The best ski gloves just need to be warm and comfy, right? If only. There are so many factors that dictate which mitts or gloves will best suit your needs. Warmth is very important if you're skiing in the east of Canada in January, but if you're enjoying soft spring conditions in the Alps you will want something much cooler with great breathability.
To narrow down your choice, fit has to be the first thing to check. So visit your local ski shop and try on a few pairs. Remember to try some tasks you'll be doing on the mountain, like fastening a jacket or holding a ski pole, to make sure the mitts or gloves work for your hand shape.
To help you find the best, I've compared ten of the very latest ski gloves. Scroll down to read my full reviews, followed by an FAQ section where I explain how to size gloves and care for them, and what to look for whether you're skiing or snowboarding. If you're in a hurry, here's a quick look at my top five:
What are the best ski gloves in 2023? At a glance
- Best overall – Black Diamond Impulse Gloves
- Best women's skigloves – Reusch Nadia R-Tex XT Mitten
- Best men's ski gloves – Hestra Army Leather Heli Ski 5-Finger Glove
- Best snowboardingmittens – Burton Gore-Tex Under Mittens
- Best heated ski gloves – Therm-Ic Ultra Heat Boost Gloves
How to find the best ski gloves for you
Think about what you'll be using the gloves for, to ensure they match your requirements. For example, if you’re often grabbing your phone to capture pictures or video, then getting touch screen functionality makes sense. Do you suffer from cold hands? A mitt may work much better, since it keeps all the fingers together for increased warmth – although you'll sacrifice dexterity and sensitivity of touch.
How I tested the best ski gloves
In my job, I play with a vast number of ski gloves at trade shows, at showrooms and in stores. I talk to consumers, shop staff, retail buyers and other snowsports professionals to find out which are the best. And then, of course, I test them while skiing to see how they fare in the cold, snow-covered mountains.However, fit is crucial, so even though a glove may be perfect for me, please do go and try them on, since they may not suit your hand.
By the way, when you've finished reading this, why not check out my reviews of the best ski helmets, best ski boots, best ski jackets, best ski socks and best ski goggles for 2023?
Best ski gloves
1. Black Diamond Impulse Gloves
Best overall, 10/10
We like: dexterity and wrap around the wrist
- Under-cuff
- Leather palm
- Not touch-screen compatible
- No removeable liner
- Wrist leashes included
Black Diamond is a favourite of many of the mountain professionals I work with, due to the dexterity and hard-wearing nature of their gloves. I love the Impulse; although this is a new model, it has that classic Black Diamond feel.
You get a good amount of PrimaLoft Gold Cross-Core insulation on the rear for extra warmth, made using 95% recycled material. The palm side is also insulated, although not as thickly, and it uses PrimaLoft with Grip Control, meaning the sensitivity is still very good, without having to suffer cold hands. This palm insulation is comprised of 100% recycled content.
The glove uses goat leather around the hand, with Pertex at the wrist. The neoprene lining to the wrist closure gives incredible hold and shape. It doesn’t seem to make you sweaty, unlike may of the older neoprene wrist closures I've used. EVA foam padding protects the back of the hand and thumb, with a soft cover on the rear of the thumb for clearing away any nose dribbles.
You can also get this in a black and white colourway. Or get the Freeride World Tour option with white, blue and black colours.
2. Reusch Nadia R-Tex XT Mitten
Best women's ski glove 10/10
We like: the luxurious warmth
- Powder cuff
- Leather palm
- Not touch-screen compatible
- No removeable liner
- Wrist leashes not included
If you know ski racing, you know the glove specialist Reusch. These mitts aren’t for ski racers though. They’re the only gloves or mitts featured here with down insulation, making them fabulously warm. This is further enhanced by the Dryfleece material that envelopes the ends of the finger compartment, like a heat-boosting hood.
Given the relatively modest price tag, the Nadia mitts are a great purchase. The palm is all goat leather, with a very soft touch for excellent sensitivity, which is very important in a mitt as you lose the dexterity of separate fingers. You can feel the warmth and quality of these as soon as you slide your hands inside; they're pretty special.
A one-handed drawcord around the cuff seals out the weather and a wrist tightener helps keep the mitts in place. You don’t get a leash, but once on you'll not really want to take these off anyway. Reusch uses their R-Tex waterproof and breathable membrane to keep those important digits dry. Not a fan of white? Don’t worry, you can get these in black too.
