A warm and waterproof glove for the Pacific Northwest climate?! it seems as though Vallerret made these specifically for the coastal photographers of British Columbia. Scroll down to see the full features and review. Full disclosure: I received the Vallerret Milford Gloves for free but I’ll still provide my honest opinions of the product after over a month of use.
In my previous blog article, I listed out 5 practical outdoor clothing items for wildlife photographers. These items are both comfortable and functional to use in the field. So, when I learned about the warm and waterproof Milford Photography gloves by Vallerret, I couldn't wait to try them out in our wet Vancouver weather.
Full Features
The gloves have a 2 in 1 design. A fleece glove made of Polartec Windbloc keeps your hands warm while a rip-stop nylon rain shell (waterproof up to 10K) keeps your hands dry. The rain shell stows away inside a hidden pocket on the glove.
The glove fingertips are touch screen compatible and you can expose three fingers on each glove if you need more dexterity and precision control. The finger flaps are held secure by a set of elastics. The Milfords also have an extra bit of overlapping material to keep the elements out. The palm of the gloves feature a unique print design and are very grippy to hold on to your cameras, tripods, bags and other gear.
Review
After taking these gloves through kayak-based photography in the rain and hikes around the rainforest and snowy peaks, I can highly recommend them! The Milfords always kept my hands warm and dry.
I think that Vallerret have created something truly unique. And as of December 2023, there aren’t any waterproof photography gloves with a 2 in 1 function on the market. Here’s a snapshot of what I love and what I wish they would change in the future:
What I love:
Fleece Glove
Comfortable fleece fabric, great collaboration with Polartec Windbloc
Great option to expose three fingers on each glove, offering lots of flexibility when operating your camera
Extended material on the finger openings give extra protection from the elements
Touch screen compatible index and thumb fingers
Palm design and texture is nice and grippy to hold on to your tripod and other gear
Rain Shell
The rain shell is durably waterproof and the DWR coating is PFC-free. The DWR can also be reapplied to restore the water repellency and maintain the performance of the shell
The rain shell has a strong elastic cuff that secures safely onto your wrist and can be stowed away on the glove itself, minimizing the chances of losing or misplacing it
What I would change:
The elastic straps on the fleece glove take too long to secure the fingers and can be a challenge to do in the cold weather. I would like to see magnets that hold the finger flaps- similar to many other Vallerret gloves
The fleece glove cuff is a little loose for myself, personally. I would like a more secure cuff
So who do I think these gloves are for? The obvious answer is wildlife and nature photographers like myself who live in wet climates. But, I think that hikers, birders and generally anybody who spends extended periods of time outside in rainy weather will benefit from it. They are versatile and functional for any outdoor adventure.
You can learn more and purchase the Milford Gloves from the Vallerret website here.
I hope you found this blog useful and/or informative. If you have any questions please feel free to comment down below or share with your friends and family.
Until next time, happy birding :)
Kris