No one wants to be the person with cold hands who is stopping to swing their arms in circles or covertly stashing their poles under their armpits to make fists inside their freezing gloves, right? Buying the right pair of gloves can spare you from this fate, so it’s worthwhile to put in the effort and select the appropriate glove to suit your winter needs.

HOW TO CHOOSE A PAIR OF GLOVES

MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION

The majority of our ski gloves are made of a combination of goat leather and a synthetic shell with a DWR coating. Leather adds durability and comfort, while nylon shells stay dry. Our lighter-weight gloves are designed for high-output activities and are made from synthetic fleece fabrics that are breathable and quick-drying. Wind and water resistance is added to these lightweight gloves with 3-layer waterproof/breathable recycled nylon shell fabrics. Climbing and mountaineering gloves will prioritize dexterity and quick-drying capabilities. Our warmest gloves have either a removable liner or built-in PrimaLoft® insulation. Some of our gloves feature a wool liner that dries quickly, while others have a removable insulated liner with a GORE-TEX® shell that prioritizes warmth.

GLOVES VS. MITTENS

Deciding between gloves and mittens depends on what kind of activity you plan to do. Gloves offer better dexterity than mittens, making them more suitable for activities such as climbing, mountaineering, and touring. In these situations, you’ll be frequently adjusting boot buckles, ripping skins, and handling gear. Mittens keep hands warmer, but are less dexterous. Resort skiing and snowboarding are situations where mittens are particularly effective. When out touring or ice climbing, it’s also nice to have a pair of mittens in your pack as a backup or when temperatures drop.

WARMTH VS. DEXTERITY

For some, warmth is the most important factor in shopping for a new pair of gloves. If that’s you, we’ve zeroed in on some of our warmest options here. The Guide Finger Glove is our warmest mitten designed for skiing, while the Mercury Mitt and the Absolute Mitt are going to provide the most warmth for mountaineering, but you’ll sacrifice a bit of dexterity because of their added insulation.

If mobility and dexterity are more important to you, consider something a bit slimmer, like the Legend or Kingpin Gloves in leather, or the Terminator or Punisher for a synthetic, ice-climbing-specific glove. These options will provide some warmth, but not nearly as much as a highly insulated glove with an insert.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT GLOVES FOR YOUR NEXT WINTER ADVENTURE

SKI TOURING

Skiing and riding in the backcountry means dealing with constantly changing variables: temperature, snow conditions, weather, and your aerobic output. On a single tour, you may experience stifling heat on the uphill and frigid temperatures on the summit. For these days, we recommend having a few pairs of gloves in your pack for the variety of conditions you might encounter. For the skin track, a liner, like the Lightweight Screentap Liner, or a pair of the Deploy Gloves, is ideal with their lightweight fleece construction. For the downhill, a pair of the Guide Gloves, Patrol Gloves, or Mission Gloves is a great option. On tours where temperatures might stay a bit more consistent, the Tour Pro or Cirque Gloves are great options since they are both lined but not overly insulated. If you are set on one pair of gloves for touring, our Helio Tour Gloves offer a 3-in-1 solution: a weatherproof, insulated overmitt, a removable, brushed softshell liner, and a softshell outer glove.

IN-BOUNDS SKIING

Lapping it out in bounds requires a different set of features. These gloves and mitts tend to be more insulated, but have a slim cuff, since you’re not going to be taking them on and off as much. Both the Spark Glove and Mitt are ideal for deep days at the resort. They’ve got a leather shell with EVA padding and a waterproof insert. For an even burlier option, look no further than the Progression Mitts. Our high-end freeride glove is the Impluse and is similar to the Progression with its neoprene sleeve, PrimaLoft® Gold Cross Core insulation, and durable leather shell.

RUNNING

Running in winter isn’t for everyone, and a prerequisite to enjoying a brisk run in winter is warm hands. We have a number of lightweight gloves that are made for cold-weather training in mind. Each of these gloves is built with an emphasis on breathability, dexterity, and warmth. The Hybrid Light Glove is a hybrid with a 3-layer stretch softshell on the back and a thermal fleece palm for added breathability, and is great for a little added protection on cold days. The Deploy is our simple, lightweight hiking and running glove made with soft, wicking fabric and a grid fleece nose wipe on the back of the thumb. Both of these gloves are touchscreen compatible. For added protection on particularly windy and cold days, our Gridtech Storm Hood and our Deploy Wind Hood gloves both feature a stowable, waterproof hood for additional cold-weather protection.

ICE CLIMBING

For technical ice climbing, sensitivity, dexterity, and weather protection are key. The Punisher gloves are a great all-around option for ice climbing, providing a good balance of warmth and sensitivity. With a Pertex Shield rip-stop shell for durability and a 4-way stretch shell at the fingers for added dexterity and sensitivity for climbing, these gloves cover all the bases. For milder conditions, mixed climbing, or dry-tooling, the Terminator is a good choice, thanks to its lightweight and minimalist construction. For an even more specialized option, the Torque is our go-to for drytooling and mixed climbing, with a super-sticky palm and seamless pinky construction. For long belays and as a backup to throw in the bottom of your climbing pack, we recommend the Alpine 3-Finger Mitt. These are the ultimate belay mitts, with a split-finger design, three layers of leather for extra durability, and a BD.dry™ insert.

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

Changing temperatures and conditions throughout the winter make finding a perfect pair of gloves nearly impossible; that is why we recommend a quiver of gloves. A pair of gloves or mittens built to handle the frigid days, a set of lines or lightly insulated for your high aerobic days or spring corn skiing, and then something in between the two, with just the right amount of insulation. It is an art to have the right gloves for the conditions at hand, but we think the considerations outlined above are a great starting point. If you want to dive deeper into our line of gloves, check out The Black Diamond Glove Guide.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Materials and Construction: Our leather gloves are made with goat leather. Our gloves feature PrimaLoft® insulation and BD.dry™ or GORE-TEX® inserts offering breathable waterproofing.
  • Gloves vs. Mittens: Choose gloves if you are focused on activities that need dexterity, like climbing, touring, and mountaineering. Mittens are better for activities like in-bounds skiing or hanging around basecamp.
  • Warmth vs. Dexterity: A warmer glove is usually less dexterous. This is an important factor to consider when picking gloves.
  • The Quiver Approach: Owning a few pairs of gloves is key to being outside, no matter the conditions. There is no single glove or mitten that will work for every condition.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jane Jackson is a writer and editor based in the Sierra Nevada. She loves granite and being in the mountains, and has spent most of her adult life obsessed with rock climbing in all of its forms.