Unless you want to wake up at first light, the summer months are a tough time to go shooting here in Texas. Temperatures rise to above 100 degrees on a daily basis, and the humidity doesn’t help. Gloves are the last thing you want to have to wear.
Thankfully, Mechanix has come out with a solution for hand protection during the hot months of the year. The Mechanix Vent Covert gloves provide the protection needed when handling hot weapons and prevent wear and tear on the hands while also having enough ventilation to keep your palms from getting too rosy.
The Mechanix Vent Covert fit well and come on and off easily via the nylon pull loops. A velcro wrist strap keeps them securely in place. The synthetic leather palm side and the mesh top side of the gloves are covered in little vent holes, keeping hands and ventilated while still providing ample protection.
Despite that ample protection, it is still possible to operate a touch screen fairly well. The gloves protect hands and fingers from potential light scratches and burns.
To test the gloves I took them to the range while instructing. I loaded range gear with them, set up steel targets, and handled gear that sat under the sun for a few hours.
As work gloves the Mechanix Vent Covert gloves are ideal. In fact they’re just as good as some of the other more protective gloves that Mechanix offers. My hands stayed comfortable without much more sweating that I would experienced without the gloves. The vented gloves also dried very quickly at the end of the day.
The Vent Covert provided excellent grip for both rifle and pistol shooting. Even after a few hundred rounds through the AR the gloves provided great protection from the heat. When manipulating the rifle and pistol the gloves aided in maintaining control over the weapon while protecting my hands.
The main issue I had with the gloves: the tactile feeling on the trigger was lost, making it harder to shoot quickly, especially with the pistol. I wish that Mechanix would either come out with a thinner covering for the index finger or have an option to remove the covering of the finger all together.
SPECIFICATIONS: Mechanix Wear Vent Covert Gloves
Colors: Black, Coyote, Muilticam
MSRP: $27.99 ($19.50 to $23.49 shipped on Amazon)
RATINGS (out of five stars):
Build Quality * * * * *
Form-fitting mesh lets cool air in and minimizes heat build-up. Thermal Plastic Rubber (TPR) closure with hook and loop provides a secure fit.
Function * * * *
Perform as intended – protect the hands while keeping them cool. Still need to improve feel for trigger control.
Reliability * * * * *
No issues.
Overall Rating * * * *
The gloves performed well but aren’t perfect. It was difficult to feel the trigger while shooting, which slowed me down.