THE CAGE: GLOVES

AS WITH EVERY INSTALMENT OF THE CAGE, WE’RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR GOOD KIT; NOT SIMPLY GEAR THAT’S 100% FIT FOR PURPOSE BUT EQUIPMENT THAT’S GOING TO GIVE YOU GOOD SERVICE AND GREAT VALUE FOR MONEY! THIS TIME THE AA LEGION TAKE A LOOK AT GLOVES, WHAT THEY’VE WORN IN THE PAST AND WHAT THEY’RE WEARING NOW, SO YOU CAN REALLY GET “HANDS ON” IN ANY SITUATION! AS USUAL, BILL LEADS OFF…

Gloves are tricky things to get right, aren’t they? How often have you parted with money for a pair of “tacticool” gloves that offer you entrance to the “operatorz world” and found that, in reality, they are sub-standard, poorly fitting, and frankly an absolute waste of your hard-earned dollarbucks?

When I first started out, gloves were not such a “thing” and an old pair of black leather “NI Gloves” from your local surplus store were probably your best bet! When I moved to the USA in 2006 though, my eyes were opened to the possibilities of what I could use to cover my hands safely, as every tactical store seemed to be offering cool models designed both for law enforcement and the military.

For a while I was like a fat boy in a donut shop and every couple of months I’d pick up another model; online forums were “de riguer” for the discerning tacticalist at the time and it seemed to me that someone was ALWAYS posting about gloves! Of course, the dissemination of information about which unit is using which glove model has accelerated with the rise of social media and now new gloves seem to come along on an almost daily basis (or so it seems!). For me, my “go-to gloves” are First Tactical Lightweight Patrol Gloves, Helikon Range Tactical Gloves (because PenCott!), HWI Combat Gloves 500 (Multicam), and OR Ironsight Sensors for general range work.

But, with so many glove models out there, how the hell do you decide on the right glove for you? What considerations should you take into account? For me there are three main areas to look at:

Grip

The most important thing for me is grip. A glove is of no use to you if it hinders the ability to grip your AEG/GBB, or restricts access to using technology (especially these days!). Because of this, many users choose to go with “old skool” fingerless gloves but not me! Of course, grip is related to handling and before you take every shot you have to have the feeling of contact with your trigger, or it can become a distraction from getting the shot. There are now designs which feature special finger tips to provide superior grip perfect for using technology, handling small items, plus shooting needs.

Dexterity

Another thing I look for in tactical gloves, is to find an option that allows not just grip but also dexterity. Some tactical gloves are designed to protect your hands from damage by way of padded knuckles, but if the material over the knuckle is too thick it will impede your dexterity. Likewise, if a glove is the wrong size, it can get in the way of movement. When it comes to finding the right sizing to ensure ease of movement, remember that phrase, “fits like a glove” as your guideline; the right fit of a glove should feel natural.

Comfort

When it comes to fabrics and technology many gloves still use leather (or “manufactured leather”) exteriors, or specially bonded synthetic blends. While this certainly has its place in relation to overall comfort, a better option is to choose one that

incorporates both in expertly designed ways. For instance, gloves should have leather for exceptional durability, contouring and waterproofing abilities, but you also want materials that offer some breathability, either through the use of specialist lined interiors which are absorbent or through breathability features built in to the glove. The matter of comfort is important since you will be wearing these gloves all day!

TEAM TALK

As usual - and with my criteria in mind - I asked the members of the AA Legion “Do you use tactical gloves, and if you do what model? Do you use them for protection from cuts, scrapes and BB hits to the knuckles (ouch!), or do you want more from them?” and this is what they had to say:

Boycie: “As many will know, I also run a pyro business and gloves for me are an essential item of PPE. We use a range of types depending on the job and the dexterity we need to safely carryout the job. If using hand-deployed pyro a good pair of gloves are essential. All you need is for something to go off prematurely or fail and the damage that even a Mk5 can cause could be catastrophic to your hand. For this part of the pyro side, we use the First Tactical Slash/ Flash Glove. These proved to be an excellent glove and the right thing to be wearing when there was a failure in a pyro unit. The actual glove involved was returned to First Tactical so they could see the damage, along with a “Thank You!” for making such a good product. Without doubt, the appropriate glove for the job saved me from major injury. In general use I tend to wear something like the PIG or Mechanix glove, which is thin enough to allow me good dexterity for manipulating RIFs and other items within the “game zone” and protection against scrapes, cuts and minor injury.”

Miguel: “Well yes, gloves are a must, not so much against BBs but more to protect against cuts and such. Our woodland here in Portugal is quite “spiky”, a lot of bushes have small thorns and such, so having gloves helps to protect. Brands? Me and the guys mostly use Mechanix and Armored Claw.”

Stu: “Mechanix! After a number of years trying other makes/styles I got a pair of Mechs; comfy, loads of knuckle protection!”

Turgay: “I am using PIG Full Dexterity Tactical (FDT) Alpha Gloves. They can be used in all weathers. They are very, very durable (more so than Mechanix) and also you can use touch screen products. It protects you from most of the hard surfaces but it has no extra knuckle guards.”

Robbie: “For me, gloves are to prevent getting burned mostly and avoiding scrapes and cuts second. I wore them in airsoft for the second reason but also to keep the habit for training. LA Police Gear Core Shooting Gloves are hard to beat for cost, fit, function simplicity IMO but I have had all sorts of good ‘n bad off-brand ones too. For me, the glove has to fit perfectly, have no seam-hotspot issues, not stretch out and/or bind and not be too bulky. Touch screen compatibility doesn’t hurt either!”

