer the glove to fit around the hand anyway.  I did follow Manzellas' sizing chart and the dimensions matchup perfectly to the chart.  I also really like the wrist straps to allow you to snug the gloves down tight around the hands and help lock out any breeze's that might try to squeak through.  There is also a nice quick release so that when you're not wearing the gloves you can snap them together and not have to worry about misplacing one of them.

Comfort
The gloves are very comfortable to wear.  They keep the hands feeling warm but not to the extent that your hand would start to sweat in most situations which is just what you want in a pair of gloves.  If your hand were to start sweating quickly in the glove then your hands would quickly become cold.  Around the wrists there is also a nice interlock with a soft inner material that can be tucked into your jacket sleeve with a separate outer fabric that goes on the outside of your jacket sleeve.  This interlock of fabric helps prevent breezes from getting both into the glove as well as into the jacket.

Design
The gloves have a very functional design with black being the only available color in this style.  Every component of the glove seems well thought out right down to the palms with a synthetic leather to prevent the palms from wearing out quickly.  This leather also seems to have a bit of stick to them which is nice to prevent anything your holding from slipping out of your hand.  The insert fabric is Gore-Tex with 200 grams of insulation which makes the gloves a wonderful breathable waterproof and warm addition to anyones winter clothing box.