Customer Reviews Outdoor Research Splitter Gloves

Dinner and less obtrusive than some of their counterparts on the market. Still tough enough to last a good season of jamming.

Fit slightly big

Crack climbing. The fit is great, they feel like extra skin. Sadly, after one 5 day trip they are starting to wear out.

I've had a pair of these gloves for about a year now and although I love them they are really falling apart. The stitching on the Velcro has ripped out so I can't keep them secured any more and several of the fingers have blown out (pinky and middle finger). That and the protective/grip pad is torn up and is starting to peel off. I don't doubt that I've put them through the wringer, probably climbing near 100 days with them in many different size of crack from thin hands to OW in everything from sandstone to super sharp granite, but I think they could reasonably be made a bit more durable in these key areas to make them last even longer (Velco & finger holes). These will save you a huge hassle & even maybe money over tape gloves, and I hope the next generation is even better than this one. I like them much more than the beefier Ocun gloves because I have relatively large hands and I don't want to make thin hand (BD #1 size) cracks any harder to stuff my hands in.

Finally, the (near) perfect crack glove! A good tape job is still superior, but for those non-Creek trips when you need a bit more protection than your natural calluses, the OR Splitter gloves stand alone from their crack glove competition. I have owned and used most of them over the decades and when a friend introduced me to the first generation version a few years ago i was immediately converted. They are remarkably tough in spite of their appearance. I was sceptical of the spindly looking finger loops but they have held up well, no failures over the hundreds of pitches so far. The friction patch glue bonds have started to fail (hand stitched them back in place). The weakest feature is the Velcro wrist strap. The hook portion tends to stick to everything BUT it's assigned loop portion. I have had to restitch the wrist bands as well, though admittedly as intended/normal abrasion has contributed to their demise. Just picked up a new set recently. Only a few dozen pitches so far but it appears that OR has addressed some of the actual and perceived deficiencies. I'll update my comments for the second generation version in the future.

This protected my hands and were easy to get on and off unlike tape. So far they are have not shown much signs of wear, but they don't seem like they will last a super long time.

Since I've gotten these, I only use tape for my knuckles. They are thin and sturdy, given how thin they are. I have xs hands and the wrist band was too small, a bit of extra velcro there would be nice. The finger loops will stretch and they are pretty delicate, despite that, I'd gladly buy another pair when these wear out.

Compared to Ocun crack gloves I prefer these. They are minimalistic but protect the back of your hand well. No gobies (at least on the backs of the hands). I hardly notice I have them on when I'm wearing them, which is a great thing. The don't get in the way as much as other crack gloves with thin hand jams. They don't constrict your wrist as much as other crack gloves either (or tape gloves for that matter), which is huge for fighting off the pump. Easier on/off than tape gloves, and less messy. The sizing is a little weird. S/M is a bit small for me (the wrist closure is close to maxed out and the side to side coverage over the back of the hand, especially over the 5th metacarpal is a bit lacking), but the L/XL is way too big (tons of excess fabric, and I have fairly large hands / #3 camalot jams are fine for me), so S/M it is. My biggest complaint is durability, but that's the sacrifice you make for such a minimalistic glove. After about 2 months of climbing 2/3 times per week the rubber on the back of the hand was peeling back a bit and the wrist closure was a bit worn. After 3 months I tore one of the finger loops, making the gloves almost useless. That being said, I'd still buy another pair. The pros outweigh the cons IMO. How come they're never in stock? Finding these things to purchase can be a challenge.

I'm favorably impressed with the product. Regarding size, my hands are pretty beefy. Medium work gloves are too small, so I bought the L/XL. The problem is that my hand is only medium length, but glove is (understandably) designed to fit a basketball player's hand length. Next time I'll buy the S/M and pack into it.

For unknown reasons I always was reluctant to use such gloves. And, I get anoyed with tape. But I must admit that now that I am on the take, it's hard to go without them for a long day of crack climbing on textured granite. My wife always has been a hard climber but a bit of a wuss when it comes to scratch her hands. I bought her a pair and I now have a solid crack partner. A few of my friends are also using them and I once (jockingly) told that you couldn't clame a FA if you used those since they helped so much...man did I ever got shut up and some very angry looks.

