The BIG TesT: Gloves

Warm hands are essential for great mountain days, so we’ve taken a closer look at six of the best insulated waterproof gloves from across the price and performance range.

Six pairs of waterproof gloves go head to head in the Lake District

Finger, thumb, palm. Touch, grip, hold. I pull on the rock with my hands and my body rises over the step as I also press down on the rock with my booted feet. I lean forward and look for another hold. Finger, thumb, palm. Touch, grip, hold. The action is repeated, onward, upward and inward to the heart of the mountain and the wild experiences that lay ahead.

Our hands provide our most intimate connection with the mountain, as on every hold they are sensitive to the texture of the rock, which itself gives a glimpse of the geology, geography and history of the places we explore. Our hands also assess the stability of any rock we meet en route. Will it hold? Can I pull on it without it being dislodged? And of course, during our mountain day, our hands are called upon to effortlessly perform many other tasks, including opening zips, operating navigational tools and (most importantly of all!) eating and drinking.

To maintain the all-important sensory connection with the rock in the wind, rain and cold temperatures of winter, a pair of waterproof and insulated gloves is essential. These gloves not only protect our hands from the elements, by keeping them warm and dry, but they also become the very conduit through which we experience the mountain. Choosing the right pair of gloves for the hills is essential, as they are truly our guiding hand.

Gloves are always a difficult item to choose, because they need to fulfil such a wide range of duties. It would be easy to assume that the more you pay, the better the gloves, but warmer, more durable gloves can have a reduced amount of feel and dexterity, making zip operation difficult, and they can also be so warm that your hands become clammy. Regular walkers may need more than one pair of gloves to suit their needs, while others may be satisfied with a good all-rounder. Clearly a closer look is important before parting with your cash.

Weather resistance

The most important feature of any glove is its ability to keep your hands warm and dry. Britain’s mountains tend to be wet as well as cold, so it is important to make sure a glove is both waterproof and well insulated.

Waterproof linings are commonly built-in, but the higher-priced options tend to be more breathable so you don’t get sweaty. Insulation tends to be provided by synthetic materials. In its most basic form this will be a fleecestyle lining, while warmer gloves have additional layers of insulation between the glove’s fleece and waterproof linings. It is fairly easy to assess how warm a glove is just by putting it on your hand with a different glove on the other hand. Higher-priced gloves will often have more insulation and therefore be warmer.

Fit and dexterity

The closer the fit, the more dexterity and feel you will have, making it easier to operate zips and hold ice axes, or grip rocks during scrambles. Higher-priced gloves tend to come in a range of sizes and there may be men’s and women’s fits available. Some gloves are also pre-curved in the palm and fingers, so there is no material to bunch up, and this provides a far more secure hold to ice axes for example. A good test when trying gloves is to see if you can open zips, hold an ice axe or unwrap a chocolate bar successfully!

small details

The placement of seams around the ends of the fingers impacts dexterity and durability. Gloves with a section of material that extends around the fingertip (so there is no seam here) are the best. These are known as roll-tip designs.

Easy-to-operate cuff drawcords and wrist webbing straps allow gloves to be easily adjusted, while a wrist leash is useful as it prevents the glove from flying away in the wind if you take it off. The cuff needs to cover your wrist without leaving any gap between your jacket and the glove itself. Longer cuffs can be worn inside or outside of a jacket sleeve if well designed.

durability

Durability is important to ensure the gloves remain waterproof. Seams on the fingertips may more easily be damaged over time, but also look for more durable fabrics such as a PVC or ideally a leather palm. Durability becomes more important for regular users and mountaineers, while walkers will probably find less durable gloves perfect for their needs.

the test

To compare the benefits of a range of gloves, Trail sent three gear testers (myself, hostel manager Tim Butcher and outdoor instructor Anna Humphries) to the Lake District, each with two pairs of waterproof insulated gloves. We set off for the Langdale Fells on a typically wet and windy day, and climbed from the valley onto Pike O’Blisco. As the day progressed, the mist, wind and rain became more heavy, leaving us to battle through the elements and thoroughly testing our gloves’ ability to be the guiding hand we needed in these challenging conditions.