Inevitably the question of whether you should wear gloves to an OCR event will come up in your circle of friends. Official Spartan Race glove provider, Fit Four offered me the option to try some of their newly introduced OCR Neo Grip Gloves. Unlike tradition full coverage mitts, the Neo Grips are minimalist in design, geared towards protecting you from painful callouses while allowing you a wider range of motion throughout your race.
Spartan OCR Neo Grip Gloves Features
Added cushion and anti-slip grip protection for OCR races – The added grip these gloves provided really proved useful on obstacles like the rope climb, Hercules hoist, and plate drags. They provided a cushioned barrier for my hands, while not sacrificing the grip strength I’ve built up.
Original patented 4-finger minimalist gloves design – Can gloves without straps stay in place? How effective can such a small gloves be? The gloves hold tight around your hands without the need of straps or velcro. Their compression fit keeps them in place while navigating obstacles, running, trudging through mud or swimming. Having your fingers and palms free allows me to keep these on through the race if necessary but they’re also easy enough to slide off, should I want to tuck them in my pack when not in use.
Spartan OCR Neo Grip Gloves Usage
Admittedly, I have only worn gloves to more easily navigate mud crawls. I’d slip them on to keep my hands protected as I rolled under barbed wire, etc. I had never considered gloves for the obstacles themselves. I’ve spent a few weeks using Fit Four’s OCR Neo Grip Gloves and there’s definitely a place in my gear box for these going forward.
I found the gloves to be both comfortable and durable. Their four-finger compression fitting wrapped the most vulnerable parts of my hands, like a tiny neoprene wetsuit. The gloves were well built and tough, but their minimalist design ensured I lost no effectiveness in my grip, even bolstering it during certain obstacles. They’re easily removed while running, should you rather attack the next obstacle with bare palms – but I’ll warn you – after wearing these, you’ll wonder why you have gone this long without them.
I’ve taken them to multiple OCR events as well as my local obstacle training gym, and I’ve found them to be helpful in both race and training situations.
Spartan OCR Neo Grip Gloves Durability
Fit Four has developed these gloves using double-stitching to ensure durability and effectiveness during a Spartan Race. The compression fitting holds well while in use, and the neoprene design ensures that your hands can still “breathe” while wearing them. Small pieces of the foam lining have started to fall apart after repeated use, but this is mostly in spots where there is excess material and I have seen no change in the usability of the gloves because of this.
Spartan OCR Neo Grip Gloves Pros and Cons
Pros
- Simple, minimalist design
- Superior callous protection
- Form fitting without the need for velcro or straps
- Open design allows for a good balance of protection as well as freedom of movement
Cons
- Underside of gloves can bunch up and fold over during obstacles like Rigs and Monkey Bars
- Open design can allow mud and rocks to gather easier than traditional gloves
- Small pieces of material have pulled away, though no impact to usage
Spartan OCR Neo Grip Gloves Conclusion
While any pair of gloves will not replace the need to continue to work on grip strength training for obstacle races, Fit Four has found the sweet spot with the Spartan OCR Neo Grip Gloves for users who trust their grip but want to protect their hands and callouses during a race. These gloves are small enough to tuck into your pocket during a race and easy to put on and pull off without having to stop, which makes them a great addition to any race day supply list.
Josh Chace
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