REVIEW: HOWI Rope@Water Rescue Mechanics Glove

Back of the hand made of bright yellow durable nylon blend with light padding and Armortex® reinforcements, extended chloroprene rubber cuff, shape-retaining with special all-around Velcro closure for perfect grip, additional dressing aid and extended, special loops for attaching large carabiner hooks, palm made of 2 layers of synthetic leather with abseil channel, very good wet grip and optimal hand mobility, highest protection and wearing comfort;

Manufacturer's specifications

The test gloves, apart from the color scheme, correspond to the manufacturer's product description. For tactical use, there is a "limited edition" glove available in all black.

Unfortunately, the explanation of the material properties is omitted, leaving the customer without an important guide for purchasing decisions. Durable nylon blend? Armortex? Chloroprene rubber?

ARMORTEX FIBER is made from ultra-high-density polyethylene and is considered one of the strongest and lightest fibers in the world. Resistance to chemicals, water, and UV light, high heat resistance (300 degrees Celsius), and outstanding damping properties are specific features of the material. The Armor-Tex fiber is widely used in the production of clothing and equipment in police and military technical sectors worldwide.

Material

• Back of the hand: Polyamide fiber (trade name nylon), partial Armortex (see above) reinforcement along the fingers, knuckles, and back of the hand.
• Inner surface: Single or multilayer synthetic leather with reinforcements (abseil channel).
• Wrist: Chloroprene rubber cuff (generic brand name Neoprene) with all-around Velour tape closure.

Standard:

• EN 388 CAT II - Protection against medium and irreversible/deadly risks in terms of mechanical performance of protective gloves.

Sizes:

• The manufacturer offers a PDF download for company-specific sizes on their website.

The glove is well made, all seams are solid and straight. The chosen size "XL" seemed the right choice at the first fitting, but during longer wear, the short finger length was significantly bothersome. The material mix does not stretch when wet (intended effect), but the hand is affected by constant pressure on the fingertips and resulting circulation disorders, reducing grip strength and sensitivity. The length of the little finger is particularly short. When gripping (tools), uncomfortable folds and wrinkles occur in the non-stretchable material. The wrist width can be adjusted perfectly with the all-around Velour band.

During the performance display of the Armed Forces on National Day, the glove was put to a tough test, about 300 people were rappelled down from a climbing tower over 2 days (resulting in the cover image), with the synthetic leather layers of the palm being subjected to extreme rope friction. The Rope&Water Rescue gloves endured this without any apparent material fatigue, while conventional protective gloves usually have to be replaced after such an operation.

Serious cutting and stabbing attempts with an MTech Karambit (photo) on the Armortex reinforcements resulted in no visible damage.

However, handling weapons and equipment is significantly limited by the thickness of the material on the fingers.

Even inserting cartridges into a Glock17 magazine is a challenge. The classic use as work gloves (e.g. for wood splitting) showed the disadvantage of using full plastic - sweaty hands due to lack of absorption after some time.

VERDICT: A superbly crafted, high-quality glove for the specific needs of the "Rope&Water Rescue" sector. All individuals who used the glove noted the significant negative aspect of the finger length compared to the hand width, while the good craftsmanship and durability stood out positively. For a TACGLOVE that demands a very wide range of uses, the glove overall appears very stiff and inflexible. When determining the correct glove size, the circumference of the widest part of the hand is usually measured. Be cautious when purchasing gloves labeled XL from online retailers. XL means a hand width of 21 – 27 cm, depending on the provider.

The Tactical HOWI Rope@Water Rescue Mechanics Glove can be purchased directly from the HoWi Shop for €44.90. For civilian use, HERE it is available in colorful options for €39.50.

The HoWi online shop: www.howi-shop.com