Weight: 162 grams
Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL
Buy Rab Khroma Tour GORE-TEX Infinium Glove: £95 SnowandRock.co.uk
Rab Khroma Tour GORE-TEX Infinium Glove 2023-2024 Review: TL;DR
Classically styled, and well featured gloves that will offer an ideal level of versatility for some skiers. Not however ideal for spring touring or the frigid depths of January.
Rab Khroma Tour GORE-TEX Infinium Glove 2023-2024 Review: Intro
Rab is one of the UK’s best-known mountain brands, with a heritage that has translated well beyond British borders. But it has historically been linked with mountaineering, climbing and hiking. In recent years a foray into the ski market – which could be a very risky move given the traditionally quite different target audiences – has seen the Khroma range going from strength to strength. A focus on the wilder side of the mountain – freeride and ski mountaineering – has no doubt helped given the two audiences have begun to converge with the rise in popularity of touring.
Who Are The Khroma Tour GORE-TEX Infinium Gloves Aimed at?
There are three glove models within the Khroma range; two models contain Primaloft insulation and a fully waterproof Gore-Tex membrane, with the gauntlet-style aimed at freeriders and an under-cuff version aimed at touring. This Infinium model uses a similar under-cuff design (so the jacket hangs over the glove rather than vice versa) and is aimed squarely at ski tourers; with less insulation and more breathability.
Rab Khroma Tour GORE-TEX Infinium Glove 2023-2024 Review: Materials
It’s important to note that this model – with Gore-Tex Infinium – is not waterproof. The membrane used here is a windproof technology, and although it is highly water resistant, it doesn’t offer the same weather protection as the two models mentioned above. Conversely, it is supposedly much more breathable.
This model also doesn’t contain Primaloft insulation, opting instead for a modest fleece lining which keeps things cosy but means they’re not for the coldest of cold days. Given that windchill is often the major factor in cold hands, the windstopper membrane will be doing much of the work.
Finally, the outer of the glove is a fine quality Pittards leather which gives instant confidence in the glove’s ability to handle whatever the mountain throws at it. The whole package feels warm without being bulky, and dexterous as well as tough. For anyone who might rappel into a couloir or stash their skis for a final summit scramble these benefits will surely be of interest.
Rab Khroma Tour GORE-TEX Infinium Glove 2023-2024 Review: Style, Fit and Features
The style of the Khroma Tour gloves is classic reliable leather, and they look great for that. Especially in the tan leather colour. Fit, as with any glove, is to taste. For anyone who finds Hestra gloves a little close fitting on the fingers, these may work better. Conversely, they may feel slightly shapeless to anyone with slender fingers.
Features are a little light – and given the designers had an eye on the uphill, maybe that’s a bonus. One thing we missed was a wrist loop. They may be designed for touring, but all of us take the occasional chairlift and that little strip of insurance is always welcome. Otherwise, the velcro adjustment at the wrist works fine and there’s a clip to hold them together (which we’ve frankly barely used!)
Rab Khroma Tour GORE-TEX Infinium Glove 2023-2024 Review: Verdict
Rab claim “Whether you’re skinning uphill or attacking the powder [this glove] brings all the protection, breathability and precision you need.” Regarding protection, it’s true there is a Khroma glove within the range that will suit any conditions the average skier might encounter.
Whether this model has the right amount of protection is a personal decision – we'd say the coldest days in the Alps require something more insulated. The dexterity is pretty good, and is essentially a function of the rather minimal amount of insulation. But the one claim here which seems unnecessary is the idea of enough breathability for the skin track. Maybe we run hot when active, but the idea that a fleece-lined tough leather glove with a membrane (even the most breathable membrane) tests credulity.
That doesn’t take away from the overall usefulness of the gloves. The Khroma Tour Infinium is a genuinely capable all-rounder, and the trouble with all-rounders is they’re not perfectly warm and they’re not perfectly breathable. But they’re versatile and might be the only gloves you need to carry (although we always recommend a spare pair for touring). The quality is beyond reproach, and with that in mind the value for money is superb.
Buy Rab Khroma Tour GORE-TEX Infinium Glove: £95 SnowandRock.co.uk
