As requested, here is my my review plus some pics
____________________________________________
I've been really frustrated at how long it's taken for Aero to produce their gloves - or hand protectors as they like to call them. I tried to get one of the early sets of P1s last year but missed out. So when I found the gloves at my local store, I put my attitude aside and bought myself the P1 medium sized ones.
Price wise, they were $129 which is not the very top price for gloves but it is in the top half of the market. I see the P2s are very reasonably priced at $90. The gloves come with a set of wristbands and an Aero bat grip in the box.
After all the hype, I was expecting a snug fit and I got that - that's for sure. Based on the picture on the back of the box I was right on a medium. But if I was looking for a looser fit, I would definitely have needed a large. But I loved the feel of the P1s as soon as I put them on. I already had an Aero bat grip on my bat and the grip from the silicon patches felt unbelievable. So my first reaction was to be pretty impressed.
I reckon I've had about 8 hours batting since - mostly in the nets and with bowling machines but also in early season games.
So far I haven't been able to see any sign of wear on the gloves. It is too early to tell whether Aero's promise of greater durability will hold true. Last year I had normal gloves and they lasted well with the Aero bat grip. But so far so good.
The feel of these gloves takes a little bit of getting used to. As a long time Stripper wearer, it reminded me of my first few sessions after I tried those. The feel was different but after a while - as I did with my Strippers - I came to think that the feel is better. Much more comfortable.
When I close my hand onto the handle I feel the padding come down onto my hand. At the start it felt like there were gaps but I think that after a bit of use either I got used to it or the shape changed to fit my hands. Also, the Aero gloves (like any other glove) need a bit of wearing in. The padding and the glove both loosened up a bit after use. They can feel quite tight for a start.
I haven't batted for any really long periods yet but the sweat build up that I am used to does not seem to have occurred. I thought this system that Aero claims will reduce sweat and moisture build up was a gimmick but it seems to work. When my hands get hot and a little sweaty, I can feel the air running across the back of my hand when I open and close them. It's pretty weird but it looks like it works.
I remain really impressed by the silicon and bat grip working together. I don't think anybody notices the bat slipping in their hands. But I find that the grip with my P1s makes me feel more certain in my strokemaking. I can't be any more specific than that - it's just a feeling I have.
The use of a golf glove like piece and a separate protective piece takes some getting used to. When you look at your hands when wearing my P1s, it looks like there are bits that are unprotected. I told Aero about this on their product feedback section on their website and I got asked to put my old gloves back on and compare the real protection coverage between both sets. I did this and was a bit shocked at the real coverage that you don't get with normal gloves. The thumb and first two fingers of the bottom hand are definitely much better protected on the Aero gloves. The padding on the Aero hands does not go back as far on the back of the hand towards the wrist as normal gloves but I actually don't remember ever being hit there.
From a protection viewpoint, I don't have any problems with the Aero gloves. I've been jammed on the bottom hand twice and it has been sweet. I got hit on the top hand and felt the hit but no pain.
I do have problems with a couple of things. The sizing as described above is very snug. A mate of mine with basically the same sized hands said he didn't like how snug mine were. He went off and bought large P2s and he is now happy. Our skipper who has really big hands didn't fit into the larges. I guess we have got used to six sizes of thigh pads with Strippers, so we have to get used to a new sizing method again. What was wrong with boys, youth, mens and OS mens?
The wristband is made of wetsuit material with velcro closing stuff on the back of the hand. It took a while for me to get used to opening the gloves from the back. But the wetsuit stuff plus the size label on the inside were irritating so I had to tear the label off.
The sweatbands supplied with the gloves seem to be of good quality. Maybe they could both have been white instead of one black and one white?
For those of you who have posted elsewhere that they look weird - GET OVER IT! Making that assessment based on photographs and before you've worn them is stupid. Once you've got them on and wrapped around a bat, they look like a cricket glove. Yeah, they are a little bit different but not so different that you'll get sledged. They are nowhere near as "different" as Aero's pads.
Overall as you can probably tell I think these are a major step forward for cricket gloves. These are not perfect but man the protection seems great and they are light as hell. But the king hit for me is the grip and silicon. Definitely worth the extra coin. I've tried my mate's P2s and the grip is great but the P1s are better.
It'll be interesting to see what others think once they get theirs. C'mon guys (and you other kiwis and Aussies who've got them), post your reviews below and we'll get the ball rolling.
Author
Topic: Aero's Hands are officially released (Read 21581 times)