23 Best Winter Hiking Gloves For Cold Weather

Nothing is worse than wearing the wrong winter hiking gloves outdoors, especially in cold weather. Your fingers get freezing, and you can’t touch anything; sometimes, you do that with pain.

Weather in hiking can change around very fast, and a pair of hiking gloves weigh very little but makes the difference between safety, comfort, and discomfort.

Wearing gloves in winter will protect you from cold weather and blisters while holding your trekking poles.

Hot: As we all need it, read the post for after hike recovery.

You can find a great variety of glove styles and warmth levels online. If you searched, you would find that the “layers” for torso clothing also stand valid for hiking gloves.

Most people carry a lightweight or fleece liner pair of hiking gloves, along with a pair of gloves that are waterproof to layer over the liners as needed.

Winter is a particular category by itself, and it is always best to choose a glove designed for the winter elements.

Make sure to read all the tips on how to choose hiking gloves at the end of this post.

Here is a collection (sorted alphabetically) for a great choice of hiking gloves and their features, to choose from.

Featured 23 Best Hiking Gloves

How to choose the Best Hiking Gloves for Cold Weather

The warmth factor in hiking gloves

Too warm is not always too good, right? Hiking gloves come in many different materials and warmth levels.

For example, fleece gloves will be a tremendous base-layer glove for cool summer or autumn mornings. Also, read our article for upper body base layers for cold.

On the other hand, when it comes to winter hiking, then winter hiking gloves need to be made from -at least- water-resistant or -better- waterproof materials.

That is the way to keep your fingers dry. Dry fingers are good, right?

That is why suitable winter hiking gloves are -usually- designed with an internal 3-layer insulation system.

This system entraps the air that is warmed by your body, so your hands are kept warm.

The proper lining allows breathability. Thus, far less moisture is trapped between the insulation and your hands, which also helps keep your hands warm.

There are gloves with liners that you can remove and others where you cannot.

Of course, you can use extra “cover” for your hands with extra gloves or hand warmers. During hiking, you need to be able to use your hands to grab/hold things, your trekking poles at least.

Some people love mittens, but mittens are made of wool or some nylon-type synthetic material.

Mittens may warm your hands fast, but they will not be water-resistant, and if they are bulky, you will not be able to use them to hold things.

Another type of hiking glove is the “lobster” type.

These come with three “fingers.” Keeping more fingers in one “glove ginger” can provide more warmth, but you must wonder if it is practical.

They may be handy if your hands are fixed around something you hold. Such cases are holding ski poles.

That gives a minimal range of motion, which is why most hikers prefer the 5-finger style.

Also read: How To Enjoy Tent Camping In 30-Degree Weather – Our Guide To Sleeping Well

The Features of Winter Hiking Gloves

In recent years and due to smartphone usage as a camera, navigation system, or only as a phone, there are gloves that allow uncovering your fingertips.

These are handy for easy hiking trips with relatively good cold weather. However, I think having a hole in each finger allows your fingers to get cold.

If you need to handle your smartphone or any touch screen device, you can look out for such specific gloves with fingertips that are touch screen compatible. 

The durability of Best Hiking Gloves

That is a significant factor. You do want your gloves to last long.

It is not beautiful to reach for a tree branch or grab from a rock and have them ripped, leaving you unprotected from cold, blisters, and micro-injuries.

When you walk with trekking poles for hours, your gloves must not allow all that friction to be transferred to your palm and fingers.

Depending on the weather, you may need different types of more “tough” gloves, either partially covered with leather or other synthetic material.

Layers of Winter Hiking Gloves

The internal removable liners are the norm.

There are gloves where the liner can’t be removed which sometimes makes it a bit tricky to wear them or take them off, as the inner layer is shifting along with your palm.

Then the glove fingers get cluttered from the fabric.

Better to have gloves where the liner is easy to remove. Winter gloves are like that.

The outer part can be waterproof or water-resistant, providing extra warmth and protection, while when the weather gets warmer, you can remove the excess and be comfortable and less sweaty.

The best material for gloves is synthetic.

How to be sure that your gloves fit well

Well, the practical way is to wear a pair in a store. On the other hand, online shopping is more relaxed, so here are a couple of ways to find the correct size.

• The first way: If you have a pair that fits well, measure that, and seek online for the same measurements and size.
• The second way is: Measure your palm and overall hand. Then, take the numbers and find how these “translate” to glove sizes online. Use the online shop chat to define the accurate glove size for your case. While sizes vary, a small scale usually means something between 6.5-8 inches, a medium is from 7 to 9, and a broad is 8 to 10.6 inches.

We wish you plenty and happy hiking trips!

Also read:

• Best Warmest Thermal Underwear For Extreme Cold Weather
• Best Men’s Winter Coats For Extreme Cold
• Best Women’s Winter Coats For Extreme Cold
• Best Thermal Shirts For Cold Weather