Find out why the Outdoor Research Versaliner came ‘recommended’ in David Lintern’s review of the best year-round gloves
With the Outdoor Research Versaliner, you get two for one. The main glove has a fleece inner and a smooth, soft-shell-like outer. The palms have tiny siliconised dots for grip, which function well, and the glue (often a weak point) hasn’t failed yet. The cuffs fully cover the wrist, are not tapered and have a loop at the wrist, all of which is makes for practical, grab-and-go protection. And on the outside of each glove, there’s a pocket which contains… a second, over-glove! These are a highly water-resistant shell which vastly improves warmth and, while not technically waterproof (the seams are not taped) they are about as waterproof as gloves get. The over-glove could use a touch more length at the cuff, and I’d have liked a cuff loop to allay concerns about them blowing away, but they do at least clip together.
The zipped glove ‘pockets’ on the Outdoor Research Versaliner can also be hold gel hard warmers although I didn’t use them in this capacity. They do, however, provide a great way of keeping the shells to (erm) hand. I’d assumed they would be bulky once shoved back in after first use, but this wasn’t the case. Having the shell tucked in on the outer also provides a little extra wind proofing.
The fit is fairly generous. As a rule, I prefer a looser fit in gloves, as it avoids constricting blood vessels and allows movement, but it’s a fine balance. The fingers of the inner are a little long for me, and while they are seamed (x2), they taper at the ends. This makes the fine handling of tools like compasses or cameras trickier. Once the shell gloves go on, you lose further dexterity, but that’s hardly surprising – they are still far more dexterous than waterproof mitts.
The Outdoor ResearchVersaliner narrowly missed the ‘best buy’ award this time. The inner glove is warm, dries fairly quickly and together with the outer, provides loads of protection. For backpacking especially, it’s a pretty unbeatable package.
Read more: 10 of the best year-round gloves
