Montane Prism gloves review: packable, smartphone-friendly warmth for all occasions

The Montane Prism Glove is a lightweight but warm glove equipped with touchscreen-compatible inserts for smartphone use. It sits around the midpoint of Montane’s glove range, offering more warmth than single-layer fleece, but less protection and durability than full winter gloves. The Montane Prism Glove is available now, in either black or Narwhal blue colourways, at a UK RRP of £45. Are these good enough to sit amongst today's best touchscreen gloves? Read on for our full Montane Prism Gloves review.

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Montane Prism Glove review: design and build

The Montane Prism Glove has a deceptively simple design, a Pertex Quantum shell, insulation layer and a soft liner, there’s not much that immediately catches the eye. However, the devil is in the detail here - these lightweight warmers not only pack a punch, but also lay on some serious environmental detailing to boot. 

The simple lightweight Pertex Quantum shell gives packability and pretty decent strength, but abrasion resistance isn’t very high, so these are not a good choice for scrambling or high-handling situations. However, the Pertex Quantum is the eco version, so is entirely recycled, while the 60g/m2 of insulation is PrimaLoft Gold, which is also recycled to the tune of 55%.

 The fingers of the Montane Prism Glove are pre-curved, adding a touch more dexterity, while the wrist closure is managed with a simple section of elastic. A generously-sized loop is available for pulling the gloves on in a hurry, and the touchscreen inserts are seemingly laminated overlays, slightly glossy and mildly crispy to the touch.  

Montane Prism Glove review: use and comfort

The killer attribute of the Montane Prism gloves is a simple one – packability. Squashed into the provided stuff sack, you’ll end up with a package the size of a small apple, which is impressively small for gloves this capable. In tandem, these guys weigh in at a mere 60g per pair, making them impressively good as backup gloves, just-in-case weather armour, or those looking for ultralight warmth such as adventure runners and the like.

That Pertex Quantum outer is generally windproof, but not entirely, allowing for some breathability, which is broadly a good thing to prevent too much sweatiness going on. Thanks to the superlight fabric, dexterity is really very good in spite of the level of insulation, making the use of the touchscreen tips a practical option, as well as allowing the manipulation of smaller devices such as smartwatches. The touchscreen pads operate screens as advertised, the only issue being that the slightly-stiffer touch screen pad areas are square, and tend to stay that way, resulting in a slightly unnatural control experience. However, this is relatively easy to work around. 

The brushed microfleece lining is certainly comfortable enough in normal use, although it has a tendency to get a little grabby when hands are wet, which coupled with a slightly snug wrist cuff for the size can be slightly annoying. However, there’s a weight penalty for a more elaborate cuff design, and a dexterity problem with thicker pile liners, so there’s a real balance to strike here. Meanwhile, the PrimaLoft GOLD insulation packs a real punch, immediately trapping heat in quite impressive amounts. The closest analogy – especially considering the Quantum shell – is of a pair of mini sleeping bags. Lightweight, slightly delicate, but very toasty. 

Montane Prism Glove review: verdict

There’s a lot of things the Montane Prism Gloves are not, including super-robust, expedition-grade gloves. But their packability to warmth ratio is right up there with the best, making them particularly useful for changeable conditions, or occasions such as a fast and light summiting attempt. Their super-dexterous grip and smartphone-friendly index and thumb tips make them great around town too, or indeed any situation where manipulating small devices with touchscreens is an issue – pretty much everywhere in this day and age. 

The Pertex Quantum shell is tougher than you might expect, but will soon get battered by outdoor activities, especially involving abrasive rock. In short, these are perfect for fast and light warmth wherever you need it, something that will appeal to runners, hikers and casual glove-wearers alike.