Manzella Men's Silkweight Windstopper Glove

I bought these for mountaineering use as a liner for gloves and mitts. As a liner I need two things - a light layer of insulation for added warmth, and something to keep my hands from freezing when I have to remove outer gloves or mitts to do things requiring dexterity.

Before I found the Manzellas, I was using wool or Coolmax liner gloves, which are good insulators and do the first part of the job well, but are not great when you take off the outer layer, as the wind blows right through, and they get wet very quickly in snow. The only other windproof gloves I have found are much thicker and do not work as liners.

The Manzellas are like a silk weight softshell, and superior for this use to any other liners I have tried as they are: 1) the thinest, 2) are windproof, 3) are slightly moisture resistant (snow), and 4) dry superfast. Grippy stuff is also unique, but not an essential.

I have found they are also great for running and high aerobic conditions in cool weather (25 degrees and above). I also often wear them as a liner doubled up under a thicker softshell gloves like Black Diamond's windstoppers, which keeps me good down to around 10 degrees or so if I'm moving.

Here is what they are not. They are not thick, so not super warm. They are windproof - but not waterproof, however, they do shed dry snow like we get in Colorado fairly well, up to a point. They are not work gloves, and are not super durable. That said, I have worn them two seasons, and have abused them pretty badly. I once made the mistake of rappeling wearing these - smelled like they were about to start smoking from the rope friction. So not good belay or rappel gloves. Rock scrambling is also a bit hard on them. I think this kind of stuff is beyond their intended use, so no complaints that the grippy stuff is wearing (or burned off), or that there are a few holes in the outer layer.

Would give these five stars except one fit issue. There is a sewn on elastic band at the wrist, which is too tight for me (I am a skinny guy and wear XL). Tight on the wrist is not good, as it restricts blood flow making your hands cold. It is really unnecessary to the glove's function. So I took a seam ripper and removed it on the carpel tunnel side. Now they are fine.

Definitely got my money's worth out of these gloves and use them a lot. I do reccommend them to friends.

I've had these for over a year, so I figured by now I have enough experience to write a review on them.

Put simply, I needed gloves light enough to push buttons on my Canon 40D dSLR while shooting out in cold. By cold I mean South Bend, IN cold where I went to school. Winter temperatures range from -20 to 30 degrees out there.

How have they performed? Very well. I didn't expect them to be able to keep my hands warm in temperatures from -20 to, say, 20 degrees, but here's the problem: you can't push any buttons on a camera with heavy gloves and you can only have your hands out for a few seconds at below zero. Once you reach about 20 degrees, these gloves will keep your hands warm for a decent amount of time but you'll have to shove your hands in your pockets after awhile.

I've recently been using them on shorter snowshoeing hikes lasting 2-3 hours in temperatures in the 30s. This is where they shine. I just got back from a hike on Snow Lake Trail (Snoqualmie Pass, WA) that took about 4 hours. It was about 35 degrees or so. They were warm enough that I never had to stick my hands in my pockets or opt for thicker gloves I had with me. I had to cross a frozen waterfall which required me to brace myself against the wall of the falls that had running water on it. Gloves got slightly wet but my hands stayed dry. Just be careful - if you start digging up snow with these, they'll get really wet. They are not waterproof.

As for durability, after a year of 40-50 uses, the grip on the pointer, middle finger and thumb is completely gone on both gloves. I see that these fingers have grips in the picture but I can't remember if my gloves had them originally. Honestly I haven't seen a problem with the grips coming off. I can't tighten/loosen my telescopic hiking poles with these gloves, maybe it's due to the grip coming off. Anyway, the palm grip is mostly intact. Some of the seams at the base of the glove (wrist area) are coming loose, with random stitches sticking out.

I was going to give it four stars but after thinking, these gloves really have been everything I wanted them to be.

I would like to start off by first saying if you purchase these gloves knowing they are water resistant, then understand if you wear them while swimming hands may get wet.... That being said I have been looking for a pair of lightweight gloves for backpacking and hiking because I was sick of bulky gloves getting in the way. I did not originally purchase these to use in snowy conditions, but after using them and abusing them all spring, and summer, as winter approached I figured... Y not? So now I am on my second year with these gloves and no issues, tears, or wearing out like others have reported. I do everything in them from chopping wood, bushwhacking, camping, snowshoeing, hiking, working outside in cold, and pretty much anytime I need them for insulation. I have even used them for cooking while in the backcountry so I would not burn my hands. These are great gloves. During my normal life I use them for running and training outside when wind or temperatures decide to go against me. They are extremely easy to put in a pocket and because they are not bulky and breathable they do not cause you to feel like they are holding you back or weighing you down. I have used them in rain and snow and found that if you do not submerge and you are active, they will usually stay 90% dry. The only time it became an issue was during an ice-fishing outing when I was handling fish and they started to not block water anymore, however 10 minutes over a fire and bam... dry! Friends of mine have used these for soccer, running, and for working with ropes.

