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Montane VIA Groove Gloves Review

The Montane VIA series are focused on fast and light with designs centred around trail running features. The VIA Groove Gloves fit this brief perfectly. Weighing in at just 40g for a large pair they certainly tick the lightweight box. The design seems simple enough with a thin layer providing the protection and the design across the palms in silicone for providing additional grip. There are enough small silicone dots across the palm and across the fingers to make the grip useful with such a subtle design. The loop on the wrist for pulling the gloves on is thick, sturdy and works well when battling wet hands. The small areas on the thumbs and forefingers for touchscreen compatibility feel like a simple, laminated patch with space underneath allowing the contact between you and the screen to be connected. There aren’t many features with these gloves but for this weight, I think there’s enough to keep most people happy.

However, the most important aspect of the VIA Groove Gloves is the use of Gore Infinium fabric. This is Gore’s latest fabric and although it is not waterproof it is windproof, breathable and highly water-resistant. This is a great combination, especially for gloves. I tend to have very warm hands so I have always struggled with gloves in cold conditions with my hands either being too hot or simply exposed to the elements – either way, uncomfortable. I choose these to try and combat that and so far, they have not disappointed. If you feel the cold or suffer from cold hands then these won’t be the gloves for you. The slim fit does not allow much room for a liner glove unless you size up on purpose but there are other gloves that would be a better option in that case anyway. In addition to the windproof fabric is a soft, brushed fleece inner that goes a long way to making them much more comfortable.

The main issue I have with these gloves is around the touch screen compatibility. No glove is perfect when it comes to using a touchscreen, you always have to mess around making sure the contact is there and I can accept that. However, giving these gloves the touchscreen compatibility means that the Infinium fabric has been opened up and I found that these points on index finger and thumb let in a water in particularly wet conditions. The rest of the fabric is as close to waterproof as you’re likely to get so I’d rather sacrifice the less than perfect touchscreen option for more protection from the rain.

I have used these gloves numerous times now as we head into winter and will definitely continue to do so. They have been perfect for cold weather running, and I wore them all through the OMM 2019 in pretty harsh conditions. I’ve also used them for cold, windy rides out on the road bike but when the temperatures dip down towards freezing a more insulated option is normally better for cycling. They have also worked brilliantly for hiking trips where you can easily stow them in pockets when not needed and quickly put them on when the cold winds pick up.