I often complain (some will say whine) about the fact that I can’t control my capacitive touch screened smartphone in the Winter months, when I’m wearing gloves. As we know, capacitive touch screens will only work when we touch the screen with our fingers. That’s because the human body has a natural bioelectricity in our skin. Put gloves on and that goes away. No matter how hard you swipe your iPhone’s display, it will not react. We’ve heard of people that use their nose to unlock their ringing phones, or cut the finger tips of their gloves off so that they can use their fingers. I have a much better solution, it’s a pair of Agloves. Let’s check them out.
Available in three unisex sizes: S/M, M/L and XL, I was sent the S/L and M/L because I wasn’t sure which size would fit me best when I measured my hands using their online instructions.
These gloves are very similar in look and feel to the stretchy knit gloves that you can buy at most clothing stores. They are made of 60% polyester, 29% nylon, 3 spandex, 1% acrylic and the other 7% is the special capacitive compatible material. They are currently only available in a speckled Black color. The speckles are actually what makes the Agloves so special.
I’m sure you’ve seen other types of iPhone / capacitive touch screen compatible gloves before. But the ones I’ve seen have little pads attached on the finger tips. Instead of just being able to use the tips of the gloves to touch the display, the entire Aglove has little silver nylon threads running through them that allow you to touch with any part of the screen with the glove. Click the image above for a larger view.
I was worried that these gloves would feel scratchy on my skin, but they are soft, comfortable and warm. If you didn’t know that the grey specks were silver threads, you would think they were just grey thread. They don’t make the gloves feel any different.
You might be wondering if the Agloves are washable. I’m happy to say that they are. You can wash them in your washing machine on the gentle cycle or hand wash them. Then just let them dry flat and you’re all set.
I tested these gloves with unlocking my Droid X, texting using Swype, tapping icons, etc. I had no problems at all. Everything worked as if I were using my bare finger tip. And FYI, there’s no fear that the silver threads will scratch your display.
It’s the end of October here in Columbus, Indiana and we’ve already had a couple 40 degree F mornings. Pretty soon we’ll be having 30 degree mornings and I’ll be donning my gloves. This year I will be wearing Agloves because they will keep my hands warm and will also allow me to interact with my phone. At $17.99 a pair, the won’t break the bank either.
Update 11/17/10
It’s been cold enough this week to start wearing my winter coat and gloves on my drive to work each morning. The Agloves are working perfectly! They have been keeping my hands warm and allow me to interact with my phone without removing them. So in real-world usage, I give them two (gloved) thumbs up. 🙂
Product Information
| Price: | $17.99 |
| Manufacturer: | Agloves |
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I’d like to try them. How is the sizing compared to other unisex gloves? I’d rather they be more snug than more loose.
@Michelle They seem to be pretty much sized the same.
Always been looking for gloves that doesn’t have that touch sensitive “dot” on the index finger. These are perfect for multi-touch! I’m gonna get a bunch of these to give out as mini xmas presents!
Update 11/17/10
It’s been cold enough this week to start wearing my winter coat and gloves on my drive to work each morning. The Agloves are working perfectly! They have been keeping my hands warm and allow me to interact with my phone without removing them. So in real-world usage, I give them two (gloved) thumbs up. 🙂
Do they also work with touchpad computers?
Nice follow-up Julie! I’ve been meaning to order a pair for my Wife & was torn between these & the Isotoner versions. Think I’ll do the Agloves, and a pair for myself too!
@The Slapster I’m still rocking mine 🙂
Follow-up: Wearing my new Agloves now that it’s all wintery in Maryland. and they work fine with the iPhone!
A few minor drawbacks:
They wouldn’t pass on their own for warmth, they’re just very thin. I’ve been wearing my normal, heavier ones on top so the Agloves kind of act like a 2nd, thermal pair.
They’re slick, as in, I wouldn’t drive with only them on my hands. Not grippy enough if I have to make any sudden moves. Again, with the heavier pair on top it’s fine in case I have to do any touch-phone stuff in a pinch. (Pulled over safely, of course.)
Color: Needs more! I don’t mind the monochrome, but as a gift it would be nice to have a few basic choices in color & that shouldn’t affect the touch capacitive feature.
@The Slapster Your comments are interesting. In my own experience, they are warm enough for the drive into work and walk into my building even when it’s been in the single digits. I don’t find them too slippery to drive. But then I’ve worn similar knit gloves for years now. I’m used to them.
@The Slapster
Thanks for the honest feed back. You may want to consider “Glider Gloves” from Canada that have significantly thicker gloves for warmth (and still have full 10 finger response). They also have grip dots so that they dont slip out of your hand. And there are several colour options and styles to choose from.. so I think maybe that woudl be a better bet. Search for Glider Gloves on google, youll find the,,
PS I wrote this using my Winter style glidergloves 🙂