Customer Reviews

IMAK Smart Glove Small, 1-Count Box

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

What first attracted me to this one is its simplicity: You just slip it on and you're ready to go. No straps or laces to fiddle with. It's just as easy to slip off. And it's machine washable! We use our hands for everything, you know something covering them is going to get filthy, not to mention a bit of sweat.

The glove is made of cotton lycra, so it's as comfortable as a t-shirt and very stretchy. More importantly, it breathes so there's no sweat build-up under there. The tightness of the material serves as secondary wrist support.

The main support device is a foam-padded plastic (or maybe it's metal, I'm not sure) bar. It's stiff but flexible, and the foam padding keeps the bar from digging into your hand. The bar goes across the top of your hand rather than the bottom like most wrist supports. It is removable (be sure to remove it before washing). I read one review somewhere where the guy claimed the bar kept sliding out for him. I have no idea what he's talking about because the slot it slides out of is smaller in width than the bar itself, so you have to stretch the slot wide open in order to drag the thing out.

The other unusual feature of this glove is the "bean-bag" on the bottom. It serves to elevate your wrist to the proper hight so it helps to keep your wrists comfortably straight. It basically replaces the wrist rests you have for your keyboard and mouse. The "beans" are actually tiny plastic beads that don't dig into your hand at all.

I don't have carpal tunnel syndrome or tendonitis yet, but my wrists were starting to feel sore. I was afraid of developing something serious, so I got these gloves as a preventative measure. While using these gloves, my wrists don't feel sore while typing.

I read that wearing wrist supports while you sleep is also helpful because at night you tend to unknowingly bend your wrists in awkward positions. It took a little getting used to, but I think it is helping. With these Smart Gloves on during sleep, my wrists are able to rest in a proper straight position, giving them valuable healing time.

I read one review somewhere (probably on Amazon.com) where one lady complained that her wrists became MORE sore after wearing these gloves. My belief is that this is because she was fighting against them rather then letting them guide her "hand posture". If you have bad typing habits, wearing wrist supports aren't going to help if you continue to insist on using your old habits, which will probably cause you to strain against the support. This would cause even more stress on your wrists, and thus cause more soreness. What this lady needed was probably something with an inflexible metal support to force her hands into the proper position.

The bean bags under your wrists are easy to get used to with your keyboard, but harder with your mouse. Your mouse will be much easer to use if it's of a smaller size. If you have one of those big contoured mice designed to fit your entire hand, you will need pretty long fingers to reach the buttons. A short mouse, maybe a portable one designed for use with a laptop, would be better.

This glove is designed for flexible support. This is a plus if you need a bit of movement, but a minus if you need strong support to keep yourself from straining.

As is likely with any wrist support, it's difficult to wear a watch while wearing one of these gloves. You have to either loosen the watch and wear it higher on your arm, or just remove it while wearing the glove. Another option is to wear it on top of the glove, which some may think is silly, but I think it looks kinda cool. Of course that would defeat the purpose of the glove being easy to slip off.

Since the Smart Glove is not adjustable, it comes in three sizes: Small, Medium and Large. If you are buying it from a retail store, the side of the box has a little chart to measure your hand. Make sure you get the right size or it will be too tight or too loose. If you are buying it online, then use the measurements as follows:

Measure the width of your open hand at the knuckles.
3 inches or less = Small
3 - 3.5 inches = Medium
3.5 inches or more = Large

There is no left and right glove. They are all made the same. The default is right hand. To wear it on your left you need to remove the bar, turn the glove inside out, and slide the bar back in.

The box claims it was "developed by a hand surgeon" on one side and "designed by an orthopedic surgeon" on another side. My question is, if it was developed by one surgeon, why isn't his or her name on it? It's possible that it's true since it is a fairly unique design compared to other wrist supports. But I just find it a bit fishy that they won't mention which hand surgeon it was!

I have small hands and wrists and the size SMALL is still pretty loose on me. Would be much better if it had a more snug fit. I feel like I'm not getting the full benefit of the support since my wrist has a lot of room to move around in there. It helps somewhat though, and is better than using nothing, so I will still use it. But there should be an XS option (which, if it exists, I couldn't find).

I've suffered from tendonitis for two years, now. Last year my OT recommended IMAK's Pil-O-Splint (which I even more highly recommend), and I stumbled over this product when making that purchase. I'm very glad I purchased these supports, and I definitely notice a difference when I type while wearing them.

In my opinion, these are a great alternative to keyboard/mouse supports that sit on the desk as they are mobile and can easliy be taken to work, school, the library, etc. And, as mentioned, they are machine washable. :)

The support brace in the glove is flexible, which is important--a completely rigid, immobilizing support would cause your hands and wrists to work *against* the support, thereby worsening your condition and inflamation (so please please, don't try to use any sort of splint with a rigid, metal brace while engaging in activity with your hands!). However, if you are looking for nighttime support, you *do* want immobilization, and there are better options than these gloves.

They also provide a small measure of insulation, by covering the hands and wrists--which is slightly therapeutic, or at the very least, soothing.

If you type a lot, even if you haven't been diagnosed with an RMI (Repetitive Motion Injury) yet, please take the time to take preventative measures. I suggest investing in some kind of support, such as these gloves, and stretching. Stretch, stretch, stretch--and stretch a lot.

These gloves are effective if you suffer from carpal tunnel and still have to type or use the computer. They are flexible enough where you are not constricted, like the metal bar, strapped style. I highly recommend it.