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Sick of cold hands? We research dozens of the best winter gloves on the market before choosing these top 14 to purchase and test side-by-side. From trail running to glacial research to hanging around town, we tested these gloves in extreme environments and where you’ll wear them the most. We ran every pair through a barrage of controlled water resistance, temperature, and dexterity tests. From hard-working options and warming liner gloves to cold-weather classics that will have you stacking snowballs, these winter gloves will keep you and your hands going when the temperatures drop.
Carhartt Waterproof Insulated – Best Men’s Winter Gloves
Warm and comfortable, the Carhartt Waterproof Insulated gloves are a reliable winter classic. We tested them while shoveling snow and hanging out on cold winter days in Maine and while collecting data on a remote glacier in the Yukon, comfortably wearing them in temperatures as low as -20° F for extended periods. That makes them an easy option to choose for a quick dog walk or snowball fight. They’re windproof and largely waterproof, keeping your hands warm and safe from frostbite in the winter months. An adjustable cuff holds them in place, though the small plastic buckle is less robust than we’d like.
Their pliable polyester fabric and generous cut allow your fingers nearly their full range of movement, but the thick insulation and slick fabric aren’t great for detailed tasks. And, while the majority of the glove is protected by a waterproof liner, the fleece cuff is not. If you get it damp, the moisture can spread to the liner inside. Sweat can also accumulate, and the glove takes time to dry, over a day and a half in our tests. The fabric is sturdy but not as durable as leather work gloves and they don’t come in women’s sizes. That said, if you’re able to duck inside if the liners wet out, these warm and comfortable gloves are the best in the test. The leather Kinco 1927KW is another hardy work glove that resists water better than the Mechanix.
Carhartt Quilts Insulated – Best Women’s Winter Gloves
Nearly as warm and as waterproof as the men’s Carhartt glove, the
Carhartt Quilts Insulated is a good alternative for anyone with smaller hands. They hold heat well, with a quilted layer of lofty polyester insulation and soft fleece lining. They also completely block wind and repel moisture well, keeping our hands dry for nearly two minutes during a submersion test before water snuck in through a seam in the pinkie finger. A tab extending from the thick panels on the palms makes them easy to pull on, and a cinch at the wrist holds them in place. These gloves fit our female testers well, though the finger length verges on being too short even for those who often wear a size small glove.
While we appreciate the welcoming fleece lining, it can pull moisture into the glove when wet. This makes it harder for your hands to stay warm, and the gloves took nearly two days to dry in are tests. They’re also hand wash only. While the gloves are malleable, the bulky insulation and slippery fabric make it hard to complete detailed tasks like tying shoes or zipping jackets. They also have a few loose stitches after just a few months of testing. That said, if you’re looking for warmth and weatherproofing for tasks like pulling sleds, frigid walks, or shoveling snow, the Carhartt Quilts Insulated are our top recommendation for smaller hands. For a touchscreen option, try the Black Diamond Midweight ScreenTap.
Gordini GTX Storm Trooper II – Best Bang For Your Buck Ski Gloves
In the outdoor industry, products tend to come and go, but the Gordini GTX Storm Trooper II has been around for a long time, and we hope it stays that way. Our testers are continually impressed by how well this glove can hang with the high-end competition while costing significantly less. They cost about ten bucks more than the inexpensive The North Face Montana Ski Mitts, but performed better in most metrics (except warmth — it’s hard for a glove to beat the warmth of a mitten). Our tests proved the Storm Trooper is more than capable of meeting the needs of the average resort skier. It features a lot of leather for the price, boosting its longevity into multiple ski seasons. It’s also very waterproof — we never experienced cold or wet hands in these gloves.
We found these gloves warm enough for most days at the ski resort during our testing, but they can’t compare to other well-insulated or heated models like the Outdoor Research Prevail. The Gordini GTX Storm Trooper II packs insulation around the fingertips, which hinders dexterity for general tasks and rules out fine motor skills, like opening small zippers or searching for items in pockets. We’d recommend a more dexterous glove like the Black Diamond Legend for users with more refined dexterity needs, like on-snow professionals or parents. Still, given the price, these drawbacks are minor, and we recommend the Storm Trooper to anyone needing high-performance gloves at a bargain price.
