Arc’teryx Gothic Glove vs Bowflex SelectTech 2080 Barbell with Curl Bar

They are great fit, light weight and warm, but sadly they wear out too quickly, mainly the finger tips.

Pros: - Both curl and straight bars provided - 80lbs total weight with option to upgrade to 120lb - Compact size for the weight range available - All tools and parts provided with clear instructions for installation Cons: - Plastic tabs to hold the plates together - definitely concerned with durability considering they tried this with their dumbbells and had to go back to the metal tabs - Adjusting the weight cradles for the final step was time consuming and frustrating (if not adjusted correctly, weights don’t lock or unlock easily when placing or removing the bar) - Stand is an upgrade for $200 but I feel should be included as standard in the current package Overall works well and is great for a home gym. My only concern is the durability of the plastic tabs that lock the plates against each other. With 80-120lb and regular usage not sure how long these will hold up. Overall installation took me about 45min with clean-up and unboxing

Let's start with the positive part. The 5% of lycra makes this liner a whole lot more durable than altnernatives with 100% merino.

[Music] [applause] Okay, so what Bowflex has done is they've taken their very popular Selecttech technology that they use in their adjustable dumbbell...

I can slip them on and off quickly to keep my hands comfortable. What I like the best is they breath very well so my hands don't get all clamby. Also they are small and light so I can take them with me even on days that you wouldn't normally need gloves but when you get above treeline and it's colder than expected these will save the day. I can't understand the bad reviews on these mine are in great shape with a year of heavy use

I've been complaining about rust on my black oxide vulcan curl bar but I totally get the advantage of black oxide now - it is far grippier and feels a lot like bare steel. Combined with a more aggressive knurl the vulcan bar feels a lot better to use but oiling it once a week still isn't stopping rust coming through in the cambered areas. I'm soaking the Vulcan bar in WD-40 now per their instructions so hopefully that will stave off the rust for a while (though it hasn't before, so I'm not that hopeful).

I have compared this directly to the new Rho glove in temps at and just below freezing. The Gothic warms up more quickly when hands are in pockets or when working hard going up hill, and stays warmer than the Rho in calm conditions. However the Rho is a much tighter-woven, less air permeable fabric, so as soon as there is a cool breeze, the Gothic cools off more quickly. When used as a liner, I definitely felt that the Gothic was a little warmer than the Rho

I'll continue battling through it until I feel I've gotten my grand back. Then I'm driving over the nearest bridge and tossing the entire system, stand and all.