I have this old pair of gloves I like to use when the weather gets cold.  They are Thinsulate lined suede (or fake suede).  They keep my hands warm and dry, but most of all they are just plain comfortable.  I have had them for close to ten years now, and while I have tried retiring them a few times, I keep returning to stuffing them in the pockets of whatever coat I happen to be using that day.  They are just too perfect.  And, they fit my hands like…well, like a glove (even I groaned at that one).  The one problem with my trusted old gloves, is that the fingers are a very bulky fit.  This makes it hard to perform any activities requiring fine tactile control.  Of course, when I bought them ten years ago, this was not a a problem.  My cell phone was still the size of a small brick, portable music had not evolved past the Sony Discman yet, and don’t even think of a touchscreen.  So, having bulky fingers just meant they stayed warmer.  Today, of course, the mobile landscape is considerably different.  The name of the game is small and portable.  Touchscreens, scroll wheels, and very small buttons mark the landscape of today’s mobile professional.  Suddenly, my bulky gloves are not looking so good when I am walking down the street and need to make a phone call.  My choices are fumble through poking aimlessly at the screen until I stumble upon the right button (all the while hitting two or three buttons at a time) or take off my gloves and risk exposure to the elements.  In other words, no good choices here at all.  Well, enter the Tec Touch Gloves, the first gloves designed to allow interaction with all of your mobile devices, scroll wheels, and touchscreens, no matter how cold the weather may be.

The gloves themselves are pretty standard, with a black nylon shell and a subtle gray pattern bearing the 180s logo.  The palm of the glove is made from polyurethane, which helps to ensure that your precious gadgets will not slide from your grip.  Finally, the lining is made from nylon, polyester, and spandex.  This gives the gloves their stretch and skin tight fit.  Like I said, this is all fairly standard and typical of just about any glove you will find at most stores across the country.  What makes these gloves unique are the gel pads near the tips of the thumb and index finger on each glove.  This is what puts the Tec in the Tec Touch gloves.

OK.  I can see I am getting a little ahead of myself here.  Let’s back up for a moment.  Regardless of what tech or non-tech features these gloves may have, they first must function as gloves.  I have already given you an overview of the gloves, and I must say they are very functional and stylish.  I felt like I could wear them to work just as easily as I could wear them in the snow.  The spandex in the gloves ensures a skin tight fit, and the padding makes them snug and comfortable  Like wrapping your fingers in blankets. 

Of course, here in the Washington, D.C. area, the winters can be pretty cold.  So, I was a little concerned that these gloves would be too light to block the extreme cold of Washington, D.C.’s winter weather.  This caused me to put off the review for a a few weeks as we enjoyed unseasonably warm weather for the beginning of February  The other day, however, the Arctic chill returned and I knew I had found my opportunity.  I slipped on the gloves and began testing.  I must admit they fared much better than I expected.  I would not necessarily recommend them in extreme cold temperatures or winds, but for your average mild or cold day, they did just fine and kept my fingers nice and toasty warm. 

Well, now that we know the gloves functions as expected (if not better), let’s turn our attention to the main attraction, the Tec Touch.  The idea here is that these gloves are supposed to allow you to operate your mobile devices without exposing your hands to the elements.  To do this, the have sewn two gel pads into the fingers of each glove.  These gel pads, along with the skin tight fit of the gloves give you considerably more tactile control than I could ever have achieved with my old gloves.  When I first saw these gloves, I was concerned that the gel pad would irritate my finger inside the gloves.  In fact, the pads are small enough, and the padding thick enough, that my fingers never noticed the gel pads at all. 

Unlike my old gloves which often left me fumbling and bumbling to dial the phone or adjust my Sansa media player, the Tec Touch gloves were easily able to access hardware buttons on my Mogul, and could even tackle the scroll wheel on the Sansa.  I did find, however, that there was still a little trouble with touch screen devices.  They did not make it any more difficult to access the touch screen than my other gloves, but they also did not seem to make it any easier.  As long as you were working with hardware controls, however, they worked exactly as advertised. 

Overall, I was extremely impressed by these gloves.  Not only did they keep my hands warm in all but the most extreme conditions; but, as the above pictures clearly illustrate, they also did make it easier to access and control a variety of different mobile devices, without exposing my poor digits to the cold.  If you are considering a buying new pair of gloves and want to marry your need for warmth with your love of gadgets, then these may be the gloves for you. 

Vital Stats:

Name: Tec Touch Gloves

Where To Buy: A.J. Prindle

Price $29.95 (currently on sale fro $14.95)

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