Gordini GTX Storm Trooper II Review

One of the best ski gloves for the price the GTX Storm Trooper II was very nearly 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 offered some of the better weather resistance, warm, and durability for its price and overall respectable dexterity for its price range.

Performance Comparison

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, with The North Face Montana Mitt, Outdoor Research Revolution, Burton Gore-Tex, and Dakine Titan trailing closely behind. While this contender is obviously not as warm as our Top Pick for Cold Weather, the Black Diamond Guide, 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.

Dexterity

Among the $70 and under gloves, the Storm Trooper II offered better dexterity than the Burton Gore-Tex, Dakine Titan, and Columbia Tumalo. This surprised our review team; in both real-world use and during a series of side-by-side tests, performing simple tasks like signing our name and unlocking a car door were not difficult, with the Storm Trooper earning an above average 6 out of 10. For those that are interested in gloves that offer higher dexterity (which often comes along with a higher price tag), the Hestra Vertical Cut Freeride scored a perfect 10 out of 10. For those interested in a cheaper option, the Outdoor Research Revolution will provide.

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, earning them an 8 out of 10. Price aside, the GTX Storm Trooper compares to more expensive competitors. We found that these gloves proved to be more weather resistant than the similarly priced Burton Gore-Tex or Columbia Tumalo and offered a higher level of water resistance than the more expensive Hestra Army Leather Gore-Tex and Hestra Leather Fall Line. In fact, they even scored the same as our Editors' Choice Hestra Vertical Cut Freeride.

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 a 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.

Features

This glove doesn't have nearly as many extra features as the Burton Gore-Tex, but generally speaking, our review team was okay with that, as the Storm Trooper slightly outperformed it in more important categories, like dexterity and weather resistance. Earning a 7 out of 10, this contender was not exactly feature rich.

Best Applications

The Storm Trooper II is a rad all-around ski glove. It's warm enough for single digit days but weather resistant enough for serious storms. These gloves are durable, and we'd easily ride snowmobiles using them. In fact, they are one of the better resort ski or snowboard gloves for the price.

Value

At $65, this glove is an incredibly rad deal. While there are hundreds of other gloves in this price category, we think this is one of the better models for its durability, warmth, solid dexterity, and top-notch weather resistance.

Conclusion

We found this glove to be close in overall performance to two other gloves in our review, the Burton Gore-Tex and the Outdoor Research Revolution. These three gloves are in the same price category, but all have slight advantages and disadvantages. The GTX Storm Trooper II was the warmest of the three and offered marginally better weather resistance. However, if you have medium to large hands, we think you'll likely enjoy either of the previously mentioned gloves better. If warmth isn't your highest priority, you might like the superior dexterity of the Outdoor Research Revolution more.