The Hard Glove by Direct Action Gear is a flexible, lightweight glove for military, law enforcement, or civilian shooters. It gives the wearer a tactile feel of weapon control systems and smart screen technology while providing protection to fingers and palm.
The Hard Glove was recently redesigned from its classic version to a newer design that exchanges the traditional synthetic leather with genuine goat leather that gives the Hard Glove improved durability, feel, and fit.
There is a microfiber lining along the spine of the thumb from forefinger to wrist that gives the gloves a soft contact material when touching skin or other sensitive surfaces.
The slit designed finger joints give the Hard Glove improved flexibility and dexterity over other traditional designs that would otherwise stretch the material when the fingers are articulated. The middle finger and thumb pad have a surface material that makes them touch-screen compatible for smart phones or tablets/computers.
The backhand material is made from a nylon lyrcra that provides flexibility during manipulation and movement of the hand. It also features the Direct Action logo.
The gloves are anchored just above the wrist bone with an adjustable hook-and-loop cuff, attached to which is a Hypalon loop to aid in donning or to hang on a clip with other gear.
Available in either Coyote (featured) or Black, the Hard Gloves are available in sizes that range from Small to 2XL.
Product Evaluation Scores:
- Cost – Average (3/5): At $37.90 the Hard Gloves are at a reasonable (or average) price point as a short-use tactical glove that will most likely give the wearer roughly six months of moderate/heavy field use given its materials and design. The most direct market competitor to the Hard Glove is the Full Dexterity Tactical Glove (FDT) ($42.95) from SKD that is very similar in overall design. Other similar tactical gloves to the Hard Glove would be the Operator Contact Glove ($35.40) by First Spear, or the Duty Glove ($35) by Viktos. These later alternatives have similar materials but lack other design aspects the Hard Glove considers (specifically the split finger joint).
- Comfort – Good (4/5): The materials involved had a fair amount of flex and breathability when used, that gave the wearer a good level of comfort. The materials between the thumb and forefinger, where the greatest amount of stress takes place, held the only notable double line stitching for added strength. The split finger design gave added comfort during finger articulation and at no point did the materials inhibit or restrict movement. It should be noted this type of glove is good for warm or moderately cold weather, but not temperatures near the freezing point as its lightweight material is not intended to serve as a winter outdoor glove.
- Durability – Average (3/5): The materials in the Hard Gloves offer maximum protection while retaining the greatest degree of tactile sense possible. The tradeoff being that those materials will not hold up over time given moderate/heavy field use. Consumers need to understand that this is the tradeoff in these type of gloves, and is one shared among the market alternatives noted above. The more protective and durable the glove, the less tactile sense is provided. During the 30-day evaluation period the only negative aspect to the Hard Glove’s durability was some curling of the leather on the hook-and-loop tab that is consistent with wear, but could become problematic over the glove’s expected lifespan.
- Functionality – Good (4/5): The Hard Gloves functioned as well and intended for a pair of shooter gloves. Positive tactile sensation was maintained to the trigger, and dexterity during magazine changes and function drills was not impaired. The slit finger joints gave the gloves a good level of flexibility over a number of market alternatives that use a solid approach. It would be nice if the Hypalon loops were somewhat larger or more open, as it was a little difficult to thread them on/off carabiner clips. The only negative note would be the touchscreen pad on the middle finger that felt awkward given most people use their pointing finger to manipulate touch screen technology vice their middle.
- Weight – Good (4/5): At 70 grams (or 2.4 ounces) the Hard Gloves were very lightweight and gave a near “naked” feel that provided very good tactile sense to the trigger control group and magazines. The Hard Gloves were lighter than either the FDT Gloves (3.04 ounces) or the Duty Glove (3.42 ounces) which alludes to the Hard Gloves lightweight materials and design. Obviously the more protective materials and features included on any glove, the more weight is added and for a lightweight field/duty glove the Hard Gloves stride the line between weight and function.
Overall Rating – Above Average (18/25)
Product Link: https://us.directactiongear.com/hard-glovesr-leather#CBR
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