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PMI Heavyweight Rescue Glove Review

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pmi heavyweight rescue glove climbing glove review
PMI Heavyweight Rescue Glove
Credit: PMIrope.com
Price:  $28 List
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Manufacturer:   PMI
By Chris McNamara ⋅ Founder and Editor-in-Chief  ⋅  Mar 22, 2010
68
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Belaying - 20% 6.0
  • Rappelling - 20% 10.0
  • Handling Carabiners - 20% 4.0
  • Leading - 20% 4.0
  • Durability - 20% 10.0

Our Verdict

PMI Discontinued The Heavyweight Rescue Glove in 2016
REASONS TO BUY
Burly
Durable
Great friction when rappelling
REASONS TO AVOID
Bulky
Heavy
Not great dexterity

PMI's Heavyweight Rescue Glove is the most burly rappel glove we tested. It is heavy and reinforced and should last forever. It is the beefier version of the PMI Lightweight Rappel gloves. The Lightweight glove uses goat skin for everything but the palm. The heavyweight glove uses cowhide for the entire glove.

If you are just looking for a great rappel glove, this is the one to get. It is durable and priced well. If you are doing a ton of sport belaying, I would also put this glove near the top. But if you want a glove for multi-pitch or big wall climbing, I would go with a glove with more dexterity like the Metolius Belay Glove.

Our Analysis and Test Results

Likes


This is one beefy glove and was our favorite for rappelling. When rappelling with this glove you have a lot of leather between your hand and the rope. PMI really reinforced all the right spots; there is extra padding not only on the palm but around the index finger. This is the most durable glove we tested.

Dislikes


This glove had the least dexterity of any we tested. It has a looser fit and has more leather, which makes it difficult to confidently handle carabiners. It is also the heaviest glove we tested. If you are climbing with it clipped to your harness, you really notice it.

Best Application


This glove excels at rappelling. It's also great for belaying a sport climber or a day at the crag. I would not recommend it for belaying on a big wall because it does not have enough dexterity to confidently handle biners.

Value


At $28 this glove is a pretty good deal. It costs less than most other leather climbing gloves and is $7 less than the Metolius Belay Glove or the Petzl Cordex Belay Glove. It is also the most durable, which means you won't need to replace it for years.

— Chris McNamara
 

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