Tool review: JS Products Steelman Pro Touchscreen Gloves line
Gloves in the Steelman Pro Touchscreen Gloves Line can be used to answer a call, work with a tablet or use a diagnostic device. The three available include the Speed Cuff Touch, the Mechanic Touch and the Grip Control Touch. The Speed Cuff Touch gloves are easy to put on and feature a touch point on the thumb. The Mechanic Touch gloves feature seven different touch points and a TPR closure for maximum utility. The Grip Control Touch gloves have three touch points and a 100-percent silicone grip on the palms and fingers which increase gripping power by three times. All gloves are machine washable and feature a terry sweat cloth material on the back of the inside palm so users can wipe their brow when they sweat on the job.
The review
Eric Moore, co-owner of DeMary Trucks in Columbus, OH, had his team of technicians test out multiple pairs of each Touch Series glove. Moore says the gloves were worn to protect hands for use when diagnosing vehicles, indoors and outdoors.
Giving a specific example, Moore says, "We sent one tech out on service calls for no-start conditions, requiring him to remove and replace fuel filters, prime fuel systems, scan and retrieve diagnostic codes with a scan tool, and sometimes even service batteries."
For all gloves tested, Moore says his technicians really liked "the soft patch on the thumb of each glove. This allowed (technicians) to wipe their noses when working in the weather, and not have to be mindful of a hard plastic, or stitching cutting into their nose, or cheek, potentially causing a scratch or injury." This beneficial feature was affectionately dubbed "snot pads" by Moore's crew.
"Having the gloves to use when the weather was colder did make it easier to focus on the tasks assigned without the technician having to warm his hands as often," says Moore. "Productivity was marginally increased."
Moore also commented the exceptional quality of the Velcro fastener selected for the construction of these gloves. "The firmer “hook” side was an excellent choice; it did not catch on other fabrics like the “hook” side on most Velcro enclosures," says Moore.
Moore provided general feedback for each pair of gloves in the series.
On the Mechanics Touch series: "Each technician that had this style really liked the capacitive feature, allowing them to use our touchscreen scan tooling and their smartphones without removing the gloves. This was especially key on service calls, where the outside temperatures were in the negative numbers."
On the Grip Control Series: "Very good grip control and slip resistance, even when lightly oiled or contaminated with grease. Good coverage over the entire palm side surface and fingers of the glove."
On the Speed Cuff Series: "Really good quality, slip-on glove," says Moore. "(The gloves are) easy to throw on quickly for a quick chore without having to deal with a closure."
Regarding the durability and cleaning for the full line of Touch Series gloves, Moore advises the gloves performed at or above expectations here as well.
"We also were extremely impressed with the durability of these gloves to be washed, just as if you were washing your hands with hand cleaner when they became too soiled," he says. "Our techs simply washed their hands with the gloves on and then laid them out to dry. We experienced very little shrinkage or other damage from this type of cleaning."
Moore notes that the gloves did seem to run small in size.
"We found each series were sized small, "says Moore. "The extra large (sized-glove) fit a person who would normally wear a large, and on down the line."
Regarding the overall performance of these gloves, Moore says overall he would give the Touch Series gloves a 10 out of 10. "I received no negative comments from the techs we had using the gloves."
