The Rab Phantom Contact Grip Gloves impressed James Roddie with their wind resistance and water repellency.
The Rab Phantom Contact Grip gloves feature Polartec Windpro, and I found this to offer excellent wind resistance and water repellency. Out of all of the gloves in this test, these took the longest to wet-through in the rain, with very obvious ‘beading’ on the surface. They were also the quickest to dry by some margin.
James Roddie’s Best in Test
Overall, these are excellent three season gloves, and very much deserve a Best in Test.- quick drying
- excellent warmth to weight ration
- sizing on the large size
| Quick specs |
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| Price: $42 | £40 (available from Cotswold Outdoor) Weight: 60g (Size M pair) Materials: Polartec Windpro. 90% polyester, 10% elastane Sizes: S-XL Women’s version: Yes rab.equipment/uk |
The sizing seems to be on the large size. Although the finger length seemed just right, there was an area of baggy material around my palm whenever I bent my fingers. I thought this might affect the overall warmth performance, but I actually found these gloves to be the warmest in the test. They are the heaviest by a few grams, but realistically this is not noticeable even when directly comparing, and they offer excellent warmth to weight ratio.
The cuff extends further down the wrist than is often found in this style of glove. I personally like this, as it helps to reduce cold around your wrist when wearing the gloves with a jacket. The cuff edge is reinforced with a lycra rim, helping with durability in this area. The silicone palm grip is amongst the most effective I have ever used. It covers the entire palm, extends to the fingertips, and it is incredibly grippy.
However, as is often the case with silicone grips, I found the material had started to wear off in places after only a handful of days in the hills. This is the only durability concern that I’ve come across so far.
There are touchscreen compatible zones on both the forefinger and thumb, and I found that they worked very effectively. The firmer material involves includes a slight edge, which (whether intentionally designed or not), helps you to be able to type on a touchscreen very precisely. Overall, these are excellent three season gloves, and very much deserve a Best in Test.
How we tested
James tested these gloves in a variety of conditions during winter, spring and early summer in the Scottish Highlands. Weather included high winds, heavy rain showers, and bright and breezy days. James usually wears size medium gloves and his hands run slightly cold. Weights were measured on James’s own scales.
This review was first published in the November 2025 issue of The Great Outdoors magazine. Compare this with other models in our guide to the best hiking gloves.
