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REI Switchback Gloves

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The REI Switchback gloves are built tough to keep hands dry and warm while skiing couloirs and climbing peaks in the North Cascades and beyond.

Waterproof, breathable REI Elements inserts keep hands dry while backcountry skiing, traversing glaciers and playing in the snow
Removable fleece liners keep hands warm in winter; wear just the liner gloves for jobs requiring greater dexterity
Grippy palms handle ice tools and ski poles with ease
Wrist cinches and gauntlet closures are easy to operate with 1 hand
Removable leashes secure the REI Switchback gloves to your wrists

Imported.

Item 801671

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REI Switchback Gloves Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews

REI Switchback Gloves

3.3

(based on 7 reviews)

57%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

Windproof (7)
Good grip (6)
Waterproof (6)
Durable (5)
Warm (4)

Cons

Not warm (4)

Best Uses

Backcountry (5)
Hiking (3)

- Sizing:
- Feels too small
  
  Feels true to size
  
  86%
  (6 reviews)
  Feels too large

- Gear Usage:
- Winter sports (6), Cold weather living (5)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (6)

Reviewed by 7 customers

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Displaying reviews 1-7

Nov

2011

4.0

Hidden gem...

By DFullMonty

from Central Pa

About Me Advanced

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Good Grip
Stylish
Warm
Waterproof
Windproof

Cons

Not Warm
Poor Fit

Best Uses

Backcountry
Casual Wear
Driving
Hiking/Running
Ice climbing
Mountaineering
Snow Sports
Working Outdoors

Comments about REI Switchback Gloves:

The fit is well but I expected the XL to have some extra room. It'd be great if they had an XXL size.

They perform well in winter as a shell but the liners that come with them are not rated for extremes temperatures. I spent 5 days in Lake Placid last season and temps reached -7*F. The gloves performance was excellent while backpacking and ice climbing but there were times that I wish I had a warmer pair of liners.

So, even though I mentioned poor fit and not warm as cons, that's just a personal preference in fit and my experience exposed to really cold weather.

The gloves are really a bargain and you should buy them unless you have big hands and need some extra room for thicker liners while venturing to extreme temperatures.

Comment on this review

Sep

2011

2.0

Disappointing Below 20 degrees

By Carolina Blue

from Salt Lake City, Utah

About Me Expert

See all my reviews

Pros

Dries Quickly
Waterproof
Windproof

Cons

Not Warm

Best Uses

Casual Wear

Comments about REI Switchback Gloves:

When I first bought these last winter, I was greatly impressed. Make no mistake about it, they are water-proof. Right after I bought these, I rode my bike for an hour to work in cold rainy conditions, and my hands were the only dry part of my body. Even during the beginning of winter, they were great. In blizzard conditions, my hands were quite warm and dry. The tightening system works wonderful around the wrists. But then came the heart of winter, and these gloves broke my heart. If you are going to use these in anything under around 25 degrees, your hands will be cold for a while. eventually, they will heat up within 30-45 minutes. If the temperature is in single digits to high teens, forget about it. Your fingers will feel like they are freezing. Maybe I expected more from these gloves than I should of and another note is that I started from a low heat condition early in the morning, so I'm sure that has something to do with it. But still, I need gloves to perform, and in extreme cold, these did not.

Another note of interest is if you expect to be able to use the inner glove quite often without the shell, eventually, this will become so difficult that you will just buy a separate glove. At first, it worked fine, taking the liner out when the temperatures rose, and replacing it in the evening when it became colder... but eventually, the shell glove was pulled inside out as you remove the liner, and its insanely hard to reverse this .... especially if it happens while you are hiking in cold conditions and your fingers freeze up quick.

Also, i didn't wash them all winter because i was scared too, but eventually, they became so nasty that i gave in. I let them air dry, and I discovered that my right glove was no longer waterproof AT ALL. Somehow, there was an extremely small hole in my thumb somewhere, and it allowed the liner glove to become soaked in snowy conditions quite fast. My left glove also seemed to let a little moisture in, but not too bad. It was towards the end of winter, so i didn't really mind that much .... but if you want warm hands in extreme conditions, this is not the glove. If your winter is mild, then its fine within 25-40 degrees. I would only buy these again if I was strapped for cash, because they are (or were) truly waterproof for most of the winter, and a lot of gloves claim to be waterproof but are not.

Comment on this review

Mar

2011

(3 of 5 customers found this review helpful)

2.0

Not as good as they once were!

