Pros / Reasons to Buy
- Sustainably produced
- Beautiful fit
Cons / Reasons to Avoid
- The tags inside need to be removed for comfort
- Very simplistic design may not appeal to all hikers
The icebreaker Merino Oasis 200 Glove Liners is a sustainably produced, biodegradable and recyclable product. That aside, I found through my tests that this is a no-frills glove that doesn’t have a huge feature set.
What it lacks in its feature set though, it makes up for in the comfort it offers. It’s beautifully soft and feels really comfortable to wear, even after prolonged use outdoors. It’s also easy to wash and keep feeling nice longer term.
Due to the fact that it has a close to skin fit, it feels effortless to use your hands as normal outdoors. These gloves just give you an extra layer of protection from the elements. After a while, you’ll likely forget you’re even wearing them.
This article is part of our series on the best winter hiking gloves, view all other articles below:
Compare to Similar Products:
Helly Hansen Swift HT Ski Gloves | Rab Pivot Gore-Tex Gloves | Hestra Heli Three-Finger Insulated Gloves | Sealskinz Waterproof All Weather Insulated Glove | Hestra Fall Line Glove | The North Face Women's Apex Insulated Etip Glove | The North Face Women's Montana Insulated Ski Mitt | Black Diamond Mercury Mitt Womens | Outdoor Research Stormtracker | Carhartt Women's Quilts | Carhartt Quilts Insulated Women's Mitts | Black Diamond Guide Gloves | Helly Hansen Men's LIFA Merino Glove Liner | Wells Lamont HydraHyde Leather Hybrid Men’s | Outdoor Research Flurry Sensor | Carhartt Men's Waterproof Insulated Glove | Mechanix Wear Coldwork Original | Arc'teryx Rho Liner Glove | Trendoux Winter Gloves | icebreaker Merino Oasis 200 Glove Liners | Cotopaxi Teca Fleece Gloves | Burton Touchscreen Glove Liners | |
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Buying Options | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Our Rating | Best Overall Winter Gloves | Warmest Winter Gloves | Best Insulated Gloves | Best Winter Gloves for Touchscreen | Best Winter Gloves for Men | Best Winter Gloves for Women | Best Waterproof Winter Gloves | Best Women's Technical Ski Mitt | Best Liner Gloves | Best Touchscreen Gloves | Best Budget Winter Gloves | |||||||||||
Type and Shape | Performance/technical/ski | Performance/technical/ski | Performance/technical/ski | Hiking/general sport | Performance/technical/ski | Hiking/general sport | Hiking/general sport/ski | Performance/technical/ski | Hiking/general/ski | Hiking/general | Hiking/general | Performance/technical/ski | Performance/technical/ski | Work | Hiking | Hiking | Work | Performance/technical/ski | General | General | General | Performance/technical/ski |
Warmth | High | Very High | Very High | Medium | Very High | High | High | Very High | High | Medium | Medium | Very High | Medium (Liner) | Medium | High | High | Medium | Medium (Liner) | Medium | Medium (Liner) | Medium | Medium (Liner) |
Water Resistance | Waterproof | Waterproof | Waterproof | Waterproof | Waterproof | Water Resistant | Waterproof | Waterproof | Not Waterproof | Waterproof | Waterproof | Waterproof | Not Waterproof (Liner) | Water Resistant | Not Waterproof | Waterproof | Water Resistant | Not Waterproof (Liner) | Not Waterproof | Not Waterproof (Liner) | Not Waterproof | Not Waterproof (Liner) |
Wind resistance | High | High | Very High | High | Very High | High | High | Very High | High | Medium | Medium | Very High | Not Windproof (Liner) | Not Windproof | Not Windproof | Windproof | Not Windproof | Not Windproof (Liner) | Not Windproof | Not Windproof (Liner) | Not Windproof | Not Windproof (Liner) |
Fit | Fits true to size/High Dexterity | Fits true to size/High Dexterity | Fits true to size/Medium Dexterity | Runs Small/High Dexterity | Run Small/Medium Dexterity | Fits True to Size/High Dexterity | Fits True to Size/Medium Dexterity | Runs Tight/Medium-Low Dexterity | Runs Small/High Dexterity | Runs Small/Medium Dexterity | Runs Small/Medium Dexterity | Runs Small/Low Dexterity | Runs True to Size/High Dexterity | Runs True to Size/High Dexterity | Runs Large/High Dexterity | Runs True to Size/High Dexterity | Runs True to Size/High Dexterity | Runs True to Size/High Dexterity | Runs True to Size/High Dexterity | Fits Slightly Tight/High Dexterity | Fits True to Size/High Dexterity | Fits True to Size/High Dexterity |
