As Summer turns to Fall, many Canadians are dreading the approach of their least favorite season, Winter. For many of us, Winter represents a season of frustration as we attempt to use our iPhone and other touchscreen devices without exposing our fingers to the harsh realities of the season. A first world problem to be sure, but a problem nevertheless. And for each problem, there eventually comes a solution. In this case, it’s Concepts Touchscreen Gloves.
Designed specifically to address the issue of using touchscreen devices while wearing gloves, Concepts Touchscreen Gloves are a stylish yet functional answer to the problem of winter touchscreen use. Given that touchscreen gloves are a bridge between the static charge on your hands and your touchscreen device, their first priority is to enable you to text, touch and type with precision and accuracy. Many other touchscreen gloves on the market fail to deliver this promised functionality, either due to poor design, temperature limitations, or any number of other problems. And at the end of the day, a touchscreen glove that doesn’t allow you to use your touchscreen while wearing it isn’t much use.
According to Doug Stein at Montreal-based Concepts, the idea for Concepts Touchscreen Gloves came as he was out walking his dog in the winter while constantly having to remove his gloves to answer phone calls, return email, etc. After trying several touchscreen glove products and being disappointed in all of them, he eventually decided to create his own product that addressed the failures of the products he had tried and eventually the Concepts Touchscreen Glove was born.
The Concepts Touchscreen Gloves are available in two different sizes (Small & Regular), two different thicknesses (Moderate Cold & Very Cold), and a variety of color combinations.
The Moderate Cold gloves are a thinner model made from 90% Acrylic / 5% Spandex / 5% conductive material and are suitable for temperatures down to approximately 5ºC (40ºF). The Very Cold gloves are a heavier wool version consisting of 50% Wool / 20% Nylon / 20% Acrylic / 5% Spandex / 5% Conductive material and are suitable for temperatures as low as -20ºC (-4ºF).
The gloves are referred to as a “lifestyle brand” and are “designed to handle city conditions”, so if you’re out mending fences on a Saskatchewan farm when it’s -35ºC you probably shouldn’t be wearing touchscreen gloves (actually, you probably shouldn’t be outside!). However, if you’re commuting between work and home, walking the dog, heading out for groceries, or grabbing a coffee at your local Starbucks in the middle of February then Concepts Touchscreen Gloves are an excellent choice that allows you to keep your hands protected while using your touchscreen device.
After using the Concepts Touchscreen Gloves for a couple of weeks, I can confidently state that they work extremely well in delivering on their primary goal of allowing the user to use their touchscreen device while wearing them. As the temperature has dropped in Ontario over the past couple of weeks I’ve found myself wearing them in the mornings (I walk to the train station at 6:15 am) and have had no issues at all in using my iPhone while wearing the Moderate Cold gloves. There were a couple of mornings last week where it was 4ºC when I walked out the door, and the gloves worked perfectly. I’ll definitely be using the Very Cold wool gloves when Winter arrives. I’ve been wearing Regular size gloves and find that they fit very well considering that I have large hands.
Concepts Touchscreen Gloves are available online for shipment to Canada or the US, and can be ordered immediately via the Concepts online store. Shipping is very reasonable and payment is via PayPal. You can also follow Concepts on Twitter and Facebook. Their website contains additional information on sizing and care.
Concepts is pleased to offer a special discount of 25% for iPhone in Canada readers, just use the Promo Code ‘ipic-222‘ during checkout. This discount code is valid until December 2, 2012 so visit the Concepts store today.
What do you think? Are touchscreen gloves something you would consider? Let us know if you order a pair.
Update: Here is our hands-on video review from @MeadorsMusings:
