Metolius  Belay Gloves

I feel compelled to write a review to balance some of the negative reviews I see here. I've had the same pair of Metolius full finger belay gloves for something like 5-8 years now and put in probably ~800 pitches of belaying in, plus probably 50-100 rappels, and they are just now finally exceeding their useful life. These things are TOUGH! They are the first and only belay glove I've ever purchased because they have so much longevity. Meanwhile, I've seen friends and partners go through several pairs of lesser gloves. I've never found these to be too stiff/bulky/uncomfortable at all. The leather is supple and breaks in well over time. I could see them feeling too stiff if you don't size them correctly though (i.e. you buy too small). They are also offer some mild warmth and good wind protection for those cold mornings or days. As long as they stay dry, these will keep your hands warm enough down to probably the mid- or upper-30's. On long multi-pitch days or multi-days, I often won't bring traditional gloves if I know it will be dry and not colder than that. Best gloves out there!

I feel compelled to write a review to balance some of the negative reviews I see here. I've had the same pair of Metolius full finger belay gloves for something like 5-8 years now and put in probably ~800 pitches of belaying in, plus probably 50-100 rappels, and they are just now finally exceeding their useful life. These things are TOUGH! They are the first and only belay glove I've ever purchased because they have so much longevity. Meanwhile, I've seen friends and partners go through several pairs of lesser gloves. I've never found these to be too stiff/bulky/uncomfortable at all. The leather is supple and breaks in well over time. I could see them feeling too stiff if you don't size them correctly though (i.e. you buy too small). They are also offer some mild warmth and good wind protection for those cold mornings or days. As long as they stay dry, these will keep your hands warm enough down to probably the mid- or upper-30's. On long multi-pitch days or multi-days, I often won't bring traditional gloves if I know it will be dry and not colder than that. Best gloves out there!

I use these for repelling in canyons and they are the best. I know some review on these gloves are low, but if you are looking for repelling gloves, these are a 5/5. This will be my second pair in several years. I think they perform a ton better than the Petzel gloves in a repelling application. I agree with the other reviews that these gloves are too stout for standard belaying.

Homies croaked on their second day at the crag. The Velcro pad ripped off when I loosened the strap.

These gloves may be perfectly fine for someone who will actually be doing beleying. But that's born me. I was looking for more of a work glove for backpacking, and these were way too stiff and uncomfortable. I imagine they are good if you're willing to put in the work breaking them in. I ended up instead with the OR Splitter Work Gloves instead, which were comfortable right out of the package.

I bought these to help shield my hands fro wind while belaying on the Grand Teton. They did not work out very well because they made belaying more difficult and did little to help against the wind.

These belay gloves were a little tight at first, despite the fact that I chose a size up from what their sizing chart suggested given my measurements. However, after I had worn them a few times, they loosened up and are now pretty comfortable, although I would definitely go an additional size up next time. The material seems high quality, and they've held up well so far.

This is the first item from REI that I really regret buying. They are hard,,,and have the seams incorrectly positioned inside!!!

Bought these bike riding, they work however a few months after using only for bike riding, the sticking started to come loose near my index and thumb. Not sure why these gloves started to come apart with light bike riding use. Also these gloves are not the warmest in the wind.

Awesome gloves, really soft and fit like... a glove! Aside from that, I never felt insecure handling the rope. Friction and dexterity are great on these. Also they seem really durable