The 4 best ski gloves of 2024, tried and tested

The best ski gloves prevent the kind of cold hands that ruin an otherwise perfect ski day. I speak from experience too. As a lifelong skier with Raynaud’s phenomenon, I’m constantly searching for ski gloves that allow me to go bell to bell without needing to duck inside the lodge to thaw my fingers.

I’m not alone, though. Everyone on the ski hill deals with cold fingers, so I set out to find the best pairs of ski gloves and mittens to wear this season. To do that, I stashed mittens in my freezer and dunked gloves in a sink full of water. I even timed myself while changing goggle lenses and buckling ski boots to test each glove’s dexterity. In the end, I found four pairs of gloves and mittens that topped the rest. Here are the results.

Best ski gloves: Give’r 4-Season Gloves

Calling all winter enthusiasts: If skiing is one of the many winter activities you enjoy, we promise you’ll love the Give’r 4-Season gloves, our winner as the best overall gloves. Designed and touted as “insulated leather work gloves,” the Give’r gloves are supremely comfortable and disturbingly waterproof (more on that below), not to mention plenty warm. While they lack breathability, that’s a trade-off we’re willing to make for gloves as protective as these.

Give’r doesn’t cater to skiers; instead, these gloves are designed for anyone to use during the winter, regardless of whether they ski, snowboard, walk the dog, ice climb or build snowpeople in their front yard. Their versatility stems from an airtight combination: an all-leather cowhide exterior and a 100% waterproof Hipora membrane (a waterproof-breathable fabric similar to Gore-Tex). This duo makes the Give’r gloves impermeable. Seriously, nothing is getting through these gloves. I capped most tests at three minutes under the faucet but lost track of time with these. After five minutes, they still hadn’t soaked through, and the leather didn’t appear saturated, easily taking the top waterproof spot in the testing pool.

With synthetic Thinsulate insulation, they’re warm too. In the freezer test, they took second for gloves behind the Hestra Fall Line 3-Finger and the Baïst Classic Glove (mittens will always be warmer). Thanks to the leather-Hipora combination, they felt much warmer during the Peloton testing due to a lack of breathability; body heat couldn’t escape, so sweat built up inside the glove. For folks with really cold fingers, this could be a good thing since it kept my digits even warmer. But if you run hot, you may get sweaty hands. Pro tip: We learned the best way to dry these is to pop them on a boot dryer like the DryGuy.

Due to the leather outer, the Give’r gloves feel a bit stiff at first. That’s why Give’r recommends the oven method to help break them in. Once I did that, the gloves felt noticeably more dexterous and I could easily manage boot buckles and ski goggles. But my favorite part may be the customization options. For just $8 more, you can ask Give’r to burn up to three initials on your gloves. This wasn’t done on the 4-Season gloves but I have it on my Classic Give’r Gloves and it’s a nice touch.

It’s only been a decade since Give’r popped onto the scene via Kickstarter but the glove’s top-shelf warmth, incredible waterproofness and inherent durability make these customizable gems our top pick for ski gloves.

Best short-cuff ski mittens: Hestra Fall Line Mitt

If you have chronically cold hands, you won’t regret the Fall Line mittens. They check all the boxes thanks to a universally pleasing cuff that fits beneath a jacket sleeve, incredible warmth and ample dexterity for a day on the slopes. While they are on the pricey side of the budget and lack total waterproofness, they more than make up for it with their all-around superior performance.

Most of us reach for mittens because gloves don’t keep us warm. To that end, the Fall Lines were one of the warmest in this test, coming in second only to the Hestra Army Leather Extreme Mitt during the freezer test, where I tucked small thermometers inside the gloves, closed the wrists with binder clips and stashed them inside a freezer for 20 minutes. But the warmth doesn’t come with a loss in dexterity. To be clear, mittens will never give you the same manual proficiency gloves do, so the Fall Lines were far clunkier than all the gloves when I tried buckling ski boots.

They aren’t as puffy as the Army Leather Extreme mittens and I didn’t feel like I had marshmallow hands and could still buckle my ski boots while wearing them. The Fall Lines have a removable five-finger liner inside, which boosts the dexterity further, especially when gripping ski poles.

The Fall Line mittens are not completely waterproof, though. They eventually wetted out during the water test while the Baïst Mitt, Gordini Cache Gauntlet Mitt, Outdoor Research Revolution II Gore-Tex Gloves, Give’r 4-Season Gloves, Outdoor Research Carbide Sensor Gloves and Give’r Frontier Mittens never did. But that doesn’t mean you’ll leave each ski day with wet hands since most of us aren’t skiing in the swimming pool. The impregnated leather shell is highly water resistant and each pair of mittens comes with a small tube of leather balm designed to prevent the leather from drying out and to prolong the weather resistance. When applied at least one to two times per season, the mittens should keep most skiers dry and warm for years. Caveat: If you’re a skier who routinely shreds in the rain, look at the Baïst Mitt (and we appreciate your dedication to the sport).

