Mountain Hardwear and Manzella Running Glove Reviews
December 17, 2010 by Bryon Powell · 12 Comments
Winter’s here, so we thought we’d share a couple of our favorite gloves with you. Bryon Powell starts off by sharing his favorite running glove, the Mountain Hardwear Momentum Running Glove, which is perfect for all but extremely cold runs. Allison Pattillo follows up with her take on the extremely warm Manzella Windstopper Hatchback glove. If you’re looking for even more running glove reviews, we reviewed a set of five running gloves last winter.
Mountain Hardwear Momentum Running Glove ($35) – Bryon
Despite my extensive gear habit, I usually ran in $3 cotton gloves. That is, until I found the Mountain Hardwear Momentum Running Gloves. Now, these are my go to gloves for all but the coldest of runs. Why? Because of a splendid dichotomy. What first drew me to these gloves is their simplicity. They’re thin, single-layer gloves that are quite comfortable. They’re not weighed down with pockets, convertible shells, or unnecessary insulation that would be needed for non-running specific gloves. On the other hand, a handful of technological embellishments raise these gloves to another level without negating their simplicity. For instance, the backs of your hand and three fingers are protected by a windproof shell that’s lined with comfy fleece. The backs of your thumb and index finger are covered in an ultra soft fabric perfectly designed for wiping your nose. A few other details worth mentioning are the reflective designs on both gloves, small clips that hold the gloves together when you’re not wearing them, and, after a year with the gloves, I just learned today that there’s a small “trap door” in the side of the index finger that makes it easy to operate touch screen electronics.
In colder weather or when it’s snowing (or I’m likely to fall in powdery Utah snow), I sometimes pair up my Momentum Running gloves with Mountain Hardwear’s waterproof Epic Gloves
Manzella Windstopper Hatchback ($30) – Allison
The Manzella Windstopper Hatchback Gloves
Call for Comments
What are your favorite winter running gloves? Anyone living in a cold enough climate for two hand layers? If so, tell us about your set up!
[Disclosure: The items reviewed above were provided by their respective companies for testing. Also, links above to Amazon.com are part of an affiliate program that helps support iRunFar.com.]
Related articles:
- Running Gloves (and Mittens) Reviewed A review of running gloves that includes SmartWool Glove Liners, Brooks Pulse Lite Gloves, Loki Liner Gloves, Burton Polartec Power Stretch Gloves and 180s Ultralite CRG....
- Find Flexible Warmth with Transition Running Apparel Reviews of multi-season running outerwear, including GoLite Black Mountain Thermal Wind Jacket, Mountain Hardwear Transition Jacket, Patagonia Traverse Jacket, Outdoor Research Vert Pants and The North Face Windstopper® Hybrid Tight....
- Mountain Hardwear Way2Cool Tank Review A review of the Mountain Hardwear Way2Cool Tank....
Filed under Apparel, Non-Gear Girl ·
Bryon Powell is the Editor-in-Chief of iRunFar.com, which he founded five years ago. Also the author of Relentless Forward Progress: A Guide to Running Ultramarathons and a contributing editor at Trail Runner magazine, he's quickly approaching 10 years as an ultrarunner and 20 years as a trail runner. These days he calls Park City, Utah and its trails home.
All posts by Bryon Powell
i wear a cheap pair of those cotton gloves underneath a pair of harbinger snowboarding gloves. sometimes if it’s not too windy i’ll wear a pair of thick wool “glittens” over the cotton cheap-os. either way, the wind and temps right now (windchill -10 last night) really requires two layers…but i’m curious now about those manzellas.
I’ve had great success putting a pair of Sugoi Windstopper mittens over a pair of Brooks running gloves. It’s working incredibly well so far, and my hands are huge wimps when it comes to the cold. No more standing outside for 20 minutes post-run because my fingers won’t function anymore…thank goodness.
Perfect timing! I’ve been searching for a pair of gloves to replace an old pair of cannondale gloves I’ve been using for the last few years that just aren’t cutting it anymore. Those Mt Hardwear gloves sound perfect! (No link for those? Found them on Altrec but would rather support iRunFar on amazon if it’s a possibility).
Kevin,
There should be an Amazon box next to the Mountain Hardwear review… click on that and you can support iRunFar. If you can’t see that, click on the Amazon link in the righthand sidebar, search for “Mountain Hardwear Momentum gloves,” and buy ‘em to support iRunFar. Thanks for think of us!
BTW, these are my go to gloves that I wear for pretty much every run above 10 degrees F. At 10F or below, I’d suggest a second layer or warmer gloves.
Awesome, I see it now. I was using Google reader and the box didn’t show up there. I’m in the DC/Metro region here so these are likely perfect for the majority of my runs. I have a pair of wind block mittens my Dad used for years that I pair with a lighter set of gloves on the super cold days. They will likely pair great with these on any colder runs this winter for me.
Thanks again Bryon.
Altrec is the best company I have ever used. They provide full satisfaction guaranteed and are very helpful with any questions.
My hands are definitely the first thing that go on me. I have a pair of the Manzella from last year and when it gets to a certain temp, they don’t work, even with the mits. At least for me. I’ve graduated to a thicker pair and have added $.50 hand warmers. Now those are worth every penny. I refuse to run inside regardless of the temp.
If anyone’s in the UK, pick yourself up a pair of the run365 gloves. Prob not good for super cold conditions, but they are light, just about right on warmth, have an integrated key pocket in the palm (would probably work for a gel, but I’m not sure why you’d want to carry one there), and nose wiping material on the back of the thumb. The best part: ~ $12US.
Amazon is sold out of the Manzilla’s. I have a pair of lightweight nike’s and a heavy pair of REI gloves that I’ve been using, but I’ve been thinking about upgrading.
I’ve been using the Home Depot cheapo cotton gloves, but for runs longer than a couple of hours, these just are not enough, particularly if it is windy. Thanks for the reviews. I will use your amazon link and try a pair of the Mountain Hardwear gloves.
Running in the mid-atlantic means cold, humid air all winter long (and much of fall and early spring, for that matter). I’ve lost cout of the gloves I’ve tried over the years, including everything from hardware store cheapies to waterproof/breathable sport-specific offerings. They either soaked up moisture and left my hands colder than if I’d gone without or had to be ditched a mile into the run because they were too warm or not actually the slightest bit breathable. This past spring I picked up a pair of the Momentums and don’t expect to spend any more $ on gloves unless it’s to get a back-up pair of the same. Even on frigid days, the wind protection and “just enough” fleece is all the coverage I need for aerobic activity. The low-profile design and lightweight fabrics allow me to wear them in mild or cool weather when all that’s needed is a barrier between skin and air. Great stuff.
It’s hard to get a better testimonial than that! Glad you love the Momentums, Leon.