Buff Pro Series Angler Gloves Product Review

Apparel Review

A “Buff” Sport Glove for Watersports and Fishing

Date:	1/28/12
Tackle type:	Gloves
Manufacturer:	Buff
Reviewer:	Zander

Total Score: 8.08 - GREAT

Introduction: Buff follows up on their Pro Series gloves with the new Sport Series which is designed for watersports. These gloves protect wearers from the sun but are also designed specifically for watersport fanatics including those who enjoy kayaking, waterskiing and jet skiing, but how well will they stand up to the challenge of tournament bass fishing?

Buff Sport Series Glove Specifications
Colors	3 colors (Sage, Glacier Blue)
Sizes	S/M : M/L : L/XL : XL/XXL
Material	nylon/lycra blend
Features	UPF 50+, Breathable, durable stretch fabric, easy on wrist pull, easy off finger tip pull, longer cuff for UV protection
MSRP	$26.99

Completing the Buff outfit are the new "Sport Series Water Gloves"

Impressions: Over the last few seasons Buff has successfully expanded beyond their original signature “Buff” garment to create lines specific for anglers, cold weather conditions, and even headbands, and gloves. We liked Buff products on very sunny conditions here in California but it was our 2010 trip to the Amazon where both the UV Buffs and Pro Gloves made it to our “Must Have” list for fishing in extreme conditions. Whether it is sunny, hot, humid, or you have to deal with a substantial insect hatch, the previous Buff garments have stepped up to the challenge.

The gloves are finger-tip cut for dexterity and have rounded finger pulls for easy off functionality

The Sport Series Water Gloves are designed to get wet and makes use of a new design that doesn’t incorporate layers of protection like the Pro-Series, instead it features a more simple design with a large Buff logo integrated into the palms. This lightweight glove makes use of a nylon/lycra blend fabric that is rated to deliver UPF 50+ UV protection. The Buff logo on the palms is made out of silicon and is designed to provide extra grip on all surfaces.

The palms are lined with a silicon logo that adds grip

The Sport Series gloves are available in three colors, Sage, Glacier Blue, and Solar Orange. We fished the light sage color gloves throughout our tests and the first thing I noticed about the gloves in the lab was just how form fitting they were. Unlike the Pro Gloves the Sport Series gloves feel very flexible versus armored on all sides and instantly contour to the shape of your hand. I found them easy to take on and off due to their ability to stretch and was ready to see just how well they performed when wet.

A wrist pull makes it easy to pull these gloves on

Real World Tests: To test the Buff Gloves we fished with these gloves from the Summer through the end of 2011. We fished a range of applications but spent the bulk of the time with conventional spinning and baitcasting gear than fly fishing simply because we wanted to log as many hours as possible in our normal fishing routine. We compared these gloves to others we have tested and continue to use including offerings from Simms and the original 2010 Buff Pro Series Angler Gloves. The majority of our tests were conducted on the California Delta, Clear Lake, and Lake Pardee.

The glove is very flexible and easy to move in

Operation: The Sport Series Gloves are easy to put on and I found that they provide a solid grip on everything from baitcasting reels to the steering wheels on bass boats. The gloves also provide a solid grip on the tails of fish when releasing them but lipping fish with these gloves poses a problem. The nylon/lycra material catches the micro-teeth on bass like Velcro and I found that it rips up the finger portion of the glove pretty easily. The gloves stay together but the sections that come in contact with the tiny bass teeth will get seriously roughed up over time if you continue to lip fish with these gloves.

This glove unlike many others is designed to get wet

To really experience just how well these gloves perform while damp I dipped them in the water on multiple occasions when releasing fish. The gloves still came off promptly with the help of the integrated finger tip pulls which are positioned on the top of each “fingertip cut.” Once wet the gloves are harder to put back on, but that is where the integrated “wrist pull” comes in, simply tug on the pull and you can pull the gloves all the way down.

Even when wet the Sport Series Glove is still comfortable

Next Section: Fishing with wet gloves