Blog

Oct 17, 2024

The 9 Best Winter Gloves of 2024 | Tested & Rated

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

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.

While the gloves in this review are meant for work and daily wear, we've also hit the slopes to test the warmest women's ski gloves and best men's versions. If you need other winter gear to keep you cozy, check out the best down jackets for men and the top-rated options for women. If your feet are freezing, the best men's winter boots and our favorite women's versions will keep you toasty this winter.

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 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.

The Arc'teryx Fission SV has dominated both our men's ski glove and women's ski glove reviews for years. It is the Goldilocks contender – warm, dexterous, and incredibly weather resistant. It's especially great at fighting off snow and rain. These are also among the most durable we've tested. In our years of experience with these gloves, we've found that they'll endure 100 to 200 days of heavy use, which helps justify their high cost.

Our only gripe, other than the cost, is that this glove lacks a wrist cinch. Otherwise, every negative aspect we've found is balanced by an impressive positive. They could be warmer, like the Outdoor Research Prevail Heated Gore-Tex Gloves, but then you'd lose their impressive agility. They offer even more dexterity, like the Hestra Leather Fall Line, but that would likely reduce their warmth and weather resistance. Overall, we think the Fission SV meets the needs of most skiers.

Read more: Arc'teryx Fission SV review

The Black Diamond Mercury Mitt is the best mitten we've tested for both men and women. They're optimized for warmth with stacks of insulation, a fleece liner, and enough room to maximize insulation loft. They also keep moisture out with high quality materials and tight seal. Black Diamond thoughtfully included useful features like a nose wipe and handy loops that make them easy to hang dry.

While mittens tend to be warmer, since they don't isolate each finger, they sacrifice dexterity. It's difficult to perform any task requiring fine motor skills while wearing these. We usually have to remove them to zip a jacket or adjust a boot. Considering how often we end up pulling them on and off, it is a bummer they don't have a wrist leash. If you need warm hands, though, these mitts are just the ticket. While we think they offer solid value, check out the The North Face Montana Ski Mitts if you want an even more affordable option and a wrist leash!

Read more: Black Diamond Mercury Mitt review

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.

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.

While certainly not warm enough for the depth of winter in northern climates, the Wells Lamont Hydrahyde Leather Hybrid are thick gardening/work gloves that work well for mild winters and shoulder seasons. They're especially suited to days when you're working hard enough to generate your own warmth. The leather palm protects your hands, while breathable spandex keeps sweat from accumulating. Neoprene panels on the back of your hand and at the wrist are comfortable and add warmth and water resistance. They fit our lead female tester well and are among the most dextrous gloves in the test. They also repel a light mist, yet soaked through immediately in our immersion test.

The fit is too tight to comfortably wear liners beneath these gloves, which is a shame because it would do a lot to increase their temperature range. If you wear a women's size small or extra small, these may provide a better fit than the other top work gloves in the test, the Mechanix. The Hydrahydes are a compelling option for anyone who needs a bit more warmth and protection than your average work glove. If you need an inexpensive work glove for less rugged tasks, check out the affordable Achiou Touch Screen Thermal liner gloves.

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.

Liner gloves are a must in frigid climes, and the Achiou Touch Screen Thermal outperformed the rest. Many winter gloves are warm and waterproof but unwieldy. You often have to remove them to navigate your phone, unsnap buckles or tighten laces. When it's below zero, liners help protect your fingers from frostbite while you do so. They're also great for chilly shoulder season runs. The Achiou are soft with helpful palm grips and touchscreen-compatible tips on the pointer fingers, middle fingers, and thumbs. Though they aren't weatherproof, they dry faster than most and block wind impressively well. They're also pretty tough, and the price is right.

That said, while the Achiou's won the liner test for functionality, they didn't quite win our hearts. They aren't machine washable, the thumb is a little too long, and the cuff is a little too short. We also often prefer the feel of natural fibers. Still, if you want to save money for a durable pair and don't mind hand washing them when they need it, these gloves are an easy choice. For a decent Merino wool blend liner glove, check out the Smartwool Thermal Merino glove.

