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Do truly waterproof gloves really exist?

GSSteve

New member
After being suckered into buying three different pair of riding gloves over the last couple of years all promising to be waterproof, I have completely lost my confidence in anything but a pure rubber glove. I am back to wearing rubber construction gloves with a thin cotton liner. I would love to own a comfortable glove that can handle several hours of rain. All these GoreTex claims have left me a total Goretex skeptic. Can anyone recommend a real riding glove that can handle a day of rain or is the $10 rubber glove from the hardware store with the $5 liner the only solution to keeping dry?
Help
 
In warm/moderate weather, try using a pair of disposable gloves (Latex or otherwise) under your usual riding gloves to keep your hands dry. My "waterproof" gloves eventually become completely saturated when the rain is strong enough.
Mark
 
After being suckered into buying three different pair of riding gloves over the last couple of years all promising to be waterproof, I have completely lost my confidence in anything but a pure rubber glove. I am back to wearing rubber construction gloves with a thin cotton liner. I would love to own a comfortable glove that can handle several hours of rain. All these GoreTex claims have left me a total Goretex skeptic. Can anyone recommend a real riding glove that can handle a day of rain or is the $10 rubber glove from the hardware store with the $5 liner the only solution to keeping dry?
Help

No. They work for awhile. For all day rain, I use undyed deer or elk skin gloves.
 
Neoprene works for some

But not me!

Truely water/air tight gloves make my hands sweat, the water transfers the heat through the gloves and my hands are then cold. Now this is true for temp under say 50 deg.F , I have never tried neoprene in warmer temps. I prefer a good elk skin for moderate temps with any kind of moisture.

I do have some great Marmot Goretex gloves with a very thin poly liner that I would not be without in most adventure settings. Still after 8 hours in these hands are still damp. I guess having totaly dry hands is not something I expect during inclement weather rugged travel conditions. (motorcycling being roughly included in "rugged travel")

Ask my friends... (ok, friend) at any one motorcycling moment I will have at least 2 pair and usually 4 pair of gloves with me. I'm kinda like Bigdelta except it's all about the socks (and gloves). :laugh

I know I probably sound like :gerg
 
We actually have been wearing our neoprene wetsuit (scuba diving) gloves. Your hands get wet right through the gloves, but who cares? Our only concern is for hand protection in an accident. For that reason, we too are on the lookout for really waterprood gloves or overmitts. Haven't found anything yet...
 
Dry Hands

The best solution that I have found to date is the nylon overmits, thumb then the other fingers, which are available and they are also cheap, They are very long gauntlet length and be a bit of a chore to pull over or under the rainsuit cuffs but they are totally dry on the inside. Did I say they are economical, cheap.
 
The best solution that I have found to date is the nylon overmits, thumb then the other fingers, which are available and they are also cheap, They are very long gauntlet length and be a bit of a chore to pull over or under the rainsuit cuffs but they are totally dry on the inside. Did I say they are economical, cheap.

i bought some nylon glove and boot covers for a reasonable price at my local gear store before heading out on my roadtrip in 04' never used them on that trip or at any point untill a IBA event in 2006. 18 hours and 900 miles in constant rain saw the mittens fail (my hands were soaked and black) but the boot covers did the trick over my Daytonas quite well. only problem is they were shredded on the bottom from walking around.:doh

i don't think there is much that is waterproof in constant, all day, hundreds of mile rain, even my normally tough to penetrate First Gear rain suit failed that day.
 
I have a pair of H-D "blue nylon" rain gloves.

They look like Cordura, are black (not sure where the blue is), are lined, and kept me dry through 2,000 mile (+) of rain on a road trip last year.

You have to order them, but they are wonderful. The lining would probably be too much in hot weather, though.
 
sweating hands

The problem with sweating hands is they get just as wet. I know from working out side, the key is layers and having 2 or 3 set-ups to change when your hands start getting wet and cold
 
Your hands are going to get wet regardless, as there is no truly waterproof substance that can also withstand the wear and provide the dexterity required for riding in the rain.

Gore-Tex leaks through seams, or is compromised when the membrane is clogged with dirt and grease. Scotchgard on leather wears off, and the leather gets wet and clammy - and sometimes slippery.

If you're going to be riding with wet hands for an extended period of time, regardless of the temperature, you need to be concerned about hypothermia and the resulting cramping in your hands. The best way to keep wet hands warm is with neoprene - either a pair of scuba gloves, or, perhaps better designed for gripping handlebars, kayaking gloves.

Personally, I wear one of my several pairs of kayaking gloves, depending on the air temperature. (It helps that we kayak!) They are pre-curved for gripping the paddle shaft, and many are designed to protect hands from scrapes on rocks so they have some crash protection.

Check out nrsweb.com for the largest assortment of paddle gloves I've found.
 
My BMW GoreTex gloves were waterproof, after I figured out how to use them properly. On the way back from Daytona Bike Week we got caught in a torrential downpour on I-95 somewhere around South of the Border. I pulled off because my hands had gotten really cold and wet in the summer goretex gloves and wanted to change to the Winter glove version. One of my friends in our group (Hi Elsie Smith) looked over and told me to tuck the gauntlets into the sleeves of my Stich - I told her that was crazy, the water would run right up my arm but she insisted I try it.

Well that little trick kept my hands bone dry all the way to DC in some of the thickest rain I've ever ridden through.
 
Thank you folks for the many suggestions. I will try a few. Other than my hands I have always managed to keep warm and dry and never turned back by rain (unless very, very severe or associated with thunderstorms). I may try the aerostitch next. Why stop spending!!
 
Use whatever gloves you like and then pull a large or extra large pair of industrial rubber gloves over them. I have found them at local hardware stores and at Home Depot.

Have all kinds of gloves for all kinds of weather, but these rubber gloves have worked for me in all out down pours for extended periods.

This effective measure may not work for you if you are seriously style concious.
 
I picked up a pair of Rev-it H2O's this past fall. Wore then from Ride West BMW in Seattle down to Vancouver then over 14 to Goldendale, WA. In the mist/fog/rain/downpour. My hands were dry for the whole trip.
 
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