Waterproof gloves designed for use by Navy SEALS

Reviewed by Monte L. May, PCI #262/EMSCI #009
Kansas City Police Department (MO)
IPMBA Industry Relations Committee Chair

I tried the Sealskinz brand gloves in the fall of 2001. During that time, I got the opportunity to really put them to the test - one of those days that it rains all day. No joke - for the majority of a ten-hour shift, the weather was 63-65? F, very humid, with mild to heavy rain. Normal weather, right? Yeah, if you are a bike officer in Seattle!

I found the gloves to have a good fit. Drawing my firearm from the holster was no problem. The snug fit, combined with the outer texture, eliminated that potential problem. The gloves seemed to be waterproof - my hands were dry long after my jacket was soaking wet. They did, however, get clammy and wet during the shift, probably due more to sweat than to water getting into the glove from the outside.

The Sealskinz waterproof glove is a good quality glove for the public safety cyclist who will be out in the rain. Sealskins also makes waterproof socks, but I did not test them out.

Sealskinz products can be purchased from their online store at www.sealskinz.com. The site also contains numerous testimonials about the use of their products in different activities. Sealskinz also participates in IPMBA's Product Purchase Program.

This review originally appeared in the Summer 2002 issue of IPMBA News.