Klim Vanguard long GTX gloves in black

The Klim Vanguard long is a winter glove. It’s probably not the very warmest glove out there, and if you’re an all-through-the-winter commuter there are better options, but the Vanguard is heavily feature-laden, and for those who want a winter glove that does not sacrifice wearability and feel on the bike it’s going to be a good choice.

It is constructed in the way that a winter glove should be, in that it has a textile back with a leather palm, the leather being goat leather. The waterproof membrane on the Vanguard comes courtesy of Gore-Tex; furthermore it’s a laminated Gore-Grip membrane, which means that this is a glove that will never ‘wet out’ in even the heaviest of downpours. The thermal properties of the Vanguard are attributable to a 60 gm layer of Thinsulate on the back of the hand. On the back of the hand, next to the skin, you also get a fleecey lining. But there is nothing on the palm, which means that this is going to be a perfect glove to wear if you’ve got heated grips.

For protection, you get a leather-covered knuckle that conceals a soft, D3O-like knuckle protector. You also get foam protectors on the fingers and a larger one on the palm.

Klim terms this a long-cuffed glove; but we see the cuff as mid length. It’s not the kind of gauntlet cuff that you’d wear over the sleeve off a jacket; it is very much designed to go inside the cuff, and provided your jacket has sleeve-end zips this won’t be an issue. The cuff is made from an elasticated Neoprene material, so will serve to absorb any rain before it reaches the hand. The cuff is also lined with a smooth panel to make it easier to slide your hands in and out of the glove. As ever, you get Klim’s useful pull strap to help pull the gloves on. Why doesn’t everybody provide these?

Other features include reflective banding, a visor wipe, as well as touchscreen sensitive fingers and thumbs on both hands. Now Klim does this differently to anybody else, with the conductive thread being woven into an unmissable pattern on the fingertips. As a result you know which part of the finger is conductive; and it works; better than most.

There’s a theme that runs through Klim’s products. They are over-engineered, but in a good way. Klim doesn’t merely put its logo on somebody else’s off-the-shelf glove design. These guys start from scratch. You’ll never find a glove from anybody that looks like a Klim glove.

We are always at pains to point out to people that the perfect product does not exist. Nothing does everything. You just have to make sure you find the right product for the kind of riding you do. The Vanguard is a really comfortable, it will be totally waterproof, it is going to be pretty warm and perfect with heated gloves. If this sounds like the kind of winter glove you’re after, then go for it; pretty sure you won’t be disappointed.