I love how fast you can pull these on and off when climbing cracks. They tend to fit a bit baggy on my hands but it doesn't appear to make a difference when jamming. This is my second pair and I find that I wear out the attachment point on the wrist after quite a bit of mileage but its still holding together and I can always tape the wrist if it fell apart.

Everyone likes how thin this our, and how they fit and climb as the best gloves on the market. I agree with this, not going to get into that discussion though. I want to talk about durability for a second. /I probably climbed 30 long days with these in last fall, including lots of days with 15 pitches or more on granite and sandstone. I took them up El Cap twice. /Sure, they aren't going to last forever, but with good technique (lock in the jam, don't move your hand afterwards, movement of your hand in the crack is why we often need tape in the first place) durability isn't going to be a large problem. /You cannot have light, cheap, and durability. Pick two.

it works in terms of protection. but the finger loops could be the weakness.

I've use them for about five days now and they are really great. they really protect the back of your hands well. They feel really solid while jamming, and there is even good protection for fist jams. It seems like these might not be super durable in the long run though. The finger loops like like they are stretching out and one of the rubber pads on the back is starting to peal. I think they would last a full season but might not be much longer than that. But right now they are working great!

The gloves are pretty good. Really good coverage, form fitting material, thin, light, easy to use. As many others have mentioned, the fit is strange. It improves significantly after the first few pitches of break-in, but I have gorilla hands and the L/XL still feels a little oversized and loose after 20 pitches. Doesn't noticeably affect performance. Unfortunately the OR logo which is screened onto the pads started peeling off immediately. Though I tried to keep up with it, I inevitably left little red pieces of trash on my first couple locations before the labels completely peeled. Pretty dumb and thoughtless mistake on an otherwise good product.

these are good crack gloves but I found that they fall apart very quickly. They protect every part of your hand while trad climbing and stay in place. I live and climb in leavenworth, WA on granite and one season shredded the leather near where they connect around your wrist. I would like to see OR use thicker leather which would increase the life of these gloves. Second the sizing is weird. I am a large in everything from jackets to gloves and the s/m is what fit me best. I would be psyched to get another pair of these if OR addressed these two pieces. For know I would recommend putting the gloves on then wrapping your wrist with tape to protect the closure system and increases the life of these gloves.

I have only used this product for a few cragging days at Trout Creek and the Lower Gorge at Smith Rock. They work very well in thinner hand jams compared to tape. Easy to put on and take off. I could see these being pleasant for alpine days.

These are comfortable and very grippy, but they are super worn after only three or four pitches of climbing. They look likely to break after < 10 pitches.

I bought these gloves a few months back. I've only used them about 10 times or less, and one of the finger holes already ripped. Pieces of the rubber have also separated from the cheap material they're attached to. It's unfortunate that OR only has a 60 day return policy, otherwise I'd send these pieces of junk right back. It's a bit offensive that OR charges a premium for products of inferior quality. I understand that climbing sandstone cracks can be rough, but for a product to break so break after such little use is ridiculous. The product works fine in cracks, but it's too expensive for how poor the quality is.

Product is good. Well designed and really breathable and useful. Jams feel secure and glove does not slip. However, here's the thing: They are not built to last. 3/4 uses after the first time i used them the glove fell apart. Not useful at all and I wouldn't recommend them to anyone. I have used the Ocun ones and they are good and feel durable. These do not. Well designed but bottom line are made with cheap glue that peels and fabric that isn't made to last.

These gloves only lasted about 10 pitches until the glue failed. I called to ask about it and was told I should expect them only to last 10 pitches. Tape lasts 10 pitches and is a lot cheaper than these gloves. One trip up the captain is about 30 pitches... Not sure why they can't use a better glue or stitch the rubber to the base fabric. All that said these gloves are nice and thin and climb well until they fall to pieces, definitely not preventing waste though and seem way overpriced...

Seemed to be working well but after maybe 5 or 6 super moderate crack climbs, knuckle pads totally delaminating. Pretty lousy

These new gloves are terrible. The material is thick and bulky. The idea is to just have a protection layer between your skin and the rock. Not a thick, clumpy shield. The gloves doesn't fit like a "glove". Loose on the outside, bulks up in certain positions, doesn't bend and mold well to the hand. The old gloves were wonderful. Smooth and soft - it literally wrapped the hand and just felt like a second layer of skin.

Velcro doesn't stick after fewer than 10 climbs.

Make some more please