Review: MacWet Climatec glove

What did we make of the 'all grip, no slip' sports glove?

Andy Roberts's picture
Fri, 8 Nov 2013
Review: MacWet Climatec glove

PROTECTING hands from the elements, the new MacWet Climatec glove range has been developed for cooler weather wear.

MacWet claims its Climatec gloves offer increased warmth and comfort with wind proof, water resistant and fleece lined material on the back of the glove.

When I first slipped on these MacWet gloves, RRP £30, the other day at St George's Hill Golf Club in Weybridge, I must admit I was a little sceptical. Actually I just thought about Tommy 'Two Gloves' Gainey and his swing.

My main issues with double gloving were that surely I was going to lose all the feel in my shots - and given I never putt with a glove on, surely there's a time constraint here too, as you go about tucking in two gloves into your back burners.

All grip, no slip, screams MacWet on the front of its packaging. I was therefore willing to give it a shot. That was the mission statement behind these Climatec long cuff sports gloves. Thankfully, my round was dry for the first nine holes and wet for the duration to the 19th. This made for a fair test.

While MacWet claims its Climatec glove is effective in both dry and wet conditions, I wouldn't necessarily be rushing to slip these on my hands on a dry day again. In the teaming rain, however, 100%.

I'm not sure what it is about wearing two gloves for the first time when playing golf, but I can assure you it's a very unusual feeling. All my life - and I'm sure yours too -  I've played golf wearing one glove before and so perhaps that's why I struggled to adapt straight away.

I wouldn't say I had much problem striking the ball off the tee with the driver wearing these gloves in the dry, but when it came to the irons and short game, things just didn't feel right. I didn't feel comfortable standing over the ball and that in itself led to a few errant shots. It wasn't anything disastrous but things just weren't as fluid as normal.

Great glove in the cold and rain

When it came to playing with these gloves on in the rain and in the bitter cold, however, things changed. There's no worse feeling in this sport than losing feel when its cold and this is where the MacWet Climatec gloves shine. Particularly when the heavens open.

At the end of the day, I would rather be playing with two gloves on than playing with one and having absolutely no feel in my hands. Feel is one of the most important aspects of this game.

After all, the average golfer doesn't want to go through four or five premium Cabretta gloves during the round when it's raining, do they? It's expensive - and just look at all those gloves when you pull them out the bag for your next round. They look like they've gone 12 rounds with Tyson.

With the MacWet Climatec, there are no such problems. It's an incredibly durable glove that can be used over and over again no matter the weather. It's therefore money well spent in my book, particularly at this time of the season.

As the synthetic fibres used in MacWet gloves have natural wicking properties, they allow any water to be readily transported around and over the gloves surface to the fabric face. This means any water evaporates quickly, providing you with the optimum amount of comfort and gripping power - exactly what you need in this sport when the heavens open.

Unlike perspiration inducing leather gloves which compromise comfort and grip, the fabric used in these gloves allows the hand to breathe, ensuring consistently comfortable grip. I was also able to add a little moisture to the gloves by clasping a damp towel to give them even better performance-enhancing properties.

The gloves are lightweight, warm and fleece-lined, come with a thick elasticated cuff with Velcro fastening and they can be used in other sports such as horse riding, watersports and fishing.

If you feel the cold with these gloves on, I will personally give you your £30 back.

Verdict

I'm not a two-glove man and probably never will be but I can clearly see the benefits when playing in the rain here. I can assure you every golfer will appreciate the benefits of the MacWet Climatec in cold conditions. In the dry, maybe not as much, but that's just more of a personal preference than anything only because I play my best with one premium leather FootJoy glove on.

Despite my initial thoughts that there's a bit of a pit-stop issue with these gloves, they're quick and easy to slip on and off. Just make sure you have a plan of action as to where these gloves are going when you're about to putt. If you putt with the glove on then you have no fears. If not, decide whether they're going in the back pockets or front zip pocket. You don't want to be holding up your fellow playing partners and group behind.

For more information visit www.macwet.com