Oyuki Sencho GTX Glove Review

These gloves look cool, but they are marred by a poor fit and a lack of warmth.

Performance Comparison

Warmth

The Sencho uses high-quality synthetic insulation throughout the hand and fingers, but there isn't much of it, especially on the front and back of the hand. There is good insulation in the fingers, which helps keep them warm, but overall, these aren't super warm gloves. They also have a thin fleece lining, which makes them comfortable to wear, but this lining doesn't seem to add warmth. These gloves are warm enough for more temperate days on the hill, or for spring skiing, but we don't think they are warm enough for most cold winter days.

Dexterity

Unfortunately, the Sencho GTX has a poor fit, which severely limits its dexterity. Our lead tester wears a size large in most gloves, and a large in this pair fits his palm very well, but the fingers are about half an inch too long. He also tried on a medium, which fit his fingers perfectly, but the palm was way too tight. As a result, he decided on large, with dramatic dexterity limitations. The fingers are boxy and straight-cut, with no articulation or tapering at the fingertips. The result is a lot of extra material that makes it difficult to perform detailed tasks like zipping zippers, clipping buckles, or tying boot laces.

Water Resistance

The Sencho uses a Gore-Tex insert to keep water out of the inside of the glove. This goes a long way in keeping your hands dry, and we didn't notice any water seeping into the glove during our dunk tests. The outside of the glove is made completely of leather, which needs to be treated with a waxy water repellent, but these gloves come with a pouch of leather waterproofing, enough for one treatment. Over time, especially if you use the gloves a lot, you'll need to re-apply this treatment. These gloves have a long wrist gaiter that closes with a hook-and-loop strap, but there is no drawcord closure, meaning these gloves can't be worn on the outside of a jacket cuff on deep days.

Durability

The Sencho seems about as durable as other leather gloves on the market. The seams are tightly sewn, and the critical seam between the thumb and forefinger is double-stitched. We couldn't find any weak points in this glove's construction, other than the fact that the palm and finger leather will eventually wear out similar to other leather gloves. With proper care and regular leather treatments, these gloves seem built to last.

Features

Light on features, the Sencho is fairly easy to use. It comes with removable, elastic, and minimalist wrist leashes so that you don't drop them off the chairlift. We also like the prominent pull tab that makes getting the gloves on a lot easier. Glaring omissions include the lack of a nose wipe patch on the outer thumb and no way to connect the gloves to keep them together for storage.

Should You Buy the Oyuki Sencho GTX?

This glove is offered at a good price, especially for a glove with Gore-Tex. That makes it a decent choice for users who spend a lot of time in wet winter climates, though there are better and cheaper Gore-Tex gloves on the market. We also can't recommend this glove to anyone who needs lots of dexterity, like snow professionals. It is a stylish glove, so that might appeal to some users. But overall, we think you can probably do better elsewhere.

What Other Ski Gloves Should You Consider?

The Sencho doesn't match up to the performance of the Gordini GTX Storm Trooper II, which is even more affordable, and is our top pick for users on a budget. If you like the all-leather look, check out the high-performing The North Face IL Solo Pro FUTURELIGHT, which is a little warmer, and much more dexterous. And if you are looking for the best glove on the market, we recommend the Arc'teryx Fission SV above all others.