OR Crack Gloves??

Climbing a lot on the sharp rocks of J Tree this winter have gotten me really into taping my hands. I like that tape leaves my hands similar to their natural width but I hate how much tape I waste.

Ocun gloves are good for any crack hands or wider but they’re so thick that thin hand cracks are awful. The OR gloves look thinner so maybe better.

Anyone used them and have an option of them?

Daniel Melnyk wrote:Aiding a lot on the sharp rocks of J Tree this winter have gotten me really into taping my hands. I like that tape leaves my hands similar to their natural width but I hate how much tape I waste.

Ocun gloves are good for any crack hands or wider but they’re so thick that thin hand cracks are awful. The OR gloves look thinner so maybe better.

Anyone used them and have an option of them?

I'm liking them a lot so far (2 seasons).  Faster and easier than tape, and a lot less waste (I still do use some tape as augmentation in specific situations).  They are holding up fairly well (I have had to restitch at the wrist connections-- reattaching the velcro closure tabs to the wrist straps-- but the main rubber/fabric pads on the backs of the hands are doing fine), but they are also cheap enough compared to the other options out there that I won't be too annoyed replacing them if I need to in another season or two.  Their low profile and relative flexibility make them good for routes that are mostly crack but also involve some other features, in the sense that I don't feel like I need to remove them to comfortably face climb, belay, etc.  I had a pair of rubber ones from that Russian knock-off company Climb-X a few years ago, and the rubber loops around my fingers felt bitey and uncomfortable, and the wrist straps were so thick I was blocked from getting my hands all the way into deep hand cracks.  No such problem with the OR gloves.  Very low profile.  I don't think they change my true hand thickness much more than tape would.

Anybody want a pair of used L/XLs?  Used on about 20 pitches or so. Shoot me a message. SOLD

You know you can make reusable tape gloves?

FrankPS wrote: You know you can make reusable tape gloves?

Or I could pay someone else to make mine for me out of fabric and rubber... ;)

I really like them.  The newer models are an improvement on the first gen as well. (better velcro)  Definitely faster on and off than the ocuns and for sure lower profile.  (which has its pros and cons)  Also they're superior to tape because they last way longer, don't roll, and don't have to be painfully peeled off your hands when you want to stop using them.  Sometimes I'll take them off mid-route if I'm doing a hand crack to a more bouldery crux and want my hands to slide into my chalkbag more easily.  Something that would be basically impossible w/tape gloves.

They're great but have some serious durability issues if you climb anything where you use the inside of your hand. Sent mine in for a warranty and will be reinforcing them next time around with tape around the wrist and around each finger loop. Ripped two finger loops after about 4 days on, my reusable tape gloves last longer.

Just cut your tape gloves off at the end of the day then reuse them the next. I tape them on at the wrist and across my knuckles. Best of both worlds.

I find that the hand jammies are fine for the gym where I don't want to tape up and will only be doing a lap or so. 

Yeah Leader, bite me :)   If you're lucky enough to be climbing 5.9 cracks when you're 60 - you'll be happy to buy them by the gross.  The Ocuns are great!

I have a pair and like them a lot. Thinner and less intrusive than a tape glove. I like that it leaves my palm side totally free. 

Jaren Watson wrote:

Ondra uses them. Let him know he’s not gnar enough for you.

That's because he's got baby soft hands and isn't a real hard man climber. 

I a;ways considered them a sign of a true gumbie, then I saw a video where Kate Rutherford uses them in Patagonia. Quick on and off and no wet tape in the alpine.  She is as badass as it gets so I have reconsidered and bought a pair of the OR ones.  The newer model holds up better than the early one, but still moves around on my hand like a reused tape glove, especially on tight hands cracks.   Both are fine for gym workouts and save a bunch of tape, but in the real world I like the feel of a new, thin , tape glove. I am 68 and have been doing this stuff for a long time!

• Crack gloves became legit for all badass climbers around five years ago. I now see it as a sign of being a true gumbie when someone spends 20 minutes at the base of the first climb taping up.

Sorry, but not so.  Go to the creek and see some of the specialized tapings.

kemple sr. wrote: I a;ways considered them a sign of a true gumbie...

I resemble this comment. 

I picked up a pair of the climbX ones for doing laps in the gym.  I was embarrassed at first, but then I realized I don't really care, and also realized that they are super convenient for running crack laps in the gym in between routes.  I'm a fan. 

They're certainly much more convenient than tape gloves. Not as bulky as the Ocun gloves. If you reinforce the wrist loop they last quite a bit longer, but I think the newest model is a bit burlier in that regard as well. The Ocun gloves seem like they would protect your hand a bit better, and likely provide some helpful width on wider cracks. Anyway, when my current pair of OR gloves wear out, I'll be getting another, if that answers your question.

I have both the Ocun and the OR ones. I'd say I have average size male climber hands.

The Ocuns are awesome, super durable and fit great. They do add enough thickness that they make thin hands a bit harder though.

The ORs (I have the old solid black ones) aren't as durable and don't fit as well. I have the S/M ones, and after using them a bunch they stretched enough that they now feel loose, similar to re-used tape gloves.

So, I'd get the Ocuns for everything above thin hands, and skip the ORs and re-use your tape gloves instead for everything smaller.

Zach Parsons wrote: I have both the Ocun and the OR ones. I'd say I have average size male climber hands.

The Ocuns are awesome, super durable and fit great. They do add enough thickness that they make thin hands a bit harder though.

The ORs (I have the old solid black ones) aren't as durable and don't fit as well. I have the S/M ones, and after using them a bunch they stretched enough that they now feel loose, similar to re-used tape gloves.

I had a pair of the old, non-durable, OR gloves that fell apart much too quickly. I called up OR warranty support and they gave me a new pair of the grey ones. They're better. 

I keep a pair of the newer gray ones in my chalk bag pocket. If I use them, I just make sure to take them off before anyone sees me wearing em. They're legit and way more durable than they feel when you first see them.