Rev'it "Tempest H2O" Winter Motorcycle
Gloves
by Rick K. for webBikeWorld.com.
More:
Summary: A match for the new Rev'it Infinity suit with many of
the same features.
Part 5 of a
9-part series.
Background
The Rev'it Tempest H2O gloves are new for 2009 and
they're
loaded with features that just happen to be a perfect match
for the
Rev'it Infinity
one-piece suit (review).
The Rev'it catalog
indicates that
the Tempest and the Rev'it "Genius" gloves are their
top of the line for 2009. Both glove types have similar
specifications, but the Genius is clearly the top
dog, with four whole pages in the 2009 catalog.
But other than the Genuis' double cuff system (one
under, one over), the specifications of both
gloves are similar.
This includes all the
latest Rev'it fabric technology, like the Schoeller NanoSphere
treatment (described
in our Rev'it Infinity review); Exkin air
and Phase Change Materials for insulation; the Hydratex membrane; Pittards Armortan
WR100X goat leather; SuperFabric covering the knuckle protector
and more.
Yep, there's even some
cow hide in there! Polyurethane coated, of
course.
We just finished a
review of the Rev'it Kelvin winter gloves and, you
might ask, what's the difference
between the Kelvin and the Tempest?
Other than some of the specifications, not much, as
far as we can tell.
Some motorcyclists may want the higher-spec (and more expensive)
Tempest gloves for their contrasting shades of
black and gray, a perfect match for the Infinity
suit. Me? Truth be told,
I'm rather partial to the Kelvin version myself.
Here's why...
Rev'it Tempest Glove
Fit
Much of what was said about the Kelvin gloves
regarding their fit can
be repeated for the Tempest gloves. However,
I've also worn both and think that the fingers and
the thumb in the Tempest
gloves have a slightly smaller length.
This may be due to a
manufacturing tolerance, or perhaps due a difference in liners
or construction, styling or materials.
It's a minor difference, but
the tip of my thumb does press against the end of the
glove thumb when I'm riding. The reason I think
this may have something to do with the liner is that I
also feel that the Tempest
gloves have slightly more bulk than the Kelvin gloves.
This seems to make a
difference after 40 minutes or so of riding in suburban
traffic. I can feel it in my right hand because
there seems to be more resistance in the Tempest gloves
when I'm stretching my hand to cover the lever, a
resistance I haven't noticed
when wearing the Kelvin gloves, so I thought it
should be mentioned.
The slight size difference
will probably not be a factor for the vast majority of
Tempest owners and it's probably a circumstance unique
only to my particular hand shape, finger size and
handlebar arrangement. Otherwise, the main body of
the glove and the four fingers seem to be sized
identically to the Kelvin gloves in all other respects.
Comments from Rev'it that
have been added
to the Kelvin review indicate that the Phase Change
Material gloves should fit as closely as possible to
allow the PCM to function.
Also, the standard caution
for waterproof gloves applies: Be careful when removing winter motorcycle gloves
that have a waterproof liner. To maintain the
waterproof integrity of the membrane, the liner is
not normally attached to the body of the glove.
It is possible for the lining and the waterproof
membrane to turn inside-out if the hand is pulled
out of the glove too quickly, especially if the hand
is moist or sweaty.
To help prevent this from
occurring, remove the glove by gently pulling on
each fingertip of the opposite hand as the glove is
slowly removed by loosening one fingertip at a
time.]
Rev'it Tempest Glove
Technology
The Rev'it top-of-the-line treatment is apparent in the Tempest gloves,
with the PCM and pretty much every other fabric
technology you can name.
Most of these
technologies have previously been described in our
Infinity review and
also in the
Kelvin
gloves review, thus I'll refer you to those articles
for the details rather than repeat it here at length.
But one of the major differences
between the Kelvin and Tempest gloves is the use of the
Schoeller NanoSphere treatment on the outer fabric of
the Tempest version.
As I reported in the Rev'it
Infinity review, NanoSphere is a 21st Century wonder
stof (wonder fabric), which, according to Schoeller, improves abrasion resistance, waterproof and windproof capabilities, breathability
and even the ability of the fabric to stay clean.
The base fabric on the
Tempest gloves is called "schoeller-dynamic"
[sic], a "comfortable all-around fabric for any season"
with "quick drying and good shape-retention" that is
also "permanently elastic, durable and breathable",
according to Schoeller.
