There are few things worse on the ski field than having blue fingers, numb and wet from the snow and the icy wind from wearing the wrong gloves. Choosing the best ski gloves for the climate and your type of skiing or snowboarding will go a long way to making you comfortable on the slopes and helping you ski to the very last chair.
It’s not just about comfort – ski gloves are crucial for helping prevent heat loss and more serious cold-induced illnesses such as hypothermia or frostbite.
Sometimes less experienced skiers make the mistake of thinking the cheapest ski glove will suffice for their newbie status, without giving a second thought to whether their hands will actually stay dry and warm, especially if they’re falling over in the snow while learning the ropes.
One of our big goals here at The Adventure Junkies is to help make your life easier when it comes to buying ski gear. In this article, we’ll walk you through how to choose your next pair of ski gloves and show you our selection of the best models of the year. We want you to spend less time shopping around and more time carving down the mountain. Let’s get started.
The Ultimate Guide To Find The Best Ski Gloves
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SKI GLOVES 101
9 Things To Consider To Find The Best Ski Gloves
1. Climate
The location and climate you plan to do most of your skiing or snowboarding in are important considerations when investing in ski gloves. If you plan on skiing powder in Northern Japan in the middle of winter you’ll need better insulation and protection than if you’re skiing or boarding during springtime in New Zealand.
2. Skiing Style
Downhill skiing and cross-country also have different glove requirements. Cross country gloves need to be more breathable due to the intensity of skiing and the likelihood of sweating more through your palms.
3. Insulation
Insulation is what keeps your hands warm. Consider the insulating fabric and whether it’s suited for the climate you plan on skiing in. Materials such as fleece, synthetic fill, and wool are all used in ski gloves, or sometimes a mixture of them all. PrimaLoft insulation tends to be the warmest while EnduroLoft and HighLoft are all high rating types of insulation.
Insulation also needs to be breathable and able to wick moisture away so you’re not left to ski with a pool of sweat in your gloves all day.
4. Waterproofing
Waterproofing materials protect your hands from the elements – the snow, wind and rain that are all possible on the slopes at any given time.
Waterproofing and insulation work together – it’s no use having brilliant insulation if the fabric is soaked due to poor waterproofing. Leather and Goretex are the most common types of waterproofing materials for ski gloves. If you have leather gloves, you’ll need to treat them after heavy use to maintain their waterproofness.
5. Removable Lining
Ski gloves can come as a double layer or all-in-one. A double layer means you have a removable liner as well as the outer waterproofing shell. These tend to offer greater warmth than an all-in-one style ski glove. It also means you can adapt to different conditions such as bluebird days or spring skiing, where you can wear just the liner. Separate layers mean your gloves will also dry faster.
The downside of the double layer glove is that it adds bulk to your hands and is less dexterous than an all-in-one ski glove.
6. Gloves or Mittens?
It’s an age-old debate and the answer comes down to personal preference.
Some skiers swear by mittens, others don’t want to sacrifice the dexterity of gloves. Women tend to prefer mittens as they offer more warmth, keeping your fingers closer in together and trapping more heat. Some mittens are a hybrid option where the inner layer is a glove while the outer shell is the mitten.
Gloves are important if you need to handle equipment frequently such as unbuckling gear and doing up zips or straps, or if you’re planning on also doing a bit of ice climbing or mountaineering.
7. Heating
Self-heating gloves can be a lifesaver for skiers and boarders with poor circulation. Some ski gloves include a battery-powered heating device keeping your fingers toasty warm throughout the day. The batteries can add a bit more bulk to your hands, but if you suffer from cold fingers then it’s possibly worth the sacrifice.
Other gloves contain zip-up pockets designed specifically to hold disposable hand warmers.
8. Touch Screen Capability
In this age of technology where everyone’s capturing snow selfies or video footage, touch screen capability allows you to use your phone, iPod, and camera without having to remove your gloves. It’ll help save your fingers from freezing while you post a quick snow selfie to Instagram. Backcountry skiers using a handheld GPS with a touch screen will also find this feature useful.
9. Gauntlet or Under the Cuff
A gauntlet is the longer piece of fabric of the ski gloves which extends well beyond the wrist to fit over your ski jacket sleeves with the help of a cinch. It helps prevent snow from entering inside your gloves. Gauntlet styles tend to be warmer as they offer extra protection over your wrist joint.
Another option is an under-the-cuff style, where your ski jacket sleeve will fit over the top.
Under-the-cuff ski gloves can keep your hands drier in the rain as water won’t run off your jacket sleeve and into your glove.
