Petzl CORDEX Lightweight Climbing Gloves for Men & Women - Durable Grip for Rock Climbing, Hiking & Outdoor Adventures

Durable pair of climbing gloves sizing your spot onWhile I do not climb or rappel, I am something of a glove addict. Please see the other reviews if climbing is what you are into.My review is geared more towards the "average Joe" who, while not a climber, is looking for a glove that fits better than a traditional leather work glove yet is cheaper than say a tactical glove by Oakley.Fit:The gloves fit great. I am a medium/small size and usually this means that medium sized gloves are just a little large. The construction of these gloves made it so the fit is great. While there is a little space (given the size of my hands) they fit better than other glove brands of the same size.Feel:These gloves feel great. For a leather glove the feel is extremely comfortable. Not to mention the fact that you do not lose a lot of dexterity with these gloves. I test the dexterity of a glove by picking up a quarter from a flat surface. While the gloves performed only marginally well in this test, that should not be considered a significant negative factor given the manufacturers intention for these gloves. However, compared to a traditional leather work glove, the Petzl performed amply better. The quarter test is only as useful as the purpose of the glove in relation to the quality of the gloves build. For me, that test is something of a matrix style analysis.Construction:With all gloves you have to be concerned about the stitching. For example, I have a pair of Tac-Force gloves that I love because they are light weight but unfortunately, the seams on my index fingers are beginning to rip after 5 months of use. Whereas, these Petzl gloves are holding out great so far. I even thrashed my hand with a SOG seal pup elite last week and the double leather palm kept me from slicing myself.Potential uses:As noted above, I do not climb. However, I have used this glove in other glove related scenarios that you may be involved in. I have used them in snow and I found them to be less than satisfactory with regards to warmth but great with shoveling. Especially if you have an old splintered wood shovel. I also use them in day to day wear for warmth, germaphobia and offensive/defensive capabilities. Luckily I have not had to protect myself with them on but as mentioned above, my fingers are quite mobile in these Petzls. It should be noted that I can deploy my SOG flash I (everyday carry blade) with satisfactory ability in these gloves. Again, you trade some dexterity for protection, I am not as fast at opening my knife as I am with say my Tac-Force gloves. I have also dry fired my Sig with ok results, making it not a bad (but not great) option for a tactical style glove.I have also used these gloves driving. I would highly recommend them for that alone. Leather is nice when driving, depending on your steering wheel, because it allows you to let the wheel slide back to less resistance after making a turn.Cons:This glove is not the best for weather below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. I realize that this is beyond the scope of what the glove was made for. I raise the point only to inform people of its limits. The back of the glove is made of a fabric that does not do a lot to slow wind or cold as compared to something like say leather or even Neoprene.It should be obvious but is probably worth mentioning that the smooth leather on this glove was designed to allow rope to slide through. Other things, like soft fabrics, will also slide easily with these gloves. So if grip is something you are concerned about then you should not be handling your friends baby or something fragile and slippery with them on.Conclusion:For the price, these are great gloves. I have been contemplating picking up another pair in tan and painting them multicam in another project I am working on. I give these gloves 5 stars for the above reasons including the great price I paid for them ($25).*** 2017 UPDATE ***So, I was reading the news and saw this pic (see above) of a navy seal using this glove. That was neat to see because my review is intended for shooting enthusiasts. The pic is from a raid in Yemen, I believe.This glove is great for its dexterity to protection ratio. If you do run and gun drills, this is a great option. I know guys who cut out half of the index finger. The gloves are great even you are changing mags, switching to secondary, dealing with an FTE, etc.Well-made and comfortable; very rugged constructionThis is my second Petzl CORDEX glove. The first was the tan colored Petzl CORDEX glove. My hand was between a small and medium size so I bought the small size because I thought it would stretch with use. To my surprise, it didn’t. Even though the small size didn’t fit my hands, I liked its sturdy construction and the reinforced padding at critical areas of the glove.The holes in the gloves for a carabiner are a big selling point for me because it allows me to attach them to a carabiner so they’re handy, together, and won’t get lost.Instead of the tan color, this time I purchased a medium size BLACK Petzl CORDEX glove. The only negative that I’ve found is that the BLACK color can hide the gloves at night if dropped on the ground or dropped in the shadows, inside a backpack, on the black floor mat of a vehicle, etc. The black color is like camouflage. I have to constantly remind myself to double check that I have it or else I risk leaving it behind.The retail price of the Petzl CORDEX glove is comparable to those of other well-known climbing brands. I found through experience that it’s always best to pay a little bit more for quality