3. Hestra Army Leather Heli Ski 5-Finger Glove
Best men's ski glove, 10/10
We like: tough, powder-proof design
- Powder cuff
- Leather palm
- Not touch-screen compatible
- Removeable liner
- Wrist leashes included
It would be hard to do any feature on gloves without talking about the Army Leather Heli Ski from Hestra. This burly workhorse is warm, tough and available in a wide range of colours and configurations to suit almost everyone, including younger mountain goats. This is the standard 5-finger version and I bought my wife a pair around a decade ago and she's still using them. Yes, they’ve been hammered, and show it, but they're still being used.
The goat leather palm and thumb face-fabric provides durable dexterity with a waterproof coating on the back of the hand. The insulated liner is totally removable, making these a breeze to dry overnight. Make sure you treat the leather palm regularly to ensure your hands stay dry and that the leather lasts.
There's a Velcro closure on the inner side of the wrist and a cuff drawcord to keep the weather out and retain the warmth. The little carabiner clip they come with can be used to hang the gloves from the finger hang-loop, preventing them from filling with snow when not on your hands. It's also available in a mitt or three-finger version for greater warmth.
4. Burton Gore-Tex Under Mittens
Best ski mittens, 9/10
We like: the full touch-screen compatible palm
- Under-cuff
- Synthetic palm
- Touch-screen compatible
- Removeable liner
- Wrist leashes included
Mitts are a great choice if you suffer in the cold. That's not actually why these super slick looking mitts from snowboard big-dog Burton are in my top list. What I love is that the synthetic palm of these mitts works incredibly well with touch-screen devices.
In the mountains, being able to use your phone quickly and easily is a massive benefit. These work as well as the best gloves. I was blown away by how effective these were when using a phone touchscreen. We could stop there really, as that'll be enough for many, but these budget friendly beauts have more up their sleeve.
Yup, these little digit defenders sit under the sleeve of your jacket, adding to the clean aesthetic. The zipper on the rear allows you to open up the vent if you're running hot or to slide in a hand warmer when the temperature plummets. Gore-Warm keeps the weather out and boosts the warmth of the Thermacore insulation.
The thumb has a soft nose-wipe and the soft fleecy lining adds to the comfort if you're not using the included, touch-screen-ready removeable inner glove.
5. Therm-Ic Ultra Heat Boost Gloves
Best heated ski gloves, 9/10
We like: the incredible warmth
- Powder cuff
- Leather palm
- Not touch-screen compatible
- No removeable liner
- Wrist leashes included
First things first, these are expensive. At just under £300, they're not for everyone. However, if you suffer from cold hands, work in frigid climates or just want the ultimate in warmth, these are the best option.
The PrimaLoft insulation is made of 90% recycled material and contains electric heating elements which wrap around your fingers and the rear of the hand. The lowest power setting is fine for most situations and lasts up to 7½ hours. The two other higher-powered modes give more heat, although battery life is greatly reduced.
Power comes from two small rechargeable batteries concealed in a wrist pocket. These are small and never felt bulky or cumbersome. One switch on the back of the hand easily controls the power.
Goat leather covers the palm and thumb for excellent feel and durability. The large wrist opening is easy to pop over your jacket and seals really well. You also get wrist leashes and a loop on the back of the middle finger so you can clip the gloves upside down, when not on your hands, so they don’t fill with snow.
Therm-ic also offer these in a mitt, but I like the dexterity of the glove.
- Powder cuff
- Synthetic palm
- Touch-screen compatible (but only the liner glove)
- Removeable liner
- Wrist leashes included
The Scout is an insulated, waterproof mitt with a grippy, removable liner glove that has touch-screen ready pads on the tip of the thumb and index finger. For under £50, this is great value.
The mitt keeps your fingers warm, especially if you don the liner glove. It is nice wearing the liner as it stops that sweaty finger feeling you can get if they're all together in a mitt without material between them. While the outer isn't touch-screen compatible, the liner is and this means your fingers don’t get too cold if you do need to make a call or shoot a video.
The mitt can be used on its own, as it has insulation which includes 50% recycled fibres. Weather proofing is taken care of by Dakine's own DK Dry insert. The wide powder cuff simply slips over your jacket cuff and cinches closed with the drawcord.
I really like the soft nose wipe on the right thumb, although I didn’t use the goggle squeegee they have on the left thumb. I only ever want to use a soft cloth for my goggles. An ace budget-friendly offering if you want something to work in all conditions, year-round.
