Why We Chose The Rab Xenon Gloves: Lightweight, warm, extremely packable.
The Rab Xenon Gloves are a nifty pair, very nifty indeed. In short, they tick all the boxes.
First of all, they’re incredibly light – just 65g, that’s as light as, um… a battery. Then they’re very, very packable. In their little stuff sack, they’re not much bigger than, um… a tangerine. And then they’re warm and super comfy as well.
The secret is the clever mix of ingredient brands Rab have partnered with for them. We’ll start with the key one, and that’s PrimaLoft. There’s a 40g/m² fill of their Gold synthetic insulation used with these, it’s not much but it does a lot. We’ve become big fans of PrimaLoft here at OutdoorsMagic because we know it works, providing you with lightweight insulation almost comparable to down with the added edge of being able to perform even when it’s wet. It can also be machine washed, which is an important factor when it comes to everyday-use gloves like these (check the full care instructions before you do this though).
“The packability is brilliant, but it’s the comfort that I really like about these. They’re so snug.”
The second key ingredient is the Pertex Quantum outer fabric. This also has a number of useful traits. It’s tightly woven, enough to block out the wind, but it still pairs well with the PrimaLoft fibres, allowing them to reach their full loftiness. It also offers a surprising amount of durability given how light and thin it is. You wouldn’t want to challenge it too much, but for hiking and general non-technical use it’s fine.
On the palms there’s a nice microfleece lining, and finally, on the inside there’s a silky-feeling nylon. You can clip the gloves together to keep them paired, shove one inside the other, or stuff them both into the little stuff sack they come with.
