Sports Product Review

My sons are fortunate in that, here in Southern California, they can play baseball year-round. Not so in most of the country, and where I grew up, in Indiana. So about this time of year when I was a kid, and, I imagine for many kids across the country even today, the baseball mitt is being put in the closet, in the bag, or on the shelf, and won’t be picked up again until spring.

In many ways, I like that better. And not necessarily from an overused-arm or burnout standpoint because I like to think I’ve got a handle on that, but because there was nothing like breaking out the mitt for the first time in six months. It meant that winter was finally over. That snow you were so tired of, and was only still existent in what had months ago been the deepest drifts, but were now but  small, scattered mounds offering diminshing resistance to the new sun surrounded by wet, awakening greenish-brown grass, would be completely gone soon. Spring was here. Your favorite big-league team was taking the field. Life, hope and expectations abounded. Nothing smelled as good as that old leather, or sounded as good as the bat hitting the ball. An old friend was back, and it was so good to see him.

One of the highlights of this glorious time was taking that old, chapped, dried up friend and giving him a good rubdown with glove oil. His pale brown visage would turn dark, rich and tan and you could see him come back to life before your eyes. When you put your “new” mitt on your hand it felt like it belonged, and practically begged you to let it snatch some whistling horsehide.

So I just pulled my oldest son’s mitt out of his bag. As much money as he spent on this thing, you’d think he’d take better care of it. But his black leather was grey, almost green, and it was dry and dusty. I decided to try Hot Glove Cream Conditioner, (www.hotglove.com), from Unique Sports, (www.uniquesports.us), because I’d liked other products they produced.

I wish I had “before” and “after” pictures for you. The Lanolin and Vitamin E in Hot Glove protects, softens and revitalizes old leather. Unlike oils, the cream conditioner doesn’t add weight to the mitt. It repels water and brought back a luster and pliancy the glove hadn’t known in years.  My son’s glove was a dark, rich shimmering black again. It felt and looked brand new. And the Hot Glove conditioner was easier to apply and less messy than oil-based products.

I know it’s a long time until spring. But if you’re putting your glove into hibernation soon, the best thing you could do before tucking it in for a long winter’s nap would be to give it a good once-over with Hot Glove. Next spring, your old friend will be as fresh and new as the new blades of grass poking through the retreating snow.

Source: Hot Glove