Bottom line: The Hestra Fall Line mittens were at or near the top of almost every test I ran. The mittens excelled in warmth and dexterity, which is a tough combination to beat. Because of this, I awarded them our top spot for short-cuff mittens.

Best gauntlet mittens: Baïst Mitt

It’s the age-old skier’s debate: Do you prefer your glove to go over the sleeve or under? If you’re in the former category and want bombproof weather deflection, snag the Baïst Mitts. These mittens are workhorses as one of the warmest mittens we tested, and they also ranked near the top of the pack for weather resistance. Like the Hestra Fall Line mittens, they aren’t cheap, but I think you get what you pay for.

Gauntlet-style mittens have sleeves that reach over your jacket sleeve and cinch around your lower forearm. Skiers who prefer these typically do it for weather resistance; snow is less likely to penetrate your outer layers, especially when shredding powder (or wallowing in powder, depending on your abilities). That’s one of the reasons I love the Baïs: They’re burly. The goatskin leather and Cordura outer shell reach about 3 inches up your forearm and are tougher than a fortress. In the waterproofing tests, the Baïst Mitts ranked at the top of the pack. After three minutes of running the faucet on these mittens, they still hadn’t soaked through, and I could still see the water beading down the outer shell.

They didn’t take the top spot in the freezer test, though — that still went to the Hestra Army Leather Extreme Mittens — but they did come in a close third, just 0.2 degrees behind the Hestra Fall Line Mittens. With numbers so close, I think it’s fair to say they’re equally as warm. Plus, they still offer plenty of dexterity. The Baïst Mitts have a removable liner constructed with Thinsulate and ThermoLite, two synthetic insulation fabrics. Like the Hestra Fall Line Mittens, the liner Velcros to the wrist of the shell. But unlike the Fall Lines, these liners are regular mittens with no individual finger pockets. As a result, I fumbled a little more while buckling ski boots, but it was still manageable.

These gloves have many features which help offset the higher price tag. In addition to the pull cord at the bottom of the mittens, a Velcro pull strap wraps around your true wrist. This acts as a double wall against snow as nothing will sneak into your mittens. There’s also a small microfiber cloth attached to the liner of the left mitten, used to wipe your nose or even your goggle lenses.

Gauntlet gloves are a polarizing style choice: You either love ‘em or you hate ‘em. If you’re committed to the over-the-cuff style, you’ll do no better than the Baïst Mitts with their supreme weather resistance, bomber warmth and above-average dexterity.

Best budget ski gloves: Outdoor Research Revolution II Gore-Tex Gloves

There is a ton of competition for ski gloves that cost less than $100, so it’s tough to stand out. But the Outdoor Research Revolution II gloves surprised us with all-around weather resistance, impressive dexterity and a decent number of features. While they lack the warmth of our other winners, I still feel like they deliver enough value for most skiers to warrant inclusion in one of the top spots.

For starters, these gauntlet-style gloves were part of the select group at the top of the waterproof tests that remained completely dry after three straight minutes under the tap. We barely saw water beading from the surface, so it’s safe to say that skiers in the Pacific Northwest wouldn’t have any issues with these on a moisture-laden powder day. This is largely thanks to the Gore-Tex insert which is another nice touch. It’s a rarity to see Gore-Tex used in value-driven products but that’s the case with the Revolution II gloves.

Dexterity is also very impressive, trumping the Give’r 4-Season gloves and coming in at the top of the test for every glove we tested. I could fully articulate all my fingers with each knuckle as well as manipulate all ski boot buckles and goggles. I had zero issues grabbing onto small jacket zippers and pull straps too. There isn’t much you won’t be able to handle while wearing these ski gloves.

Features are heavier than you’d expect at this price point. There’s a cinch at the end of the gauntlet wrist as well as a pull strap around the true wrist to act as a double wall against snow. A small zipped pocket on the back of the hand fits a car key or a tube of lip balm, and the fingertips are touchscreen compatible.

Of course, ski gloves are all about giving and taking. With the weather resistance and relatively affordable price comes a trade-off: They aren’t the warmest. The Revolution II gloves came in the middle of the pack during the freezer test but felt noticeably warmer during Peloton rides. For someone like me with terrible circulation, they may not be the best option but if you run warm and/or want a supremely dexterous and waterproof glove for spring skiing, these are tough to beat.

How we tested

To determine the best ski glove and ski mitten, I objectively evaluated everything from warmth to style and ease of use with all of skiing’s inherently cumbersome tasks. To do this, I divided testing into three categories: weather resistance, dexterity and features. From there, I directly compared the features of each pair of gloves through standardized, prescripted tests. Here’s the full breakdown of what we did.