Durability | High | Very High | Very High | High | Very High | High | High | Very High | High | Medium | Medium | Very High | High | High | Medium | Medium | High | Very High | Medium | Medium | Medium | High |
Price | $70.00 | $155.00 | $127.96 | $73.35 | $139.99 | $59.90 | Price not available | $97.88 | $95.14 | $27.99 | $27.99 | $143.96 | Price not available | $15.08 | $31.47 | $28.29 | $32.99 | $40.00 | $7.99 | $40.00 | Price not available | $14.67 |
Analysis and Test Results
I found that these liner gloves performed really well in my tests. Whilst they don’t boast a huge feature set, they were functional.
In terms of durability, the overall stitching is really well produced. I see no reason why these gloves shouldn’t last a long time. They also handle really well when you follow the care instructions well and wash them.
I loved their close to skin feel. This made me feel like I wasn’t really wearing them, and when paired with a thicker glove, just feel like you have the perfect level of warmth against your skin.
Performance Comparison
Warmth
These gloves do fit within the liner category, so they’re of course not as warm as something like the ADD LINK Rab Pivot Gore-Tex Gloves or ADD LINK The North Face Women’s Apex Insulated Etip Glove. But considering what they are, they do offer a good amount of comfort.
I found on their own, the icebreaker Merino Oasis 200 Glove Liners weren’t suitable for full on winter conditions, but on the warmer days that lead into spring, they’re great. I often use hiking poles, and these liner gloves gave a good amount of protection in low to mild temperatures.
My advice would be that these gloves may be the only ones you need if you live in or hike at a location that doesn’t get extremely cold, but still has some bite you want to reduce. If it gets really cold, you would be wise to use these paired up with a thicker glove as a liner.
Water Resistance
As these gloves are merino wool, they offer no protection from rain really at all. In my tests, I found that in slightly warmer rain, they actually dried off very quickly. But with this in mind, I did find myself bringing an extra pair with me just in case.
If it doesn’t rain a lot where you are, then these gloves will be perfect for you. They also dry out very quickly with them being merino. In warmer temps where you just want a bit of extra protection, then this is perfect really!
Wind Resistance
One thing I found myself loving, and actually a little surprised by was the wind resistance the icebreaker Merino Oasis 200 Glove Liners offer, considering they’re a liner. The gloves make use of Lycra too, which gives a slightly more stretchy fit.
With that in mind, they have some breathability, but you don’t really have any exposed fine holes in the gloves from the knit. This helps massively when it comes to light winds. In colder winds, I did find myself adding on a thicker layer of gloves over the top. As a paired set, these gloves are bulletproof.
Comfort and Fit
I find merino goods are always pretty comfortable to wear and feel soft to the skin and to the touch. This is always nice when you put these gloves on, as they just feel really luxurious.
They also include Lycra which gives them a stretchy finish. This is great as it means that the glove almost molds or hugs your skin really nicely. This is great in terms of dexterity and makes it really easy to do what you’ll need to do on your hike without needing to take your gloves off.
In terms of fit, these gloves are meant to be fairly tight to the skin. I got hold of a medium for my tests and I did find that this was pretty much perfect for me. I usually get a medium in gloves, so to me, this shows they run true to size.
I think it helps knowing that they’re meant to feel a little tighter on the hand. I’d recommend that you do measure your hand for sizing before you buy, just to make sure. If you’re in-between and on the upper end, I’d advise sizing up.
