Ski/snowboard gloves come in a variety of types and each type is better at different things.
Here’s some decisions you need to make to decide which glove is best for you.
1) Do you want a glove or mitten?
Gloves:
Your fingers are separate unlike a mitten. This means you have better control when using your hands for things like using your phone or adjusting your goggles.
The downside is that you get cold fingers easier than mittens.
Mittens:
Your fingers are basically guaranteed to always be warm. I’m not sure that I’ve ever heard of anyone wearing mittens complaining about cold hands.
The downside is that you lose the use of your individual fingers. Also, some people find that mittens get too hot and cause your gloves to get sweaty and wet.
2) Do you want a gauntlet cuff?
What’s a Gauntlet Cuff?
A gauntlet cuff refers to the large funnel shaped area that goes around the base of the glove and your wrist. This helps to keep the snow out of your glove.
The downside of this is that some people find them annoying and unnecessary, especially on non powder days.
3) Do you want removable liners?
What are liners?
Liners are a thin inner gloves that are either sewn into your glove or removable.
Why might I want removable liners?
You can wash them and dry out your gloves more easily if they get wet. They’re also a tiny bit warmer than sewn in liners. The downside is that your gloves are also slightly more bulky and you’ll typically only find removable liners in larger gloves with gauntlet cuffs.
Note: You can also buy additional glove liners separately if you wish.
4) Do you prefer a low profile?
These gloves are designed to stop a few inches past your wrist. There’s no large funnel extending from the base of the glove. This makes them more comfortable to wear throughout the day.
Obviously, this also means that snow gets into your gloves more easily, but it’s the trade off for having a more form fitting/low profile glove.
5) Insulation
You need to decide exactly how warm you need your gloves to be. This is based on how much insulation they put into each glove. Remember that if you choose mittens, you can usually go with less insulation.
How do I decide how much insulation to get?
Try on your friends gloves on the mountain to get an idea. You can use it as a starting point. Each person is different and some people have poor circulation, while others can wear thin gloves all year.
Remember that the mountain you ride at needs to be kept in mind. Obviously, if you’re going riding in -20 degrees celsius, you want a really thick glove.
Important Note
Be careful not to buy gloves that are too warm. This causes your hands to sweat inside the glove.
Sweat makes your gloves wet, which can make your hands colder and can make it seem like your gloves suck when really it’s just that your gloves are too warm.
A solution to this problem may be to buy one set of gloves for winter riding and one set for spring/warm weather riding.
6) Sizing
You want your glove to be snug. Not so tight that it becomes uncomfortable, but tight enough that it’s a nice snug fit around your hand.
Also, don’t be worried if your gloves are a little stiff at first. Leather gloves in particular can be a little inflexible, but they break in with some use and the snug fit ensures your hands stay nice and warm.
Final piece of advice
Try to stick to higher quality brands. Some examples of higher quality brands are: Pow Gloves, Dakine and the upper price bracket Burton gloves. You may pay a little bit more than the budget brands, but you also get a much higher quality product.
Good luck with your gloves and let me know if you have any questions 😉
ps – I’ll have another blog coming up on glove care and maintainance, so stay tuned for that!