By Bullet proof Canuck

from Spokane WA

About Me Professional

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Good Grip
Waterproof
Windproof

Cons

Not Warm

Best Uses

Comments about REI Switchback Gloves:

I have a pair of the older model of Switchbacks and they were great for years, but I ski 2-3 days a week, both on resort and AT.
The newer model is poorly insulated, and the inner liner is no longer held in place with velcro.
The draw cords are very difficult to pull through, to the point on the first days usage the cord was breaking down.
The water proof nature of the glove was difficult to assess, because I took them back after 1 days usage.
Honestly they took a great pair of gloves and took them down a bunch, not worth the cash. I wish they would have left as they were.

Comment on this review

Feb

2011

2.0

Cold hands, inner liners need work

By flaxin

from Quincy. MA

About Me Advanced

See all my reviews

Pros

Adjustability
Dries Quickly
Durable
Good Grip
Stylish
Waterproof
Well thought out design
Windproof

Cons

Not Warm
Poor inner liner

Best Uses

Backcountry

Comments about REI Switchback Gloves:

I used these gloves this past weekend snowshoeing in the backcountry around Franconia Notch, NH. the outer shells are of a slylish and formfitting design with a handy adjustable cord for cinching down around the wrist. The large cuffs fit nicely around my jacket cuffs.
Unfortunately the gloves were a complete disappointment in two categories. The first was heat retention. I was disappointed how quickly (20 minutes) my fingers felt cold and it never got better. The outer glove has too little insulation around each finger and the inner liner offers practily zero additional insulation.
The second area of disappointment, was the inner liner. The fabric was too thin and too flimsy. It would constantly get cuaght up in the outshell when trying to separate them to do fine motor skill tasks. when I finally got them separated and the inner liners put back on my freezing hands, the inner liners fabric stuck to everything. I had bits of branches and snow stuck to my glove that took too many wipes to get mostly removed. The inner liner needs to be redesigned. I returned the gloves. I have bought previous REI designed 2-part glove systems and loved them. This model was not a step forward.

Comment on this review

Feb

2011

4.0

Good gloves, but far from perfect...

By PeakbaggingPeter

from Seattle, WA

About Me Expert

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Good Grip
Warm
Waterproof
Windproof

Cons

Elastic cord freezes
Liners turn inside out

Best Uses

Backcountry
Hiking/Running
Skiing

Comments about REI Switchback Gloves:

I have last years model and I have been generally very pleased with the switchback's performance. However, the inner micro-fleece liner has the annoying tendency to pull out of the finger holes every time the fleece liner gloves are taken out for drying. This makes putting the liners back in a royal pain because each finger needs to be re-aligned, a process which is plain annoying. I sincerely hope that REI has fixed this issue because it prevents these gloves from being a true competitor with much more expensive gloves. Also, I have had an issue with the elastic shock cords on the gauntlet freezing and seizing up. These issues aside, these gloves are a great value and very comfortable in temperatures down to the upper teens. The long gauntlet is great for skiing in deep snow and I have never gotten snow inside accidentally.

Comment on this review

Jan

2011

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Solid, versatile glove

By Jesse

from Indianapolis, IN

About Me Competitive Athlete

See all my reviews

Pros

Good Grip
Warm
Windproof

Cons

Best Uses

Backcountry
Cycling
Mountaineering
Skiing

Comments about REI Switchback Gloves:

I have an old version of these gloves, maybe from around 2006. I lost one of them, and just recently got the newest version as a gift. The design is GREATLY improved. I like to see REI making continuous improvement on their products. These are warmer and feel more durable (although I can't speak to long term durability yet). The liner gloves are 10x better in terms of quality and fit. The shell palm/finger material is also nice and grippy. One of the good features REI has chosen to keep is the soft thumb backs for wiping your nose - THANK YOU! They did do away with the goggle wipe, which wasn't all that useful any way in my opinion. The gauntlets on these gloves are quite long, which I like because it offers a bit more protection against wind and snow getting down to your hands. I rode my bike with them tonight for 2 hours in 20-25F temps and light snow, and they kept my hands warm and dry even when going at a pretty good clip into the wind. I can't speak yet to their longevity, waterproofness, or durability, so please keep that in mind when reading my review of pros and cons.

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Jan

2011

5.0

Getting better with age!

By Bob Loblaw

from Denver

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Good Grip
Stylish
Warm
Waterproof
Windproof

Cons

Best Uses

Backcountry
Hiking/Running
Working Outdoors

Comments about REI Switchback Gloves:

I think they upgraded from the old Switchback and like a fine wine, these only get better. The wrist cinch is a cinch to work and hiking in 11,000 ft. trails in December in the Rockies, my hands felt like a furnace. They look cool, keep fingers and hands warm, and hot darn, the price is right!