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Mad Rock Wall Glove Review

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mad rock wall glove climbing glove review
Mad Rock Wall Glove
Credit: madrockrockclimbing.com
Price:  $40 List
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Manufacturer:   Mad Rock
By Chris McNamara ⋅ Founder and Editor-in-Chief  ⋅  Mar 18, 2010

Our Verdict

The Wall Glove is No Longer Available as of 2016
REASONS TO BUY
Awesome fit
Quick to get on and off
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive
Pros and cons to wrist fit

Mad Rock Wall Gloves are among the best fitting gloves we tested. They are articulated so that every inch fits snugly; there are no empty air spaces. This gives the gloves great dexterity and a good feel. These became my favorite gloves for non-climbing activities like loading and unloading books and warehouse equipment.

These are among our favorite belay gloves because of the fit. If you use these a lot on multi-pitch climbs, they are worth it. If you want gloves that you can thrash on rappels or don't care as much about dexterity, there are cheaper options like getting leather gloves at the hardware store or Costco. I loved the fit so much on these gloves that they became my favorite work gloves for non-climbing related projects.

Our Analysis and Test Results

Likes


These gloves feel great when you put them on. They fit my hands perfectly without any loose spots. The snug fit gives confidence when handling a belay device or clipping and unclipping biners. Part of this is because they are made of soft goat skin, which is much more supple than cowhide. But the main reason is the articulated design and soft stretchy material on the back of the hands.

The wrists have a big open cuff that in conjunction with big clip-in loops makes it easy to get the gloves on and off quickly. This is great for crag belaying when you are often taking gloves on and off.

The gloves have Kevlar reinforcements in the fingers to help them last longer. This is one of the better ways we have seen to increase durability without sacrificing dexterity.

Dislikes


The elastic around the wrists offers a little more pressure than I like. That is a small thing, but I noticed it. It was hard to decide whether I would prefer open cuffs (faster to get on and off) or Velcro closure wrists (more snug). This is a personal preference. The flexible material on the back breathes just okay; the gloves scored in the middle for breathability. One challenge is to actually find these gloves.

Best Application


These are ideal for belaying, especially on multi-pitch climbs where you want dexterity and confidence that you won't drop stuff. I would not use gloves this expensive for heavy rappelling and instead would use cowhide gloves like the Metolius Belay Glove or PMI Rappel Glove.

Value


At $40 these are among the most expensive gloves out there. The only gloves that are more expensive are the Black Diamond Transition Glove. The durability is slightly above average, making them an okay value.

— Chris McNamara
 

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