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Gordini GTX Storm Trooper II Review

Our go-to gloves in this price range. It should be considered for folks looking for a slightly warmer glove among budget-friendly models..
Gordini GTX Storm Trooper II
Best Buy Award
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Price:  $68 List | $45.33 at Backcountry
Compare prices at 2 resellers
Pros:  Good weather resistance, warm enough, bombproof, killer price
Cons:  Slightly tighter fit around the knuckle, dexterity
Manufacturer:   Gordini
By Ian Nicholson ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Jan 17, 2020
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67
OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#10 of 18
  • Warmth - 25% 6
  • Dexterity - 25% 5
  • Water Resistance - 25% 8
  • Durability - 15% 8
  • Features - 10% 7

Our Verdict

The Gordini GTX Storm Trooper II is easily one of the best ski gloves you can buy for the price, earning our Best Buy Award. It's value is super high — not only does it perform well out of the box, but it will last longer than the vast majority of synthetic gloves in this price range. We've bought and tested this glove multiple times. The Storm Trooper II remains a rad glove that offers above-average warmth and fantastic weather resistance at a very respectable price. We found that during our side-by-side comparisons, the Storm Trooper II was slightly warmer than most five-finger competitors. Note — Folks with wider than average hands won't like the smaller width around the knuckles. You might want to consider sizing up, or going for another pair.


Compare to Similar Products

(change comparison)
 
Awards Best Buy Award Editors' Choice Award Top Pick Award   
Price $45.33 at Backcountry
Compare at 2 sellers		$199.00 at REI$169.95 at REI
Compare at 3 sellers		$189.95 at Backcountry
Compare at 2 sellers		$156.06 at Amazon
Compare at 2 sellers
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Pros Good weather resistance, warm enough, bombproof, killer priceVersatility, durable palm, lightweight and packable, dexterous, ergonomic shape, freedom of movementSuper warm, extremely tough, great weather resistance, removable liners help them dry quicker, our go-to expedition gloveDexterous for its warmth, inside feels soft and cozy, durable, above average weather resistanceWell designed features, tough as nails, dexterous
Cons Slightly tighter fit around the knuckle, dexterityLong gauntlet tricky to get under jacket, gauntlet can slowly open, expensiveNot very dexterous, take time to break in, if in between sizes you should consider sizing upExpensive, leather needs to be retreated slightly more than other modelsNot as warm as other high-end ski gloves, expensive
Bottom Line Our go-to gloves in this price range. It should be considered for folks looking for a slightly warmer glove among budget-friendly models..Easily the most versatile model for conditions, climates, and activities with top-tier performance across the board make this glove our favorite overall.For really cold activities, where giving up some dexterity for some serious warmth is a must, these gloves are hard to beat.A fantastic all-around winter glove; it's expensive but built to last, offering extra features to present a good overall value.This is an excellent day in day out resort glove for skiing in milder climates.
Rating Categories Gordini GTX Storm Trooper II Arc'teryx Fission SV Black Diamond Guide Hestra Army Leather Gore-Tex Marmot Ultimate
Warmth (25%)
10
0
6
10
0
6
10
0
8
10
0
6
10
0
5
Dexterity (25%)
10
0
5
10
0
9
10
0
4
10
0
6
10
0
7
Water Resistance (25%)
10
0
8
10
0
9
10
0
9
10
0
9
10
0
9
Durability (15%)
10
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8
10
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8
10
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9
10
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9
10
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9
Features (10%)
10
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7
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7
10
0
9
10
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8
10
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7
Specs Gordini GTX Storm... Arc'teryx Fission SV Black Diamond Guide Hestra Army... Marmot Ultimate
Double or Single Glove Single Single Double Single Single
Gaunlet or Cuff? Gauntlet Gauntlet Gauntlet Gauntlet Gauntlet
Palm Material Goatskin leather palm Leather Goat leather Army Leather (goat leather) Cow-hide leather
Waterproof Material Gore-Tex insert Gore-Tex Gore-Tex insert HESTRA Triton three-layer polyamide fabric, leather Gore-Tex insert
Insulation Type Megaloft insulation Primaloft Gold Insulation Eco and primaloft silver eco PrimaLoft Gold and boiled wool Soft Fiberfill PrimaLoft Gold
Nose Wipe? No Yes Yes No Yes

Our Analysis and Test Results

One of the best ski gloves for the price, the Storm Trooper II is our Best Buy Award winner and remains a solid glove that few downhill skiers and snowboarders won't be happy with. The Storm Trooper II offers some of the better weather resistance, warmth, and durability for its price and overall respectable dexterity for its price range.

