READER PRODUCT REVIEW: Hugger Gloves

By Denise Glassman, Arlington Heights, Illinois

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It isnt hard to find a pair of gloves to keep your hands warm for winter riding. I must have five pairs of them. But it is hard to find a pair that fit a womans hands properly and arent so bulky that you feel like youre wearing boxing gloves. Like many women, I have small hands, and most gloves are cut for a mans hands. Women have to buy size small or extra-small if theyre available. But even if you get a size small, the glove is usually too roomy across the palm, and the fingers are too wide and loose fitting. That usually leads to a blister or two from rubbing on a seam. Bulky gloves also make you lose all road-feel and feedback from the handlebars and grips, and if you have small hands, they make it more difficult to reach the brake and clutch levers comfortably.

The “Diane” Classic Gauntlet gloves from Hugger Gloves are made of butter-soft leather.

But Ive been riding with Huggers “Diane” Classic Gauntlet gloves this winter, and theyre great for riding in weather down to the freezing mark. Best of all, they are specifically designed for a womans hands, and they arent bulky. Actually, they allow me to maintain the feel almost as well as with an unlined summer glove.

The “Diane” Classic Gauntlet is made from premium butter-soft leather treated with Technaline, which makes the leather waterproof. However, I learned from talking to a really nice woman at the company that even though the leather is waterproof and wont allow water to soak in, water can still seep into the gloves through the needle holes of the seams. So Hugger uses a Wonder Dry lining that keeps the wet out and your hands warm, yet it still breathes so that your hands never get clammy inside the gloves.

These gloves fit Denise#39;s small hands perfectly.

That all turned out to be true when I got caught in a cold rain (the temperature was about 45 degrees) a few weeks ago. I could see the water roll off the leather, and I dont know if it soaked in through the seams, but my hands stayed dry and warm. The glove also has a nylon extension from inside the glove that goes up the sleeve of your jacket and pulls tight with a drawstring and slide clasp to help keep the rain from running down your arm and into the glove.

With the leather being so soft, there is no break-in period; the gloves are ready to enjoy from the first time you put them on. Each glove has a wide gauntlet opening that will go over your jacket cuff to keep the wind out, and if it isnt raining, that nylon extension tucks in and stays hidden inside the glove.

Because of the fitted style of these gloves, Denise can still put her hand in her pocket. Plus, a drawstring at the cuff keeps her hands toasty and dry.

The fingers are cut narrower than on a mans glove, so they fit my fingers nicely. They are also cut slimmer across the palm, which is lightly padded, for a nice snug fit. The seams on the outside of the glove and inside the lining are so fine that my fingers didnt get irritated. And since the gloves arent bulky, you can easily keep them on to work the D-rings on your helmet, push the buttons on your GPS system or even pick up a quarter off a table.

The “Diane” Classic Gauntlet sells for $56, which I think is an excellent price for the quality. Ive seen a lot of other glove styles and weights from Hugger for spring and summer riding. I will be looking to buy a pair or two come spring. If theyre anything like this winter glove, I know Im going to like the way they fit my small hands.

You can buy Hugger gloves online, but I ordered them through my local dealer because they have a rewards program that gets me discounts after I spend a certain amount of money. Huggers Web site is HuggerGloves.com, and their phone number is 859.245.8445.

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10 thoughts on READER PRODUCT REVIEW: Hugger Gloves

  1. I’m a guy, but have very small hands, and have also found Hugger gauntlet gloves (mine are unlined) to fit great. With almost all other brands, the fingers are too long. After several years of regular use, my Huggers are finally starting to wear out. I am going to be getting a new pair very soon.

  2. Wow! Just read the article and I will be checking out their Web site next! About time women gloves like this came out. I do a lot of riding all year round and could use a warm pair of gloves that will let me feel my bike and clutch, etc.

  3. I know this is far after the article, but thanks so much! Was getting extremely frustrated trying to find some riding gauntlets that would fit my small hands before winter hits. Looking forward to trying them out.

  4. Not even close…I read this review, ran out and tried on a pair. I am desperate to find a true gauntlet that I can wear during the winter. This isn't it.

    Issues:
    Gauntlet not wide enough to fit over winter leathers
    Single-hand cuff closure broke when I tried to gently snug it down
    Single-hand cuff is not a guarantee of 100 percent dry hands
    Dry hands do not mean warm hands and this glove is not warm enough to wear in winter temperatures

    They did look nice and were not as bulky as men's gloves but I would be concerned how long they will last.

    1. Did you “try on a pair” or did you actually try the gloves out on the road. Not clear if you actually bought the gloves and and tried them out because if you did, then your assessment is fair. But if you did not and just tried them on in a store — that needs to be pointed out as you make some bold statements about gloves you just tried on at a store.

  5. What a nice glove! This article covers any question that you would have about this product. The price is great. This has been a problem for myself as far as the fit is concerned. I am in the dental field, and one day before I was getting ready to head out on a ride, I thought I would put a pair of my surgical vinyl gloves under my leather gloves and see if it would keep me warm. I wear them at work all the time, and it is a tight fit, so why not put them on under my leather gloves. I was suprisingly warm. It would help with the rain seeping through as well. This looks like a great glove, and you don't have to go and buy surgical gloves to keep warm and dry.

    It is a great idea to keep a pair of vinyl gloves in your bike for security warmth purposes, at least until you buy a pair of Diane gloves! I will be looking into these gloves for sure. Thanks

  6. Great review! I've been looking for some girl-friendly winter gloves. I'm going to the Hugger Web site now.

  7. I went to the Hugger Web site and there are no listings for local dealers you can order from. Why would you order through a dealer when you can order directly from the company? Also, there is no size chart for this particular glove so I have no idea of what size to order. There are sizing charts for some of the other gloves, but it only states the inches and does not tell how to measure your hand to find a size. I emailed the company and hopefully will hear back from them. The price is really good compared to what I've seen elsewhere. This is something I would need to try on before buying, however, because I have a very difficult time finding gloves that are comfortable.

  8. YEAH! Hubby bought these for me for Christmas! Nice to know how good they are! Can't wait to try them. It will be a while.

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