especially for outdoor equipment. You don’t want equipment failure while you’re on an outdoor adventure and far away from home.Would I buy the Petzl CORDEX glove again? Yes, and I did buy one again.I originally purchased these gloves to protect a flapper I had on my palm so I could belay my partner without having to tape my whole hand. I've continued to use these for belaying all of the time, and they're easily now one of my indispensable pieces of climbing gear for both gym and outdoor climbing.I belay with a Gri Gri and the gloves aren't too bulky to make it difficult to hold the device while lead belaying. They're thick enough to protect my palms while lowering my partner, but have enough sensitivity that I can feel the rope at all times. My partner is heavier than I am, and these gloves allow me to lower him much more smoothly and at a better speed than I was able to do with bare hands.They're very durable with the leather palms, but have a nice breathable material for the back of the hand that keeps my hands from sweating. I also like the feature that they have a hole near the wrist. I keep the glove for my brake hand attached to my GriGri carabiner and harness so I never misplace it while climbing indoors. For climbing outdoors, it was a great way to keep my hands from turning pitch black from dirty ropes as well as being able to lower my partner more smoothly.The only downside with these gloves was getting the hand of lead belaying on the Gri Gri - if you balance the lip of the belay device on your finger, it feels different with a glove on. It was easy to get used to after a few belays, however, and would not prevent me from buying another pair if these should ever wear out.I am an average build woman, and bought a size XS - it fit perfectly. I have smaller hands and usually wear a size small for winter gloves, etc.Right let me start by saying I bought these as a replacement for my wheelchair gloves, I go through a pair of gloves every month! either losing one or being in a wheelchair all day every day you can imagine having to stop myself, the friction literarly burns through the gloves, so over the past 24 months I have gone through my fair share of gloves and have looked at different purpose gloves such as cycling, weight lifting,which my next choice of glove is rock climbing gloves.Pros: They are soft and supple straight out of the pack! I did'nt have to "Break them in" They have the strength and extra padding exactly where it is needed, with the sensitivity needed when using a wheelchair. As I mentioned earlier one of my problems is loosing one glove the thing I liked about choosing a Rock climbing glove is the fact they have a hole stitched into the wrist band of both gloves meaning they can be joined to each other by way of a carabina ( Which is handy considering they are climbing gloves.) One of the benefits of being in a wheelchair "Fulltime" is the fact that nothing is carved in stone and that you have to be adaptable, and these gloves are certainly that. Cons: The only downside I can see to these gloves so far is the price, however, they are certainly not the cheapest.......£2.99 and only lasted 2 days and the most expensive I've seen are £155.00 which I am not paying that!! if they last longer than four weeks I will consider them an excellent purchase, watch this space.OK, these gloves were recommended by a mate so I took the plunge.I held off on reviews on these for a couple of reasons, I bought them to do a Tough Mudder as I wanted a decent pair of gloves that wouldn't fall apart and provide decent protection. I also hoped that they wouldn't be trashed at that price and wanted to see if I could get more use out of them afterwards.First of all the fit; based on what they stated on the website the sizing isn't accurate, I went for a medium. Here are my measurements;Hand width (palm) 9.5cm or 95mmLength (wrist to middle finger tip) 19cm or 190mmFit:The fit is really fantastic, they are specifically designed and put together to fit ergonomically, ignore any leather gloves as most are straight fingers and mostly loose fitting. These fit like a pair of surgical gloves, they are snug and very comfortable from the off.The leather is soft but strong and very durable, I did the North West Tough Mudder on the 17 Nov, these gloves protected my hands and I never had any fit issues with them and they went through mud, icy water and everything I threw at them. I washed them afterwards and they came up as new.I now use them as general winter gloves and mostly for driving,and sometimes when I need them in the gym for extra grip. The grip is very good and with the strong velcro straps and snug fit I never feel like they come off or feel loose after what they have been through.These are very tough comfortable gloves, the cloth backing doesn't make them the warmest but they work well in all conditions and due to that I don't mind. I have an issue with cold hands and these do protect my hands against the worst.These have become my everyday winter wear gloves and general "if I need some protection for any outdoors/gym work". They are functional gloves and are not fashionable but they are quality and cannot praise them highly enough.Can wear fast due to intense usage. They fit well even without the wrist strap done up. Quite warm. Also the carabiner holes frayed quite quick so try to have a carabiner which doesn't have sharp points on them. I suggest you dry them properly when wet as they are leather. Good for other things instead of just doing climbing stuff. I went shooting with them one day perfect for it.Looked great unfortunately split on the first use. Sent them back and no response as yetGreat looking gloves. Yet to try them.