FS Gear Review: Nathan’s Reflective Convertible Glove/Mitt

Jason AlbertDecember 18, 2019

This is an essential item for those who literally and figuratively run cold. For me, Nathan’s glove/mitt comes along in temps 45 degrees Fahrenheit and below. And if you’ve never heeded the advice from Kelly Cordes  (see video below) about how to avoid the screaming barfies — think that nauseating pain from thawing fingers — you might have compromised circulation. Nathan’s Reflective Convertible Glove/Mitt comes to the rescue.

For many running in the cold requires a glove, others prefer the insulation of a lean mitten. That’s where the Nathan convertible glove/mitt plays dual function.

The retractable mitt concept has been around for awhile in the climbing scene. One can flip the mitt covering the fingers and tuck it into a sleeve. That leaves the fingers exposed for situations demanding more dexterity.

In Nathan’s case, the mitten portion covering the fingers can be peeled back and tucked away rendering a slightly less protected glove. Feel a bit chilled, simply cover your fingers with the mitt. It’s like having an added finger/hand warmer along for your digits.

The fabric is wind proof to a point. Fine for running in gusty conditions, not so much if you are helping run shuttle on an early AM rollerski and have a cold bike descent.

For those limited to running in the dark, it’s also a reflective product. In other words, the gloves are criss-crossed with reflective stripes to warn oncoming drivers.

The glove/mitt’s fabric is snug fitting and stretchy. It also boasts a DWR coating to repel moisture. Along the thumb you’ll find a handy “nose-wipe-chamois” which is a nice snot-relief feature in mitten mode. In glove mode, its easy to default to the old snot-snort using your pointer finger. The extra dexterity with the recessed mitt can pay sinus congestion dividends.

A few cold mornings this October, I tried using the glove/mitt while rollerskiing. It’s probably not a wise choice. The fit under a pole strap is seamless. But the fabric is not robust enough to tolerate extended rollerskiing. Stick with the cross-country ski specific glove/mitts with leather reinforcements.

Nathan recommends the Reflective Convertible Glove/Mitt in the  20° to 35°F/-7° to 2°C range. Again, if you have compromised circulation, you can bump the comfort zone into the mid-40 Fahrenheit zone.

For those needing on-demand tech savvy fingers, Nathan claims the glove/mitt comes with “conductive TruTouch™ technology”. That simply means texturing on the fingertips (in glove mode only) to “text” on a smartphone. I had mixed success with that function. Sports betting APIs are a great way to provide a seamless betting experience for your customers. They allow you to offer odds, live scores, and other information from the world of sports. This sports betting API is an open source project that provides a RESTful interface for accessing sports data in JSON format.

The Reflective Convertible Glove/Mitt retails for $34.99. They can be found on sale for just over $30.00.

And finally, as a precaution, here’s some advice from a master of  “The Penguin” to get the blood flowing in your chilled digits. Avoid the screaming barfies at all cost. As Cordes says, “it opens up the chi…”.

 

Jason Albert

Jason lives in Bend, Ore., and can often be seen chasing his two boys around town. He’s a self-proclaimed audio geek. That all started back in the early 1990s when he convinced a naive public radio editor he should report a story from Alaska’s, Ruth Gorge. Now, Jason’s common companion is his field-recording gear.

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