Outdoor Research

Fossil Rock II Glove

great quality, tedious to remove

Size Bought:

xs

love the color and style, these gloves saved my hands during a long trip. I measured my hands before buying and bought a size xs based on the numbers provided. they fit great on the actual hand but are a little snug around the fingers. would be easier to remove if there were loops on the index and pinky finger as well and/or the loops were positioned higher on the glove.

Great gloves

Great for rope work in both indoor and outdoor use. The suede shed a little when I first got them but no that their broken in it’s great. Can be a little tight on large fingers, had to size up but love these.

Just as expected

Fit guide is pretty accurate. They're lightweight and seem durable where it counts.

Love the design and quality

Familiarity:

I returned this product before using it

Size Bought:

M

These gloves are great! One issue is why I gave them 4 stars. The sizing states that they run true to size, but for me, they ran small, so I went up one size. Great glove but cost me $6.95 return fee.

Not bad

Familiarity:

I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

Size Bought:

Large

Seem good quality, but sized a little small. I normally wear a L glove, should have bought XL. can barely get my hands in and out of the large. I suggest erring on the side of a larger glove than you think you need

dig'em

Familiarity:

I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

Size Bought:

M

They are as I expected, well made, good attention to detail - feel like a second (more durable) skin.

Rock gloves

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

Size Bought:

Medium

I bought these to use hiking..as I cap my hand over the top of my trekking poles on the descents...I also do trail maintenance with an 18" saw , the gloves work great. The added loops for removing them is a nice feature.

Pathetic stitching strategy.

Familiarity:

I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

Size Bought:

L

Weight:

190

First off, I like the gloves. Enough to pay more than I bought them for to have a seamster friend repair them. I'm just tired of returning stuff. VERY light use caused the single, straight stitched (bad call OR) line to break and separate the cuff from the palm. Take note lazy manufacturers: this is PRIMARY stress point for donning/doffing the gloves, as evinced by the near instantaneous unstitching of that line. My seamster agreed that it should have been A) a more robustly stitched line, and B) a zig-zag stitch that allowed for some stretch. They fit my hands well once on so they are not too small. Is this indicative of a slide in quality thanks to Dan Nordstrom's (yep, that Nordstrom) acquisition of OR similar to Columbia's Mountain Hardwear acquisition (and subsequent sliding into a vanity outdoor brand position) type of scenario? Dan? Are you going to put OR's good name at risk in pursuit of cutting corners and profits? The internet has created an environment for high-quality, small manufacturers to compete, albeit not on the same profit-scale, with the Big Guys. Even if that's not your definition of competing, I for one, am tired of the dilution of quality thanks to corporate buy-outs of companies with once-high brand equity. I've already returned another OR piece of gear this year (OR Cirque II Pant) for crap quality zippers on the leg cuffs breaking under minimal stress. I'm just hoping the material holds up after I more than double the cost of the product by having them restitched.

Durability concerns

The finish of the gloves is well-done, they are pretty breathable and have a series of thoughtful touches like the loops near the wrist and backs of the fingers. I will admit that I have large, wide hands and that probably relates to my biggest concern: their durability. I ordered an XL and found them to fit quite tight across my palm and fingers. I hoped they would loosen up in time, but after three days of moderate cragging the stitching is coming out on two fingers. I suspect the seams will fail with any more use. Other than that, they appear well made.

run small

size up one size if you like your gloves comfortably loose, otherwise they may feel constrictive. My hand measured at the lower end of size Large, but I found them a bit tight when I received them.