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Metolius Belay Glove Review

The most durable glove we tested
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metolius belay glove climbing glove
Metolius Belay Glove
Credit: Metoliusclimbing.com
Price:  $40 List
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Manufacturer:   Metolius
By Chris McNamara ⋅ Founder and Editor-in-Chief  ⋅  Sep 8, 2017

Our Analysis

This is a great all-around belay glove. It's durable and, after you break it in, it offers good dexterity for a cowhide glove. This is the full-fingered version of the Metolius Climbing Glove and comes with a durable cowhide construction and beefy reinforcements. This is a good balance between a heavyweight rappel glove and a lighter goat skin glove. For people who want extra durability, this is a good way to go for both rappels and belays. If you want more dexterity, we recommend the Black Diamond Crag. Both of those gloves give you a little more confidence when handling carabiners and belay devices. But they are more expensive and not as durable.

Likes


This glove has a good balance of durability and dexterity. It is not as easy to clip biners as the Black Diamond Transition Glove but it is much more durable. The palms are reinforced in all the right spots. There is a big bomber clip-in loop that made these (and all Metolius gloves) the easiest gloves to clip and unclip from your harness. This is one of the most widely available climbing gloves, which makes them easy to find.

Dislikes


Because this is an all cowhide glove, it does not have the same dexterity as the goat skin gloves. It takes a little time to break in and even once fully broken in, it still doesn't have quite the supple feel of goat skin. It also doesn't have the articulation that makes other gloves fit a little tighter.

Best Application


This is a great work-horse belay glove. It will last much longer than most goat skin gloves. It is also great for long rappels.

Value


This is toward the more expensive end of gloves. That said, it is also pretty durable so you should get a lot of use out of it.

Chris McNamara
 

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