REI Co-op Gauntlet GTX - Women's Review

The REI Co-op Gauntlet GTX Glove is a thin, dexterous option that offers a nice level of warmth and comfort. It performs well during active days in cold weather but should be left at home when the temperatures seriously plummet. It's $70 tag makes it an affordable option that offers a decent level of performance.

Performance Comparison

The REI Gore-Tex Gauntlet is an affordable option if you're seeking a general use glove that offers good breathability and dexterity this winter. While it does offer some level of warmth, expect to add a liner if you need insulation on a super cold day.

Warmth and Breathability

Looking for exceptional warmth? You're not going to find it here. While this glove does feature a synthetic polyester fill that retains heat in the wet conditions, it's one of the least warm gloves tested. While the polyester fill provides some level of insulation, the shell isn't very windproof. Our testers experienced cold hands while plowing down the mountain, but found that warmth was retained in the glove heading up the chairlift.

The single-construction design features a fleece liner that wicks away moisture and provides insulation for most days of winter.

When assessing the make-up of the glove and testing it in the field, we observe that the shell is quite porous and breathable. This allows the glove to breathe, venting moisture readily, ensuring that hands don't stay wet and moist during the day. This is great for activewear, however, when just sitting around in super cold temps, we found our digits turning to blocks of ice. Many other gloves and mitts in this review provide a better sanctuary from the cold, but the REI Gauntlet GTX still has a place as an active-wear glove that will keep your hands warm in mild to cold conditions.

Water Resistance

Outfitted with a Gore-Tex outer, we are surprised by the level of water resistance offered in this glove. The material itself does wonders when in contact with snow, however, the craftsmanship is where this ship sinks. In our water tests, we learned that when encountering water on the surface, it does a great job wicking away moisture. However, when submerged underwater, and truly put to the ultimate test, this glove leaked through the seam, making our hands wet and damp. When wearing it in wet conditions, we observed a similar level (or lack thereof) performance. While this glove does ok, it's not a top recommendation for wet climates where you might see a lot of moisture.

The Gore-Tex material used isn't top of the line but provides a good level of water resistance. The synthetic leather palm doesn't repel water as well as other contenders with a real leather.

Dexterity

We are actually quite impressed with the level of dexterity found in the thinner construct of the liner and shell. As a single-gloved design, it does not have a removable inner liner, but a sewn-in fleece that wicks away moisture. The insulation itself isn't super thick, and the thinner design promotes dexterity. The only issue we encountered was if the glove simply didn't fit correctly. The fingers are quite thin, so if you have thicker fingers, you might experience "sausage fingers" where you can hardly use your hands. That said, most of our testers thought the fit was on par, allowing them to zip up coats, take off skins, and fiddle with bindings without a fuss.

The dexterity of the REI GTX Gauntlet glove is pretty amazing. Its thinner design allows you to unzip backpacks and clip buckles with ease.

Features

The features are perfectly balanced for what this glove intends to provide in performance. To sum it up, we have a carabiner loop on the finger, allowing you to clip this glove to a harness when not in use.

A look at the carabiner loop on the finger. While it's a nice addition, the construction looks a little flimsy as it's not really reinforced.

There is a cinch strap around the wrist for a precise fit. There is also a cinch strap around the base of the cuff (that is shorter) that provides you the opportunity to lock in warmth or loosen for increased ventilation.

The wrist cinch offers a concise fit and is easy to use.

It features a single construction where you can't take out the liner. However, you can fit an after-market liner inside of the glove for additional warmth.

The pull and release tabs are large enough to easily grab with another gloved hand.

As an added bonus, there is a great little nose wipe to keep your face dry when your nostrils begin to dribble.

The nose wipe is soft and allows you to wipe off your snot once you've been crushing it in cold weather.

Durability

Constructed with a lower-end Gore-Tex outer and a synthetic (not real) leather in the palm, this glove is fairly durable, but not the most durable out there. The features are seemingly lower quality in construction, with the carabiner loop lacking reinforcement, and stitching showing some fly-aways. That said, we didn't observe any issues during our testing period and warmth didn't depreciate with use. Overall, durability is about average and on the lower end of the scale when comparing it to other options in this review.

The stitching seems to be decent, but during our water tests, we noticed some seepage through them. In addition, the materials aren't as durable as say, a full leather glove.

Best Applications

A great glove for mild to cold temperatures. Offering great dexterity (when the sizing is right), it will keep your hands comfortable and warm. The fleece liner feels nice against the skin, providing great wicking power to keep you dry when you start to sweat. Given the great breathability of the shell, it's a nice option to use while building up a sweat on a super cold day. Think winter hiking, running, cross-country skiing, or skinning uphill. However, it's not the most insulated for the coldest days of winter, especially if you're planning on sitting on a chairlift in the shade.

Skin it out during cold winter weather in this ultra-breathable and low-priced contender. While it's not the warmest out there, it certainly suffices if you need to unload heat on a cold day.

Value

Priced at only $70 this is a fairly inexpensive contender. While it offers good performance overall (not superior or great), we'd say that price is worth the performance despite its poor scoring in our tests. It gets the job done and its a nice comfortable option. The verdict? Its performance stacks up to its price.

Conclusion

The REI Co-op Gauntlet is a low-priced option that offers a full Gore-Tex shell, great breathability, and decent weather protection. It'll keep your hands warm in mild conditions, but has its limits when the temperatures begin to seriously plummet. If you seek a glove that is highly dexterous, this is a great option.