For whatever demented reason, gloves are my favorite piece of outdoor clothing. And I own lots of them. So its not too often that I try a new pair of gloves that are much different than others I have tried. That is, until I tried Outdoor Research's AirFoil gloves. Here's what makes them world class:

• The AirFoil gloves can be worn by themselves, or as a liner glove inside a glove shell, offering lots of flexibility.
  
   
• The glove is made out of a Gore WindStopper fabric, which means these gloves are windproof. In this case, the WindStopper laminate is directly attached to a thin face fabric. This means that the glove is very thin, and very warm. I was surprised how warm such thin gloves can be.
  
  The fabric also resists snow and rain from sticking to them, although they are not waterproof.
  
   
• Because the gloves are so thin, they pack compactly, taking up little space in your pockets or backpack. And their thinness allows them to be used as shell glove liners. Their warmth also means you don't have to carry additional pairs of gloves, should you need them. The AirFoils are warm to down about 40-45 degrees. And if it gets colder than than, you can slip glove shells over them.
  
  Another advantage of the glove's thinness is that your hands aren't prevented from performing fine tasks that thicker gloves won't allow you to do. Also, if you wear them with shell gloves, you can easily remove the shell to perform fine tasks without freezing your hands.
  
   
• The palms of the AirFoil have a tough and very grippy rubber material. This way, anything you hold in your hands won't slip out.
  
   
• The gloves are very comfortable. Inside the glove is a soft lining, which adds to their comfort.

These very versatile gloves can be worn for hiking, backpacking, trekking, adventure travel, and skiing, without a shell, of for very cold weather, with a shell.

Using the Outdoor Research AirFoil in the Real World

The first time I wore these gloves, I didn't trust them to keep my hands warm, so I brought along a second pair of gloves just in case. I ended up not needing the other gloves, as they are much warmer than they look. The thinness of the gloves give the impression that they will barely keep you warm. But that is not the case. I have worn them down to 40-45 degrees in high wind, and they kept my hands warm when I was active.

Because the gloves are so warm, they may become too warm if you are active in temps warmer than 60-65 degrees or so. How warm they will be will also depend on the current wind conditions.

I am also impressed with how grippy the gloves are. They are virtually slip proof. This means you can perform a lot of tasks with these gloves that you can't with other gloves.

So far, they have proved very durable. Even though I have been wearing them regularly for over two months, they still look brand new.

Recommendation

I recommend the AirFoils to everyone who needs lightweight gloves for outdoor adventures to everyday casual wear. They look good, and nobody will know that these are high tech gloves designed for outdoor adventures.

Product Notes

Outdoor Research offers the AirFoil gloves in four sizes: small, medium, large, and extra large. They are only available in black. The MSRP is $40.