The pain of frozen fingers is enough to drive anyone, no matter how experienced a skier, to the nearest hot chocolate stop. Happily, you don’t have to spend a fortune to have warm hands — wearing heavily padded mittens with space for air to circulate will do the trick — but check they have everything else you need. Dexterity for gripping ski poles say, or straps to tighten around wrists or over sleeves to stop snow getting where it shouldn’t. Hardwearing material on palms and fingers helps stop rips, whether carrying skis or snowboard to the lift or grabbing edges in the terrain park. As well as a water-repellent coating, gloves and mitts for skiing have a membrane inside that keeps damp at bay and allows sweat to escape. How effective you need it to be depends how much you like bad weather days, but generally the more you spend, the better it works.
All images: Tauri Birken
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Women
1. Barts Empire Gloves,£40
Best for style on the slopes
Comfort is all with these fashion-focused gloves. Padded yet soft, with faux fur and cosy linings to keep out the chill, they’re water resistant with a breathable membrane inside so hands stay dry. Palms and fingers are made of hardwearing material.
2. Picture Anna Mitts, £70
Best for maximum insulation
As well as heavy duty padding these have five-fingered fleece linings inside, which are extra fluffy at the cuffs to keep cold air at bay. The Annas are also highly waterproof and breathable and, in keeping with Picture’s mission to reduce environmental impact, much of the material used is partially bio-sourced from sugarcane or recycled. Tough leather palms, statement wrist leashes and a water-repellent coating that doesn’t contain harmful PFC chemicals complete the picture.
picture-organic-clothing.com
3. The North Face Montana Luxe Gloves, £90
Best for full-on action
Made using the North Face’s most advanced waterproof and breathable material, Futurelight, these will keep hands warm and dry in even the most challenging cold and snowy conditions. Shell, padding and fleecy linings are all made from recycled materials, and the water-repelling coating contains no PFC chemicals. Leather panels give knuckles extra protection from hard knocks, the fingers are smartphone-friendly and leashes keep your investment safely attached to your wrists.
thenorthface.co.uk
4. Women’s Whirlibird II Gloves, £56
Best for a great fit
Omni-Tech allows your hands to breathe, while the cuff adjustment and pull tab creates a secure fit. Its three-point precurve mimics the natural shape of your hand, so the glove will feel like a material extension of your skin. The thumb is fitted with softer material to wipe your nose and face.
5. Mountain Warehouse Women’s Ski Gloves, £16
Best for value
Simplicity is key when it comes to these mittens. They’re water-repellent with a textured palm to prevent loss of grip on your poles, and a stretch cuff keeps your hand firmly locked in. A clip located on the cuff attaches the two together to avoid one getting lost at the bottom of your bag.
Men
1. Yuki Legit Mitts, £75
Best for solid waterproof performance
With their soft goatskin leather outers, waterproofed seams and highly waterproof and breathable membrane, these gloves should keep hands dry through all weathers. Founded by snowboarders with an eye for sustainability, they’re made using organic cotton and recycled polyester, and the water-repelling coating has no PFC chemicals. The leather is smartphone friendly, and reinforced on the palms and thumbs. Leashes keep them attached to your wrists, and the cosy lining is separated into fingers for extra warmth.
yukithreads.com
2. Pow Wayback Long Gloves, £95
Best for versatile all-season skiing
With longer cuffs designed to go over the top of jacket sleeves, fleecy linings and thin yet warm padding, these are bursting with heat-boosting tech for deep winter. They’re designed to be worn larger, so warm air can gather, and have a high-end Gore-Tex waterproof and breathable membrane. There are leashes to keep them attached to your wrists and, when the weather turns warmer, you can cool down hot hands using the zipped vents. And the removable stretchy inner gloves with smartphone-friendly fingers mean you can also layer down — or wear them on their own on spring days.
powgloves.com
3. Hestra Fall Line 3-Finger, £125
Best for all-weather missions
With more dexterity than mittens and more warmth than gloves, these are made from hardwearing yet supple cowhide and are highly waterproof and windproof. The outward facing seams make them more comfortable inside and give better grip on poles. Warm but not bulky, they have soft, fleecy linings and foam knuckle protection. Neoprene cuffs keep snow out and they come with a handy carabiner to attach them to each other — and you — as well as leashes so you don’t lose them. Also available as gloves and mittens.
4. Reusch Storm Gloves, £90
Best for a streamlined look
With a soft outer shell made from a combination of stretchy water-resistant fabric and hardwearing goat leather to reinforce palms and protect fingers and knuckles, these ski racer-inspired gloves have warm but light padding to keep them low-profile. Velcro straps keep heat in and there’s a clip to keep them together when you take them off.
5. Men’s Powder Lite Glove, £45
Best for staying connected
These gloves come with a touch screen compatible finger and thumb, avoiding the faff of removing layers when you want to take a picture of the slopes. The insulation is made from recycled polyester which, along with the advanced water repellent technology, will help keep your hands warm and dry.
Additional reporting by Sasha Nugara
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Looking to buy ski gloves for your next trip? Here are the best options from Amazon.
