Dakine Annie Boulanger Team Targa Glove
Size: Women’s Medium (6.5 – 7.5 in. / 16.5 – 19 cm)
Warmth Rating from Dakine: 4 out of 5 (5 being the warmest)
Reviewer Hand Size:
• Circumference around knuckles: 6.5”, 19 cm
• Wrist crease to middle finger tip: 7”, 17 ¼ cm
Features:
- Gore Tex Waterproof / Breathable insert
- High loft synthetic (60/220g) insulation
- DWR leather on palm
- Nylon/ Poly shell with DWR treatment
- 230g fleece/ 400g pile lining
- Zipper cuff closure
Test Locations: Alta Ski Area, Wasatch Backcountry, Park City Mountain Resort
Days Tested: 15
MSRP: $80
Finding a really good spring / warmer weather glove is a bit of a trick. You’ve got to find a pair that is breathable enough to deal with the heat, waterproof enough to deal with the surplus of slush, and still warm enough to handle bouts of colder temps.
But this spring, the Dakine Annie Boulanger Team Targa Glove has impressed me in every way.
Sizing / Fit
Based on the Dakine sizing chart, I fall between a size medium and large glove, and that’s consistent with where I fit in with other brands, too. (The circumference around my knuckles at the top of palm is a bit large, given my short little fingers.) I prefer a more snug fit, so I decided to move down to a medium.
The size medium Annie Boulanger glove felt very snug everywhere on my hand at first, but within a day of use, it packed out to a very comfortable fit. There is enough dead air space around my knuckles, fingers, and palm that it does not inhibit movement.
The length in the fingers feels appropriate for me, as does the width of the fingers and palm area. The wrist seam falls right over the crease of my wrist, and the edge of the glove extends about two and a half inches up my forearm, which is long enough to keep my jacket secure over them.
After fifteen days of use, the glove has not appeared to pack out any more, and does not feel too loose anywhere. The take-home point here is not to be too concerned if the Targa glove initially feels tight. From my experience the glove stretched out immediately and perfectly.
Warmth / Breathability
The Annie Boulanger Team Targa glove is rated as a 4 on Dakine’s warmth scale of 1-5, with 5 being the warmest. The coldest weather I’ve worn them in was around 10 degrees Fahrenheit (-12 C), and while my fingers got cold on the lift, they were warm by the end of each run. I would say this glove is sufficient until about this temperature. Any colder, and I would have preferred a warmer glove, like my Black Diamond Patrol gloves.
Overall, I was very impressed by the wide range of temperatures this glove can handle. I was able to tolerate 10 degrees F / -12 C without much discomfort, while also remaining comfortable in temperatures up to 50 degrees F / 10 C.
When I tour, I normally bring two pairs of gloves: one very thin pair to hike in, and another warm pair, such as the Patrols, for the way down. If I only use one glove, I typically sweat on the way up, which leaves my hands freezing.
When skinning in the Annie Boulanger glove on a tour up Pink Pine in the Wasatch, however, I found that they were breathable enough that my hands did not perspire on the way up, which left the gloves dry and warm for the ride down.