MacWet Climatec long cuff gloves: review

Our reviewer liked these gloves despite them not being particularly durable

I love these gloves. The Aquatec material on the fingers and palms is thin enough that you can do jobs such as tacking up and adjusting girths without taking them off, which I find extremely useful. It also allows excellent feel on the reins, but still provides sufficient grip that you don’t find your reins slipping through your fingers. No grip is lost when the gloves get wet. This makes them ideal for wearing in all weather conditions.

The gloves are available in both long cuff and short cuff versions. The ones on test were the long cuff and I think this is very much a case of personal choice for the individual. It’s nice to have the choice. I normally prefer ‘short cuff’ gloves, where the fastening is on the back of the hand, but I didn’t find the long cuff bulky around my wrist either. The Velcro is reliable and doesn’t come undone until you want it to.

The ‘climatic’ version of these gloves has a thicker, fleece-lined material across the back of the hand. This makes them more suitable for use in colder temperatures. Due to the thin material elsewhere, I wouldn’t say they were ideal for very cold, wet winter weather, but they are ideal for hacking, schooling and competing in cool weather. There is also a version with a thinner Micromesh material on the back of the hand suitable for riding in warmer temperatures.

While these are my gloves of choice, I have to admit they are not the most hardwearing. This pair lasted around three months being used five times a week for about an hour each time before developing a hole on the inside of my third finger. I wonder whether a double thickness of Aquatec material in that area would improve how long the gloves last without impacting negatively on the flexibility and feel? However for me, the benefits in terms of improved feel down the rein and the ability to use my fingers for other tasks without having to remove the gloves outweighs the fact they need replacing fairly frequently.

These gloves are sold in traditional glove sizes (there is a size guide available on the MacWet website if you’re unsure which size you are) in a choice of brown, black, green or navy.