The slightly closer fit can take a little getting used to, but they’re so soft that it doesn’t feel uncomfortable. After a while, you’ll really like the feel of it being a sort of second hand.
Ease of Use
Due to the fact that the icebreaker Merino Oasis 200 Glove Liners are a close to skin fit, they are really easy to use. There is no bulk with them at all, so you can pretty much do anything you’d be able to do with hands, with these on.
They’re just a simple design that works really well: it’s not complicated and it doesn’t need to be. They’re a great glove if you need to be as flexible as possible. Obviously as they aren’t waterproof, I wouldn’t recommend using them on their own for scrambling if the surfaces are wet.
Materials
The icebreaker Merino Oasis 200 Glove Liners make use of a 96% merino wool and 4% elastane material construction. This means that you get all the benefits of merino – the moisture wicking, the lack of smell after prolonged use. With the benefits of elastane and the stretch and comfort this offers.
As a liner glove, the materials work really well here. I found that when I wore these gloves under a thicker hard-shell glove, like the ADD LINK Sealskinz Waterproof All Weather Glove, they were fantastic at wicking moisture on longer, more demanding trails where I built up a sweat.
Appearance
These liner gloves aren’t the most exciting gloves to look at. They’re not really going to win any awards here for their looks, but maybe they don’t need to? To be honest, their appearance is pretty non-intrusive. I liked that.
Due to the fact that these gloves are just a kind of understated black glove that feels pretty elegant, I found myself wearing them a lot day to day too. They sit great amongst your everyday clothes as much as they do outdoors.
Features
There isn’t really a lot to say when it comes to the features offered by these gloves from icebreaker. They kind of do what they say on the tin. With that in mind, they are fairly basic, but then they aren’t really meant to be anything but that.
The thing I love about these gloves is that they serve a purpose, and they do it well. They are a great glove to be able to not think about and will stick with you as you head out.
Durability
Like with most merino products I’ve owned and tested, they are durable and built to last. The stitching, seams and joins on these gloves are really well produced and I see no reason to think that even after heavy, prolonged use they won’t stand the test of time.
You can machine wash these gloves, and I’ve done this a few times. I kind of handle them the same as a pair of merino socks. Because they soak up sweat, I think it’s a good idea to cycle them through every few times you’ve worn them.
Providing you follow the care instructions and put on a machine wash at warm and dry in the shade, they come up brilliantly after a wash. The only area I think may be a little less long wearing is the double line stitching at the cuff of the glove. This may come loose over time, but this wouldn’t stop any of the functionality of these gloves.
Sustainability
icebreaker make a point of talking about how these gloves are natural, ethical and sustainable. They claim that because they are made in the mountains rather than a factory, they are naturally renewable, recyclable and biodegradable.
This is interesting, and I think this may actually be one of, if not the only glove in our line up that can claim this. In terms of use sustainability, I think that these gloves with comfortably last you a good number of years, providing you look after them well and don’t take them through use that they’re not really intended for.
Price
I think that for the price, the icebreaker Merino Oasis 200 Glove Liners are pretty good. At the time of writing, they retail at $40/£33.
This is on the mid to lower end of the liner and thin gloves that we’ve tested out in our main ADD LINK best winter gloves for hiking round up. They feel well made and to be honest, I think they actually sit at a quality level which exceeds their price.
Conclusion
The icebreaker Merino Oasis 200 Glove Liners presents a great option as a glove on its own for light cold and light wind. As a liner glove it gives a really great option that will keep moisture at bay and leave your hands feeling warm.
Aside from its sustainability credentials, it’s a pretty no frills, no nonsense glove and it doesn’t need to be. Why change something that isn’t broken? I loved using and testing this glove and it fits so perfectly around the hand that you have full dexterity.
Due to the fit, it means that you can do all movements you’d need to and won’t need to take it off, so it’s perfect for colder days when used as a liner. The price makes it attractive and a no brainer really. If this glove appeals to you, I think you’ll be really happy you went for it.
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