Disclaimer: I received an Pair of Turtle Gloves to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro(ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews
If you’ve been followings me on the blog or on Instagram as colder weather rolls into New York, you may have noticed that the first winter accessory I add to my running attire is a pair of gloves. It tends to bother me more when my hands get cold, as opposed to other appendages. I think it’s because my hands are always a little bit cold, so as soon as it’s cold outside if I run without gloves my hands tend to go a little bit numb.
Recently I got the opportunity to try a new brand which I had not been previously exposed to - turtle gloves. I was pretty set in my ways with the pair of gloves that I took running most frequently, but when I heard that turtle gloves would be offering a pair that converts between fingerless gloves and mittens, I knew that I needed to try them. The brooks gloves which I have run with in the past is a glove that has a wind resistant mitten cover that I can pop out if my hand gets too cold, but unfortunately even though it is supposed to be conductive, the gloves never work with the touch screen on my phone - gloves that allowed my fingers to be exposed when necessary would solve this problem.
The pair of turtle gloves that I was sent as a prototype of a new model, called “flippers.” They are both wind and water resistant, and as I mentioned before they are convertible, so you can switch between having your hand fully covered in a mitten or exposing your fingers as a fingerless glove would do.
Turtle gloves sent such a cute package out with their product, including a beverage cozy, a sticker and a drawstring backpack. I love to bring drawstring backpacks along on race mornings so that after a race when I pick up my gear check bag I have something to hold all of my stuff, so I am always happy when I can add one to my collection.
Upon first receiving the gloves, I questioned if they would replace the Brooks gloves that I normally run with as my go to pair. But the more I ran in my turtle gloves, the more I found they were the pair I was reaching for each morning.
The first time that I took them out for a run, they kept my hands so warm that my palms actually got a little bit sweaty! But thankfully I was able to pop out my hand to regulate the temperature so I was comfortable throughout the entire run. During long runs in the last month I have flipped between having my hands out and my hands covered so many times that it has become a joke between me and my running friends - Mike and I may have even broken out into jazz hands a few times. But having the convertible option really made it so that I do not have to take off my gloves at any point while I’m running, because I can always get my hands to a comfortable temperature. With other gloves since my fingers are always restricted, I often took them off and pinned them to my shirt or race belts - which can be a more difficult process than you expect while you’re trying to hit a certain pace.
I even found myself reaching for my turtle gloves when I wasn’t going for a run - when it snowed I knew they would keep my hands dry while I was cleaning off my car.
After testing this pair of turtle gloves, I feel like I definitely want to add a few more pairs to my Running collection. I’ve also heard a rumor that watch windows may be coming in the future, and I know I will need a pair of those if that happens!
In addition to an awesome product, turtle gloves was also an amazing brand to interact with on social media. They are always so encouraging, and provide positive feedback to their runners. I am confident that if I ever had an issue with the product, they would be right there to support me in any way they could.
As much as running in the cold can be a chore at times, I am looking forward to the miles that I will share with my new turtle gloves.