Our yearly search for the best winter gloves starts online. We document our research in a spreadsheet, taking time to compare dozens of options and their various features. We then select the most promising pairs, buy them, and see how well they stand up to day-to-day abuse.

We wore these gloves running errands around town, walking the dog, jogging, hiking, and doing chores in rural Maine's bone-chilling winter. We also tested the men's gloves in Fairbanks, Alaska, while collecting data on a remote glacier in the Yukon. We tied our shoelaces, unbuckled our avalanche beacons, took notes, and clipped dog leashes to test their dexterity. To test their warmth, we wore them in frigid temperatures, sometimes comparing them directly with one on each hand, and tossed them in a freezer for 5 minutes with a thermometer inside. We also dunked them in a bucket of water for two minutes to test waterproofing and timed how long it took them to dry.

Our lead tester, Clark Tate, has split her time between the Appalachian, Rocky, and Sierra mountain ranges. She currently lives in central Maine, embracing the long winter months with wilderness camping trips, backcountry and cross-country skiing adventures, and trail runs/slides. When the windchill is well into the negative double digits, you want your gloves to work. Clark is joined by Jake Homes, who is the lead tester for the men's specific gloves. Jake is a Registered Maine Guide who leads winter trips on Katadyn for Acadia Mountain Guides. He also studies geophysics and glaciology at the University of Maine, spending a chunk of every year pulling radars around on remote glaciers in Alaska. You need warm gloves for that, too.

When choosing a pair of winter gloves, it's important to consider what activities you'll use them for, what type of materials you'll need, how we'll they'll fit you, and what features you'll need. We'll walk you through these decisions below.

Think about how you'll use your gloves most of the time. For skiing or snowboarding in-bounds, you'll need warm, insulated, and waterproof gloves to handle cold and wet conditions when sitting idly on a lift. If you'll be active the entire time you're wearing them, as you are when running or cross-country skiing, they need to be more breathable than warm, and waterproofing may not matter as much. For casual use, like commuting around town, touchscreen compatibility and comfort will be most important. If you want work gloves, you'll need them to be well-made and durable. Tailoring your gloves to your specific activities will help keep you comfortable and your hands available for use in cold conditions. Since many of these gloves are inexpensive, it may be worth buying a few pairs for dedicated tasks.

The materials your winter gloves are made of will significantly affect their performance. Synthetic materials like polyester or nylon are durable and, with proper treatments, can resist water, making them ideal for outdoor sports. However, untreated synthetic gloves do not resist water well. Gloves made with a high percentage of Merino wool dry faster if they get wet. Leather gloves, while stylish and durable, usually need a waterproofing agent like Nikwax to perform well in wet conditions. For maximum warmth, consider gloves with fleece or wool linings and added insulation. If you are engaged in active pursuits, seek out options with moisture-wicking properties.

A proper fit is essential to keep your hands comfortable, warm, and functional. Tight gloves can restrict circulation, reducing warmth. Loose gloves have the opposite effect. They will let in too much cold air and can make it hard to use your hands, which then reduces the functionality of features like touchscreen capabilities. Look for gloves with good sizing information, adjustable cuffs, straps, or elastic bands to ensure a snug fit. Stretchy, knit versions composed of some synthetic fabrics often fit snugly.

Modern winter gloves come with a variety of features. One of the most important among them for many is touchscreen-compatible fingertips, which allow you to use your phone without removing your gloves in the cold. Another much-appreciated set of features includes adjustable cuffs and straps, which provide a better fit and help to improve insulation. Similarly, machine-washable gloves are much easier to maintain for those who don't have time or bandwidth for hand washing or spot cleaning. Considering these factors will help you find gloves that meet your needs.

