Vallerret offers an extensive range of gloves designed for photographers. Its Alta Arctic Mitts sit at the top of the range as the warmest option available, while the Vallerret Milford gloves we’re looking at here are near the bottom, just above the Power Stretch Pro Liner gloves. However, these Milford gloves are constructed from Polartec Windbloc Fleece, which gives them an exceptionally cosy and soft feel, making them a pleasure to wear.
Their design isn’t just about comfort, though, as functionality is also a key consideration.
Vallerret Milford gloves at a glance:
- €69.95 (approx £60.60)
- Polartec Windbloc Fleece
- Flip-Tech finger caps on the thumb, index and middle finger
- Touchscreen-compatible coated index finger & thumb tips
- Water-repellent shell glove
- Designed for ‘mild winter’
- photographygloves.com
Firstly, on each glove, two fingers and the thumb have flip-back tips which can be secured by an elastic loop. This ingenious design allows photographers to access their camera controls directly, ensuring that it’s easy to press buttons, rotate dials and generally adjust the settings in cold conditions.
Flip-back fingertips make it easy to operate your camera. Credit: Angela Nicholson
The stretchy nature of the fabric means that the finger and thumb tips are easy to pull back. If you’re just taking a quick snap, the tips will stay out the way of their own accord, but the elastic loops are useful when you’re holding your camera for a longer period.
Vallerret Milford gloves key features:
- Stashed shell glove: A small pocket on the back of the fleece glove holds the water-repellent shell
- Extra grip:A non-slip pattern inspired by Milford Sound is printed across the palms
- Snap-together: A small fastening allows the gloves to be snapped together
- Five sizes: The Milford gloves are available in 5 sizes from XS to XL.
Each glove also comes with a 10K water-repellent ripstop shell that can be slipped over the fleece glove to give additional protection from cold conditions and rain. When these shells are not in use, they can be stored in the pocket on the back of each of the fleece gloves.
For each hand, you get a fleece glove and water resistant nylon shell. Credit: Angela Nicholson
Conveniently, this keeps the gloves and shells together, but it means the back of the gloves are a little bulkier than they would be otherwise. That extra bulk can make it harder to pull sleeves down over the gloves, and consequently, the gloves can push down your hands, but it’s not a major issue.
The shell gloves don’t have flip-back finger or thumb caps, but I still find I can adjust most of the settings on a camera when wearing them, it just feels a little more cumbersome.
Vallerrett Milford fleece gloves showing grip patterns. Credit: Angela Nicholson
Vallerret has also incorporated a non-slip grip pattern across the palm of each of the fleece gloves. While this is designed to give greater purchase on a camera, I’m not sure it makes much difference, as my fingers tend to do the work.
The size chart on Vallerret’s website offers a good guide to ordering the gloves that you need. This takes the length of your hand as well as its circumference into account. I opted for a size Small, which proved to be a good fit.
Vallerret Milford photography gloves: Our Verdict
The Milford Gloves are intended for ‘mild winter’ conditions and I found them ideal during a recent cold snap with chilly winds and temperatures down to -1° or -2°C. They aren’t as stiff as Vallerret’s gloves with leather elements, which makes them more comfortable to wear. Consequently, they have become my go-to gloves for anytime outdoors and days out with my camera.
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