Oakley’s SI series of gear and equipment is built for serious use by serious people. That doesn’t mean that SOF are the only ones who can enjoy top-notch protective gear. Whether you’re out on the shooting range or working on home projects around the yard, the Oakley SI Assault Gloves will keep those digits protected.
You only get two hands and 10 fingers, and taking care of them is a big concern. We all know that injuring a hand can be life-altering. Fortunately, the Oakley SI series of gloves offer extraordinary protection in a comfortable package. They come in three versions: the SI Tactical, SI Tactical FR, and the one we will be covering, the SI Assault. Let’s take a look at the details.
Colors available: Black, Tan, Foliage Green, Coyote
Sizes available: Small, Medium, Large, X-Large, XX-Large
Materials:
- Cuff: Oakley uses “Airprene,” a breathable neoprene material similar to what is used in sports braces, which allows movement and support while not allowing excessive heat build-up. They also feature a hook-and-loop style fastener to secure the glove tighter around the wrist. Finally, the cuff is cut to give the user what I refer to as a “pull tab,” making pulling on the gloves easier.
- Top of glove: The most prominent feature on the Oakley SI Assault gloves are the carbon fiber molded knuckle covers. These aren’t so you can use the SI Assaults as weighted gloves or to top box with; they were originally designed to protect your knuckles while using door-breaching equipment. We have all experienced the pain of busted and bruised knuckles, and this molded carbon fiber will help reduce the chances of injury. The other major features for the top of the gloves are the vent holes and the fabric over the middle knuckles. They both work together to allow your fingers full range of motion while keeping them from getting overheated and sweating. They are trimmed out using Pittards digital sheepskin leather and four-way stitching on all edges for maximum durability.
- Palms: The palms of the SI Assault gloves also feature Pittards leather with micro-perforations to allow venting and better flexing of the materials. You can notice a trend with Oakley: They don’t want your hands sweaty and sliding about the insides of the gloves. The Pittards leather covers the entire palm and finger area minus one area—the tips of the index and middle fingers. The tips of the fingers are covered with what Oakley laughingly calls “Unobtainium,” a material that Oakley says, when wet, has better gripping qualities than other similar materials.
Fit and sizing: Oakley says these gloves run smaller than normal, and to order one size larger than you usually would. The breathable material and hook-and-loop wrist closure ensure as snug a fit as the end user desires.
MSRP: $ 70-120, depending on the retailer.
Unique features: Carbon-fiber knuckles, Pittards leather, and “Unobtainium” grip material (an Oakley proprietary material).
Application: These will be perfect for military and law-enforcement applications, as well as any operations where you need maximum hand and knuckle protection, such as while shooting, working construction, or when working on yard projects.
Pros: High amount of knuckle protection, great ventilation, good styling.
Cons: They are supposed to run a bit small, which may cause issues when ordering if the user isn’t aware of this fact.
Overall performance: While our initial perception of these gloves is positive, we’ll be giving a detailed overview after using them in day-to-day life, following extensive testing and evaluation while at the shooting range. All of this will be done at sub-freezing temperatures.
Thanks for joining us here at The Loadout Room. You will notice a huge upswing in activity from the site as 2014 ends and 2015 begins. We have over 100 items of gear being prepared for reviews and field evaluations, along with more articles on prepping, survival, competitive shooting, and much more.
(Featured image courtesy: saferacer.com)
