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Simms Sun Gloves
are for more than just Fly Fishing
(continued)
  Operation:
The Simms Sungloves are made out if a 4 way stretchable fabric and feel
comfortable and lightweight, after only half a day fishing I could already feel
a difference. According to Simms the fabric will block approximately 98% of the
UV rays. The elongated design of the gloves covers not just the top of your
hands but offers full coverage of your wrists as well. At the end of each trip I
checked my hands and sure enough I didn’t have any sunburns at all, part of the
reason why these gloves are so effective are that unlike sunblock they can’t
wash off, as long as you leave them on you are protected.
Unlike sunblock the gloves will
not lose protection as a result of being washed off
One of the biggest
benefits for anglers is that the open design allows full use of your fingers to
tie knots, and unlike other gloves these half a complete open palm design. This
open palm design while designed for better fly line management but is actually
ideal for bass anglers as well. The open palm allows you to maintain a firm grip
on baitcasters while casting or even when palming. This is one of the few gloves
that will allow you to maintain a firm grip while casting.
Fly line management is easy with
the open finger access
On occasion they will get
wet but the Simms sungloves dry quickly in the hot sun and when it comes time to
stow them they can be removed quickly and folded or simply crumpled up into a
ball and put into your pocket. They are designed to breathe and do not offer
much in terms of warmth but if your wearing a pair of these not enough heat is
probably not your concern.
Working spinning reels is just as
straightforward
Price & Applications:
I purchased the Simms Sun Gloves for $14.95 from a local fly shop, and the sun
gloves can actually be ordered online for a few dollars less. I’ve used a number
of Simms products ranging from their waders to their fly vests, and each of
these products are well designed and equally well built. As simple as the sun
gloves are they follow this tradition of quality and throughout the last few
months the gloves have held up well.
After a complete season the gloves
were pretty stained with fish slime but it wasn't anything that some detergent
and OxiClean couldn't take out
The only real problem I
have encountered with the Simms sungloves is how dirty they got over the span of
the season with the combination of water stains and fish slime staining the
gloves. I tried washing the gloves in the sink with a bit of detergent and
OxiClean and the stains came right out.
Ratings: (We've re-calibrated our ratings standard for 2008 and have included a key at the bottom of the following matrix as a guide):
|
Simms
Sungloves Ratings (?/10)
|
| Construction/Quality |
Like
other
Simms
products
these
simple
gloves
are
built
well and
we
didn't
have any
durability
problems |
8 |
| Performance |
The
Simms
Sungloves
may not
be the
most
glamorous
product
but they
do
exactly
what
they are
advertised
to do |
9 |
| Price |
A
reasonable
price
for a
quality
pair of
sungloves |
7 |
| Features |
A basic
design
that
isn't
all that
feature
rich, if
you are
looking
for a
simple
pair of
sungloves
the
Simms
solution
fits the
bill |
6 |
| Design (Ergonomics) |
Overall
a good
design
that is
comfortable
to wear
all day |
8 |
| Application |
Designed
for fly
fishing
but
surprisingly
good for
bass
fishing
as well,
the open
palm
design
is good
for
fishing
baitcasters |
9 |
|
Total Score
|
7.83 |
Ratings Key:
1 = terrible : 2 = poor : 3 = lacking : 4 = sub par : 5 = mediocre : 6 = fair : 7 = good : 8 = great : 9 = excellent : 10 = unbelievable!
For More
Details
of the
updated
rating
system
visit
our
explanation
here |
Pluses and Minuses:
|
Plus Minus
|
| J
Quality
sun
protection |
L
Get's
dirty,
but can
wash out |
| J
Lightweight
and
comfortable |
|
| J
Allows
full use
of
fingers |
|
| J
Not just
for fly
anglers
great
for
palming
baitcasters
while
bass
fishing |
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Conclusion: Anglers spend countless hours in the sun and it is important to
protect yourself excessive radiation. Sunscreen works but if you’re like me your
likely washing a great deal of it off while fishing. Simms Sungloves are
designed to protect your hands and the open finger and palm design allows you to
keep the gloves on and still do all the things you need to do when fly fishing
including tie-knots, strip line, and palm your reel. The design on these gloves
also make it surprisingly good for handling both spinning gear and even palming
baitcasters while bass fishing. The bottom line is that these gloves work and
are well worth the money, the thin yet breathable material effectively protects
your hands and wrists all day long and when it comes time to head home they pack
down quickly and easily.
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