Often, warm gloves are bulky gloves, which makes it harder to perform daily tasks. If you have to take your gloves off whenever you need to use your hands, they aren't doing you much good. In this review, we're searching for the elusive unicorns that keep our hands warm while maintaining enough dexterity that we rarely have to remove them. For your hands to stay warm, they also need to be dry and out of the wind, so we tested waterproofness as well.

We've included a wide range of glove types in this review, from liners intended to be worn under other gloves to thick, insulated options. We'll guide you through the scores to explain the circumstances where each pair works best. Keep in mind that our scores are relative. Just because a glove has a lower warmth score doesn't mean that it doesn't hold heat – it just doesn't do it as well as the top options.

Your budget is important. To honor it, we identify products that offer exceptional performance at below-average prices. These high-value options are often the most popular among our testers, and that's true of the winter glove lineup in particular. The Carhartt Waterproof Insulated gloves easily earn the top score while costing only a bit above average for the review. That makes the warmest and only fully waterproof gloves in the test quite a bargain.

The least expensive gloves in the review, the Achiou Touch Screen Thermal, also offer excellent value. They are the top-scoring liner gloves in the test. Since they're meant to be worn under other gloves, they can't compete outright in the warmth category, but that doesn't make them any less crucial to our kit.

There is also the value that comes from buying exactly what you need instead of spending less and being annoyed with your gear every time you use it. For us, the Mechanix Wear Coldwork Original gloves offer loads of value by being precisely the glove we need for dextrous winter chores. And while the Mechanix offer excellent touchscreen compatibility, you might prefer the more expensive Black Diamond Midweight Screentap gloves, which don't absorb water as readily and have a more polished look. Similarly the Kinco 1927KW are a better choice if you're looking for the most durable option.

A liner glove isn't going to be as warm as an insulated, waterproof option. So it's often helpful to break down the warmth scores by winter glove subcategory. We'll do that here, starting with the classic, insulated winter mitts, the men's Carhartt Waterproof Insulated, and women's Carhartt Quilts Insulated. Both are bulky, with the cut and insulation of a ski glove, and are easily the warmest optionsin the test. We weren't surprised when they beat out the competition in our controlled freezer test, with the men's waterproof option edging out the women's version.

What blew us away, though, is that the men's Carhartt glove keeps our lead tester's hands comfortable for prolonged periods at -20 degrees. The Wells Lamont 5127 White Mule Insulated Cowhide Leather, which he wore on one hand while wearing the Carhartt on the other, didn't come close. While the Kinco 1927KW gloves aren't as well insulated as the Carhartt gloves, they came in solidly in second place.

The Mechanix, OR Flurry Sensor, Black Diamond Midweight ScreenTap, The North Face Etip Recycled, and Wells Lamont Hydrahyde are the midweight options in our lineup. Of them, the Mechanix stands out. It held a bit more heat during our freezer tests. We wore them comfortably to work on cold metal into the teens and to temps well below zero when we were working hard. When we stopped, they weren't nearly enough.

What really tips the scales, though, is the cut of the Mechanix. It fits well and maintains excellent dexterity while being roomy enough to easily fit a liner glove beneath. (We preferred using the Smartwool Liner here, for its extended cuff.) This makes them much more comfortable for a range of winter temperatures. We could also do this with the Black Diamond Midweight, though it does make it harder to use touchscreens if you do.

Of the rest of these stand-alone, midweight gloves, all of them lost more heat in our freezer tests than the liner gloves below. It's good to remember that these lightweight winter gloves are all meant for active use.

Then there are the liners themselves. The Achiou, Trendoux Touch Screen and Smartwool Liner are warmer than the lightweight Icebreaker Merino 260 Tech Liner and Smartwool Thermal Merino. They held more heat in the freezer test and on cold weather runs, which is where we find ourselves using these gloves on their own. When your body is generating heat, the breathability of a thin liner works well to keep your hands warm and dry.

