Bare 5mm Ultrawarmth Omnired Infrared Thermal Technology Gloves

As a general rule, thicker neoprene insulates more, so colder water pushes you toward thicker accessories, but fit, dive length, and personal cold tolerance matter as much as the millimeter number. Divers commonly lose a great deal of heat through the head, so a hood is often the highest-value warmth upgrade for the money. Remember that every added piece of neoprene also adds buoyancy you will need to account for.

Boots should fit like a snug athletic shoe, with no heel lift and no crushed toes; a little water inside is normal, a sloshing pocket is not. Try them on with the socks you would actually dive, and remember your fin foot pocket has to accommodate the boot. Hard-sole boots protect on rocky shore entries, while soft-sole boots are lighter and pack smaller for boat and travel diving.

Gloves should be snug across the palm with fingertips reaching the ends without bunching, since trapped air and loose fingertips destroy dexterity. Thicker gloves are warmer but make buckles, clips, and inflator buttons harder to operate, so choose the thinnest glove that keeps you comfortable in your conditions. Try working a clip or buckle while wearing them before you commit.

A hood should seal around the face and neck without restricting your throat or jaw, and lie flat on your head without pulling the mask strap out of position. A loose hood flushes cold water continuously, while an overly tight one is distracting and uncomfortable. Many hoods have a vent to release air trapped during descent, so check yours and burp out any trapped air before you go down.

New neoprene compresses and relaxes with use, so a boot, glove, or hood that feels firm out of the packaging usually settles slightly after a few dives. It should still be snug afterward rather than loose, because neoprene that stretches into a loose fit was probably oversized to begin with. Buy for a snug fit when new, but never for a fit that restricts circulation or breathing.

Yes, because every piece of neoprene you add is buoyancy, and a hood, boots, and thick gloves together can shift your weighting noticeably. Do a proper buoyancy check any time you change your exposure protection rather than assuming your usual weight still works. The weight-check procedure is covered in your training, and a dive professional can help you re-do it.

Rinse them inside and out in fresh water after every dive day, since they hold sweat and salt more than any other gear, and dry them fully inside-out before packing. Dry them out of direct sunlight and never on a heater, because heat hardens neoprene and weakens glued seams. Store them dry and unfolded, as damp neoprene sealed in a bag is how gear picks up a permanent smell.

OMNIRED is a fabric woven with 13 thermo-reactive minerals that convert outbound body heat into thermal, or infrared, energy and reflect it back toward the body. Bare uses a low-loft version of the fabric as the inner lining of the 5mm Ultrawarmth Glove, so it adds warmth without adding bulk inside the glove. The fabric is also hydrophobic, quick drying, and anti-microbial.

Bare sizes this glove by two hand measurements: palm circumference and palm length. Measure your hand and match it to Bare's chart rather than estimating from a suit or shoe size. The glove comes in unisex sizes 2XS, XS, S, M, L, XL, and 2XL. If you are between sizes, call DiveCatalog at 888-701-4017 and we can walk through your numbers.

Bare also offers a 3mm Ultrawarmth glove; see that listing for its own specifications.

Yes, the listed size is a pair of gloves, not a single glove. Bare packages the 5mm Ultrawarmth Glove with a reusable mesh bag, which is useful for rinsing and drying the gloves after a dive day and for keeping them together in your gear bag. The gloves are offered in black only.