Klim Vanguard short GTX gloves in black

The Vanguard Short is what would be called a ‘summer-waterproof’ glove; and that makes it different to the Vanguard Long, which is very much a winter glove. Waterproofing on the Vanguard Short comes courtesy of Gore-Tex, but more than that the Vanguard Short is a Gore-grip glove, meaning that the membrane is laminated to the inside of the outer chassis. And so this is a glove that will never wet out even in the most prolonged of downpours.

This is the kind of glove that you would wear from, say, the beginning of April to perhaps the middle or end of October. With no thermal insulation you wouldn’t wear it deeper into the winter. By the same token, a glove like this can get a little clammy when the temperatures edge towards the thirties.

The glove is made from a mix of leather and a kind of Neoprene material. The leather is goatskin, which works well on gloves because it is stronger than cowhide but thinner and more supple. The main knuckle is covered by a D3O-like soft protector that is then XRD foam backed for extra comfort. There’s an additional leather pad at the base of the palm that also incorporates XRD foam. Further XRD pads are to be found down the fingers and on the thumb.

The short cuff fastens by means of a Velcro flap and a YKK zip. The index finger on the left hand incorporates a visor wipe. The index finger and thumb on both hands have conductive stitching that makes them touchscreen sensitive. The glove is taffeta lined to make them easier to get in and out of, but the other thing that helps here are the pull loops that Klim features on all its gloves. It’s an incredibly simple device, but it’s also incredibly effective. We don’t know why all bike gloves don’t have something like it.

The Vanguard Short GTX glove is not going to disappoint anybody. It is comfortable and lightweight, and it’s going to be as comfortable as any waterproof glove you’ll ever come across. But the beauty of this glove is its simplicity. Klim has a tendency to over-engineer, to sometimes add complexity to a product that doesn’t need it. The Vanguard Short, though, is a relatively simple affair. It’s a lightweight, summer-waterproof glove. Nothing more and nothing less. But it’s none the worse for that!