Weather resistance

Dexterity

Features

Everything you need to know about ski gloves and mittens

Ski gloves and mittens are essential for any ski day. Unless it’s a bluebird day in April, you likely cannot ski without something protecting your hands. But there are hundreds of options, so it’s a good idea to know what you’re looking for before beginning your search.

First, consider whether you want gloves or mittens. Gloves offer individual fingers, so you’ll get far more dexterity. This means ski tasks like buckling boots, zipping jackets or swapping goggle lenses will be far easier. However, finger isolation means they are often colder than mittens. On the flip side, mittens are significantly warmer since your fingers will share body heat, and mittens have less exposed surface area than gloves, which also makes them toastier. But, of course, they come with a trade-off: Dexterity is slim when your digits are mashed together.

A third option is the three-finger, or lobster, mitten. These gloves have the thumb and pointer finger individually contained like a glove, but the remaining three digits are enclosed like a mitten. The idea behind this style of ski glove is that you’ll get a bit more dexterity with the thumb and pointer, but your remaining fingers will retain much more heat.

Secondly, look at insulation. You’ll find ski gloves with insulation ranging from fleece to synthetic fill, and their level of warmth will vary depending on various factors, such as your circulation and how many grams of insulation are used in the glove. Oftentimes, more insulation leads to more warmth but a lack of dexterity. Consider your needs before assuming you want the warmest glove out there.

Third, consider weather resistance. It may seem counterintuitive, but many skiers don’t need fully waterproof gloves or mittens. If snow isn’t actively falling from the sky and you stay on your feet most of the time, it’s not always necessary. And gloves that are highly water resistant (instead of waterproof) tend to breathe better than those that are completely impermeable. Snow can easily get inside your gloves from the wrist (raise your hand if you’ve ever dropped a glove while taking a photo), and that’s a surefire way to soak your ski mitten from the inside out. In this scenario, a water-resistant glove would dry out much faster than a waterproof option.

Finally, evaluate features. You may not need all the bells and whistles, especially if it pushes the glove into a price point you aren’t comfortable with. Premium, known partner brands like Gore-Tex will cost more than proprietary options. Features such as a short cuff or gauntlet cuff, touchscreen-compatible fingers and removable liners all add to the cost.

Other ski gloves and mittens we tested

Similar to the Baïst mittens, I had no issues with the Classic Gloves. They were warm, dexterous and very waterproof. However, they cost significantly more than the Give’r 4-Season gloves, so that’s why they didn’t win the top spot.

I loved the dexterity, breathability and durability of the Sabre Index Mitt but they weren’t as warm as the Hestra Fall Line Mittens — and they cost a bit more.

These gauntlet-style gloves have great weather resistance, and the goatskin leather has a surprising amount of dexterity (frankly, they look good too). However, they aren’t as warm as the Give’r 4-Season gloves, so they couldn’t nab the top spot.

The Carbide Sensor gloves were really warm and waterproof in our tests and I liked that they are touchscreen compatible. However, the warmth comes with a lack of dexterity I noticed when trying to buckle ski boots.

Similar to the Carbide Sensor gloves above, the Windwards tested well for warmth and waterproofness. They also have a decent number of features like a nose wipe and leashes. However, the warmth does come with a lack of dexterity. If you don’t care about that, these are really solid gloves.

These burly workhorses felt seemingly impenetrable in our water test, and we really like the sustainability story that goes along with Flylow’s manufacturing (wool lining and recycled insulation for less reliance on petroleum-based synthetics). However, these felt a bit too clunky doing regular hillside tasks.

If you’re looking for a hybrid approach, you can do no wrong with these 3-Finger gloves since they have the warmth of the Hestra Fall Line mittens with a smidge more dexterity. However, I felt the warmth of the mittens far surpassed any added mobility found in the lobster design.

If warmth is the only factor you care about, choose these, as they were the warmest in our tests. However, the added insulation comes with a super-marshmallowy grip, so we’d save these only for the most frigid of days, and they may be too warm for some skiers.

Truthfully, I think these gauntlet mittens are an excellent value. They tested near the top of the pack for waterproofness and had decent dexterity thanks to the five-finger lining inside. However, they weren’t quite as warm as the Baïst Mitts. Still, if you don’t have the coin to drop on the pricier options, these are a great choice.

The Frontier Mittens were a hot contender for the best short-cuff mittens, thanks to their complete waterproofness and high-level warmth. Ultimately, I decided the break-in period on these may turn away some skiers — they’ll feel bulky until you run the oven test and wear them for a while — so I went with the Hestras. I still love these mittens. As an alternative option, Give’r recently launched a limited-edition version, dubbed the BCA Frontier Mittens, where 15% of the proceeds go toward resources and advocacy within the cancer community.

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