Review: Winter Glove Roundup

Running with cold hands and frozen fingers is the worst. Winter is still in full swing, so to help you prepare for running in cold temperatures, we tested a handful of gloves designed to keep you running happy and warm.

Icebreaker Unisex Merino Quantum Glove Weight per pair: 48 g MSRP: $50.00 Material: 98% Merino Wool / 2% Lycra

Perhaps our lightest-duty glove in this roundup is the Quantum from Icebreaker. Made from 98% merino wool, they are soft and stretchy with the palm featuring a silicone texture to enhance grip. The cuff on the Quantum glove is long—our longest in the list—and can easily cover a few inches above the wrist. We found this to be both a pro and con, making it harder to see our watch but protecting our wrists on colder days. The index finger and thumb have touchscreen tips that allow for easy phone access, even when slightly damp. This is a good option for warmer, drier days as the lack of windproof material combined with the thinner merino did not provide enough warmth on windy runs. However, they do make great liners that could double under some heavier mittens. www.icebreaker.com

Black Diamond Heavyweight Screentap Glove Weight per pair: 55.6 g MSRP: $49.95 Material: Shell: 60% nylon / 30% polyester / 10% elastane; Palm: 100% goatskin leather

In terms of strict comfort, this pair tops the list. The stretchy fleece shell is thick enough for adequate warmth in sub-freezing temperatures, with just the right amount of stretch for good dexterity. The Heavyweight Screentap gloves are unique in that the whole palm is covered with highly sensitive U|R Powered conductive material. This allows the wearer to use all 10 fingers for texting and tapping their phone screen. A goat leather patch reinforces the palm and provides superior grip for ski poles or shovels. The wrist opening is stretchy and could be worn over or under the sleeve depending on user preference. One drawback with these is that they seem to take a long time to dry out after getting wet, so they are best used on dry days. www.blackdiamondequipment.com

Black Diamond Lightweight Softshell Glove Weight per pair: 58g MSRP: $34.95 Material: Shell: 63% Nylon / 26% Polyester / 11% Elastane; Lining: 100% Polyester

True to its name, this glove is a lightweight option for milder winter conditions. The softshell fabric is touted as weather-resistant, and we found it very effective in cutting wind and keeping out light precipitation. Touch screen compatible fabric lines the index finger and thumb for easy phone checks and watch taps. Cuffs around the wrist do a great job at keeping out cold drafts but run a bit small. This glove is best removed before your hands get too sweaty—the softshell material got a little sticky and was hard to remove on a sunny winter run in the low 40s. With a snug fit and good dexterity, this glove is a great option for hiking or backpacking in cold conditions. www.blackdiamondequipment.com

Mammut Shelter Glove Weight per pair: 107 g MSRP: $70 Material: 100% polyester

The Mammut Shelter Glove offers the functionality of a fingerless glove with the warmth of a mitten. The mitten portion and thumb cover flip back to allow you to easily check your phone or tie your shoes. A snap clasp on the back of the hand secures the mitten cover down if you want to use the glove portion leaving your fingers free. The Gore-Tex Windstopper material keeps hands toasty in windy conditions, even in sub-freezing temperatures. We were amused by the pull loops between the index/middle and ring/pinky fingers, but were convinced once we used them a few times because they make it much easier to pull the gloves off. A non-slip strip on the palms helps with grip during touring, cross-country skiing or just winter shoveling. The stretchy knitted wrist helps the glove fit snug without letting in drafts. Mammut offers sizing from 5–12 for a more personalized fit, but these gloves are a little bulky and weigh in heavier than all of the other models we tested. Their ability to function as both a breathable fingerless glove and a warm mitten makes it easy for us to wear them for an entire run. Rather than packing them, we just flip the finger covers back to let our hands breathe a little when we’re too warm and replace the covers once we’ve cooled down. www.mammut.com

Mammut Astro Glove Weight per pair: 54 g MSRP: $60 Material: 100% polyester

A lightweight but hearty option this winter, the Mammut Astro Glove is covered with windproof Gore-Tex Infinium Windstopper material. It not only cuts wind efficiently, but we found it to be mostly water-repellant for keeping hands protected in light precipitation. The palm is covered in synthetic leather, providing reliable grip without excess bulk, and touchscreen compatible pads on index finger and thumb were sensitive enough to text and use Strava. Mammut offers eight different unisex sizes to ensure you get a proper fit. We liked the clasp to hook the gloves together, as it was super easy to use mid-run. These gloves compress down well for easy stashing, so they make for an excellent warm-up pair or a set to have on hand when the cold weather hits. www.mammut.com

Smartwool Sport Fleece Wind Mitten Weight per pair: 63 g MSRP: $50 Material: 46% Polyester / 38% Merino Wool / 16% Elastane

For winter runners, the constant debate when heading out the door is whether to bring mittens or gloves. Mittens generally provide greater warmth but lack dexterity, whereas gloves are usually easier to manage but tend to have less cold-weather protection. Smartwool provides a partial solution in the Sport Fleece Wind Mitten. As a hybrid option, a full fingered glove provides great warmth and touchscreen technology. On windy and colder days, a windproof sheath can be removed from the pouch on the back of the hand and folded over the fingers. The windproof covering is thin which makes storage look less awkward but really only adds heat retention by blocking wind. The Merino wool and polyester blend is soft while silicone is studded on the palm and fingers to add grip. Reflective piping and logos make this a great option for early morning and after work runs. www.smartwool.com

Smartwool Sport Fleece Insulated Glove Weight per pair: 82 g MSRP: $60 Material: 46% Polyester / 38% Merino Wool / 16% Elastane

For those who struggle to keep their hands warm in the winter, this is your glove. The Sport Fleece Insulated Glove was one of the toastiest in our lineup due to the insulated backing and double layer knit construction. SmartWool has placed merino wool on the inside of the glove adjacent to the skin for comfort, with recycled polyester along the outside to offer protection against the elements. Across the knuckles on the back of the hand, there is a windproof overlay to shield the most wind-exposed area. We liked this design to minimize the amount of windproof material to ensure better breathability while still keeping our hands protected. The nylon overlay on the palm provides grippy support for whatever you need to hold, and also improves durability. Touchscreen compatible overlays on the thumb and index finger were super sensitive for easily checking a phone. A bonus for this glove is the reflective lines and logo on the back of each hand, allowing the wearer to be more visible during pre-dawn or post-sunset runs. A stretchy wristband keeps cold air out and has just the right amount of stretch. This pair can easily handle sub-freezing temperatures, and the dual layer construction helps with keeping hands warm even during a little precipitation. www.smartwool.com

var rnd = window.rnd || Math.floor(Math.random()*10e6);var pid507087 = window.pid507087 || rnd;var plc507087 = window.plc507087 || 0;var abkw = window.abkw || '';var absrc = 'https://servedbyadbutler.com/adserve/;ID=166749;size=0x0;setID=507087;type=js;sw='+screen.width+';sh='+screen.height+';spr='+window.devicePixelRatio+';kw='+abkw+';pid='+pid507087+';place='+(plc507087++)+';rnd='+rnd+';click=CLICK_MACRO_PLACEHOLDER';document.write('');