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Columbia Omni-Heat Bugaglove Max Electric Gloves Review
With the Columbia Bugaglove Max Electric Gloves gone are the days of frozen hands and fingers. Columbia gave me a pair of gloves to test this winter and here's what I thought.
Columbia Bugaglove Max Electric Gloves Features
- Fabric: 100% goatskin leather
- Omni-Heat electric, thermal reflective, and insulated
- Techlite battery compartment
- Outdry waterproof
- Split cowhide palm patch
- Long gauntlet
- One-hand shock cord hem adjustment
- Nose wipe
- Precision fit grip
- Price: $399.99
Columbia Bugaglove Max Electric Gloves Review
When I first heard about the Columbia Electric products I was highly skeptical. Adding electric heat to products has been tried in the past, rather unsuccesfully. This time around though, I think Columbia is on to something. The Columbia Bugaglove Max Electric Gloves are an all around good glove. First let's look at the heat. Operation is easy, just press the Columbia logo on the back of each glove. The heat comes in three modes: high, medium, and low. The button alternates colors when on: red for high, yellow for medium, green for low. On a full battery charge you'll get 2.5 hours on high, 3 hours on medium, 4 hours on low. The heat that is produced is more of a slow, radiating heat as opposed to a burst of heat. I've found the best heat performance comes from preheating the gloves before my hands were cold. The gloves will heat your hands back up after they are cold, but with the slow, radiating heat it does take some time. It won't be quick like a typical hand warmer. The gloves charge via micro-USB and take about 3 hours to charge. What I like about the cords is they are a micro-USB to USB combo which gives you a few different options for charging using the single cord and any available USB port. The gloves do come with everything necesary to charge, including 2 USB cables, 1 USB wall adapter, plus international adapter plugs. The gloves are lined with Omni-Heat reflective fabric which is supposed to reflect the heat that would ordinarily dissipate out of the glove back into the glove. I did find that the thumbs aren't heated. A little research shows a heating wire may cross the thumb but my thumbs still got cold. Without the heat, the Bugaglove is still a great winter glove. I found it preferrable for skiing. The goatskin leather is durable and very weather resistent. It's pliable, even in cold conditions. The gauntlets are long which is great when skiing or anytime you have to dig around in the snow. The gloves are bulky so dexterity is compromised similar to what you see for most winter gloves. The Outdry fabric is awesome and it definitely keeps your hands dry. My biggest gripe with the glove is there isn't a soft nose wipe. The specs say it's there but it's not. Any amount of time spend outside, especially skiing, and your nose is going to run. Goatskin leather isn't very good at wiping or absorbing. Sizing is good. I normally wear a size XL glove because I have long fingers. The XL in the Bugaglove fits me perfectly. Overall I've had a good experience with the Bugaglove. Are they worth $399? I'd be hard-pressed to say yes. It's a cool concept but I don't think it's worth it, yet. If you have the money to burn, go for it. Columbia is definitely on to something and I'm looking forward to future iterations of Electric. The Good- Electic Heat
- Materials are high quality
- Good performing ski glove
- No nose wipe
- Price
Bottom Line:
Warm glove, good glove, cool concept. If you have the money, spend it. Buy Now: Pick up the Columbia Bugaglove Max Electric Gloves[gallery orderby="title"]... Read more...
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The Utah Nordic Alliance (TUNA) Mountain Challenge 2009
Wanting to test your legs against other nordic skiers before the trails open this year? Every year The Utah Nordic Alliance (TUNA) throws a bit of a fitness test for everyone prior to the ski season. The TUNA Mountain Challenge 2009 will be held this weekend, Sunday October 11, at world-famous cross-country ski resort Soldier Hollow in beautiful Midway, Utah. Or as I like to call it, New Switzerland. Every nordic nut wants to test whether his body is ready for the x-country skiing season, and this is the perfect venue. The Mountain Challenge is an off-road duathlon (bike and run). It consists of a 5k run and a 10k bike portion. See TUNA's announcement below for more details:
Join us at Soldier Hollow on Sunday, Oct. 11, for the annual TUNA Mountain Challenge, our traditional early-season fitness check. The race is an off-road duathlon, a 5k trail run followed by 10k on the bike. You can race as a two-person team or do the race solo. Don't have a team? We'll set you up on race morning. No one will be turned away, even if you only want to do the run or the ride. This is a low-key, fun event, and all are welcome. Registration is day-of only, from 9a to 9.45a. Race starts at 10a. There will be a shorter loop option for those under 14. For Tuna members, entry fees are $10 for those over 14 and $5 for those 14 and under. Add $5 for non-Tuna members. Entry fee is the same whether you are doing the race solo or as part of a team. Every dollar of the entry fees will go to help TUNA Mountain Dell groomer Jesse Stewart, who is facing some serious medical issues. The bike portion is not technical, and is cyclocross friendly. A road bike will not work. Helmets are mandatory. Our white elephant prize table is one of the race highlights. Each racer is expected to bring an item for the prize table. The most common items are leftovers from the sporto closet, clean and in good shape. Past items have included roller skis, jackets, wax, gloves, fresh-baked pies and breads, concert tickets .... NO t-shirts or water bottles, please. A few volunteers are needed to make this race happen. If you can help (or bring a friend as a volunteer), please contact Chris Magerl. Questions? Call Chris, 801.595.8293.SEARCH FOR: nordic gear... Read more...
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Matt Griff – Rugby, Skeleton, and Stuntman
Some people are just a natural at anything they pick up, and it's just a matter of time before one of their interests makes the world stand up and take notice. Matt Griff is one of those guys. I first met Matt when I was running with the Haggis rugby team in Salt Lake (now called the Park City Haggis team). I was a little runt, who happened to be slow -- not a good combination for a rugby player. If you aren't big, you better darn well be quick. Griff would give me tips & run drills with me -- a couple of times a week we would meet at the Highland High School track at 5:30am with some of the other guys and run ladders or stairs in the stadium. It was extremely helpful, and by the end of the season I was my fastest ever. I can even boast of having chased down and caught the star winger of the team a couple of times - Jason Pye (Jason now plays for the US rugby team). And while I'm sure those happened to be moments when Jason just wasn't trying too hard, it never could have come close to happening without the encouragement of someone like Griff. But Matt's athleticism doesn't end with rugby, where he is a high scorer in every game he plays. He also plays on the Utah Jazz demonstration basketball team -- you know, the guys who do flipping dunks off of a trampoline at half time? Crazy! He is a guy with a natural body awareness that he has honed over years and years of eager practice. You can tell there's nothing he loves more than to analyze a movement until it is dialed-in perfectly. This body awareness and analytical approach to motion is what has now landed him stuntman roles in several recent and upcoming films, including Eleventh Hour and this fall's big Hollywood release about the Highland High School rugby team: Forever Strong starring the next Tom Cruise -- Sean Faris. It also stars Gary Cole ('Office Space'), Neal McDonough ('Flags of our Fathers'), and Sean Astin ('Lord of the Rings'). Click here to watch the movie clips for Forever Strong. All those stunts you see where a guy is getting hit and doing a flip? That's Griff. You'd think that would be enough to tire a guy out. But not Matt. He is also shooting for Olympic glory at the Winter Olympics in the Skeleton event ---- which is like luge, but face-first. And he is making people stand up and take notice at the times he's throwing down in skeleton: placing 2nd in the US Western Regional Championships, and 2nd in the Utah Winter Games. So keep your eye peeled for Matt Griff -- he has talent that is undeniable. And the next time you're wondering why you are such a talentless clutz, it's just because God gave Griff a little extra....
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