Glo Glov Safety Gloves

Gadgeteer Hands On Review by Judie Hughes

October 04, 2004

I am always amazed when someone comes up with a simple solution that solves a serious problem. You know, one of those types of  ideas or tools that makes you smack your forehead wondering why you didn't think of it, once you've learned of it. Some of the best ideas are those which can either dramatically improve your quality of life or those that will noticeably improve your safety as you enjoy life. The Glo Glov easily accomplishes the latter.

Comprised of non-fraying Tricot nylon (spandex) with custom-shaped Reflexite retro-reflective vinyl patches, the Glo Glovs will reflect light from up to a quarter of a mile away. Just to be clear, the gloves do not emit a light of their own, and they do not glow in the dark. What they do is very efficiently reflect light when it is shined on them.

Officer Shay Sampson  Camden Police Dept  New Jersey
Photo courtesy of the Glo Glov site

Invented by a former police officer's wife after she had a disturbing dream about "an officer standing in the road at night, directing traffic and the motorists could not see him," the Glo Glov is actually a great product for anyone that needs the protection of maximum visibility in the dark.

There are several different styles available, but they all follow the same basic design and principle. They are black, stretchy, fingerless gloves that feature strategically positioned reflective patches. Sized to best fit a man's hands, the only con I found when testing the gloves was that they were a bit too large for mine. While I would have been more comfortable with a tighter pair, they weren't exactly falling off either. I am 5'10 and probably have larger than average sized hands for a woman. A more petite woman would definitely find the gloves to be too large.

Removing size as an issue, the gloves are perfect for anyone that is doing anything outside in the dark. While there are plenty of testimonials from police officers and Department of Transportation types, if you walk in the early evening or morning, if you ride a bike or motorcycle or if you do anything that you want to be seen while doing, then these gloves are exactly what you need.

Because of this, I would really like to see these gloves offered in a smaller size that would better fit women and older children. I definitely think that these are two sets of people that would greatly benefit from them. I mean, who else do you see in your neighborhood every day jogging, walking or riding their bikes? With Halloween coming up later this month, purchasing a kid's version would have  been a no-brainer.

With that said, lets take a look at the two styles I received...

Original Glo Glov

Picture courtesy of the Glo Glov web site

The original style Glovs are simple, non padded fingerless gloves that have a strip of yellow reflective vinyl patched onto the back of each finger and thumb. A yellow reflective triangle is situated on the back of each hand, and in the palm is a bright orange reflective triangle.

These gloves are great for walkers, joggers, policemen directing traffic - and even motorists changing a flat tire on the side of the road. One cool thing about the Glo Glovs is that they will stretch to fit over full fingered gloves.

Sport Glov

Picture courtesy of the Glo Glov web site

The main difference between these and the original Glo Glov is the addition of a nicely padded palm. Therefore, instead of a large orange triangle in the palm, there is a red reflective strip at the wrist. These gloves are prefect for anyone that wants the extra padding motorcyclists, people that ride 4-wheelers, bicyclists, kayakers, you get the idea.

There is also a style made only for traffic control professions. These are similar to the original style, but they have a reflective red octagon "stop sign" in their palm.

Picture courtesy of the Glo Glov web site

Glo Glov didn't send me any of those - I guess they were afraid I might take it upon myself to do this guy's job... ;0)

Picture courtesy of the Glo Glov web site

Even though the gloves are made to glow when light is reflected off of them at night, the patches are such shocking florescent colors that they should also be quite noticeable during the day.

Glo Glovs are compact and can easily be kept in the glovebox or under the seat in your car for use during breakdowns. People who routinely jog or walk outside will want to keep a pair by the door. I hope that they come out with a children's size, because I think that they should be required gear - right up there with a helmet for kids on bikes.

I wish that this idea had been mine...

Price: $19.95 (includes free shipping)
Volume discounts are available

Pros:
Offer the user exceptional night time visibility
Can be worn alone or over full-fingered gloves
Excellent safety tool

Cons:
Not currently available in women's and children's sizes