Performance Comparison


The Storm Trooper II is a gauntlet-style glove that will get you the best performance per dollar spent.
The Storm Trooper II is a gauntlet-style glove that will get you the best performance per dollar spent.

Warmth


Despite being offered for a low price, we felt these were some of the warmer single gloves in our review. They were easily among the warmest models in the price range. While this contender is obviously not as warm as our Top Pick for Cold Weather, we found it respectable among single gloves. We felt comfortable using these gloves while resort riding down to around 10F or maybe even a little colder.

The Storm Trooper offers sufficient warmth for the majority of the ski season in most areas. If you're riding first chair your hands will likely be chilly but as the day warms this glove is usually just right.
The Storm Trooper offers sufficient warmth for the majority of the ski season in most areas. If you're riding first chair, your hands will likely be chilly, but as the day warms, this glove is usually just right.

Dexterity


The Storm Trooper II offers better dexterity than similar pricepoint options. This surprised our review team who expected it to function a bit stiffer than it did, in both real-world use and during a series of side-by-side tests. As these gloves have a large amount of leather to them, there is a break-in period, which lasted a couple of days. While these initial days are no-one's favorite thing, we loved them once they softened up!

Water Resistance


These gloves scored well in both our side-by-side bucket of water tests and in real-world use. Of the gloves with a Gore-Tex insert, these are one of the least expensive tested. The insert certainly helped their overall weather resistance performance. Price aside, the GTX Storm Trooper compares to more expensive competitors. As the name implies, these gloves are storm ready and are wonderful pow-slayers.

We had no issues with the water resistance of this Gordini glove.
We had no issues with the water resistance of this Gordini glove.

Durability


This glove is bomber. After intense use during the winter, our testing team was impressed with how well its weather resistance held up. They are nearly as waterproof as when we first purchased them. We were impressed with how well its warmth held up, especially considering the Storm Trooper II uses proprietary insulation for which we did not have high expectations. However, after extensive real-world use, we can honestly say that this insulation will last through years of abuse.

The durability of this glove was impressive for the price range and the wrist keeper leash made sure we didn't lose this glove prematurely when riding lifts.
The durability of this glove was impressive for the price range, and the wrist keeper leash made sure we didn't lose this glove prematurely when riding lifts.

Gloves in this price range are typically single-season gloves that need to be replaced after a winter of heavy service. Not the Gordini Storm Trooper. This is a significant reason why we appreciate the value of these gloves.

Features


This glove doesn't have a million features, but generally speaking, our review team was okay with that, as the Storm Trooper performed well in more important categories, like warmth and weather resistance. Don't expect touchscreen capability here, and there's no included liner.

Cinching the drawcord on the cuff is simple to use on this gauntlet-style glove.
Cinching the drawcord on the cuff is simple to use on this gauntlet-style glove.

That said, there are some features our testers and many skiers appreciate. There is a wrist cinch, as well as a drawcord cuff closure, to seal warmth in and keep snow out. There is a wrist-keeper, too, so you won't lose your gloves if you have to take them off on the lift. The zippered handwarmer pocket is neat, though we rarely used it. If you want to use it, though, it's there!

Value


This glove is an incredibly rad deal. While there are a ton of other gloves in this price range, the Gordini is one of the best. Adding to its value is its longevity — we strongly expect it to outlast other models in its price range.

Need more heat? Sticking some chemical hand warmers in the zippered pocket on the back of the hand will heat the blood rushing into your fingers and warm them up on frigid chair lifts.
Need more heat? Sticking some chemical hand warmers in the zippered pocket on the back of the hand will heat the blood rushing into your fingers and warm them up on frigid chair lifts.

Conclusion


We found this glove to be close in overall performance to its contenders. These gloves are in the same price category but have slight advantages and disadvantages. The Gordini Gore-Tex Storm Trooper II is warmer and offers marginally better weather resistance. Its day-in, day-out game is big. However, if you have medium to large hands, we think you might enjoy other gloves better.


— Ian Nicholson