I wanted to love the Hestra Heli Glove but it just wasn’t warm, wasn’t windproof and wasn’t waterproof. Essentially it was not the bulletproof back country glove I was looking for which I find really surprising considering the number of positive reviews. However, I will say that Backcountry.com’s ordering and return process is one of the best.
I was looking for a pair of gloves that could be used on cold ski days and on multi day trips in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Therefore when I stumbled upon the Hestra Heli Glove I thought I had found perfection. It has an average 5 star rating after 109 reviews at Backcountry.com, which made me think this glove is perfection. Also the product description said all the right words such as “warm”, “breathable”, and “waterproof”. I did my research and could find nothing but praise for these gloves so I placed my order.
Backcountry.com promptly sent me my new red Hestra Heli Gloves and I could not wait to get out there and use them. I first used them on Signal Ridge near the summit of Mount Carrigain in mild winds and temps in the 20s. I was a little confused when my hands continued feeling cold; I mean these gloves are supposed to be warm right? At first I didn’t blame the gloves for this, I thought the must have been cold because they were in my pack.
I broke out the Heli Gloves again at Mount Snow during a sunny day in the low 20s. I found that wind would penetrate them even during small wind gusts while on the chairlift. I also found that my fingers would frequently get cold while wearing these gloves. I constantly had to clench my first to generate enough warmth to continue skiing. At this point I thought that maybe I needed to apply the Hestra leather balm to increase the water/ wind proofing. A few days later I went skiing again and gave the Hestra Glove their last chance. Once again my fingers got cold, mild wind penetrated the glove and I lost all faith in this glove. I am glad I found this out before I took them on a multi day trip or else I wouldn’t have any fingers left to write this review with.
On a positive note, these gloves look great. Whenever I took them out people commented on how good they looked. I also love the wrist straps which help prevent glove loss; all gloves should have this. However, gloves need to meet a performance standard and the Hestra Heli glove simply disappoints. I also think that Backcountry.com has one of the fastest, simplest and most efficient purchase and return experiences that you will find. They have a lifetime no questions asked return policy so you can buy gear with confidence. I returned the Heli gloves and picked up some Outdoor Research Alti Gloves.
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