I remember the Light-X… but I don’t remember that they were waterproof. You sure they weren’t just water-resistant? But, I could be wrong. Whatever, it’s moot聴the Light-X is no longer made.
TECW-850s
In any event, I’m just not keen on gloves that purport to be waterproof. They tend to be clammy, bulky, and either expensive or of dubious quality. Typical of the genre is Outdoor Research’s Catabatic Gloves ($95; www.orgear.com), billed as a lightweight, waterproof Gore-Tex glove. And they are聴for mountaineering and similar endeavors. And aside from eating up a C-note, they’re really too bulky for everyday use. Still, they’re an option. So too are Manzella’s Waterproof Gloves (called exactly that) which come with light removable liners. They use a proprietary non-Gore-Tex shell material, and cost just $30 (www.manzella.com).
But really, the cutting edge in mid-priced gloves these days is a glove made with a water-shedding, but not waterproof, fabric such as Polartec Power Shield. An example: Manzella’s TECW-850 glove ($50; www.manzella.com), which some readers will recall appeared on my list this past December. These are a light, single-layer glove with synthetic leather palms. I’ve used them climbing, skiing, and mountain biking, and found them to be unbelievably warm in almost all conditions. They’re also virtually windproof, shed water extremely well, and offer considerable agility. Short of digging a snow cave in slush with your gloved hands, these are the ticket. I’d also recommend REI’s One Glove ($46; www.rei.com), based on that company’s outstanding One Jacket. Get a pair of either Ones or 850s, and you’ll quickly become a believer in modern gloves.