TFB Long-Term Review: ECC FR Gloves
Social media and GunTube blew up a few months ago with news and announcements about the new ECC FR gloves. I have been wearing them for the last year and a half for various tasks, both on and off the range. But these are not cheap, with a retail price of $120. Is that price justified, or not?
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Disclosures: I am friends with the team at ECC, and they provided me with a pair of these gloves. All that they asked in return was my feedback, which I provided. I have other products from ECC that I am using and providing feedback on, as well.
The Idea
Shooting gloves fill an important role by protecting hands from all of the sharp, hot, or abrasive things found on the range. Gloves have to strike a delicate balance between protecting the shooter’s hands and providing enough dexterity that they don’t get in the way white shooting.
Hands are a unique thing, varying widely in size and shape. But most gloves come in simple sizes like small, medium, or large, and do not really accommodate the ways that hands differ. I have always had a difficult time finding gloves that worked for me. My hands are fairly large but narrower than true gorilla hands with long-ish fingers. No shooting gloves have ever really worked for me. They have all either been floppy around the palms in order to get the finger lengths right, or the fabric between the index finger and thumb pulls away from my hand because the fingers are not long enough.
Enter the ECC FR gloves. The sizing system has two measurements, the length of the hand and the circumference of the palm. ECC offers five circumference options and six length options. Buyers measure their hand with the instructions, then select a pair with the indicated length and width. Think of it like pants that have a length and width dimension as opposed to pants that come in small, medium, or large. Using two measurements works much better for everyone but is particularly helpful for people with hand sizes at the outer edges of the distribution curve.
Before we go any further, we have to talk about price. These bad boys retail for $120, which is pretty steep for a pair of gloves. Many competitors are $30 to $40. If your shooting budget is limited, it is probably a wiser choice to wear $20 gloves and put the other $100 to range fees and ammo. But for someone who shoots a lot or has a larger shooting budget, the ECC FR gloves are a nice upgrade. I think of it like Texas Roadhouse vs. bisteca alla fiorentina in Tuscany: I love both, but the Italian one is memorable and enjoyable in a way that the other is not. These are a premium option and have the pricing to match, but they also feel like a premium product on your hands.
In Use
These gloves have been in my range bag over the last year and a half, and have been with me on all sorts of shooting adventures. From trying my first bullseye pistol match in the snow, to reviews with guns that have sharp edges, to elk hunting and hauling target equipment at highpower rifle matches, the ECC FR gloves have done it all.
But my use of the gloves has not just been for shooting. I have also used them for yard work, including using a digging bar to break up some awful rocky soil where my wife wanted to plant some hedges. My hands were getting sore from the concussion with my normal garden gloves so I grabbed the ECC gloves out of my range bag. These are not insulated gloves, so keeping hands warm is not their main function. They do help some when it is chilly but don’t expect them to replace your puffy mittens.
The Loop Issue
About the only issue with the FR gloves is the loop. After about six months of use, the loop on the right glove ripped out. I told the guys at ECC about it, and they said they were aware of the issue. I clipped off the broken part and kept using the gloves. ECC’s website says this about the loop:
“The utility loop on the V1.0 FR Glove is not load bearing, and can pull away if subjected to excessive force. This failure mode does not compromise the glove’s protective qualities. The form and function of the V1.0 utility loop is under review, and we are accepting feedback for future releases.”
These gloves fit me very snugly, and I used the loops to pull them on many, many times. Because it is not load bearing, best practice would be to pull on the gloves without using the loops, and to just use the loops for things like storing the gloves on a carabiner. And in the year since that loop pulled out I have not even missed it. Hopefully they can sort this out, but even with this one drawback I have an overwhelmingly-positive opinion of the gloves.
Conclusion
Despite the loop issue, the ECC FR gloves are easily the best gloves I have ever used for shooting. They actually fit my hands and will most likely have a sizing option that is a perfect fit for you too. The kangaroo leather and Kevlar combo provides great dexterity without compromising on protection. Here’s a tweet from Palmer Luckey (owner of Anduril, a defense contractor) about the ECC gloves:
Yes, it is easy for an actual billionaire to say $120 is cheap, but I agree with him fully on the first part. These gloves are exceptional.
My praise for the ECC FR gloves really boils down to how nice it is to not notice my gloves while shooting. Having gloves that simultaneously protect your hands while not getting in the way or compromising your dexterity is a real improvement over the competition. Is that worth $120? How much money you have to spend on shooting and how annoyed you are with other gloves will make that call for you. The price point of these gloves is also much easier to justify if you spend a lot of time on the range. But I can say without question that these are my favorite, and if you have never been happy with the fit of other options then they just might be your new favorite too.
