Buyers Guide to Gloves
Your extremities are VERY delicate so keeping them warm is and protected from the elements is very important. When you are cold, your body protects itself by pulling blood away from your extremities to your core (body and head/brain) for protection. This makes for cold hands and a lack of dexterity which is at best frustrating when it comes to clipping rucksack buckles but if you are in colder temperatures then things can turn very serious.
Just as with technical clothing and socks – the amount of science and design that goes into a technical glove is astonishing. We pride ourselves on having one of the broadest glove choices available in the country – why? Because when it comes to keeping your hands toasty – fit is king. If you thought clothing was difficult to size then take a look at your hands. Then, look at the hands of your friends………
Photo - Montane
What size should I buy?
Each manufacturer uses their own sizing chart for gloves, so this is a good place to start, however, the measurement is for the width across the back of your hand and doesn’t take into account finger length and thickness. If you are layering your gloves, then you may need well need to buy a bigger size to allow for liners. The absolute best way to find the best fitting glove is to come into the shop and try them on.
Air is the best insulator, and a tight-fitting glove will not allow for any to get trapped, it could also crush the insulation so that will be unable to work efficiently either. If you are going to extreme cold or high altitude, then a tight-fitting glove can restrict blood flow which could be really bad news for your fingers.
Gloves that are too big are difficult to use and any toasty air that your hands have worked hard to warm up will get squished out as your hand slides around inside.
Your hand size is unique – some styles simply will not fit your hand. That is why we stock so many.
When do I need more than one pair?
Gloves have a nasty habit of getting lost or wet, so a spare pair is always a good idea when you are heading out in wet or cold weather.
If you do different activities or head outdoors all year round, then layers are a good idea too. Think about it – you layer the clothes on your body to allow for sweat loss and/or insulation why wouldn’t you do the same for your hands? Baselayer or liner gloves work brilliantly at transporting the moisture away from your skin and have the added bonus of protecting your hands from the elements when you need to remove your outer gloves for fiddly jobs like putting on crampons etc.
For those venturing out winter climbing, an average day could include light gloves to walk in, insulated gloves to keep hands warm in the snow while plunging an ice axe, grippy gloves with lots of dexterity for technical climbing sections and several spares to swap out when they get wet. Some mountain professionals work on 4 pairs as standard.
Trying on different layers is critical as this will not only confirm the correct sizing but also give you an idea of how fabrics will work together. You could buy two gloves made exactly for the activity you want to do but if your liner gloves grip the inner fabric of your outer glove you are going to have a real issue out on the hill.
Similarly, a wet hand will always slide more easily in and out of a glove with a brushed (think fuzzy) liner as opposed to a smooth (think silky) one.
Will waterproof gloves keep my hands dry?
Probably not.
All gloves have a whopping hole into which you put your hand. If the cuff or gauntlet of your glove is outside of your jacket while you are walking, then all the water beading off your jacket could potentially run down and pool in your gloves. So, pay attention to your cuffs!
Just like your feet, your hands are packed full of sweat glands so do not forget if your hands feel damp it may be moisture or sweat unable to pass out through your glove quickly enough. Venting by loosening the cuff or gauntlet can help release some of the moisture. Removing your gloves may not be the best option as they may be tricky to get back on with wet hands if they are close fitting.
Gloves with a waterproof & breathable insert such as Gore-Tex are subject to rigorous testing before they are allowed into the marketplace. Breathability is tested by pumping hot steam through the glove, waterproofness is tested by immersing the glove and filling it with pressurised air (any bubbles will prove it is leaking), spraying the glove with water tests the water repellency of the outer and critically; the liner is subjected to a retention test to ensure it will not pull out when the glove is taken off.
Opting for a non-waterproof, more breathable, faster drying glove may be a more workable option for multi-day backpacking trips.
If you are heading off to a snowy environment or winter mountaineering/climbing, then a glove with a long wrist or gauntlet will help to keep out snow. Wrist cinches can help to trap warm air inside and karabiner loops allow you to clip the gloves with the wrists facing downwards to your harness – so they don’t fill up with snow and get wet.
Keeping hands dry is obviously a key factor in keeping them warm and on some days carrying multiple pairs of gloves and changing them when wet, is the only way to keep your hands dry and warm.
Why are technical gloves so bulky?
