Zhik Superwarm review: Insulated watersports gloves tested
Zhik Superwarm insulated gloves are ideal for all types of watersports in cold water
These full finger sailing gloves are aimed at watersports enthusiasts who play in the water and know their hands will be wet for extended periods.
The philosophy behind the Zhik Superwarm design is therefore focussed on keeping wet hands as warm as possible.
A super stretchy 3mm water repellent neoprene as used for the base fabric. A contoured shape also helps provide good freedom of movement.
Glued and blind stitched seams help keep water out for longer. There’s also a thin fast drying fleece inner face bonded to the neoprene.
Zhik Superwarm gloves have a very comfortable fit and feel, without restricting movement in any way. However, tying knots in thin lines is a lot more tricky than with bare hands.
It’s worth remembering that sizing is a little on the small side. If your hands are on the borderline between two sizes go for the larger one.
To give extra grip and protection to the neoprene material the palms and fingers have an additional heavy-duty studded polyurethane layer.
This means Zhik Superwarm gloves work extremely well with lines of any size, whether wet or dry.
What about the warmth factor? In full-on winter conditions my hands still eventually got cold, but thicker neoprene would reduce dexterity and make them feel very clumsy to wear.
Zhik has therefore clearly identified the best compromise between retaining easy movement and maintaining warmth.
When the weather warmed up in early March they were great, even though water temperatures were still cold.
As Zhik Superwarm gloves are intended primarily for watersports there’s no need for the thumb and forefinger to have a pad of material to operate touchscreens.
Zhik Superwarm verdict
These gloves offer the best chance of keeping you hands warm when you’re doing an activity that means there’s no chance of them staying dry. They also offer excellent grip.