You would be hard pressed to find anyone who has served in combat arms that has not heard, or used, of Mechanix gloves. They are a staple and worn by Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, and Airmen alike for a few reasons:

1. They are cost effective. You can purchase Mechanix gloves at Lowed or Home Depot for under $20.00. When you compare this to $100+ gloves that you have to order through a catalogue it is an easy choice.
2. Mechanix gloves are reliable. They are thin enough to feel what you need to feel but also give you the protection needed while doing what needs to be done.

I have personally been wearing Mechanix gloves for over 6 years and have worn them on deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Africa. I have also used Mechanix gloves for every type of training you can imagine and then have used a pair at home working on the truck or doing work around the house.

Though they are great gloves and I continue to use them, they are not perfect. For a 6 month deployment to Afghanistan I went through 3 pairs of gloves, for Iraq I went through 2 pair, The stitching on the end of the fingers, primarily the trigger (pointer) finger tends to come apart and splits the finger. Usually this is fine as guys will just cut part of that finger on the glove off and continue mission. However, you need protection so after a while you just swap out gloves. ($60 total investment pre-deployment is still cheaper than $100 gloves).

The gloves I always used were the Mechanix Originals. When I was presented with the M-Pact3 gloves, I was excited to see what changes have been made and I wanted to compare them to the gloves I have used and trusted.

Here are some of the changes between the gloves and my PERSONAL OPINION on those changes:

• Clip loops: This seems silly to note but the Originals have very small loops, which makes them difficult to clip onto your carabiner under low light conditions. I personally do not like to wear two sets of gloves while fast roping so I have usually put my Originals in my cargo pocket or attached them to a carabiner to grab after I was off the rope and an opportunity allowed me to make the swap. The new loops are larger and stitched extremely well to keep them from tearing. Excellent upgrade!
• Grip grooves “embossed” on fingertips and the palm of the glove: Again a great upgrade. While doing some drills in the rain I still felt that I had excellent control of my weapons and I could grab mags easily.,
• Hook Pile Tape (Velcro) Fastener locations is on top of the wrist of the MP3 compared to underneath the wrist on the Originals: Again, great upgrade, I hated that I would catch the closure and pull it open on my kit or other items. Putting it on top protected that more and during a warm day on the range, it allowed excellent airflow once opened.
• Thicker Material on Palm and fingers: There is a purpose behind this, it gives the glove more resilience and would probably make the glove last longer on a deployment. However, I enjoy a thin glove in order to feel my weapon and I was not a fan of the upgrade on the range. The fingers have the thick external material (3mm) and then additional reinforcement internally for protection. When the gloves were used for building climbing and a little rope work, I felt the thicker material gave excellent protection. This upgrade can go either way depending on the work that is being done.
• Rubber Knuckle Protection: Again, this can go either way depending on your preference. It is always great to have additional protection on the joints of your hand, especially if you find yourself crawling around, over, or in places that might have sharp or rough textures. I didn’t personally feel that the additional protection added too much weight for me to complain or find the addition as negative. These are formed well and are hardly noticeable while wearing the gloves.
• Touch Screen Capable: As war gets more advanced there is more need for the warriors to use modern technology. No longer is the lensaic compass and an ASIP radio the only tools of the trade, now smart phones and tablets are used to link in larger elements in order to see the whole picture. Because of this it is important to be able to utilize these devices without needed to put on and take off your gloves every time to do so. Mechanix has worked it out and these gloves work great, though you tend to fat finger things until you get used to it.
• Machine Washable: To be honest, this makes life very easy. Come back from the range/field and throw these gloves into the wash with your uniform. Simple, easy, and a time saver.

The MP3 gloves come in with a steeper price tag of $45.99 but they are built to last longer so in the end you might end up saving some money. I was actually unable to get fraying during the time that I tested these gloves, though I admit they were not tested as rigorously as a long deployment would test them. I had limited time but I abused these gloves to the best of my ability.

Here is what the gloves were put through in order to try to find their weaknesses:

• Flat Range: Pistol and rifle range to include multiple transition drills, loading a ton of rounds, and general work on mechanics. This opportunity allowed me to see how the thicker gloves worked in regards to the mechanics of shooting. The only negative thing I could mention here would be the thickness of the gloves took some time to get used to.
• Obstacle Course: Running through an obstacle course that involved these gloves getting wet, dirty, sweaty and they still needed to have the grip to hold on to bars, ropes, and walls. The gloves did well and were incredible at protecting my hands against the rough concrete walls and the gravel on the ground.
• CQB: Moving, shooting, and handling personnel. This is when the gloves were tested with a little building climbing and the knuckle protection was great. Again, the only negative here was the thickness of the gloves.
• Physical Training: I wore the gloves, just trying to add additional abuse, while working in the gym. Barbell, dumbbells, and kettlebells all had their shot at forcing tears. The grip held well and the gloves stayed glued to my hands thanks to an excellent cuff.
• House Work: Sometimes you need to dig holes and move rocks. These gloves were used here too because down range you use your gloves for everything. Luckily, they were not tested on burning a barrel of feces, but I am just going to let that test slide. The gloves worked well, gave excellent grip even while wet.

All in all the gloves have some great upgrades compared to the Originals. The only downside would be the thickness but as I mentioned, that can also be an upside depending on the situation. The increase price tag was not anywhere close to monumental and these gloves are built to take a beating and last. The new design allows the soldier to keep up with technology on the battlefield while still giving protection for the fight. Overall, I would recommend these gloves to someone who is already a fan of The Originals but wished to have more protection and a longer lasting glove.

Mechanix continues to be a company trusted by the warfighter for their hand protection needs.

Pros:

• Ability to work touch screens.
• Knuckle & Finger Protection.
• Embossed texture on fingers/palm for grip.
• Top closure on cuff.
• Machine washable.

Cons:

• Knuckle protection makes it difficult to get hands in pockets. (Just kidding)

I will continue to use these gloves on the range and in training, if there are any glaring weaknesses that arise in the future I will make sure to come back and update this review.

Material Disclosure

I received this product as a courtesy from the manufacturer via Spotter Up so I could test it and give my honest feedback. I am not bound by any written, verbal, or implied contract to give this product a good review. All opinions are my own and are based off my personal experience with the product.

*The views and opinions expressed on this website are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Spotter Up Magazine, the administrative staff, and/or any/all contributors to this site.

The mighty M-Pact^® 3 provides military and law enforcement professionals with full-coverage hand protection in the field. A dense one-piece Thermoplastic Rubber knuckle guard is anatomically designed to absorb forceful impact to the back of the hand and improve overall mobility during hard-charging operations. The outside of the thumbs and fingers are protected by 3mm EVA accordion padding, while the low-profile Thermoplastic Rubber top closure creates a secure fit to the wrist. The M-Pact 3 features internal fingertip reinforcement for extreme abrasion resistance and embossed patterning for added grip where you need it most. The two-piece palm construction reinforces high-wear areas and reduces material bunching to preserve dexterity when handling firearms. Imported

FEATURES

1. Anatomically shaped one-piece Thermal Plastic Rubber (TPR) knuckle guard provides impact resistance.
2. Thermal Plastic Rubber (TPR) top closure creates a secure fit to the wrist.
3. 3mm EVA accordion padding reduces impact to the thumb and fingers.
4. Internal fingertip reinforcement provides extreme abrasion resistance.
5. Embossed and textured fingertips and palm provide added grip.
6. Two-piece palm reinforcement provides added durability.
7. Thumb reinforcement panel provides added durability.
8. Durable synthetic leather palm.
9. Nylon pull loop.
10. Machine washable.