As an essential piece to your winter outdoor activity apparel, gloves and mittens serve a vital purpose; they keep your hands insulated from the blistering cold, allowing for safe and comfortable outdoor activities. What’s more important is that choosing the right pair of gloves or mittens can make the difference between a comfortable, fun trip and a miserable, painful one.
We’ve all moved beyond the mistakes of our youth when we all - at least once - have mistakenly opted for the cheap cotton/elastic blend gloves for a wintry day outdoors. The result was frozen fingers and a painful thawing experience. Today, there are a wide range of gloves and mittens with many distinctions and details that can tailor your selection perfectly with your planned activity. Whether you’re hitting the slopes for some skiing and snowboarding or planning a cross-country ski trip or snowmobiling tour, there’s a glove or mitten suited for everyone and every activity.
Shop our extensive selection of gloves and mittens at Outdoor Shopping.
Design
The design of both gloves and mittens is generally the same in components. There’s an exterior layer, insulation, and interior fabric known as a liner. Different patches and features can be added to the exterior of the gloves to make them better suited for certain activities, but we’ll get into that a little further into this how-to. First, let’s take a look at the biggest design distinction: What makes gloves and mittens different and distinct from one another.
Gloves vs Mittens
There’s actually more to these categories than the black-and-white of gloves and mittens.
Type | Guidelines | Best for: |
Glove | Gloves have separations for each finger which allows for more dexterity for the wearer. This is especially helpful in different activities that require the use of single or double digits for gear changes and brake access. |
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Mitten | While tending to be warmer than gloves, mittens sacrifice the dexterity of allowing users the use of individual fingers. |
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Lobster | A blend of both gloves and mittens, the lobster joins groups of fingers together to allow for slightly more dexterity than a mitten but less than a glove. |
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3-in-1 | These gloves or mittens offer a shell with removable liner, allowing for you to change the warmth based on conditions. |
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Convertible | These half-finger gloves come with a mitten tip attachment for conditions where you want to keep your fingers a bit warmer and don’t need the dexterity. |
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Insulation
Sure, mittens tend to be warmer (albeit less dextrous) than their glove counterparts, but it’s also about the insulation when it comes to determining how warm any pair of gloves or mittens will keep your hands. There are a few types of insulation commonly available.
Insulation | Guidelines | Best for: |
Down | Light, easy to compress, long-lasting, breathable - but loses ability to insulate when wet. |
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Synthetic | Cheaper, dries fast, and insulates even when wet. Offers less warmth, is bulkier, and insulating power is reduced with compression. |
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Any glove that doesn’t offer an exterior-insulation-interior setup and is, by difference, a single layer will be better suited for short outdoor stays and casual wear and, thus, should be overlooked when searching for true winter sport gloves and mittens. Conversely, some gloves are also designed for climbing, canyons, and rescue but are not suited for winter sports. These will offer maximum durability but with little insulation.
Shop our extensive selection of gloves and mittens at Outdoor Shopping.
Features
Once you’ve decided on gloves versus mittens as well as the type of insulation you think you’ll want, then it’s the accessories and features that will determine the best glove for your situation.
Waterproofness
Downhill skiing and snowboarding requires a glove or mitten with at least some sense of waterproofing, as snow and flakes that melt on your glove can pose a real danger if your hands aren’t insulated. The key is that while the exterior is providing protection from snow and rain, the same waterproofing needs to allow breathability for sweat and moisture that you emit to escape.
There are a few options for waterproofing: a membrane that is laminated to the fabric, an insert that is placed between the outer shell and the insulation or a coating that is applied to the fabric. Depending on the manufacturer, there are a variety of terms used to describe waterproofing features. Gore-Tex is a common one, but keep in mind that certain manufacturers may have their own terms to describe basically the same waterproofing capabilities.
Other Options
There are a multitude of options for gloves and mittens that can make your outdoor adventure more comfortable and enjoyable. Here are a few to keep in mind:
Heating Capabilities:Nowadays, many gloves offer battery-powered heating capabilities. Obviously, the trade-off is that those gloves will likely be heavier and bulkier and, thus, should be reserved for folks who don’t mind the extra weight.
Touch-Screen Compatibility: While found in lightweight or mid-weight gloves, touch screen compatibility is great for those who want to use a smart device but don’t want to expose their fingers to the cold.
Leather Palms: If you’re planning a rugged outdoor activity, leather palms offer more abrasion-resistance and durability than synthetic palms.
Long Gauntlet Cuffs: Snow has a way of making its way into your gloves, but long gauntlet cuffs stretch up and cinch over your jacket to keep wayward snow out.
Zippered Pockets: Often located on the backs of the gloves, these pockets are great for inserting hand warmers on particularly cold excursions.
Wristcords: Dropping your gloves while on a lift is of no importance when your gloves are equipped with a wristcord to keep them attached to your persons.
Shop our extensive selection of gloves and mittens at Outdoor Shopping.