A good pair of gloves needs to offer protection from the cold, the weather and abrasion. To do this effectively there is a LOT going on inside the glove that we can’t see: a fast drying/wicking liner fabric, a breathable waterproof insert (good ones will be sewn in at the fingertips so they do not pull inside out when wet rendering them useless), an insulating layer across the back of the hand, a grippy palm, perhaps a stretch element for comfort and ideally – a soft nose wipe on the back of the thumb. All these then need to be constructed 3 dimensionally around the complex shape of your hand with multiple panels and countless seams.
A massive amount of science goes into fabric choice with thinner fabrics across the back of the hand, sometimes with stretch, sometimes with added abrasion resistance of padding. Palm fabrics, of course, need to be very durable. Leather is often a very good choice if you are needing good grip and is more durable than lighter man-made fibres. Some leathers: e.g: Pittards, treat their leather filaments during the tanning process to offer added waterproofing, durability or grip.
What can I do if I suffer from cold hands/ bad circulation/ Raynauds Syndrome?
Cold hands are an issue because our blood travels very close to our skin on our wrists and across the back of the hand – in short anywhere your veins are readily visible the blood will cool more quickly. In more extreme situations, your body will draw the blood away from your hands and your feet to keep your core and brain warm as a form of self-protection.
Bad circulation is a very common issue and can be exacerbated by using walking poles where your hands are elevated and possibly constricted with tight wrist straps. Pay extra attention to your gloves, perhaps lowering your poles in winter may help, slacken wrist straps, or lower your hands from time to time to get the warm blood flowing.
Pay attention to how hydrated you are and how much you are eating too. Your body needs fuel to heat your blood and stay toasty warm.
Raynaud’s Syndrome is a medical condition in which the spasm of small arteries causes episodes of reduced blood flow, so ensuring your fingers are protected from cold surfaces and keeping hands insulated is critical.
Well-fitting gloves are vital and allowing for a little extra space to slip a handwarmer into them can work well. Pay attention to your wrists too, layers with thumb loops could be a good option or using wrist warmers could make a big difference to keeping your hands warm with very little bulk.
Why won’t my phone or GPS work while I am wearing gloves?
Most modern touchscreens react to things that are electrically conductive – like your fingers. Most gloves are not electrically conductive so no matter how much you touch your phone it cannot sense that you are tapping or swiping.
Look for gloves that have a special electrically conductive filament either woven or printed onto the fingers so that you can tap, type and swipe with glee.
Mittens or Fingers?
Very debateable this and very much down to personal choice.
Fingers will always offer more dexterity.
Mittens will always offer more warmth for weight.
Mittens allow for more air to be trapped around the fingers and for the heat from fingers to warm each other. If you suffer from cold hands then a mitt is always a good option.
Some mittens come with a separate insulated mitt that groups fingers together resembling a “Lobster Claw”. Also known as 3-Finger Mitts, these can offer slightly more dexterity than a full mitt and more warmth than a glove. Sometimes an overmitt with a 5-finger glove liner is the ideal solution.
If you are going to extreme cold, then a highly insulated mitt is the best option. They can also work well as foot warmers in your tent!
What about sustainability?
Using your gloves for as long as possible to keep them out of landfill is key and companies like Mountain Equipment offer great aftercare advice on their website.
There is still a lot of work to do here but some gloves contain recycled content which will usually be shown on the hangtag. Any gloves showing a “Fairwear” logo will have been made in a factory with good working conditions where workers are paid a fair wage for their skilled work – try and make a simple pair of gloves at home; it’s not an easy task!
Wash them, repair them, re-proof them, treat the leather to a wax when it feels dry and your gloves (or mitts) will keep your hands toasty for adventure after adventure.
Top tips to make the right choice….
Try them on!
Make sure you can both remove and put the gloves on your opposite hand while wearing them and check to see if they fit under or over your jacket cuffs. Don’t forget to think about layers if you are going somewhere cold or suffer from bad circulation and make sure each layer fits to allow for insulation to loft without feeling tight or crushed.
Don’t forget to check you have brought the right size for your hands and fingers. The best way to do this is…..try them on.
For a lighthearted look at gloves, mittens, keeping hands warm and just why a “lobster claw” might be a good idea; why not take a listen to our Podcast:
