Forrest

These gloves are NOT waterproof or windproof. But they tolerate being wet in a way that's hard to believe until you get soaked in them.

These are glove liners, like a base layer for your hands. The amount of warmth is just right for aerobic activity, which means they'll be cold watching the sun set at the beach in northern latitudes. They wick beautifully, and the wind they let through is perfect for cycling. The warm-when-wet quality is ideal for kayaking, and unless the wind is howling, I don't wear other gloves over these.

I've had mine for about a month and a half. Many of the reviews here complain about shoddy stitching, but the two pairs* I've had have held up well in this regard. Mine are pilling a bit, though, from layering them under gloves on very cold or windy nights and using my hands.

Because they're so thin, these gloves are not at all restrictive. I can pick up an ID card from a table, and I don't give much tactile sensation up wearing them.

They seem to run small, though. While there isn't a sizing chart, it was suggested to go with XL based on the size of my hand, but these were small for me. A friend took them off my hands, I got XXL, and I've worn them every day since, in the Seattle cold.

I bought this jacket after getting soaked kayaking early in the spring; it was so warm, and I was wet and freezing. On rare winter days when the sun is out, I paddle in a tee-shirt to feel the sun on my arms; when the shirt is saturated and the sun goes down, I take the wet shirt off and wear the Griffon jacket against my skin, with a Theta AR shell over it. This works beautifully.

The jacket is very soft on the inside. The lining feels like it could be made from cotton balls, and feels wonderful against the skin. ( The neck is lined as well, so warm and soft. ) It’s quite warm, which is a little surprising because it’s so breathable, and because a cold wind cuts right through it. I wear this hiking and cycling when it’s not raining, and every time, I’m shocked at how well I’m able to regulate my temperature. Normally I sweat too much when I exert myself for long periods, especially in the cold.

The Griffon fits wonderfully under the Theta shell, and they move very smoothly like this. My company gave everybody branded jackets, which don’t have this quality, so the difference is striking. *However* this arrangement gets too hot for me unless I’m standing still, and the two of them together don’t breathe as well as either alone. The hem drawstring doesn’t appear to do all that much.

I wore this jacket cycling in the heavy rain one day. It took an hour or two for it to soak through to the point that I felt the water against my skin; this happened first on the arms around the elbows, then it began to spread. So while it’s neither windproof or waterproof, it works pretty well in a pinch. Still, these days I wear the GoreTex shell whenever there’s rain on the horizon.

Bottom line: I love the jacket so much I’d really like to have a second one. It works beautifully when biking, kayaking, hiking, etc, but it’s also very stylish, and works equally well around town.