The Tempest gloves also include
features like Pittards "Armortan WR100X" goat leather; SuperFabric
suede leather covering the knuckle protectors and
including a water resistant finish; and Pampas cow hide.
And don't forget the Rev'it
"Hydratex Z-Liner, which is used in both the Kelvin gloves and the
Infinity suit. This membrane meets the same
waterproof and breathability specs; that is,
tested to resist a 5,000 mm high column of water and
passing 5,000 grams of moisture per square meter over 24
hours.
These specifications are
nearly identical to those of the Rev'it Infinity suit,
so if you're going to spring for an Infinity (and even
if you aren't), a pair of Tempest gloves would be a nice
addition. And the styling of the Tempest gloves is
similar also.
The Kelvin and Tempest
gloves passed our "bucket test" -- wearing the gloves
while holding them in a bucket of water up to the
beginning of the gauntlet, but the Tempest gloves seemed
to absorb less moisture in the outside layers of the
glove, thus allowing the glove to dry more quickly than
the leather on the Kelvin glove.
I also notice no moisture
buildup when wearing either the Kelvin or Tempest
gloves, so the technology works very well indeed.
Palm view of Rev'it Tempest glove. Note texture on palm
wear patch and gray wear patch on heel of hand.
Fit, Comfort and Warmth
Here's a curious thing: even though the Kelvin and
Tempest gloves have nearly identical specs when it comes
to insulation, waterproof integrity and breathability,
my hands feel colder in the Tempest gloves than they do
when wearing the Kelvin gloves in the same weather and
temperature conditions.
The fit is almost identical,
so it can't be that, but during back-to-back rides and
several tries, I decided that I can notice the difference.
This is one of the reasons
why I prefer the Kelvin gloves. They are
$30.00 cheaper yet they were just as waterproof and they
keep my hands a bit warmer. They feel more pliable
and comfortable to me and I also prefer the styling
of the Kelvin gloves, an admittedly subjective criteria.
The price is close enough
that if you want the NanoSphere treatment, the
SuperFabric protection and perhaps
the matching style and color for your Infinity suit, go
for the Tempest gloves, which are still a high-quality
item, but I don't think you'll feel like you're missing
out by going for the Kelvins.
Blind stitching used on the fingertips of the
Rev'it Tempest H2O gloves. Note the use of
SuperFabric on the backs of the fingertips, knuckle
protector and back of wrist.
Finger, Thumb and Overall
Construction
The overall construction of the Tempest gloves is of the
same high quality we've come to expect from Rev'it, with
perfect stitching and construction and an overall
feeling of quality.
As with the Kelvin gloves,
all of the stitching on the Tempest gloves is blind
other than the double rows of external stitching used
for the wear patches and the "loop" portion of Velcro on
the underside of the gauntlet.
The Tempest gloves are
designed differently than the Kelvin gloves however.
If you looked at the construction of each pair without
knowing about the materials, you'd probably think the
Kelvin design was the more expensive of the two. The Kelvin seems to have a more complex
overall shape
with many leather intricacies that, I would think, must
take more time to construct and sew.
Also, to me the Kelvin feels "organic",
while the Tempest has more of a "synthetic" feel,
even with its class-leading ingredients.
There are fewer parts that
make up the Tempest, possibly to improve water
resistance. The black colored material covering
back of the gauntlet all the way up to the fingers is a
single piece, and I think this is the material which
gives the glove its synthetic feel.
The darker gray of the palms
does feel like soft leather, and the first two
fingertips, the palm and the heel of the hand have added
material sewn on for abrasion and wear resistance.
But this is all very
subjective and probably way too fussy -- I'm sure if you gave a
pair of each of these gloves to a group of 100
motorcycle owners, you'd get 50 preferring one and 50
preferring the other.
Rev'it Tempest gloves shown with the gauntlet being worn
inside of sleeve cuff.
SuperFabric used to cover the knuckle protector, back of
wrist and outer edge of pinky finger.
Security: Armor and Protection
As you can see in the photo directly above, the main
knuckle protector and the back of the hand are covered
with "SuperFabric",
which I believe was first pioneered by Rev'it for use in
motorcycle clothing.
Small sections of SuperFabric can also be found on
the backs of the fingertips and the side of the pinky
finger on the Tempest gloves. These sections are
attached using the Rev'it thermal bonding process.
SuperFabric is used in some very high-end outdoor
clothing, such as the popular (and expensive) ArcTeryx
brand. And, according to a SuperFabric press
release, it's even being
used in the prototype space suits being designed for a
Mars landing.