7. Scott Ultimate Warm Ski Glove
Best budget ski glove, 9/10
We like: the awesome value and warmth
- Powder cuff
- Insulated synthetic palm
- Not touch-screen compatible
- No removeable liner
- Wrist leashes included
For under £40 you get cracking value with the Scott Ultimate Warm glove, available in models for men and women.
Surprisingly, this is one of the warmest gloves, due to a thick layer of insulation on the palm side. Typically gloves have a relatively thin amount of padding here, compared to the rear. The downside with the Ultimate Warm is that you lose some sensitivity, but it is lovely having nice warm hands.
Scott use their Dryosphere waterproofing across the back of the hand, not on the front. The synthetic palm material on the front protects against the snow anyway and you stay dry in the majority of conditions. The powder cuff may not be the longest, but it works and has a drawcord to seal out the snow. You also get an adjuster on the back of the wrist to for a secure hold. These gloves also come with leashes to keep the gloves attached when you take them off for sorting the kids out.
Don't think Scott is just about value products. They make incredibly technical products too, which I use a lot in my work. Those obviously cost more.
8. The North Face Montana Luxe Futurelight Etip Glove
Warmest ski glove (non-heated), 9/10
We like: the curve of the fingers
- Under-cuff
- Leather palm
- Touch-screen compatible
- No removeable liner
- Wrist leashes included
The curve of the fingers in The North Face's Montana Luxe glove brilliantly matches the shape of your hand, resulting in an awesome, relaxed fit. The goat leather over the palm and back of the hand further aids dexterity, sensitivity and durability.
The North Face utilises their Futurelight waterproof insert to keep rain and snow at bay. The lining is a sublimely soft fleece made of 100% recycled polyester. The insulation in the glove is over twice as thick on the back of the hand, compared to the palm. This provides greater warmth than you may be expecting, making these gloves suitable for a broad range of conditions. The insulation comes from 70% post-consumer recycled polyester.
The non-leather outer fabric is 100% recycled material too, boosted with a PFC-free DWR treatment, all helping to look after the outdoor world we love. The leather loops on the wrist are unusual but they're very easy to grab, when pulling the gloves on. The tip of the thumb and index finger are touch screen compatible, so no more cold hands when shooting your friend's 'Jerry of the Day' clip.
- Short powder cuff
- Synthetic palm
- Not touch-screen compatible
- No removeable liner
- Wrist leashes included
Roxy offers the Jetty in a range of vibrant designs in both a mitt and glove version. The PU material they use for the palm is really grippy; a great benefit if you struggle when holding your skis or snowboard. PU palms don’t last as-long as leather ones, but for under £50 this is a warm, waterproof, great looking mitt.
Roxy uses a Hydro-Tex waterproof, breathable membrane insert which they call Dryflight to keep water and snow out, while allowing sweat to escape. The cuff is designed to sit over your jacket sleeve, although it is quite short and doesn't have a hem drawcord, so you can find snow in there on powder days. The adjustable strap around the wrist does a good job of keeping the warmth in and cold out, as well as preventing the powder snow from making its way to your hands.
These are nice and warm mitts, due to the 170g of their Warmflight insulation, perfect for all but the coldest of days. Elasticated wrist leashes prevent dropped mitts if you need remove them to use your phone. If you don’t want cold hands and don't want all-black, the Roxy Jetty is an excellent mitt.
- Under-cuff
- Leather palm
- Not touch-screen compatible
- No removeable liner
- Wrist leashes included
Ziener is a massive ski brand in Europe, but little-known in the UK. They work with the some of the main European ski associations and race teams, which helps them develop incredible products.
They offer a massive range of products, but the naming is bonkers; all the men's glove models begin with a G, women's start with K and kids with an L, so it can be somewhat confusing. That aside, their gloves are fantastic. I've used one pair of Ganzenberg gloves for three seasons of abuse, and they still look great.
The neat, Velcro closed cuff readily slides under a jacket sleeve. The soft lining is easy to get into, even with hands that have got damp from touching snow. The wool insulation works superbly well. These aren’t the warmest gloves they make, but they work for most conditions, even down to -10°C.
The outer is predominantly leather and very tough, with a waterproof, breathable insert to make sure your hands stay dry. Dexterity and grip is enhanced by the bonding of layers around the palm side of the hand. The removeable wrist leash prevents dropped gloves if you need to pop them off. They're also available in black.
FAQ
What is the difference between a ski and snowboard glove?
Unlike many snowsports items, there are differences between gloves for skiing and snowboarding.
