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Pearl Izumi Shine Wind Mitts

• Pros: Screen-printed silicone finger grips; Breathe well; Transformable into windproof mitts
• Cons: Back of glove needs more reflective surfaces; Pullover mitt needs silicone grips on palm area; No soft wiping surface for runny noses
• Bottom Line: The Pearl Izumi Wind Mitts are a great pair of versatile gloves/mittens that are perfect for runners or snowshoers and well worth the money.
• MSRP: $30

Pearl Izumi’s Web site

Pearl Izumi’s Shine Wind Mitts are lightweight gloves with a hidden windproof mitt making them ideal for cold-weather runs or snowshoeing.

They provide enough warmth for cold-weather active pursuits but are breathable. Plus they easily transform into windproof mittens adding to their versatility.

Pearl Izumi’s MicroSensor-Thermal fabric is a polyester/spandex blend that does a great job of regulating temperature. Though not ideal for cycling (because of the unpadded palms and lack of finger movement when they transform into mitts), I used them on an early-morning ride with temperatures in the low 40s, and my hands were relatively warm.

And on a different ride, with temps in the mid-60s, my hands weren’t sweaty.

While Pearl Izumi claims they’re also made for cycling, they’re clearly designed for activities sans wheels – yet if they perform well during higher-paced sports, they’ll perform at slower-paced ones too.

Be gentle though. I ripped some stitches out within the first week of using them. There’s already a hole, and it’s quickly getting bigger.

The great thing about the Shine Wind Mitts is the tightly woven ripstop nylon windproof mitt that stows in a small pocket on the back of the hand.

While running, it’s easy to pull out the fluorescent yellowish-green mitt, which covers the back of your hand and a lightweight fabric slips over your fingers to secure it.

That mitt is great on windy days as it prevents wind from penetrating the ripstop nylon fabric.

In glove form, each finger has a series of screen-printed silicone grips on the palm side. They easily grip water bottles and other objects. But they’ve started to rub off slightly.

However, when you pull the mitt over, the lightweight fabric that covers the fingers has no grip. That makes it incredibly hard to hold anything smooth – perhaps the biggest downfall of Pearl’s product.

Another downfall: The backs of the glove fingers have minimal reflective surfaces. And for black gloves, I expected Pearl to do more to help keep athletes safe at night. It would be great if the company added reflective piping on the fingers.

But those gripes don’t relinquish the fact that the Shine Wind Mitts are a great pair of versatile gloves/mittens great for hands-free cold-weather activities.

In its nearly 100,000 square feet, which includes a research and development center, warranty repair center, custom fitting area, product shot location, warehouse space and a pingpong table to work out the stresses of the day, the Pearl Izumi headquarters in Louisville, Colo. seems to have it all.

The running and biking gear manufacturer, which is owned by Shimano, is located just outside Boulder, Colo., and I recently got an inside look.

Like many outdoors companies, many of Pearl’s roughly 100 employees run or bike to work – exuding the company’s image, said Kody Riley, Pearl’s marketing coordinator.

Pearl Izumi’s prototype and repair area

That’s understandable also considering there is a large bike storage area as well as locker rooms with showers just inside the back door.

While the building isn’t very glamorous – much of it is one large warehouse-looking space with departmental dividers – it’s a true headquarters.

If someone makes a warranty claim that needs to be fixed, it’s sent to the area where about a dozen sewing machines sit at the ready.

Those sewing machines are also used to make prototypes of new products that are designed 30 steps away in cubicleland.

The company also has a tent-like area set up to custom fit the Garmin-Slipstream professional cycling team. Of course the team’s gear is then created on site.

And a small fenced-in corner is where all the product shots are captured – lifestyle gear shots are typically shot in and around Boulder, Riley said.

Pearl Izumi’s employee bike storage

As for warehouse space, the building houses nearly all of Pearl Izumi’s inventory – except for a fairly insignificant amount of gear stored in Germany.

And because the company was formerly owned by Nautilus Inc. (until being sold to Shimano in early 2009 for $69.5 million), the building has a wide range of exercise equipment set up for employees to use.

Plus there’s a pingpong table to foster some lunch-time competition.

As you could guess, Riley said it’s a pretty sweet place to work.