When we relaunched Tactical Select as a tactical gear review website, Nick and I knew we wanted to focus on a narrow range of about five product categories, and we both knew tactical glove reviews had to be one of them.
Personally, I consider myself a tactical glove junkie, I own 30+ pairs from a wide range of brands, and I test new ones all the time. But surprisingly, until now, we still have yet to post a single tactical glove review on the site! Today that changes, as I just received my new 5.11 Tac A2 Gloves, which I ordered here on Amazon, where they carry a 4 out of 5 star rating with 160+ reviews.
Like many of the products we feature on this blog, these gloves are economical and reasonably priced in the $30-$40 range. However, instead of feeling like a $30-40 pair of tactical gloves, I would put these 5.11 Tac A2 gloves on par with a really nice $80-$90 pair of gloves, like the Blackhawk Aviators.
These gloves will get the job done in high pressure situations. The palms are made from a synthetic leather suede, which offers excellent grip. If for example, you needed to quickly draw a weapon from your holster, you will have no issues retrieving it. When it comes to the wrist closer the Tac A2s utilize Neoprene and Velcro, which straps closed seamlessly.
You can pick up a pair of these gloves in Small, Medium, Large, XL, & XXL. I know a female Sheriff’s Deputy who uses these gloves, and she suggested women with normal sized hands should generally go with size Small or size Medium.
With low quality tactical gloves you tend to get really sweaty hands, which can even lead to a foul odor. Because the 5.11 Tac A2 gloves use a stretchable nylon material on the back of the hands, they provides for a comfortable fit, which doesn’t feel too loose or too tight; they “breathe” with good airflow. This also helps them to dry relatively quick in wet conditions.
As of this writing these gloves only one color option, which is black. I like black gloves, but if you prefer other colors you are going to need to look elsewhere.
If you are using these gloves while shooting a weapon, you should be able to maintain plenty of dexterity to maneuver and operate correctly. The 5.11 Tac A2’s also provide a good amount of sensitivity and feeling, with their trademarked TacticalTouch fingertips. If, for example, you had to pat down a suspect, you aren’t going to miss any concealed weapons.
A few of our subscribers have asked whether these make good gardening gloves. The answer is you could, but you may not want to. They are thick enough that they would suffice while picking thorny weeds, using various gardening tools or even hand shoveling dirt. However, because these are tactical gloves made primarily for law enforcement and special operators, they are likely going to be subjected to more wear and tear than normal if you use them continuously for gardening.
Pros
- Small & Medium fit women well
- Great sensitivity and feeling in fingertips
- Good airflow and quick to dry in wet conditions
- Economically priced at $30-40, with the value of a higher priced glove
Cons
- Black is the only color option
- Not particularly good gardening gloves
What do you think of our 5.11 Tac A2 Gloves review? Please let us know in the comments below, we read all of them!