Nike All-Weather II: Rain Gloves that Won’t Steal Your Feel

    Glove tested: Nike All-Weather II (men’s) Retail price: $23 Material(s): Microfiber, silicone Colors: Black with gray Hand: Left and right (sold in pairs) Sizes: XS, S, M, ML, L, XL

    Available in cadet* fit: No Weather: Rain

    About this glove: Being based in the Pacific Northwest, Nike knows a thing or two about wet weather. No doubt the R&D team did extensive on-course testing of the company’s All-Weather II golf glove.

    The glove is made from a combo of synthetic microfiber (palm) and what Nike calls “body-led silicone” across the back of the hand. “Body-led,” by the way, means the material is engineered to mimic the shape and movement of the joints, muscles and tendons it covers.

    As with other rain gloves, including FootJoy’s RainGrip, Nike’s All-Weather II comes in a pair – a glove for each hand. Makes sense. What good is a stable left hand if the right slips and slides?

    In our experience, not many golfers own a pair of rain gloves. Is Nike’s All-Weather II a good investment? Based on our review, we lean toward yes.

    Appearance: Black palm, thumb, forefinger and velcro tab. Gray everywhere else. Simple, serious, appropriate for the cause. Fashion statements can wait till the sun comes out.

    Comfort: Wearing gloves on a rainy day automatically makes the hands more comfortable than going gloveless – as long as they’re dry inside. Nike’s All-Weather II gloves do, indeed, protect your hands from the elements. They’re quite breathable at the same time, with nice flexibility at the knuckles, and they don’t restrict movement whatsoever.

    Feel: Nike’s microfiber palm is possibly the thinnest on the market, which gives the All-Weather II a decided edge in this area. You won’t feel excess material between your hands and the club, and don’t need to adjust your setup or swing to account for an extra-thick grip. (A thicker grip limits hand and wrist motion, often causing a slice.)

    Feel is typically sacrificed when the rain gloves come on, but this model minimizes the difference to a near non-issue.

    Tackiness: The All-Weather II performs very well in this crucial category, too. One caveat: Microfiber gets tacky when wet, so make sure there’s water in the palms before every shot. Then swing with absolute confidence – the club isn’t going anywhere.

    Durability: It should take you quite a while to wear out a pair of Nike All-Weather II golf gloves. Rarely does anyone play a full 18 holes in the rain, and most of us don’t play much golf in the rain, period. Hopefully, you’ll use them sparingly and for several years.

    Bottom line: If you refuse to play through a little rain because you hate losing feel, the Nike All-Weather II could give you one less reason to pack it in. These gloves’ skin-thin material puts the hands in much closer contact with the club than you’d expect. You don’t have to obsess about keeping them dry, either, which lets you focus on drying your grips instead. Rain gloves are nearly a must-have for any serious golfer, and Nike’s All-Weather II model is up there with the best.

    *Cadet gloves have shorter fingers than regular gloves of the same size; e.g., a cadet medium glove has the same palm fit with shorter fingers than a standard medium.