REI’s Tech-Compatible Powerflyte Gloves

If you’ve ever tried to use your smartphone in cold weather, you know the pitfalls of having to remove your gloves so your phone’s touchscreen will pick up your bare fingers’ natural conductivity. Luckily, with these screens becoming universal, glove-makers started to catch on. Smartphone-compatible gloves are almost as common as smartphones themselves.

Among the best are the Powerflyte Gloves from REI. Unlike many other gloves, REI’s version does not simply cut off the thumb and pointer finger fabric, leaving the tips of these fingers exposed to the elements. Instead, the gloves are stitched with a tech-compatible fabric, allowing your thumb and forefinger to operate the touchscreen. And it works fairly well: It’s not as effective as taking the gloves off, but this will do when it’s cold out.

Overall, these gloves are warm and flexible, constructed of polyester, nylon and spandex for a combination of dexterity, breathability and moderate warmth. They’re also thin enough to act as a glove liner in particularly cold climates. They’re also decorated with a reflective flourish, so you can use them as running gloves at night for even more versatility.