Ottie Merino - Hand Covers

Ottie Merino Hand Covers are fingerless merino gloves knitted in Melbourne from 210 gsm superfine Australian wool with 5% elastane. They cover the back of the hand, palm and wrist with a separate thumb opening, leaving your fingers free for zips, camera buttons, a phone or handlebars. Two sizes, S/M (10 cm palm width) and M/L (12 cm), in grey or black.

Who it's for

Anyone whose hands go cold before the rest of them, but who still needs their fingers. Pull them on for a frosty dawn ride through the Scenic Rim, a morning at a lookout waiting for the light with a camera in hand, setting up camp on a cold evening in the Grampians, or the walk to work in a Canberra winter. They are equally at home at a desk in a chilly office, where full gloves would stop you typing. Merino is breathable and moisture-wicking when your hands warm up, and it is naturally odour-resistant.

Fit and layering

The covers are cut as a snug tube with a thumb hole, running from the knuckles back past the wrist, so the cuff can tuck under a jacket sleeve. The elastane gives the knit stretch, so each size fits a range of hands. Measure across your palm, below the knuckles:

• S/M: 10 cm palm width
• M/L: 12 cm palm width

If your palm sits between the two, the stretch in the fabric covers it; go to S/M if you like them close, M/L if you want them easier to pull on and off.

Fabric and construction

The fabric is a 210 gsm superfine knit: 95% Australian merino at 18.4 microns and 5% elastane for stretch. Merino breathes, moves moisture away from your skin and helps hold an even temperature. The wool is traceable and mulesing-free, grown in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia, spun overseas, then knitted and made up in Melbourne by an Australian Made certified manufacturer.

Looking after it

Cool wash with a wool-friendly detergent and dry them flat. Merino resists odour, so they rarely need a wash after a single wear; air them out and go again.