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Winter Gloves

2K views 11 replies 4 participants last post by  QRO 
#1 ·
First up, let me state that as I’ve gotten older, my cold weather tolerance has gotten very low. Living in Northern California with our generally mild weather and insane hot summers coupled with many deployments to the Middle East, I get cold under 50 F.

I haven’t spent much time riding in the cold in the last 20 years or so. Until very recently I didn’t own any electric heated garments. Then I got a mobile warning vest and riding to work got a whole lot more comfortable.

That experience got me thinking about heated gloves of the same type. After some research I found a pair from a German company called Orina on FC Moto. Never heard of them before and while I know about FC Moto, I had no experience buying with them.


Last Friday night I finally decided to pull the trigger and I placed an order for a pair of Orina Tesla gloves. All I can say is, if you are in the US and have concerns about shipping etc… zero to worry about.
Sports gear Glove Sports equipment Safety glove Sleeve


I got a shipping confirmation Monday that my gloves shipped with DHL. Went to dinner tonight and was notified the gloves were on my door step! Really, 3 days from Germany? That’s AMAZING. I’ve ordered from companies in the US just ONE state away and had to wait a week. So huge thumbs up to FC Moto and DHL.

Unboxed the gloves tonight. Installed the battery packs and tested the warming feature. They get bloody warm in no time flat. Honestly, they’re warm even without the warming feature on. The only caveat is, the charger has a German plug on it.

Not as big an issue for those of us in North America as you might think though. I checked the charger specs and it’s 100-220VAC. So really, just need an adapter….which I found on Amazon @ just $7.95 for a 3 pack. Should be here Friday according to Amazon.

Full ride report to follow.
 
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#2 ·
They look great! So the battery is in the cuff of the glove? You plug them in to recharge? I tried clicking on the link but it wouldn't open - not an indication the link is bad, more likely an indication I am at work on the corporate network where you can't even delete some shortcuts from your desk top.
 
#3 ·
Link should work….it works from my work computer!
Yes, battery in the cuff of each glove. And yes, the charger has a split cord. Each battery gets plugged in to charge. Rode to work this morning with them and was toasty warm all the way in.

Has kind of a neat effect as your fingers cool off when wrapped around the grips….but as soon as you reach for a lever a blast of warm air shoots down to your finger tips. It was 32F or so this morning….ice all over the cars in my neighborhood.
 
#4 · (Edited)
More follow up. My US adapters from Amazon arrived today so here’s a quick rundown on the battery side of the equation:
Charger pics:
Wood Cable Font Electrical wiring Ac adapter

With the US adapter (srsly $7.49 from Amazon)
Rectangle Wood Art Automotive exterior Font

This is possible because the charger is rated for a voltage range from 100-220 VAC.
Audio equipment Material property Gas Ac adapter Electronic device

tThe batteries are in the cuff of the glove on the palm side, and have a Velcro enclosed pocket:
Product Bag Luggage and bags Textile Sleeve


The charger has a “Y” split to charge both batteries simultaneously
Font Electrical wiring Cable Gas Wire

The adapters make it possible to charge the batteries even though the plug is German/European. Seems in this day and age, a USB plug of some sort would be an option.

If you are in North America and are looking at these as potential candidates for your winter gloves the price; even with shipping is still better than any price I found from US vendors. The adapter will be required though they’re cheap enough.

As it is though, these gloves rock at temps around 32F/0C. I rode home in higher temps, up around the high 50s and even with the heat off, my hands were getting sweaty by the time I got home.

The palm side is fairly thin but for me, they still take a little getting used to. I gotta say they work fine in spite of that….and the little finger is too long.😂
I don’t find them too bulky either which is also a plus.
 
#5 ·
How do the fingers articulate ? Every glove I’ve tried that was thicker or had battery type warmers sucked in traffic where you are constantly covering clutch/brake. I’ve used mechanic type rubber gloves and regular leathers gloves over. I’ve been riding in low 40’s and yeah that’s cold for me
 
#7 ·
I think your computer probably has some cookies that make sense of the link.

Try this;


I also put an offer on some ebay items decided that was the thing to do but those went to someone else.

I'm on the fence about non-leather gloves, but was going to do what I have now, I have a pair of kevlar reinforced lightweight gloves I have had for years, then put another pair of large leather gloves over them as I have quite small hands. Was planning to do the same with 'large' heated gloves.
 
#8 ·
I don’t think that’s necessary with these gloves. The exterior materials used are all very abrasion resistant and there are sliders on the heels of both palms.

Discovered another feature I’d missed as well. There is a shield wiper squeegee on the forefinger of the left glove.! How useful is that?
 
#10 ·
After a few weeks riding to work in these gloves they are now well broken in. I find that in temps over around 43-44F I don’t even need the heaters.