Stewbacca: “I’ve been through all manner of gloves over the years, starting with old school Viper, then Warrior Assault Systems, Oakley SI gloves and most recently Mechanix MPact. All of the former types fell apart after a few years of light use skirmishing or doing MilSim - bearing in mind I used to manage once or twice a month for the most part back in the UK - usually opening up at the seam between the palm and back, and the velcro wrist straps would inevitably break away too. Since playing in Taiwan - far more often than in the UK - I’ve just had one pair of the Mechanix MPact and they have lasted by far the best out of any type, only losing the velcro from the wrist straps thus far, but otherwise being entirely intact, if a little worn on the surfaces. So, buy MPacts. And the knuckle protection on the likes of the Oakleys can also cause discomfort unless your index finger has a separate piece to the others, due to the different angling of your other fingers forcing single piece protector types across the knuckle of your trigger finger.”

Jon: “Well... I’ve had a few pairs over the years. I’ve been through cheapo unbranded jobbies and more expensive well-known brands such as Clawgear, Oakley, Mechanix and so on. In my opinion, gloves are not essential but do offer a smidge of protection from brush and knocks. Let’s face it, we’re not rappelling or fast-roping in so we don’t need Kevlar lined and Carbon knuckled gloves. Yeah, they look cool but they’re not necessary. With that in mind, I have opted to switch over to a pair of First Tactical Lightweight Patrol Gloves. Nice and thin, nice and tactile and as they’re First Tactical, I shouldn’t need to buy any more for several years.”

Jonathan: “I’ve always worn gloves while playing and working. I’ve tried them all… Oakley, Pig, etc, etc, but I’ve always returned to MECHANIX as I find them brilliant! I always buy a medium as I like a tight fit for that tactile feeling. Good story: I was playing a 36hr game and my hand was bitten by a mossie after Endex… I was stripping down and couldn’t get the glove off, didn’t my hand swell up so much the lads had to cut it off! Waste of a good glove!!”

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Bill W-R: “So… glovage... Being in the motor trade I have known the Mechanix brand for many years, using them for impact protection etc. I then saw they did some slightly less bulky versions in black, tan and Multicam, so started running those and never had anything bad to say about them. Until... Red Cell’s first meeting and out come some Gucci-looking Claw Gear Armoured Claw gloves in tan that are my now my go to digit protection. As an added bonus I can even operate my smartphone whilst wearing them.”

Dan: “Even though I was a 90’s kid, I’ve always been a fan of fingerless gloves myself. I like a bit of palm protection but prefer to have full dexterity for my fingers. Surprisingly, there are very few quality options for “tactical” fingerless gloves on the market. For many years I co-opted gloves from my cycling days; usually North Face cycling gloves. These had a tiny bit of foam or gel padding in the palms and were surprisingly durable despite the thin construction, breathable and offered a lot of dexterity. I’ve also tried various brands of climbing glove but these were typically thicker leather and therefore not as pliable or as comfortable to wear over the long term. The last couple of years, I have been running the Blackhawk SOLAG fingerless gloves and those have been holding up pretty well. There’s a few things I’d probably improve on them, like a shorter cuff and reinforced edges on the fingers. Like a lot of gear, I’m still on the hunt for the “perfect” fingerless glove that ticks off all the boxes.”

Björn: “I always use gloves for whatever reason; sharp objects, bbs (have seen people with cracked fingers even at low joule) , dirt, you name it! Then of course it can add some coolness to your kit!”

Hana: “I think gloves are important to protect our knuckles from BB hits in the game. Most of our friends in the game use gloves. The glove design I like to have a soft adhesive protection to strengthen the knuckle area of the hand, but a flexible choice on the index finger when I need a quick reaction. The only drawback of the pair I’ve used so far is that the smallest size available on the market is still large for me, I’d like to buy one more if they have a size for female players.”

Allyssa: “Erm, they’re all too big! They’re obviously for men and as such I ended up buying weight-lifting gloves from Sports Direct, eBay or Amazon. The added bonus with a weight-lifting glove, for me is that they often come with wraps to support my wrists. It’s a shame manufacturers don’t account for women airsofters. Gloves, clothing and so on, everything, is for men. It’s a shame really, guys get some great kit and that just doesn’t work for us women as a rule!”

Chris: “US Nomex Pilots Gloves have been my staple go to glove for over 20 years. They are thin and have no padding unlike like all these flashy modern gloves but they offer great dexterity, and reasonable palm protection and I find my hands don’t overheat on hot days. A great no frills glove with an attractive price point.”

Jase: “Only ever had two pairs of gloves for airsoft, both where/are Mechanix. Enough said, lol!”

Overall all of the gloves detailed completely match our individual and personal requirements in terms of Grip, Dexterity, and Comfort and many are even touchscreen compatible should you wish to use them in conjunction with your phone or other device (okay I have my own phone now to test this, but I am after all still a techno-luddite!). In my opinion they all offer great levels of performance for a good price and what more can a cash-strapped airsofter ask for?

However, once again the question of correct fit for female shooters becomes an issue here! Manufacturers… as more and more female players start hitting the sites and games the Airsoft Action team believe that you’d better start paying this some serious attention! AA