Having cold hands, frankly, is miserable. You can be insulated and outfitted in the best outerwear from head to toe, but if your hands are freezing, that will be the only thing you think about. Winter gloves aren’t just a fashion staple, they’re a necessity. As your outermost extremities, fingers have a natural proclivity to get cold, and when you add in frigid temperatures, cutting wind, and wet snow, it only makes matters worse.
Finding the right winter gloves is crucial to enjoying the colder months and the icy natural splendor that comes with them. To ensure you keep your mitts as warm and dry as possible, we’ve scoured the internet and found the 15 best winter gloves you can wear. These products balance form and function and are guaranteed to keep your digits defrosted no matter how chilly it gets outside. But before we dive into our picks, here are a few criteria to keep in mind when shopping for winter gloves.
Winter Glove Essentials
Features For Your Fingers
Insulation: While it isn’t imperative that your winter gloves have insulation, we are of the belief that nearly all winter items should. If you are venturing into freezing or sub-zero conditions, insulation can be a finger-saver. Whether it’s in the form of Thinsulate, shearling, or a fur lining, that extra layer of insulation can make all the difference between having a miserable or masterful winter season.
Dexterity: There’s a word for gloves that don’t allow your fingers to move independently from each other: mittens. We love mittens as much as the next publication, but this list isn’t about them. A warm glove is fantastic, but if you need to take it off and expose your bare hand to the freezing elements every time you have to check your phone, open a door, or grip something, then there’s not much point in wearing gloves in the first place. That’s why we always look for gloves that let us forget we’re wearing them… except for the whole “keeping us warm” part.
Technical Features: We live in the modern era and many gear brands have invested a mint into creating technical fabrics that enhance your overall glove experience. GORE-TEX membranes for water and weather-proofing, touchscreen panels on fingertips to use your smart devices, and other technical fabrics to enhance your gloves’ mobility and durability are all things you should look out for.
Smartwool Liner Gloves
Anyone venturing into the cold should familiarize themselves with Smartwool. The Colorado-based brand has been churning out hit gear for decades, and its Liner Gloves are a lightweight work of beauty. Being a Smartwool product, the Liner Gloves feature a technical blend of 46% acrylic, 44% merino wool, 9% polyester, and 1% elastane which provides optimal comfort, durability, and mobility. As liner gloves, they won’t provide the same heft and warmth as some of the bulkier picks on this list, but if you’re looking for a versatile first layer, you can’t go wrong with these.
Carhartt Insulated System 5 Driver Work Glove
Carhartt has been making premium gear for over 130 years and it hasn’t missed a beat the entire time. Its System 5 Driver Work Glove is a fantastic, no-frills glove that can conquer the cold and tackle tough jobs with ease. They feature a rugged silhouette and construction and are made with an 85% polyester and 15% polyurethane blend for added durability. For insulation, these bad boys feature C100 3M Thinsulate insulation to keep your mitts warm and toasty in frigid temperatures. The gloves’ price makes them a bargain, their design and versatility make them a classic.
The North Face Denali Etip Gloves
Leave it to The North Face to make a piece of winter gear that’s perennially on everyone’s list of favorites. In this case, we have their otherworldly versatile Denali Etip Gloves, which boast a slew of functional features. The gloves’ shells and palms are made entirely out of recycled materials and are treated with a water-resistant DWR coating. They feature a silicone gripper palm for optimal grip, Nylon Taslan on their knuckles and fingers to extend their longevity, and Etip functionality for touchscreen compatibility. For added comfort and mobility, they are also designed with Radiametric Articulation to maintain a natural fit.
Patagonia Synchilla Fleece Gloves
It’s almost a foregone conclusion that Patagonia will make any publication’s best gear lists. The Ventura-based label has truly mastered its craft of making stylish, purpose-built garments that balance form, function, and sustainability. Its Synchilla Fleece gloves are simply stellar. They sport a minimalist design and a lightweight Synchilla fleece construction that’s made of 100% recycled polyester fleece. For added durability, they feature abrasion-resistant reinforcements on the thumbs, fingertips, and palms and have touchscreen-compatible panels on their thumbs and index fingers so you can scroll in the cold.
J.Crew Marled Suede Gloves
J.Crew has been making fantastic-looking garments for over 70 years. While the popular New York brand makes a variety of stylish items, we’re particularly fond of its fashionable winter garments. The brand’s beauty and craftsmanship are on full display with its Marled Suede gloves. They feature a wonderfully comfortable acrylic construction and feature suede padding for better grip and textural contrast. These are simple, well-made gloves that will easily elevate your winter wardrobe and keep your hands toasty.
Danner Glove
When it comes to good-looking, purpose-built gear, you can never go wrong with Danner. The rugged Portland-based label partnered with standout glove maker, Geier Gloves, to craft a pair of killer work gloves. They feature a durable deerskin leather construction — the preferred glove leather for a myriad of reasons, including its softness, flexibility, and durability — and feature an elastic band on the back to give you a snug fit. While unlined, these sealed gloves offer ample protection from the elements and can hold up to the wear and tear of outdoor work and hunting. They’re a shining example of American craftsmanship at its finest.