We've discussed the product before on these pages; in
addition to providing increased levels of abrasion
protection it also adds cut resistance, sharp and blunt
puncture resistance and flame resistance. It is
even claimed to improve grip, which is one of the
reasons that SuperFabric is being used on the palms of
the Mars space suit gloves.
It's expensive stuff though, thus limiting its
incorporation into
motorcycle clothing for the time being.
The padding on the heel of the hand and between the
first and second knuckles in the Tempest gloves is EVA
foam, which feels less substantial than the polyurethane
protectors on the Kelvin gloves. The absence of
the polyurethane is perhaps due to a possible
improvement in abrasion resistance in the different
fabrics used in the Tempest gloves.
The Tempest gloves use a Velcro attachment at the
gauntlet and a strap that secures under the wrist,
similar to the Kelvin gloves.
This allows the Tempest gloves to also pass the "pull off" test; that
is, I can not pull these gloves off after they are properly
secured.
And the Tempest gloves include a slash of reflective material along the outer edge
of the hand for added safety at night.
Rev'it Tempest glove shown with gauntlet outside of
Cayenne jacket sleeve cuff.
Gauntlet
The Rev'it Kelvin and Tempest gloves have the second
narrowest gauntlets in this comparison at a 145 mm width.
This makes it difficult to fit either pair over the worst-case scenario Rev'it Cayenne
jacket cuff when all of its liners are installed.
The controversy remains
regarding the "Innies" vs. "Outies" with
regards to gauntlet
placement. The
comments section of the Kelvin review already
includes feedback from both parties.
I almost always wear glove
gauntlets on the outside, although in the past couple of
days I've tried them on the inside and I can see where
it may be more comfortable under some conditions and
with certain types of gloves.
Rev'it has told me that
their winter gloves are designed to be worn under the
sleeve cuff, which works better with the Cayenne jacket
and other jackets with cuffs that are too large to
comfortably fit under the gauntlet.
But I have noticed that
wearing the gauntlet underneath the sleeve cuff is not
always a guaranteed success. Depending upon the
design of the cuff closure, some jackets will not close
tightly enough to create a proper seal over the top of
the gauntlet.
So the answer is that
there's no right answer. Do what makes you feel
most comfortable, and if your jacket sleeve is designed
to allow the glove gauntlet to be worn underneath,
that's fine. But realize this may change depending
on the jacket and the type of motorcycle you ride.
Even if the jacket cuff is a
loose fit over the gauntlet, if you're riding a touring
bike with a big fairing and your hands are completely
protected from the wind, you may be fine.
But I'm here to tell you
that if the sleeve can not be secured properly, and if
you're riding something like a Ducati GT1000 in a leaned-over
position with 70 MPH air blowing at your sleeve, it's quite a
different story. So as of today, I still remain to
this side of the "Outie" camp, only because of
my preference in motorcycles.
Like many things in life,
there's no single correct answer. But think about
this: a gauntlet that is too
narrow can not be used on the outside, while a gauntlet
that is wide enough to be used on the outside can
probably also
be used on the inside.
So my plea to manufacturers
remains: give us larger gauntlets!
Water Resistance
As described above, the Rev'it Tempest H2O gloves (the
H2O designation in a Rev'it glove means it's waterproof)
passed the "bucket test".
Conclusion
The Rev'it Tempest H2O gloves are an excellent choice
for a winter motorcycle glove. They are priced the
same as the Alpinestars Storm Rider gloves, but they
offer a bevy of the latest technologies in motorcycle
and outdoor clothing fabrics. Although the Storm
Rider gloves are very nice, they seem almost quaint in
comparison to the high-tech Tempest gloves.
My personal preference though is with the Rev'it Kelvin gloves
for reasons stated above, but I am very interested in
hearing from Tempest owners who feel differently.
► More:
2008 Winter Motorcycle Gloves Home and Comparison Rating
Chart
|
Product Review: Rev'it Tempest H2O Winter Motorcycle Gloves |
|
BUY IT!
Use
this link to get your
Rev'it Tempest waterproof gloves
at RevZilla
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| Available
From: Rev'it |
List Price: $179.99 |
Colors: Black
Sizes: Men: S to XXXL. Women: S to XL. |
Made
in: China |
| Review Date:
December 2008 Notes: Gloves provided courtesy of
Rev'it (more). |
