Columbia Whirlibird

£45

+ Innovative technology, good features, great price, women’s fit

- Plasticky-feel to interior, overly-long fingers

Columbia’s Whirlibird gloves have a shiny, silver, metallic-like interior lining– akin to an emergency foil blanket – that reflects back the body heat from your hands for a muchwelcomed temperature boost. Look closely and the lining features thousands of tiny silver dots, which collectively form the heat reflective technology Columbia calls OmniHeat. It’s a little tricky to objectively assess its performance without a control sample (ie the exact same gloves without the Omni-Heat lining), but the Whirlibirds certainly seem to provide a top-notch warmth-to-weight ratio. More warmth for less weight is Omni-Heat’s main benefit, after all. The silvery interior, however, has a slightly plasticky, sweatinducing feel to it, which some may deem a deal breaker. But for others the gloves will provide everything they need at a great price. There’s ample polyester insulation to keep your hands warm, the wrist and hem are adjustable for a fine-tuned fit, and the Omni-Tech waterproof and breathable construction does its job pretty well. You also get thumb nose wipes, long gauntlets and clips to secure the gloves together.

■ MEN’S SIZES S-XL ■ WOMEN’S SIZES XS-XL ■ WEIGHT 190g (men’s M)

Verdict

Gloves with innovative heat reflective technology and good all-round performance – but not the comfiest.