Review: GORE-TEX INFINIUM Stretch Mid Gloves

Tight shot of a mountain biker from the elbows down seen with his right hand on the brake, wearing the GORE stretch Mid gloves, with a blurred background of fallen leaves on a trail in the woods.

The GORE-TEX INFINIUM Stretch Mid gloves by Gore Wear are very lightly insulated, windproof gloves designed to be worn in cool (but not cold) conditions. This makes them ideal for cool fall training sessions and for windy rides where it's not quite cold enough for insulated gloves. However, their lack of insulation limits their usability.

The INFINIUM gloves are part of GORE's new INFINIUM lineup, which prioritize windproofing and comfort over waterproofing. As such, these gloves are not waterproof or water resistant, but are meant to block chilly winds. This makes them great in scenarios like windy runs or bike rides when it's not actually that cold out, so GORE intends them for use in temps around 40-60F. GORE states that these gloves have some insulation for "warmth and dryness," although the insulation is minimal, as I'll discuss later.

Close up view of the back of the black Stretch Mid Gloves worn on the hand, shown against a blurred background of orange leaves on the ground.The designers at GORE have done some clever things with the design, and to their credit, they make the gloves overall very comfortable. They have no inner seams and the fingers are slightly curved to reduce strain on your fingers, which also improves dexterity. The only issue is that the fingers (mainly the index finger and thumb) are a bit long, although fit will vary. The touchscreen compatibility is always useful, although the longer index finger makes it harder to use this feature. The cuff is nicely long enough to tuck under a sleeve and stay put.

Close up view of the front of the black Stretch Mid Gloves worn on the hand, shown against a blurred background of orange leaves on the ground.

Speaking personally, as someone who always has cold hands, these gloves don't work well for me. Most of the time, if it's cold enough for me to need gloves, then I'll need enough insulation in my gloves to keep my hands warm. GORE advertises these as "ideal for running, cycling, and XC ski." For running, these gloves work mostly as advertised if you don't have excessively cold hands like me, but in my experience they are not warm enough for cycling in below 50F and definitely far too cold for cross country skiing except in the warmest, sunniest, and most windless of conditions.

At $60, these are on the pricier side for a glove that is not much warmer than a cheap liner glove, although they do offer better wind protection and are more specialized. Overall, I would only recommend these gloves for those with warm hands who specifically want a windproof glove for warmer weather. For activities outside of this scenario, I would wear a warmer and/or cheaper glove instead.

A young white male wearing a light blue jacket and grey shorts runs along a trail downhill towards the camera through sunny woods, surrounded by trees in golden autumn color.

Buy it

$60 | GORE Wear | REIAmazon


 

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