Black Diamond

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Editor’s Note: We updated our winter mittens buyer’s guide on September 21, 2023, adding 14 sections and 5 FAQs and reworking several additional sections in the buyer’s guide to support buyer education. The Best Winter Mittens of 2023-2024 Some standouts of the clim8’s are that they feature a hands off user system once you heat the gloves up with an app to determine your heating preferences. From there, the gloves turn on when you wear them. The sustainability of a product is a key factor that many consumers appreciate these days when buying gear: And with finite natural resources, the planet also stands to benefit. Fortunately, more outdoor industry companies are pushing the needle regarding eco-friendly materials and sustainable manufacturing practices.

More and more companies are using PrimaLoft synthetic insulation, which is a fiber made from recycled plastic bottles. PrimaLoft fill can also be recycled into another piece of gear. Part of the reason these mittens have such good value is the multitude of different features and functions they have. This includes a removable liner, loops for hanging the mitts, cinch straps to keep the snow out, a nose wipe and several other quality inclusions. What I Like Use glove leashes: Many ski gloves come with wrist leashes to prevent you from losing them on the mountain. Always attach the leashes to your wrists to ensure you don't drop or misplace your gloves. Cleaning and drying instructions If the material can’t be made from recycled products, there are fabric options that are Bluesign-certified, such as the Gordini Challenge Mitt. This certification verifies that the fabric has been tested to not be harmful to human health and the environment. Similar conscious certifications include Oeko-Tex- certified fabric and Fair Trade sewing. Every mitten-lover we spoke to chose their childhood classics for one huge reason: warmth. Keeping your fingers together in the mitten cocoon allows natural body heat to radiate and warm up the rest of your fingers. (It must be said, of course, that some mittens have liners with separated fingers for additional insulation, but they’re all wrapped up in a mitten shell.) Most liked the simplicity of not having to wrestle with individual fingers when they put on or take off their hand-warmers. The majority wanted to be able to wiggle their fingers freely!

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Proper maintenance is essential to ensure the longevity and performance of your ski gloves. Here are some maintenance tips:

Reviewers really loved that the heating wires were woven into the liner rather than between the liner and the outer shell glove, like many other heated gloves on the market. And the battery life isn’t shabby, either—they last about 8 hours on the “low” setting, about 4.5 hours on the “medium” setting, and about 2.5 hours on the “high” setting. (Most other heated gloves only last up to 2.5 hours, too!) The glove profile is a huge perception to consider when looking for your next pair of gloves. Some people prefer a sleek, thin profile; others don’t mind a bulky glove if it means they’ll be warm. An under-the-sleeve design provides a lower profile — much like the Hestra Fall Line Gloves or Kinco Pigskin Leather Gloves. We researched gloves that had withstood not only temperature tests but rugged use, too. For that, we looked to guides, outdoor professionals, rescue workers, and the military for their take on “heavy hitters” that could handle a hard day on the slopes, as well as a hard day’s work. DEXTERITYNot all gloves are created equal. While some gloves are meant for opening the door to your local coffee shop or grasping a shovel to plow out the driveway, others are meant to be battered by wind, snow, slush, and ice for hours at a time — all while keeping your hands toasty, dry, and free of sweat as you slash powder turns across open bowls. We give you the ski glove (or snowboard glove, if that's what you do). If you can’t guarantee that down for a product is harvested in a cruelty-free way, you can also opt for synthetic down. In our experience, mittens don’t change our ability to grip a ski pole; (photo/Jason Hummel) How We Tested Winter Mittens

To be considered for each category, we measured each glove or mitten against standardized criteria: they had to be warm, affordable, durable, comfortable, highly water-resistant, windproof, and dexterous. Waterproof gloves are usually made of a breathable waterproof material like Gore-Tex (made of nylon or polyester and treated with polyurethane), TPU (Thermoplastic polyurethane), or Nanotex (“a type of textile finishing that uses nanotechnology, the manipulation of matter on an atomic and molecular scale, to alter the properties of a textile to increase resistance to spills and stains”). The Vent mittens have Burton’s DryRide two-layer shell for waterproofness and breathability and Thermacore synthetic insulation. The mittens also have a grip texture feature on the palm, and a soft, fixed microfiber lining to keep hands and fingers cozy inside.

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While snowboarding at the resort, these mittens withstood 10-degree weather with windchill, light snow, and sunnier windows in the 30s. The design provided warmth without bulk, allowing hand control when tinkering with our bindings. The thumbs are generously covered with a smooth polyester nose-wipe panel.

More than three decades ago, Senior Snow Sports Editor Morgan Tilton learned to ski in sync when she learned to hike as a toddler in Telluride, Colorado, and still calls Southwest Colorado home. Today, she lives in one of the coldest locations in the country, Gunnison Valley, where it’s not uncommon to drop into negative digits plus windchill. If it’s frigid out, she reaches for mittens when she’s heading up the ski lifts at Crested Butte Mountain Resort or taking laps on the Crested Butte Nordic trails. Dry storage: Store your gloves in a cool, dry place when not in use. Avoid leaving them in direct sunlight or near a heat source, as excessive heat can damage materials and cause them to lose their shape. Of course, a ski or snowboard glove can have crossover uses (they would be great for shoveling out that driveway!), but they’re primarily used for the sport of skiing or snowboarding. For example, warm gloves are a huge necessity for Raynaud’s sufferers whose fingers are perpetually cold. Since snow gloves are designed to keep you warm, dry, and mobile, they are great options for someone with restricted blood flow to their fingers. As we researched, we narrowed our criteria to meet seven main themes: overall, budget, extreme weather, powder days, heated, upgrade, and winter mountaineering.What's the difference between glove insulation types? Thermacore insulation, Theromolite Insulation, Primaloft, Bemberg polyester fiberfill. The price of a snow glove often reflects the quality of the insulation. Lofty synthetics like Primaloft Gold insulation come at a premium because they breathe well and retain warmth even when wet. Thinsulate or thinner insulation types tend to have better dexterity. To learn more, see this explanation of insulation in ski gloves. WATERPROOF & WINDPROOF shell While this is a solid choice, it is far from the only option available. Here are a few others you may want to consider. Thindown is a constructed fabric made of natural goose down rather than the down being stuffed between layers of textile in a traditional baffled design.