In the rain, they’re amazing. Not a bit of wet gets through. Doesn’t matter how fast you go either. (I’ve had rain penetrate a GORETEX membrane at speeds of 80 mph or greater…I can neither confirm nor deny where and/or when this occurred)

Really happy with them. Also, have not had to charge the batteries since the initial charge a day after I received them.
 
#11 · (Edited)
Update: finally had to charge the batteries on Thursday night. Rode to work in the AM….noted one glove was off about half way to work. Realized the battery was dead. Got to entry control and the other glove went dead.

That’s an entire month of riding without having to worry about charging the glove batteries after the initial charge. To keep some perspective, I ride for roughly 15-20 minutes each way and don’t require the heat in the evening every ride. Also, when using the heat I don’t always need high heat. Each of those factors prolongs the charge life.

If you are planning on touring where you need heat for hours, a set that uses onboard bike electric to run the heat might be a better choice for you. If you have multiple bikes and want to be able to swap between them seamlessly for shorter rides/commutes these gloves will work well for that.

Also, if your temps are not in the freezing range or below, these gloves are actually good without the heat above around 40F. Water proofing is good and works well.

Wear the gauntlet UNDER your jacket sleeves and no water will get in. Over the sleeves to keep out the cold seems to work best for me. Water will get past the gauntlets if worn over the sleeves though.

I’ve not had to test the knuckle protection. I am glad it’s there though and don’t worry about rocks or wheel weights being flung off the car in front of me.

All in all, for my needs and reasons for buying these gloves are 10/10.
 
#12 ·
Well, I decided to get some heated gloves in the end, after these deliberations last year.

I wanted KP2 armoured, but they are like rocking-horse shit. Why?

I bought yesterday, arrived today, RST Paragon 6. KP1. Single velcro strap.

I opted 'medium' based on the size guide on the page, which, after ordering, I later deduced was a completely different size to what RST themselves say. Their 'S' is everyone else's 'M'.

There is an actual store to this vendor nearby I will ride out tomorrow if it is sunny, which it was today. In fact, I did set off to go there today, but it was already gone 2PM, would take 3 hrs, and it's dark here by 4. So I turned back and figured I'd do it tomorrow.

By being in store, I can make sure 'S' fit, or even 'XS' who knows. The M did not feel massively bulky tbh but the fingers were too long, I'd really struggle with the indicator! That is a minimum requirement.

So based on a sample size of 'one', I'd punt to go down a size if you order RST gloves online.

Like the poster above, I really want and feel a need for maximum dexterity, which is a massive issue with winter gloves, especially if they are stuffed with heating elements. I'm hopeful, the M felt acceptable (given it was too big for me but still not too bad).

Major reason, for me, for wanting smaller is that there is only one small velcro tab. Really, should be double velcro on any long sleeve. Only one tab is also what I got with the Knox Oulton I bought a while back, those are M but don't come off that easily given a tug. These did not hold on well, smaller will be tighter strap.

I mean, this is like wearing a helmet and leaving the strap undone, and yeah people do that! I reckon if you can pull a glove off with the other hand (when strapped), it's really no where near good enough. As if dragging along the road will be less than you pulling it? No chance.

Brings me on to a topic I mention every so often, how to fall off a bike. Yeah, OK, call me a bit obsessed with that if you like, but it got me thinking. If you are clearly going to exit your bike, holding on to the bars is going to be dumb, so I think let go if you have time and awareness enough to do that. Not saying I would, but just working the mind experiment.

Now, what to do with your hands? Clenched fist held into the armpits, which will keep the glove on the hand and avoid broken fingers if your arms start flailing, but may increase risk of broken knuckles, or flat hand against the chest?

I saw a video the other day where a guy low-sides and doesn't put his hands out. I don't know if that was intentional or just so quick he didn't even have reaction time enough. Anyway, it was sort of comic to watch because he did a rag-doll face flat-first into the tarmac. I guess that is the instinct to put your hands out, so you don't do a head dive into the floor, but that's what the helmet is for, right? He was concussed for sure, but stood up again almost straight away, if not a bit wobbly. I recon he avoided all broken bones, though.

Best we land head first, else we might injure something important that we use? :D

Sorry for that diversion. Anyway, will go check out the smaller size RST Paragon tomorrow, looking quite reasonable, and it was a good price too I think. It seems to actually be 'end of season' and cheap heated gloves around, people have already bought them if they wanted to get some, I guess? I'd have preferred better protection ratings for it, though. The only one with full armour and KP2 is the Keis gloves, don't even include a battery, so a full twice the price, with. Question on those is how much that armour gets in the way, will all add to reduced dexterity. I will try on those in the store too, just to see, who knows maybe I decide it's a safety importance to splash out

I'll report back on the other gloves they have.
 
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