Outdoor Research Prevail Heated Gore-Tex Gloves – Best Heated Glove
The Outdoor Research Prevail Heated Gore-Tex is packed full of performance in every metric that we test. It has three battery-powered warmth settings to keep you warm all day on the slopes and plenty of insulation to keep you toasty if the batteries die. It has excellent construction quality, protecting your investment, and the gloves effectively seal out unwanted water and snow from the outside environment. Dexterity is what sets these gloves apart from the competition. Other heated gloves are generally clumsy in the fingers, but in the Prevail, we can use our fingers to perform detailed tasks. That helps these gloves edge out the competition. They also have all the features we could ask for in a quality glove.
Unsurprisingly, adding batteries and heating elements to a pair of gloves comes at a cost, and the Prevail Heated Gore-Tex gloves aren’t exactly cheap. Check out the Black Diamond Guide if you want the warmest option that doesn’t require recharging and won’t break the bank. On the other hand, they are less expensive than some other gloves we tested, and we feel they perform better. The price might be a deterrent, but these gloves could be the ticket for those with chronically cold hands or who ski in particularly cold climates.
Mechanix Wear Coldwork Original – Best Unisex Winter Work Glove
From dog walks and shoveling chores to building glacier monitoring stations in Maine and repairing a hot water drill in Alaska, the Mechanix Wear Coldwork Original gloves are the jam. They’re the best in our lineup at protecting our hands without restricting their function. They also breathe well — and dry hands are warm hands. One tester found these warm enough for small engine repair into the teens and twenties. Another lead tester often wore them with the Smartwool Liner when temperatures dropped and stayed toasty. We appreciate that they’re machine washable since they’re durable, dark, and (our pair always seems to be) dirty. Luckily, their touchscreen-compatible index finger and thumb worked despite the grime accumulation.
With minimal insulation, the Mechanix aren’t the warmest gloves. We usually wear them when we’re on the go, and dexterity is the most important. With elevated activity levels, our hands stayed fairly comfortable in colder temps. Though the back of these gloves can resist a very small amount of light rain and snow, they wet through quickly and take time to dry (a day or more). The size small Mechanix is a little long in the fingers for our lead female reviewer, who normally wears a women’s size small or medium. And yet, they still worked wonderfully for her. As long as they fit you, we can’t recommend the Mechanix enough; they are excellent work gloves for colder weather.
Kinco 1927KW – Best Heavy Duty Work Glove
The Kinco 1927KW winter gloves are a classic choice and a common site at ski resorts and work sites alike. Their consistently affordable price, solid construction, and comfortable utility make them an easy choice. While there are warmer options, these are made for people on the move – shoveling, stacking wood, or lapping lines. They breathe well, with a porous cotton panel on the back of your hand. While they aren’t waterproof, the leather palms and fingers resist water well, a feature you can improve upon with a waterproofing agent like Nikwax or Sno Seal.
The cotton panel can hold moisture, which can also seep into the liner, cooling your hands quickly. They also take a long time to dry, over two days in our tests. Though they remain pliable after they get wet, as advertised, they’re never quite as soft again without continued conditioning. Though they do offer women’s and children’s sizes, they can be hard to find, and the sizing still runs large. If you can find a fit that’s right for you and commit to conditioning and waterproofing the leather, these gloves will keep your hands comfy and warm for many seasons to come. They’re best for rugged work, though; for more detail-oriented tasks or projects that require a YouTube tutorial, consider the touchscreen-sensitive Mechanix Wear Coldwork Original.
Black Diamond Midweight ScreenTap – Best Touchscreen Winter Glove
If you need a lightweight option that makes it easy to check your touchscreen devices without freezing your fingers, we’d steer you to the Black Diamond Midweight ScreenTap gloves. They have a snug but flexible fit that improves their touchscreen function and offers the conductive materials that allow screens to recognize your touch on all ten figures and both palms. That makes using your touch-compatible devices a breeze. A soft fleece lining improves warmth without diminishing your ability to complete complex tasks. A leather palm improves your grip and increases the longevity of the gloves.
While they perform well during active pursuits like runs, cross-country ski tours, and fast-paced commutes, they aren’t much warmer than liner gloves. They’re also not waterproof and take about a day to dry. They do brush off dry snow easily though and, with a little care and some good pockets, we make them work in mild winter weather. We find ourselves wearing these gloves around town when exploring new trails and need to consult our digital maps often. Another great, around-town winter glove is the Outdoor Research Flurry Sensor, which works nearly as well on touchscreen devices. We also like the Smartwool Liner gloves for their great fit and feel.