women wearing ski goggles and a helmet, a pink dare 2b ski jacket and black dare 2b ski gloves

Having cold hands is uncomfortable and impractical, having cold hands whilst also trying to ski is at another level of uncomfortable and impractical. To avoid having freezing fingers, you've got two main options - ski gloves or mittens.

This guide is going to talk you through the different features of both, and the pros and cons of wearing them on the slopes.

Ski Glove Features

Ski gloves are the most common style of hand coverings. Each finger is individually protected which allows for a higher level of dexterity than other glove styles.

Everyone will want slightly different things from their snow gloves, but these are some key features that you'll want to look out for when you're purchasing your next pair of gloves -

  • Durable and grippy palms - this helps to hold the ski poles easier and gives you more friction.

  • Elasticated wrists and shock cord and toggle wrist adjustment - these features have a few different purposes, one being ease to get on and off and another being you can adjust it to your own wrist size and help to reduce any body heat leaving, keeping your hands as warm as possible.

  • Secure clip attachments - to ensure you don't lose the gloves and you can hang them up from the fingers so that no snow or rain etc gets into them.

Ski Mittens Features

Ski mittens are different to gloves in the fact that your whole hand is encapsulated together, rather than being separate like in gloves. It's important to be aware that this can have some negative impact on your dexterity and the control you have whilst skiing.

Everyone will want slightly different things from their mittens, but these are some key features that you'll want to look out for when you're purchasing your next pair -

  • Increased warmth - since your fingers are in one section together, your hand will feel warmer as you're sharing body heat. There is also less total surface area for the heat to escape from.

  • Easier access/easier to remove - the opening of the mittens tend to be slightly bigger than a pair of gloves so you have ease of access to get your hands in and out. But when trying mittens on, make sure they you're able to use the velcro or straps to tighten them as tight as they need to be so no snow comes in and no heat leaves.

How to Choose Between Ski Gloves or Mittens

The biggest difference in reality between gloves and mittens is the warmth and the dexterity.If you're someone who has consistenly cold hands then you would be best advised to go with mittens. However, if you know that you will need to use your hands in other ways whilst skiing then choose gloves. We would recommend mittens when it comes to children or if the temperatures are going to be really low.

When it comes to ski specific features, both mittens and gloves should be the same. They should be made using either a water resistant or waterproof material. They should have sufficient amounts of internal padding for warmth and they should have longer cuffs that go over the sleeves of your ski jacket for extra protection.

It really does come down to personal choice when choosing between ski gloves or ski mittens. The choice is yours!

db_uk-Blog - Author - Misha Solanki

Misha Solanki

Misha is a dog mum of two who spends her weekends out exploring the outdoors with her doggies.

Publish Date: 20/01/2025