Gaming is serious business, as many of you can attest. So serious that some folks actually end up at the doctor’s for it.So I was pretty pleased when we were given a pair of Armaggeddon Calibre gloves for testing. These professional gaming gloves by Armaggeddon promise ‘neuropathic strain relief for better gaming endurance’. That is to say, they promise to alleviate the strain on your wrist and fingers that could eventually lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.

These fingerless gloves come with a pad that stretches over your wrist. It’s a good idea to have kept the gloves fingerless, since gamers can use all the extra mobility they can get. You don’t have to worry about getting cold fingers in air-conditioned tournament venues, though. Neoprene, a synthetic rubber commonly used to make wetsuits, is weaved into the center of the Calibre gloves. It did make for pretty warm gaming when I tried them out in an ordinarily air-conditioned room, though, so I’m guessing the temperature stability only kicks in when you’re freezing in, say, Dreamhack!

The pad on the wrist area is a good idea, but it really depends on how you hold your hands when gaming. If you hold your mouse in a claw grip, your wrists will never touch the table’s surface, rendering the wrist pads rather pointless. If that’s the case, then you may not experience the benefits of the Calibre gloves at all, since carpal tunnel is most commonly caused by pressure to the wrists. I tried on the ‘Small’ size, as per the brand’s recommendation. The gloves come in three different fixed sizes, namely small, medium, and large. Note that the Calibre gloves are typically sold separately – you don’t get them in a pair. The small size was a little large in the palm, and a tad too tight in the forearm, leading me to believe that the Calibre glove was designed with a male user in mind, rather than both genders. While I don’t fault Armaggeddon for catering to its primarily male targeted audience, I felt that the material could have been a little more forgiving. After all, not everyone can fit into standard sizes.

All in all, I feel that the Calibre gloves are a great addition to your gaming arsenal if you’re the type of gamer who plays with their wrists resting on their table tops. Other gamers, who play with their wrists arched upwards, may not experience the same benefits from using the gloves. That being said, the Calibre gloves certainly make you look meaner (in the fashion sense); Team Dreamscape was kitted out in them at The Games eXpo ’12 and they had never looked more intimidating!

The Armaggeddon Calibre Professional Gaming Glove is produced by Armaggeddon, and retails for S$19.90.