A glove dryer is beneficial if you spend more time outdoors. Workers, hikers, bikers, campers, and outdoor enthusiasts use gloves to keep their hands warm and protected.
Your gloves can become wet due to rain or perspiration. Portable drying tools dry gloves, helmets, boots, and other gear within minutes. What does a typical portable glove drying tool include?
Basic Dryer Components
A portable glove drying tool features basic components, including a heating element and a blower/fan. The heating element raises the temperature within the gloves while the blower circulates the air and pushes moisture away to dry the gear. Each drying tool is unique, and some feature different settings, so you don’t have to rely on heat alone. Here’s an overview of the basic components:
1. The Heating Element
Nearly all glove dryers have a heating element comprising a coil and cables that supply electric current to the coil. When electricity passes through the coil, it encounters resistance, and the friction produces heat.
Heat raises the kinetic energy of water molecules and converts them to a gaseous state (water vapor). Most dryers rely on the kinetic theory of matter, which states that matter features molecules in constant movement.
Solid matter molecules are closely packed and vibrate in position, while liquid matter molecules are more fluid. The gaseous matter is even looser and moves freely in different directions. Heating water increases the kinetic energy in the molecules, causing rapid movements.
The molecules bump into each other, breaking the bonds and turning to a gaseous state in the form of water vapor. Leading dryer brands feature adjustable settings to control the heat produced.
The electric current is supplied from standard 12v outlets, such as those found in building walls. You can use the cigarette lighter, a generator attached to an extension, or other power sources.
Some portable dryers use cold air, so heating isn’t the only option for drying your gloves. Heating can dry your gloves, boots, helmets, and mittens much faster than a fan. The coil heats the air inside the gloves.
2. The Blower/Fan
Heating air inside a wet glove will raise the temperature and kinetic energy, converting water molecules into vapor. The heat breaks the bonds in water molecules, dislodging them from the glove’s surface.
You need to blow away the moisture-dense air outside the glove, which requires a fan. Most dryers feature a mini blower to create air movement inside the dried gear. The fan circulates the hot air inside the glove.
Portable glove drying tools work at high speed to circulate hot air within the gear and push it outwards. Without the fan, the dislodged water vapor will condense back on the glove’s surface, prolonging the drying time. Air movement prevents condensation. The fan releases the water vapor into the atmosphere, allowing the boot to dry faster.
Some dryers feature powerful dryers that push the air further into the atmosphere, which is ideal during high humidity conditions. High atmospheric humidity will condense the hot air into a liquid that settles outside the gloves, slowing down the drying process.
If the external conditions are moist and humid, you can take the dryer inside to avoid condensation. Effective drying requires the atmospheric humidity to be lower than inside and around the globe.
Dryer Accessories & Extras
The heating element and blower are the two primary components of modern dryers, but you can find extra accessories. Most glove drying tools feature a display, customizable settings, gear extensions, mounting accessories, and more.
Top brands have a magnetic base that sticks to metal bases, so you can mount the dryer on vertical and horizontal surfaces. Here are the extra glove dryer components:
• Gear Extensions: Gear extensions are components designed to hold different gear (gloves, mittens, socks, helmets, boots, and more). The glove extension features protruding finger-like parts to open the glove for easier air circulation.
• Mounting Base: The mounting base makes sure your dryer can work in various settings. You can fit the dryer on a coffee cup holder in your car or place it on a flat surface. Some models attach to vertical surfaces via a magnetic base and can sit on top of boots and shoes.
• Settings Panel: The settings panel is designed to help users set the ideal drying conditions for their gloves. If your glove has delicate material, you can lower the temperature to avoid damaging the fabric. You can use cold air or adjust according to the glove’s wetness.
• Storage Bag: The storage bag isn’t part of a glove dryer but remains a convenient addition for outdoor enthusiasts. You can use it to pack your dryer and extensions and hang it on your car seat.
The Best Glove Dryer for Outdoor Enthusiasts
When you’re purchasing a glove dryer, you should choose models with enough extensions and components to dry other gear. The best dryers can work with boots, helmets, gloves, mittens, socks, and even jackets. Make sure you review the quality, warranty, settings, and user reviews.
