Whether you’re skiing or cycling, warm gloves can be the difference between having fun and being miserable. The Gnarnia gloves are Wild Rye’s first cold weather gloves and are designed to provide warmth and comfort on your adventures. If you’re not familiar with Wild Rye, it’s a female run apparel company that offers cycling and active gear for women. The $59 Gnarnia gloves are marketed toward cycling and winter sports thanks to the Primaloft insulation which provides warmth without bulk. Wild Rye offers the gloves in fun and bright Ginkgo Jade and Wild Thing Sea Glass prints which pair well with other Wild Rye apparel. The versatile gloves feature a number of thoughtful features such as touch screen compatibility, gel palm adding, and durable four-way stretch nylon shell construction.
The Wild Rye Gnarnia gloves combine fun and vibrant prints with lightweight insulation to keep hands warm even in cold weather.
| Retail Price | $59 |
| Rating | 9.8 / 10 |
| Measured weight (in g) | 68 (size medium) |
| Likes | + Creative graphics + Insulated design without any bulk + “Play Wild” print on palm is a nice party detail |
| Dislikes | – N/A |
| Where to Buy (US) | Wild Rye |
FIT & FINISH
As a female run company, Wild Rye’s products not only offer female specific fit but also fun color schemes and prints. Wild Rye offers the Gnarnia gloves in two color options: Ginkgo Jade and Wild Thing Sea Glass which we have here. It’s a unique graphic scheme that combines a green and white dot print on the back of the gloves with a black palm. You’ll also find a “Play Wild” printed onto the palm in pink with a gel finish which adds some visual flare and extra grip. It’s a nice easter egg which injects some fun into the gloves and can create Instagram ready photos. The Gnarnia gloves are offered in sizes from small to extra-large and feature an adjustable wrist tab to make it easier to put the glove on and off. Although this is a female specific brand, men can also easily wear this glove by simply sizing up.
The Gnarnia glove features a nylon and spandex shell with Primaloft insulation for additional warmth. It’s a thin yet effective insulation that provides warmth and breathability without the bulk of traditional winter or ski gloves. These gloves are wind and water resistant thanks to a DWR treatment which improves the overall versatility. On the palm you’ll find a combination of polyurethane and nylon with the “Play Wild” gel detailing. There is also a softer nose wipe material on the thumb that is listed as a “built-in boogie wipe” on the cardboard packaging. The gloves are also full touch screen compatible which allows you to interact with your phone without taking the gloves off. Both the middle and index finger have a wrap around finger tip material to make it even easier to use with screens, this is a feature we wish other gloves like Lizard Skins Monitor 3 SZN included. Wild Rye has also incorporated textured strips on some of the fingers to help grip ski poles or handlebars.
ON THE ROAD
The Wild Rye Gnarnia gloves arrived just in time for a winter cold weather front that brought rain and snow to much of the west coast. Our female rider was impressed with the design and fit of the gloves. She found them to be surprisingly soft and lightweight for cold weather gloves and provide pretty good insulation compared to other gloves like the more bulky Pearl iZUMi Cyclone gloves. One thing to note is it wasn’t warm enough to keep our fingers from freezing below 40F. Although the gloves don’t have full gel padding, the Play Wild gel print ensures you have enough grip and helps absorb some vibrations. The bright Wild Thing Sea Glass print on the gloves is also fun and attractive, especially compared to more common black gloves. The green color paired very well with our Isadore LS Jersey and helped it stand out on the road.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the Wild Rye Gnarnia gloves to be attractive and warm. As with other Wild Rye products, the gloves have bright and vibrant graphic prints that help them stand out in the market. Our female tester found the gloves to be comfortable and warm thanks to the lightweight Primaloft insulation. The Gnarnia gloves are thin and flexible allowing for excellent dexterity on the bike or trail. We appreciated the details such as the Play Wild printed on the palms and the touchscreen compatible finger tips that allow you to use your phone without taking the gloves off. They are well designed gloves that work well in colder weather whether you are a cyclist, skier or just outdoors in colder weather.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by Wild Rye. The views expressed on this website are solely those of the authors and are here to help people make an informed choice before a purchase. The authors or the blog itself does not get any monetary compensation from the product manufacturer or third-party websites/vendor links that are posted here.