Photo by http://istockphoto.com/portfolio/Goodluz
SKI GLOVE REVIEWS
Top Ten Best Ski Gloves Of The Year
ARC’TERYX LITHIC GLOVES
BEST FOR: Backcountry
WOMEN’S VERSION: N/A
TYPE: All-in-one, gauntlet
MATERIALS: Gore-tex, PrimaLoft
FEATURES: Surprisingly dexterous given the durability of the glove
PROS: Heavy duty construction, should last for years
CONS: Expensive
SERIUS INNOVATION HEAT TOUCH TORCHE GLOVES
Check out the latest price on:
Amazon
BEST FOR: Warmth
WOMENS VERSION: Serius Innovation Women’s Heat Touch Torche
TYPE: All-in-one
MATERIALS: Leather, Thinsulate
FEATURES: Battery-run heating device, soundtouch technology for touchscreen compatibility
PROS: Heated gloves. Brilliant for those who need extra warmth
CONS: Battery adds bulk, can have a short life if always running on the highest setting
HESTRA LEATHER ARMY ABISKO GLOVE
BEST FOR: Comfort
WOMEN’S VERSION: N/A
TYPE: All-in-one, handcuffs to secure gloves to wrist
MATERIALS: Goat leather, PrimaLoft
FEATURES: Wool terry lining, short cuff
PROS: Durability, dexterity, low profile
CONS: May need an extra lining if in really cold conditions
THE NORTH FACE MONTANA ETIP GLOVES
BEST FOR: Resort skiers, skiers who use disposable hand warmers
WOMEN’S VERSION: The North Face Montana Etip Gloves
TYPE: All-in-one, gauntlet
MATERIALS: Hyvent, Heatseeker
FEATURES: Touch screen capability, glove leash, removable wrist oven to secure hand warmers
PROS: Warmth and the wrist oven for hand warmers if you use them
CONS: A bit bulky
OUTDOOR RESEARCH MUTE SENSOR GLOVES
BEST FOR: Downhill skiing
WOMEN’S VERSION: N/A
TYPE: All-in-one, under cuff
MATERIALS: Goat leather, Ventia, EnduraLoft
FEATURES: Touch screen compatible, nose wipe on thumb
PROS: Touch screen thumb and index finger
CONS: Not ideal for extremely cold climates
FLYLOW RIDGE GLOVES
BEST FOR: Warmer climates and outdoor workers
WOMEN’S VERSION: N/A
TYPE: All-in-one, under the cuff
MATERIALS: Pigskin leather, polyester lining
FEATURES: SnoSeal waterproof treatment
PROS: Affordable, sturdy glove, ideal for skiers who want a work glove too. Pigskin means the gloves dry soft.
CONS: Not the best for warmth.
BLACK DIAMOND MERCURY INSULATED MITTENS
BEST FOR: All-season skiing
WOMEN’S VERSION: N/A
TYPE: Mittens, removable liner, gauntlet
MATERIALS: Leather, PrimaLoft
FEATURES: Removable split-finger liners with high-loft fleece lining and waterproof insert.
PROS: Insulated and waterproof removable liner so can be used on its own, goat leather palms for handing equipment.
CONS: Poor dexterity which comes with mittens.
OUTDOOR RESEARCH REVOLUTION GLOVES
BEST FOR: Downhill skiing, mountaineering
WOMEN’S VERSION: Outdoor Research Women’s Revolution
TYPE: All-in-one, gauntlet
MATERIALS: Leather, Ventia, EnduraLoft
FEATURES: Leather palms for better grip, nose wipe on thumb, removable wrist cords
PROS: Removable wrist cords can be tightened when the wind picks up, women’s version one of the best ski gloves for females
CONS: Not as waterproof as Gore-tex
DAKINE TITAN GLOVES
BEST FOR: All-season skiing
WOMEN’S VERSION: Dakine Women’s Sequoia Glove
TYPE: Removable liner, gauntlet
MATERIALS: Gore-tex, High-loft synthetic insulation
FEATURES: Zip pocket on the back of the hand for hand warmers, nose wipe on thumb, touch screen compatible
PROS: Removable liner for different skiing conditions, nice features such as the hand warmer pocket, excellent waterproofing
CONS: Touch screen capability not as good as other models
BURTON GORE-TEX GLOVES
BEST FOR: Downhill skiing
WOMEN’S VERSION: Burton Gore-tex Women’s Gloves
TYPE: Removable liner, gauntlet
MATERIALS: Goretex, Thermacore insulation
FEATURES: Touch screen compatible, goggles wipe, removable liner, glove leash, zip pockets for hand warmers.
PROS: Affordability, lots of nice features, very waterproof and windproof
CONS: Gauntlet a little bit short, touch screen pads on liners not as effective as other models
Now We’d Love To Hear From You. What Are The Best Ski Gloves You’ve Ever Worn And Why?
Disclosure: The Adventure Junkies is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost for you. We also use other programs like REI, LeisurePro and others to keep our site independent. You can read more about how do we review here.
The post Top 10 Best Ski Gloves of the Year appeared first on The Adventure Junkies.
from The Adventure Junkies https://www.theadventurejunkies.com/best-ski-gloves/
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