Iron and Resin Buffalo Bobber Glove
Iron and Resin is a small SoCal-based brand inspired by biking and surf culture that specializes in making clothes that last. Their moto-inspired Buffalo Bobber gloves are some of the best-looking gloves we’ve come across. They feature a suave yet ultra-durable American buffalo leather construction, which has natural abrasion-resistant and insulating properties due to its thickness. For added character, they also include Iron and Resin’s signature anchor piston on the left glove’s rivet, as well as the logo at the cuffs of both gloves.
American Trench Fingerless Gloves
While some people love the full-finger protection that gloves bring to the table, others yearn for a garment that offers warmth while also providing a more tactile experience. Enter American Trench’s fingerless gloves, the best of both worlds. These handsome gloves are knit out of pure recycled cashmere for a comfortable, insulating, and luxurious feel. Moreover, the Philadelphia-based brand implemented the latest knitting machine technology to create a glove that’s made out of a single piece of fabric, for extra protection and durability.
Dents Guildford Flannel Glove
Dents is an elite English luxury brand that has been making premium gloves since the late 1700s. To say the British brand is an institution would be a massive understatement. Its Guildford Flannel gloves are a shimmering example of the company’s timeless style and craftsmanship that made them a staple in the luxury space. Their palms feature a gorgeous leather construction while their flannel backs sport a blend of wool and polyester. For added comfort and insulation, Dents lined these handsome hand-warmers with fleece, making them the perfect balance of form and function.
Overland Madrone Merino Sheepskin Gloves
For the man looking to balance a refined aesthetic with a rugged design, we suggest the criminally cool Madrone Merino Sheepskin gloves from Overland. These minimalist gloves feature a vintage-inspired design with rustic-looking railroad stitching to provide a welcomed level of textural contrast. They boast a sheepskin construction with a suave whiskey finish, a plush fleece interior for warmth and unrivaled coziness, and notched wrists for ventilation and easy on/off. Any hands would be happy to wear these.
Arc’teryx Venta AR Glove
If you’re in the market for a winter glove that can handle the Canada cold, then look no farther than Arc’teryx’s Venta AR glove. The technical wizards over at Arc’teryx outdid themselves when they made these gloves. They combined the weather-resistant properties of GORE-TEX INFINIUM, their proprietary and breathable Fortius 1.0 softshell fabric, and an insulating hi-loft fleece to make a cold-conquering glove. For an enhanced grip, they even integrated premium goat leather reinforcements on the palm and fingers.
Give’r 4 Season Glove
Give’r makes some of the toughest gloves on the market. How tough? Well, while we will never recommend doing these things, they boast that their 4 Season Gloves are strong and insulated enough to grab a burning log out of a fire or protect your hands in weather south of -20 degrees F. They feature a wax leather construction that’s treated with a waterproof and breathable Hipora membrane and 40g Thinsulate insulation lining to handle subzero temperatures. These rough-and-tumble gloves are like the tardigrades of gloves: they thrive in the harshest conditions, are weatherproof, and are virtually indestructible.
Filson Original Lined Goatskin Gloves
Building off the tough-as-nails momentum of our last pick, Filson’s Original Lined Goatskin gloves are about as classic as classic gets. They’re made out of Grade A goatskin leather sourced here in the U.S. and boast a luxurious, moisture-wicking merino wool lining to provide a warm and insulating edge. The tough goatskin construction provides natural protection from abrasion or sharp edges, while its classic and rugged patina evoke an elevated feel on a timeless staple. To top things off, these gloves sport an elastic wrist to keep out debris and maintain a snug fit.
Hestra Gloves Heli Insulated Gloves
Hestra has been a giant in the glove market for around 80 years, and its dominance in the space isn’t slowing down any time soon. The Swedish brand makes a slew of phenomenal winter gloves, but we’re particularly fond of its Heli Insulated gloves. These water-resistant and breathable mitts feature a removable polyester lining so you can control how insulated and warm your hands get. They also sport a goatskin leather palm for better grip and enhanced durability, and their elongated cuffs make them ideal for working in the snow.
Canada Goose Workman Gloves
Leave it to the Canucks to make the most elite winter garments you can find on the market. In this case, it’s Canada Goose’s suave, luxurious, and immensely versatile Workman Gloves. These handsome hand-coverings boast a genuine, reinforced leather construction that’s as supple as it is protective. To keep your hands warm in the harsh, winter conditions, they feature a faux fur lining and a stretch-cuff closure to ensure the cold stays out and the heat stays in. Add to that the touchscreen panel on each glove’s index finger and you have yourself one of the best winter gloves money can buy.
The Best Beanies for Men to Wear
Now that you’ve got your hands covered, take a look at our guide on the best beanies for men to wear to finish off your winter wardrobe.
