Product Review: Lookfly Ultimate Gloves – A Second Look

The redesigned Lookfly gloves for 2012.

Nearly two years ago, Skyd published our first review of the Lookfly Ultimate Gloves, a distinctive two-fingered design that has garnered positive feedback from Ultimate players all over the world, including our gear expert Adam Restad.

Lookfly’s glove evolution has been a constantly-improving process. The first version of Lookfly gloves were created in 2004, just a few years after Lookfly went into business. They were completely fingerless, but kept the same sticky-palm design that is featured today. In 2007, Lookfly added back three of the fingers and came up with a new logo design. Finally, at the end of August of this year, Lookfly released a redesigned, classier-looking glove just in time for the Fall season. I immediately got my hands in a pair to test them out.

In our last review, we highlighted the glove’s unique V-shaped grip pattern and thin construction. Let’s take a look at some of the new features:

Elastic Wristband and Velcro Catch

The velcro wristband is a slick addition in the new redesign.

Previous to this version, Lookfly gloves have always featured an open wristband with no way to adjust the tightness around the wrist, causing the gloves to sometimes come loose after a big layout. The new version features a slick adjustable band with a velcro catch, allowing the wearer to adjust the fit.

More Durable Construction

The new gloves feature more durable stitching and a second skin neoprene layer to keep the wearer warm in winter.

However, we are obliged to point out that these gloves still feature two main quality issues that were present in previous versions. First, the stitching on the cut-off fingers is prone to unraveling (on my version, after only two days of wear). However, this only affects the gloves aesthetically.

The second and more troubling quality issue is the seam between the thumb and the forefinger, which came apart on my version after a month of wear. The same seam also ripped on the old version of the gloves. I informed Lookfly about the issue and they acknowledged that they had identified this defect in the 2007 version of the gloves, it was supposed to be fixed by the manufacturer for the new version. Either the problem has recurred  or I got a faulty pair. This quick wear seems to be heavily affected by the stress of releasing the disc – the rip occurred on my throwing hand glove. In any case, the rip in the seam does not make the gloves unwearable and I have continued to wear the gloves without any further issue.

Lookfly’s customer service in relation to this matter was commendable as well. They immediately offered to replace my gloves according to their return policy, which applies to all clients with damaged or defective goods.

Exposed fingers: not the coolest design in the world, but really helps the whole process along when you're urinating in the bushes before your first game.

Redesigned Style

Let’s face it: the reigning champions in glove design are the Club Ultimate gloves, made famous by Kurt Gibson, Tyler Degirolamo, and the Buzz Bullets. But the new style of the Lookfly gloves brings them at least another step closer. The new version features a redesigned green Lookfly logo that runs down the pinky finger, as well as a slick all-black design, ditching the blue highlighting of the 2007 version. The aforementioned wristband is also a nice touch. And while having the pointer and middle fingers exposed may not add style points, it does make it easier to throw flick hucks and tie shoelaces.

Hat (0/5)

Despite all the new features, Lookfly still haven’t made the gloves any easier to wear as a hat, leaving me no choice but to assign them zero stars in the Hat category. The winner in this category continues to be the Spin Reach Adjustable Trucker Hat.

Ethically Responsible Manufacturing

I also quizzed Lookfly on their manufacturing practices. They commented: “Using an ethical manufacturers is very important to us. We manufacture using an ethically credited supplier in South Asia who look after their workforce. As we can’t reasonably get out there to visit them, they regularly send us their certifications, photos of working conditions and pictures of their workforce. We believe it is possible to design a product that represents value for money for the consumer and still treat everyone involved in its manufacture fairly.”

Price

Although the redesigned gloves are slightly more expensive than the previous version, the lower price may just be the best selling point of the Lookfly gloves. The new gloves are currently available for £9.99 (~12.40€) until the end of October, when the price will go up. However, for buyers outside of the EU, Lookfly doesn’t charge tax, making the gloves a very respectable ~$13.14, which, when the ~$6.73 US shipping costs are factored in, gives the gloves a final price of ~$19.87.

For the main competitor, Club Ultimate, you’re looking at paying 26.50€ to get them from Gaia, or using a complicated drop-shipping method explained in this reddit post to get them for less, but with a lot more hassle.

A new entry to the market, Friction Gloves (Skyd Gear Watch Review), hover around the $25 price range, but are still more expensive than the Lookfly gloves, even with overseas shipping costs factored in.

Summary

The Lookfly glove is an affordable first option for players interested in improving their grip, especially in windy, wet, or cold conditions. Compared to its main competitors, Friction Gloves and Club Ultimate Gloves, the Lookfly gloves stand out with the exposed two-finger design, but may suffer from quality issues compared to the more expensive options.

The gloves can be purchased from Lookfly’s online store at a reduced price throughout the month of October.