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Gloves
Keep your hands comfortable whatever you’re doing.
// by Maggie Theodora
NATHAN REFLECTIVE CONVERTIBLE GLOVE/MITT
Basics: Technically these lightweight gloves are for running, for which they are perfect, but the thermal mitt shield that can be easily deployed over the glove fingers makes them more versatile.
Pros: Made from a thermal stretch fabric with a weather-resistant finish, these roll up to about the size of a small avocado (but are less than half the weight) and feature a nose-wipe chamois thumb most other gloves in this category don’t have. Hi-vis reflective graphics can help keep you safe if you’re out at night.
Cons : The mitt shield doesn’t protect your thumb.
Best For: Aerobic athletes—fat bikers, ski tourers, runners, Nordic skiers—who run hot; also for warm spring ski days.
Details: Available in men’s and women’s fits; $35; nathansports.com
DPS P3 Gloves
Basics: Salt Lake City-based DPS has been known for its groundbreaking ski shapes since it launched in 2005. The new-this-winter P3 is the brand’s first foray into gloves. Waterproof and insulated, the P3 is made from goat leather (minus its neoprene cuff, which makes the P3 more low-profile than most glove cuffs).
Pros:The suede goggle wipe on each thumb is soft enough to do double duty as a nose wipe (if that doesn’t gross you out), and the pre-curved fit pattern made these gloves break in more quickly than other leather gloves.
Cons : The mitt shield doesn’t protect your thumb.We never got the thumb’s touch screen-compatible panel to work.
Best For: Aerobic athletes—fat bikers, ski tourers, runners, Nordic skiers—who run hot; also for warm spring ski days.Resort skiers who want gloves that work as hard as they do.
Details:The unisex P3 is available in three colors—natural, white, and black;$99; dpsskis.com
KINCO 1927 gloveS
Basics: Study the hands of ski patrollers and guides, and it’s likely you’ll see a lot of these. Taking their name from the birthday of the daughter of the company’s founder (9/27), these gloves put function first, and cost less than a night at the bar.
Pros:Thanks to premium-grain pigskin, these break in much faster than most leather gloves (and are also softer and more flexible out of the box). A Gunn cut pattern means fewer seams between the fingers. Heatkeep thermal insulation lives up to its name while wicking away moisture.
Cons : On storm days, the cotton-blend fabric on the cuffs and backs of hands can get damp.
Best For: Anyone looking for a good-value, workhorse of a glove or someone prone to losing their gloves.
Details:Available in men’s, women’s, and children’s fits and also as mittens; $25; kinco.com
Nørrona Lyngen Dri1 Gloves
Basics: Like pretty much everything Nørrona makes, these gloves are the best in their category. We’ve yet to find any other ski-touring/shell glove that equals these in craftsmanship, performance (they’ll keep hands dry even during the season’s biggest dump), and features.
Pros:The mesh-lined waterproof zippers across the top of these gloves are game changers. It had never crossed our minds that the secret to maintaining a comfortable temperature while skinning up was ventilating our hands. For the ski down, we add a layer (a merino wool liner glove) beneath these and close the zippers, and we’re good to go.
Cons : Gloves this amazing don’tcome cheap.
Best For: Major storm days and/or high-output activities like ski touring, Nordic skiing, and snowshoeing.
Details:Unisex and available in black; $199; norrona.com
GIVE’R FRONTIER MITTENS
Basics: These mittens from Jackson-based Give’r are the warmest and burliest you’ll ever own. Think Yeti coolers for your hands, but hot. Want to ice fish when it’s minus-20 degrees? Ski all day during the Storm of the Century? Go ahead, as long as you’re wearing your Give’rs.
Pros:Hidden beneath the Frontier Mittens’ all-leather cowhide exterior is a 100 percent waterproof membrane, a reflective heat shield (to retain warmth on the top of your hand), and Thinsulate insulation. Make the leather last even longer by upgrading to the all-natural wax coating.
Cons : Since these are 100 percent leather, they can take a while to break in. (Accelerate this process by putting them in an oven set to 200 degrees for four minutes—see Give’r’s website for the full “oven method” instructions.)
Best For: Purists who want one mitten to rule them all.
Details:Unisex and children’s models available at giver.com; $118 (+$8 to have initials hand-branded)
OUTDOOR RESEARCH LUCENT HEATED SENSOR MITTENS
Basics: Not everyone needs heated mittens, but those who do really do. Powered by rechargeable lithium ion batteries, these will keep the coldest hands toasty and dry.
Pros:Thanks to synthetic Enduraloft insulation, Gore-Tex inserts, and fleece palm linings, the Lucents are warm even before you turn on their AltiHeat system. When you do turn them on, the power button is an easy target—no need to take off a mitten to push it.
Cons : Depending on the heat setting you use, battery life is between three and seven hours, which is fine for a day at the resort when you can recharge the batteries overnight, but a charge won’t get you through a yurt/hut trip.
Best For: Battling super cold hands, even those affected by Raynaud’s disease.
Details:Unisex and available in black, Lucent gloves are also available; $359; outdoorresearch.com
DAKINE TITAN GORE-TEX GLOVES
Basics: A no-frills, highly functional leather-free shell/liner combination that is water repellent and features a Rubbertec palm for durability.
Pros:Pairing a gauntlet-style shell with a liner glove (included), these will keep your hands dry and warm. The former features a Gore-Tex insert and a water-proof zipper on the top of the hand (perfect for storing a goggle wipe), and the latter is touch screen compatible. Remove the liner at the end of the day to speed up drying time.
Cons : As durable as Rubbertec is, it’s not as burly as leather.
Best For: Vegans who want warm hands.
Details:The women’s version of the Titan is the Sequoia. Both models are available in several colors; $70; dakine.com JH