This past winter has not been cold, but it has certainly been wet - and that is where these gloves are in their element.
The Furygan Nomad gloves are thinner than many winter gloves, which keeps them light and flexible by comparison.
Furygan’s claim that “never before has a winter glove offered such a precise feel at this level of performance” is one that needs testing in the wet and (relative) cold.
The Nomads’ leather palms incorporate a textured patch Furygan say is metacarpal protection, along with reinforcements at the palm and fingers, and stretch panels on the middle and index fingers.
Hard knuckle protection and extra padding, rubber-like patches and panels made with different materials on the fingers are there to offer extra protection in a crash. I will take Furygan’s word for that as I’m not dedicated enough to deliberately review these features. On the inside of the cuff there is also a stiffer plastic section.
A pad on the end of each index finger is Furygan’s Sensitive Science insert, which allows use of touch-sensitive screens without removing the gloves. I can confirm it works as I was able to operate the screen of my phone and GPS with this pad.
To wipe rain from the visor there’s a soft material on the edge of the left glove, called Hydrofab, which I found to be effective in heavy rain.
Photography: Jose Mas
A Velcro strap fastens the gloves securely at the wrist, and this sits partly underneath the metacarpal reinforcement, which is a nice touch as it keeps the strap out of the way and secure once fastened.
The fastening at the cuff is different to anything I have previously seen on a glove. It fastens with Velcro fixed to an elastic strap. The Velcro is a very positive fixing and the elastic strap allows some movement in the cuff as you rotate and move your hand to operate the bike controls. The gloves fitted nicely over my jacket sleeves, once the cuff strap is fastened it gives a flexible and comfortable fastening.
The Nomad gloves have a waterproof membrane inside, and they were successful at keeping my hands dry during a 150-mile ride around Lincolnshire, leaving me with a pair of warm and dry hands at the end of a wet shift riding for the Lincolnshire Emergency Blood Bikers Service.
Furygan’s literature says these gloves are made from a water-repellent material that “slows down the infiltration of humidity and limits the creation of a thermal bridge that would accelerate the transfer of the cold to the body”.
At the end of my very wet ride in Lincolnshire the outside of the gloves were not soaked and they dried completely in quite a short space of time after I got home.
Furygan say these are a winter glove, however I would suggest they are more of a three-season glove as I needed to turn my heated grips on (at the low setting) when the temperature dropped to 8°C.
In conclusion, these gloves feel well made and are among the most comfortable I have ever worn. From the moment I first put them on the brushed soft lining felt very warm and comfortable. They are very flexible and they live up to Furyagn’s claim to offer “a precise feel”.
I would happily take these gloves on a long adventure for relatively cold days when I know rain is likely.
UPDATE (8 September 2024)
Having been impressed with the Furygan Nomad gloves in the UK, I took them with me for a 12,400-mile ride from the eastern tip of Canada across North America to Alaska.
As the gloves are not intended for summer use I only wore them in the wet and cold. On rides of an hour or so in temperatures of 4°C I needed my heated grips to keep me warm, but in temperatures of 8°C the gloves kept me warm. Importantly, they also kept me dry in the wet.
One section of the Trans Labrador Highway involved a 330-mile stretch where it rained non-stop. For most of the journey the rain was torrential and my saving grace was that all my clothing kept the rain out. I owe Furygan thanks for their gloves keeping my hands warm and dry on a character-building day.
The Furygan Nomad gloves were a very good choice for this trip and I was very happy with them.
You can read more about David's cross-continent trip at https://crampostravels.co.uk/