To test the comfort of these gloves, we wore them side-by-side and judged their relative fits, the softness of their material, and the placement of their seams. To test dexterity, we took every pair of gloves through an obstacle course — tying shoes, tightening straps, zipping coats, etc. — then used them day in and out for weeks to see where they annoyed us and where they shined. And the Mechanix shined.

According to our lead men's glove tester, the Mechanix are lightyears better than the rest in terms of manipulating fine objects and dexterity – 10 out of 10. And they're tough as nails. “I would want something warmer if I was stationary or in a survival situation,” he says, “but working in the cold or moving on trail, they're excellent.”

Similarly, the form-fitting Black Diamond Midweight ScreenTap and The North Face Etip Recycled are flexible enough to complete daily tasks though they don't offer as much grip.

The next most comfortable and dextrous class of gloves are the liners. The Achiou, Trendoux, and Smartwool liner fit exceptionally well and do nothing to inhibit the movement of your hands. Their stretchy, synthetic materials hold them in place well, making them pleasantly form fitting.

While the Smartwool liner is made of 48% merino wool, the 88% in the Smartwool Thermal Merino glove means that it stretches more easily, and doesn't map your hand as well. The same is true for the 95% merino wool in the Icebreaker Merino. Both merino liners are soft and comfortable but run large and loose, and the too-long fingers often get in your way.

The Outdoor Research Flurry Sensor and Wells Lamont Hydrahyde Leather Hybrid are both thicker than the liners and less flexible than the Mechanix. Still, they fared well in the tests, and we rarely need to remove either to complete a task.

It's hard to execute detailed tasks while wearing bulky heavyweight winter gloves like the Carhartt models, the Kinco gloves, and the Wells Lamont White Mule Insulated Cowhide Leather. Testers found themselves dropping small items while wearing either of the Carhartt gloves. The palm fabric is slippery, and they're too puffy for detailed work. It's frustrating and often tempting just to pull the gloves off, cold weather or not. We like these gloves for tasks like shoveling or loading and unloading gear.

The Kinco and Wells Lamont White Mules are similarly bulky, though they offer a much better grip with high-quality leather palms. While the Kinco version offers quality and consistent construction, it's a shame that the Wells Lamont gloves have a less polished cut and construction, which makes them more difficult to maneuver.

Keeping your hands dry and out of the wind goes a long way toward keeping them warm. Unfortunately, only one glove in the test is truly waterproof, the Carhartt Waterproof Insulated. The women's Carhartt Quilted is nearly as good, though water did soak through a pinkie seam at the end of our two-minute submersion test. They may not stand up to a full day of wet snow. Though neither glove contains cotton, their fleece cuffs hold onto water, pull it into the gloves along the liner, and take time to dry. Both gloves completely block out the wind.

None of the rest of the gloves are waterproof. The Wells Lamont Hydrahyde and the Mechanix get some points for very light mist-resistant panels on the backs of their hands. However, the fleece of the Mechanix is especially prone to soak in any moisture that's present. When we plunged them into a bucket of water, they wet through almost immediately. Both took over a day to dry, and the Mechanix was one of the last to dry out in the test. It blocks nearly all wind, though, while the Hydrahyde lets a lot in along the sides of the fingers.

The Kinco and Wells Lamont White Mule gloves block wind everywhere except for the cotton panel on the back of the hand, which also allowed water to pour in during the immersion test. While the Wells Lamont dried out faster than the Mechanix and the OR Flurry Sensor. The Kinco took longer.

The mid-weight and liner gloves offer very little protection from water, though the Black Diamond, North Face, Smartwool Liner, Trendoux and Achiou options do surprisingly well at blocking wind. The Achiou, Icebreaker, and Smartwool Thermal Merino gloves were the fastest to dry in the test, which makes them good options for wet climates. We were disappointed to see that the Smartwool Liner gloves were in sixth place for dry-out speed, which is not what we expected of wool.

To compare features, we listed each of them and rated how well they worked. The most prominent features include touchscreen compatibility, adjustable cuffs, pull tabs, and glove clips that hold the pairs together.

