Why Mittens?

How To Decide On A Pair Of Mittens

Shell Material

There are essentially two shell options on the market: leather and synthetic material (like nylon). Leather is longer lasting and when treated can be waterproofed, improving the lifespan of the mitten. Synthetic materials are excellent as well – just not as tough as leather – though some mittens are reinforced with leather in high-wear areas like the palm and thumbs.

Waterproofing

Not all mittens come waterproof, it is important to look at what the company states about the mitten and it’s weather resistance. Modern designs have now been able to incorporate waterproof membranes to the inner layers of the mitten helping the leather or synthetic shell material to repel water. Other mittens need to be treated with third party or proprietary waterproofing agents to keep the water at bay. Wet hands equal cold hands, so it is important to consider if you are in a wetter climate.

Insulation

How warm will these mittens keep your hands? Many companies will list a grade of how much cold the mittens can handle. For example the Black Diamond Spark Mitts have a range of -1°C to -12°C. This comes down to the type of insulation and how much has been put into the mitten. All of the mittens in our review use a synthetic insulation but down is another insulation option on the market. Synthetic does a better job of keeping your hands warm even if it gets wet and is less likely to clump as you wear the mitten.

Features

Mittens are fairly simple creatures by design, but that doesn’t stop companies from adding features to help them stand out. There are a few things to look out for though when searching for the perfect pair. Leashes, a strap system that will keep the mitten attached to your wrist even when you take the mitten off, great when you want to take that TikTok video on the chairlift. A nose wipe, some mittens include a soft piece of fabric on the back of the thumb to give your nose some relief on those chill days. The cinches, used to adjust the fit and keep the mitten secure to your hand. Does the mitten have any, are they in convenient places, can you use them while wearing mittens?!

How We Judged?

Best Winter Ski Mitten Review

Other Mittens

Amazon Mittens: Tough Outdoors

Hestra Army Leather Heli Ski – Mitt

Arc’teryx Fission SV Mittens

Flylow Gear Super Mitten

Dakine Titan Gore-Tex Mitten

Black Diamond Spark Mitts

Best Overall Mitts

This one is a favorite of the testers. The stylish and functional Black Diamond Spark Mitts are the definition of low-profile performance. The BD.dry insert has kept our hands dry throughout the day and the cuff is soft against the skin while keeping the mitten securely in place. They also come with the softest nose wipes of the group, an added bonus. Not as warm as large mittens, they are perfect for moderate temperatures or if you’re working hard in the backcountry. The finger slots inside of the mitten improve dexterity and comfort for each finger. The combination of warmth, comfort and features, made the Black Diamond Spark Mitts our Best Overall Mitts.

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Outdoor Research Carbide Sensor Mittens

Best Cold Weather Mitts

Outdoor Research’s new Carbide Sensor Mittens are excellent. They come with a Gore-Tex liner to keep water out while allowing your hands to breathe as you shred the glades at your local hill. The wrist strap and leash are made in partnership with adventure belt company Arcade and are very effective at their jobs. The price tag of $115 does seem steep but the warmth, waterproofing, and comfort delivered by the mittens are superb. The cuff could be a little bit larger to become a true gauntlet cuff, but other than that there isn’t anything we’d change about these mittens. With an excellent choice of insulation and soft interior tricot, the Carbide Sensors are Best Cold Weather Mitts, perfect for tackling cold resort days.

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Kinco Lined Pigskin Ski Mitts

Best Budget Mitts

Essentially the unofficial brand of the ski patroller and ski bum, Kinco is a cult favorite in mountain towns. Using a very comfortable liner with finger slots surrounded by soft leather, these gloves have surprised a lot of our testers. They’re also warmer than expected and quite stylish. The cotton backing on the hand does reduce the water resistance and allows a lot of heat to escape, but for $20 it is hard to go wrong. Limited accessories but surprising performance would make these gloves the perfect Spring skiing companion and have made them the Best Budget Mitts.

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Black Diamond Mercury Mitts Review

Most Versatile Mitts

We were very impressed with the Black Diamond Mercury Mitt. The combination of its durable shell and a warm and waterproof removable liner makes for quite a combo. The mitten itself can be a bit bulky, but that is due to the 340g of PrimaLoft Gold insulation that helps keep the mitten feeling comfortable down to -20°F (-29°C). Due to its ability to separate the shell and liner and have a liner with a trigger-finger design, the Black Diamond Mercury Mitt is our Most Versatile Mitten of 2021.

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Other Mittens

Amazon Mitts

Not surprising, but these weren’t the most impressive gloves of those we tested. The liner is quite soft but can get very hot; it does not wick moisture but instead seems to trap it in the glove. The cinch strap on the back of the wrist and at the bottom of the cuff worked very well to keep the mittens strapped onto our hands during testing; this helped with the slightly off-fit of the mitten. The “leash” worked fine; it is not as secure as we would like it to be but it did the job. For $20 mittens off of Amazon, they were warm and comfortable, but just lacked the performance that we have found in other mittens on the test. This would be an excellent mitten for a recreational skier who has a tendency to lose mittens or for your teenager who also loses mitts all the time.

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Hestra Army Leather Heli Ski – Mitt

When the bells and whistles are traded for pure performance, you get Hestra’s Army Leather Heli Ski – Mitt, a five-word title for five stars of warmth. This multilayered mitten with durable polyamide material and goat leather on the shell is coupled with cozy warm fleece in the liner. It’s an almost perfect mitten. The “almost” is critical here, as Hestra has opted not to use a waterproof liner with the Heli Ski Mitt, and we’re not sure why. The leather tends to wet out in warmer conditions, which impacts the mitten’s overall warmth. It’s so close to being perfect, but overall, it is still an amazingly warm mitten with surprisingly good dexterity.

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Arc’teryx Fission SV Mittens

The Arc’teryx Fission SV mittens are a top pick for anyone who gets out in the cold every day and needs something that can keep up with that amount of use. The high-performance materials and design of these mittens provide an excellent warmth-to-weight ratio while also being waterproof. They don’t have wrist leashes and are pretty expensive, but you will get multiple seasons out of them due to their superb construction.

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Flylow Gear Super Mitten

A burly workhorse of a mitten, the Flylow Gear Super Mittens are built like tanks. Using pretreated pigskin leather and a sturdy nylon canvas, these mittens are up to just about any task. While lacking some of the features we get in other mittens, the Supers seem to be broken in right out of the box, with great dexterity and a very comfortable interior fabric. While $90 seems a bit expensive for the lack of proper waterproofing and features, the warmth and durability are definitely there.

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Dakine Titan Gore-Tex Mitten

If you are looking for a mitten that can do it all, look no further. Dakine’s Titan Gore-Tex Mitten is a 3-in-1 powerhouse that comes packed with accessories you didn’t know you needed. The mitten itself is two parts: a Gore-Tex-lined outer shell and a touchscreen-compatible liner glove. These two pieces come together to form the “Titan,” a do-it-all-and-then-some mitten that surprised us. For $70, Dakine has packed value-adding accessories into this mitten with additions such as waterproof stash pockets and wrist leashes. Check out the full article to see the rest of what this mitten has to offer.

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