i got these because i was looking for something that i wouldn't have to take off whenever i needed to fiddle with the controls on my slr.

these are awesome. if they were waterproof, they would be phenomenal, however i haven't had any issues with them getting soaked in moderate rain.

these gloves are so thin and snug, i have absolutely no problems adjusting any of the controls/switches on my camera - i honestly forget i have them on sometimes.

they're also very, very warm considering how thin the material is and the windstopper is a lifesaver.

if it's really cold/wet, you could easily wear them under something more substantial, but i've never had to.

again, if you are a outdoor photographer and are looking for the perfect glove, these are it.

the only issue i have with these gloves is that the pinky is a tad too short on both gloves - not nearly enough of a problem to consider a different glove though.

i could have obviously gone with the larger size, but then i'd have extra material at each of the other fingertips which would kind of defeat the purposes. i don't know anyone who adjusts their shutter speed with their pinky anyway.

I bought these for use as glove liners for a high altitude hiking trip. To my surprise, I was able to just use these and leave my gloves in my pack until the temps dropped below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. I've since used them while skiing, working out in the yard and just walking around town. I find them to be warm, comfortable and stylish. There's not much that I can bare-handed that I can't do with these on (one notable exception being using a touchscreen device). I can even accurately type out messages on my BlackBerry.

My only issue with these gloves is that they started to wear out quickly. The fingertips started fraying after a solid season of use. But aside from not looking as nice, they still kept my hands warm. When I lost one glove to a NYC snow pile, I replaced them with another brand when I couldn't find these. I liked the new gloves, but they just don't compare to the Manzella's, so I'm back on this site to buy a new pair.

Let me begin by saying I am an absolute furnace when skiing. I was looking for a very thin, uninsulated glove to use because I would sweat instantly in anything insulated. These fit the bill perfectly.

The fitting seems to run a bit small. I have XL and XXL would probably fit a little better. I normally wear L or XL.

They are very windproof (feel nothing riding my bike in 15 degrees going 30 mph, or skiing fast in 5 degrees with wind on top), and seem to be pretty darn waterproof as well. With my hot hands inside and snow falling on them, not a bit has soaked in.

The grippy stuff on the palms does wear off quickly, but it's not like it really did anything to begin with.

Highly recommend! Albeit for most people the use won't be skiing.

The best cold weather gloves I have ever owned. I use these almost to the complete exclusion of other gloves. Although they have little insulation, they protect against wind incredibly well, and the fit is perfect. I can tie and untie knots, attache and remove skis, shoot a rifle, and put up or take down a tent in high winds in these gloves. If I'm at all active, they keep my hands warm down into the teens. If you sit still, or if it is colder than 12 degrees F or so, you will of course need something else. But these are surprisingly versatile. The most amazing thing is the dexterity they allow, which for me greatly reduces how often I have to take them off.

These are the best gloves I have ever owned. They fit perfectly and allow for almost complete function of the hands. They have seen fairly hard use through two Wisconsin winters and are worn, but still very useable. It is time for a new pair, but am completely satisfied with how they have held up. My hands don't get cold easily, so these gloves have been ideal for almost all winter activities. The fact that I am buying these gloves a 2nd time without thinking twice about it, speaks for my satisfaction. I'm cutting the fingertips off of my old pair to make them into a perfect cold weather fly fishing glove.

Ageing creates challenges, and one of mine is dry skin. Humidity is usually low where I live, so what to do in our great outdoors ? WEAR THESE GLOVES! I can and do wear them on warm days, and even indoors, and they really do the trick. The fit and grip is superb. Can do just about everything with the gloves on. I just typed this entire review with the gloves on.
Only one suggestion for improvement >>> put them on sale more often so I can buy more !

I have had a pair of these for six years and they are still going strong. I use them as a wind proof liner in fleece gloves. I use them for hiking, shoveling snow, snow shoeing, walking the dog; pretty much everything outdoors in the winter. My hands stay plenty warm and breath to wick away moisture. I rarely use them by them self but when I do, its usually above 30 and are great. Bulky gloves are a thing of the past.