The Mechanix and Black Diamond Midweight ScreenTap gloves offer the most impressive features. Both provide touchscreen control with every finger. (Most of the competition only provides touchscreen capabilities on the end of the thumb and pointer finger.) They are easy to pull on, and a small plastic clip holds the pairs together. The Mechanix are also machine washable, a disappointingly rare feature among winter gloves.

Of the two, the Black Diamond gloves offer slightly more consistent responsiveness with touchscreen devices, making them our top pick for that function. The North Face Etip Recycled gloves work nearly as well, but aren't as comfortable, and the cuff on the women's version is so snug that it's nearly impossible to pull on. That keeps them from earning an award nod.

The Outdoor Research Furry Sensors are also feature-rich, with a similar clip to hold them together and large, easy-to-grip pull tabs. Since these gloves are snug, we really appreciate this detail. Furry Sensors have a touchscreen-compatible tab on the pointer finger and thumb of both gloves. The sensor pads are stiff and took us a few days to wear in, but after that, they work well. The glove also features grip tabs along the palm and fingers that come in handy for tasks like turning slippery door knobs.

The Achiou, Trendoux Smartwool Liner, Smartwool Thermal Merino, and Icebreaker liners have touchscreen pads on their pointer fingers and thumbs. (The Achiou and Trendoux include your middle fingers as well.) The first three work wonderfully since the gloves fit your hands snuggly. The Icebreakers do not, because they stretch out quickly, leaving you with sloppy fingers. The Smartwool Thermal Merino work well, if they fit you snuggly.

Since people often wear liners to keep their hands warm while performing tasks like taking photos or navigating with their phones, the Achiou, Trendoux, and Smartwool Liner gloves earn respectable feature scores for how well they perform at this one very important task.

The rest of the gloves are very limited in their feature offerings. Both Carhartt options give you a flimsy clip to hold the gloves together, nose wipes, and adjustable cuffs. The cuffs are the most useful of the three. The women's Wells Lamont Hydrahyde gloves have an excellent cuff cinch to hold them in place while you work.

We judged construction quality based on how these gloves stood up to months of use and to light abrasion with the end of a paperclip to test seam and fabric strength. The hard-working Kinco and Mechanix gloves easily top the list. The Mechanix saw more shop work than the rest thanks to their excellent maneuverability, and we reached for the Kinco's most often for yard work. Neither seems any worse for the wear. We expect them to last a good long while.

The Wells Lamont White Mule gloves seem to be made of high-quality materials, including sturdy cowhide leather. While the stitching isn't particularly straight, it seems likely to hold up over time. The women's Wells Lamont Hydrahyde also includes a sturdy leather palm that's likely to last, but the relatively thin spandex between the fingers seems vulnerable to wear and tear. The men's waterproof Carhartt and OR Flurry Sensor gloves seem well made, but their fabric is less sturdy.

The women's Carhartt gloves already have some loose stitching, and the thinner liners have fewer layers to wear through. The fully synthetic Achiou and Trendoux Touch Screen showed no signs of use, while the Smartwool Liners started piling around the seam, especially by the touch screen sensors, after only a few weeks of use. We really like the feel and function of the Smartwool liners, but we can't recommend them if they're already coming apart.

We treat the thin Icebreaker Merino 260 Tech Liner and Smartwool Thermal Merino with care. And they need it.

It can be hard to choose between the many winter gloves on the market today. We hope that by buying these options, spending weeks testing them, and months wearing them, we've helped you zero in on your perfect pair. Keeping your hands warm is a crucial step to enjoying the winter months. From heavily insulated and waterproof gloves for outdoor chores to deft liners for the most detailed tasks, we've got you covered. See the roundup of our favorite gloves to find the best pairs for specific disciplines.

Need more winter gear to complete your cold weather protection? Whether you want a top-rated insulated jacket, a nice fuzzy sweater, or a new favorite winter jacket, our wintertime experts have thought of it all.