Black Diamond Equipment Punisher Gloves: Review

There are a ridiculous number of gloves to choose from on the market. Picking the right gloves can be quite the task, especially if you have long or shorter fingers, wide hands, or need them for a very specific activity. Some gloves are ultra-warm, but diminish dexterity so much that you can barely zip your jacket. With others, you can tie fishing line, but your fingers go numb if the temperature drops, or they provide poor wet weather protection.

I realize that not everyone is a sponsored pro or has the money to purchase a pair of gloves for every activity, which is why I like the Black Diamond Punisher Glove. For an all around mountain glove, the Black Diamond is warm, waterproof, sticky palmed, and provides excellent dexterity. From alpine climbing to skiing, these gloves have been my go-to this spring season.

Specs & Features:

Sizes: XS-XXL. Below is Black Diamond’s Glove sizing chart and a short video on where and how to take the measurements.

Best case scenario is to find a local shop and try them on, but knowing that is not always an option, BD has provided these features.

https://vimeo.com/6418638

Weight: 6.84 oz / 194 grams (size mediums on my personal scale)

Material: 

• Shell: The shell of the Punisher Glove is a synthetic 4-way stretch. This feature allows the gloves to be worn with a tighter fit and still stretch with the hand when grasping objects such as ski poles or ice tools.
• Palm: I have found the goat leather palms to be very sticky and they provide awesome grip. The last thing you want is to drop a valuable tool or item when your on the ski lift or up on a glacier. It’s quite the sinking feeling as you watch that thing slide away into the distance.

• Lining: The 100% waterproof BDry insert has kept my hand dry in some very wet conditions. My home in the Pacific NW Cascades isn’t famous for champagne power and dry conditions. The 100g fleece liner has kept my hands warm during frigid alpine mornings and windswept alpine ridge lines. BD list the temperature rating between -9/4 °C (15/40 °F), which I would say is pretty spot on. Whether skiing or climbing, that’s a very generous temperature range and conditions you will encounter 90% of the time, myself included. 
• Padding: The back side of the glove is padded along the knuckles and fingers. This is an important feature when climbing in rocky or ice covered terrain. In any conditions, I’m a firm believer of protecting the hands and feet, as they are the most vulnerable and can turn a fun outing into a nightmare.

Fit

Articulation: The fingers of the Black Diamond Punisher Glove have a specific curvature to the hand at rest. Unlike some gloves that have straight fingers, the Punisher Gloves fingers naturally curve with the hand and make it much easier and add a natural feel when grasping objects or during rope work.

Dexterity: For their warmth and temperature versatility, the Punisher Glove delivers in the department of dexterity. As stated before, these gloves enable easy use of rope work (including knot tying/untying), grabbing small items out of jacket and pack pockets, identifying objects by touch when reaching into a pack, and manipulating items such as a knife. I find this to a standout and valuable feature.

The last thing you want to do is take one or both of your gloves off during foul weather. Not only does it expose your hands to the elements, but also raises the odds of losing a glove in a no lose situation. Although, in the event this were to happen, it’s always better to have an extra pair of warm gloves stashed away in the bottom of your pack or attached to your harness. Better to carry an extra 6 – 8 ounces than lose a finger(s) due to poor preparation.

Bonus Features

• Finger loop on each glove for attaching to a carabiner. This allows the gloves to be carried opening down and keeps snow or wet weather from accumulating in the gloves
• The gloves have a narrow opening with a tight and narrow velcro closure. When the velcro is fastened completely it keeps a tight seal around the wrist. This keeps the warmth in and cold out. With its lack of bulk, this feature also makes it very easy to get the wrist of a jacket around the glove.

Pros

• Weight
• Warmth
• Grip
• Dexterity
• Waterproof

Cons

• Warmth – When the temperature is above the freezing mark, the gloves do get fairly sweaty during high exertion activities such as climbing or skinning.
• Smaller wrist opening. Due to the smaller wrist opening, it does take more effort to get the gloves on or off compared to some competitors.

Bottom Line

The Black Diamond Punisher Glove is a versatile mountain glove that will keep your hand warm, dry, and allow you to employ a high level of dexterity. As the season winds down, I always consider items within my kit that I can improve on for next season. I wish I would have had these earlier in the year, but I’ll be ready to throw the on the next time the snows start flying.

If you are looking for a glove that suits alpine climbing to skiing, pick up a pair of Black Diamond Punisher Gloves. With normal use these gloves should give you a few solid seasons of use. The next time you have to take a glove off while up skiing or on the mountainside, think of how much warmer your hands could be. Get them on Amazon, or hit the Black Diamond website to find a retailer near you.