When snowboarding you are more likely to drag your fingers on the surface of the snow, so it's worth making sure the fingertips have an over-wrap, or overlap, design on the finger tips for boarding. If the fingers end with all seams meeting at the tips, then they can be susceptible to abrasion when snowboarding.
You may also want some wrist protection for snowboarding; if this is the case then check out Level's Biomex gloves. These work really well but, although I've used these in the past, I've not tested them for this season so haven’t included them in this article.
If you're a skier, you'll be holding ski poles so the gloves need to cater for this. You don’t want squashed finger ends once your hand is wrapped around the handle of the pole. Some people like protective padding on the rear of the hand for skiing, especially if you carve hard and low, dragging your knuckles on the snow. Ski racers need padding or some kind or armour on the rear of the hand for protection from the race gates.
How do you size ski gloves?
Gloves can be sized in various ways but typically they'll be in a universally accepted glove size ranging from 3 for small kids hands up to 11 for large adult hands.
You can measure your hand length from the junction of your hand and wrist to the tip of your middle finger. You can also wrap the measuring tape around your palm. These two measurements can then be compared to the manufacturers size chart to get a good idea of the glove size to go for.
Alternatively, a brand may go for a size range using XS-XL, or similar. Medium will equate roughly to a size 8 for men or 6 for women, but this can vary from brand to brand. Again, you can just measure your hand and compare it to their size range.
It is worth trying the gloves or mitts on before you buy them. Make sure your hands and digits aren’t squashed anywhere, as this only leads to them being cold. For skiing, ask the shop if you can hold a ski pole to make sure there's no tightness once you grasp the grip of the pole.
It's also important the glove or mitt fits well so you can do daily tasks, such as fastening boots, clipping helmet buckles and fastening zips. Many of these can be practiced in the store to ensure the gloves work well for your hand shape.
Is leather a good material for gloves?
Many ski and snowboard gloves and mitts use leather, especially at the upper end of the price and quality spectrum. It is incredibly versatile, very durable and gives a sensitivity of touch that's hard to match with synthetics. If treated with care, leather gloves last a long time. Leather isn't waterproof on its own though, so you need to make sure the gloves have a waterproof insert if you want them to be fully waterproof.
Whatever you get, if it uses leather then make sure you give it a little TLC now and then; it'll be worth it.
How should you wash ski gloves?
Often overlooked, it's vital you keep your gloves clean. Wash them after each ski holiday, and if you’re out for a whole season then make sure to wash them a few times per season.
Use a technical outdoor apparel wash, such as Nikwax Tech Wash, which is far better for technical fabrics than regular washing detergent. This can sometimes be done in a washing machine (be wary of doing this with leather) or can be done by hand; always read the instructions that come with the gloves. The brand websites tend to have care instructions too.
Once washed, reproof with an appropriate treatment. There are a range of products available, but generic offerings like Nikwax Glove Proof are easy to use and are small and packable so you can take them with you on your ski trip too.
Hestra has their own-brand glove balm, which is great. I've also used leather treating balms or creams designed for walking boots, to good success on many of my gloves. It’s all about helping maintain the leather, which doesn't respond well to the repeated wet-dry cycle that can occur when skiing. Never dry your leather gloves on a direct heat source such as a hot radiator, as this can lead to cracking.
Washing is not just about your gloves looking and working great. Hands can get cuts or splits when in cold climates and you don’t want potentially harmful bugs developing in your gloves and making the situation worse.
Also ensure you dry your gloves as well as you can, overnight on your ski trip and once you return home. Again, this can help your gloves to last longer but also prevents bacterial or mould growth, never mind the nasty whiffs.
Is there a difference between women's and men's gloves?
Gloves are unisex, to be honest. There are colours and models that may be preferred by some men or women, but hands come in many shapes and sizes, so make sure the mitts or gloves fit your hand shape well. Women can often suffer from cold hands, and men can often get hot, so select the warmth of the glove appropriate to your physiology. These are, of course, generalisations and we're all unique, so just select a product that will work best for you, irrespective of whether a label says it's 'women's' or 'men's'.
How do you attach ski gloves to your jacket?
They typically come with a leash which loops over your wrist to prevent you losing them if you need to take them off. Many leashes are removable. This just adds a little versatility and allows you to choose how you roll. There was a period when ski jackets had loops to clip the glove to, but this has passed. Wrist leashes are just easier to use and save concerns over compatibility.
Don’t worry if your gloves or mitts don't come with leashes. They're easy to make or you can buy a pair of leashes, typically costing £5 to £10.
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