Five GT1 Evo GTX gloves in black

Despite its relatively light weight, the Five GT1 Evo is a winter glove. The insulating material it incorporates is top of the line.

 

The glove's upper is a mix of a textile material that Five calls Syntec Skin that you would never know wasn't leather. This is supplemented by a stretchy, Neoprene-style fabric that undoubtedly adds to how the glove wears, and the comfort it delivers.

 

The palm is full-grain goat hide, on top of which there's a panel of digi-leather for better grip on the bars.

 

To aid finger articulation you get concertina banding on three of the fingers and on the thumb.

 

In terms of impact protection you get D30 gel pads in the main knuckle, on three of the minor knuckles, behind the knuckle protector, at the base of the thumb and on the cuff. The covering material on the main and minor knuckles is subtly reflective. There's a bit on the cuff too.

 

At the hypothenar there's a panel of full-fat SuperFabric. This makes for a palm slider, not a scaphoid protector.

 

Another couple of details. You get a monster visor wiper on the left hand. Whilst the index finger and thumb are touchscreen sensitive.

 

There are two systems for fastening the wrist. There's a Velcro wrist strap, and there's a Velcro flap on the cuff. There's also a zip on the top of the cuff. This isn't about making the glove easier to get into. It's there to enable you to open the aperture a little to allow the glove to be worn over the sleeve of a jacket.

 

Now normally on a waterproof glove like this one would expect the cuff to go inside the jacket's cuff to prevent water running down the jacket's sleeve and into the glove. But there may be times, perhaps when rain is not anticipated, and there may be jackets, where it's just easier to wear the glove on the outside. And that's what the zip's there for.

 

Almost by definition a winter glove will be a waterproof one. And so it's good to know that the membrane in the GT1 Evo comes from Gore. What's more it's a fully laminated, Gore-grip membrane that means that this is a glove that should never wet out. Of course, as the membrane is a Gore-Tex one, waterproofing is guaranteed for life. And this is a guarantee that stands up. If you're convinced your gloves leak, send them to Gore. They'll test them, and if they do, they'll send you a cheque or a new pair. It really is that simple.

 

All of which brings us finally to the glove's thermal properties.

 

Basically, what Five has done is use just about the most high-tech insulation materials on the market in order to try and deliver proper, winter warmth in a package that feels more like a summer-waterproof glove than a winter one.

 

The starting point is 80 gsm Primaloft Gold. 80 gsm is the weight of Primaloft per square meter. You can get heavier weights, but when you do this in a glove you rapidly start to lose feel.

 

There are three grades of Primaloft: Black, Silver and Gold. This glove uses Primaloft Gold, but there's more tech. for the real anoraks out there. The insulating material in the GT1 Evo is what is known as 'Cross Core', and what that means is that the Primaloft is fused with other fibres; in this case something known as Aerogel that was developed by NASA. Aerogel is the lightest solid material known to man, and one of the world's most efficient insulators. 

 

With the GT1 Evo Five has delivered a glove with a near unbeatable balance of warmth to feel. That is where thes gloves win. You probably won't find a glove that performs to this level that is so easy to wear.

 

But let me put a caveat in here. For what it delivers the GT1 Evo is, in my opinion, extraordinary, but it will still never be slipper-like to wear. The insulation may deliver amazing levels of warmth for the weight, but it's still 80 gsm, and that's not nothing. And then there's all the D3O. I've never seen so much of it in a glove. Then there's the laminated membrane that will always make a glove a little stiffer. Throw in some SuperFabric, a super-long, visor wipe and secondary layers of leather, and you have to accept that this is a glove of many moving parts.

 

And I say this because I want manage expectations. Yes I think that, overall, this is a great glove. But some people will want something more comfortable. And that's fine, but that glove simply won't be as warm as this one.