Polar explorers, it would seem, are a stubby-fingered lot. The canon of exploration literature is riddled with stories of frostbite — from Apsley Cherry-Garrard being nipped after just two glove-free minutes on “The Worst Journey in the World” to Robert Scott’s frostbitten man, Capt. Oates, sacrificing himself to a blizzard with the words, “I am just going outside and may be some time.” And as late as 2000, Sir Ranulph Fiennes literally sawed off his dead fingertips after severe frostbite halted his solo walk to the North Pole. Such are the risks when you’re battling sub-subzero temperatures for weeks on end.
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As for me, I would make a terrible polar explorer. I can barely keep my hands warm through a chairlift ride in 20-degree weather. Just venturing north of the 49th parallel is enough to make my fingers tingle. That’s why the promise of the new Lucent Heated Gloves — Gore-Tex-lined, insulated gloves that heat the fingers, front and back of the hand for up to 8 hours — appealed to me. Even more so because they’re made by Outdoor Research, a brand that’s unabashedly zealous in its pursuit of functional design, even at the cost of fashion. In fact, it was a friend’s severe case of frostbite on a Denali expedition that led scientist Ron Gregg to quit his job and start the company, with the express purpose of making accessories (gaiters, hats and gloves) that actually work.
I’ve worn the Lucents all winter long, skiing, shoveling snow, running, fat biking and walking in temps well south of 0 degrees Fahrenheit to see if they actually work.
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The first thing everyone notices about the Lucents is their price. At $350, sticker shock is understandable. These are probably the most expensive gloves you’ll ever own. To put that in context, though, comparable unheated premium gloves, like The North Face Vengeance Mitts ($220) and Arc’Teryx Alpha SV Gloves ($275), are pretty expensive, too. Other heated gloves, like the Hestra Heater Glove, hover closer to $400. Like all top-notch gear, you have to consider the Lucent as a long-term investment. Thanks to OR’s “Infinite Guarantee,” that shouldn’t be a problem.
Even with dead batteries, the Lucents will likely keep your hands as warm as many competitors. They are high-quality insulated gloves with rugged nylon shells, goatskin leather palms and fingers, molded EVA foam protection on the knuckles and backs of the hands, a waterproof Gore-Tex liner for damp conditions and ample synthetic EnduraLoft insulation (333 grams on the back of each hand, 200 grams at the palm, 133 grams at the gauntlet). Other thoughtful details include an oversize gauntlet for keeping snow out, a one-hand-adjustable cinch, an oversized loop for pulling them on over layers and an “idiot cord” wrist leash that ensures you hold onto them in even the ugliest of on-slope yard sales.