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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See Our Best Winter Ski Mitten Review 2021 Article HERE!

The Outdoor Research Carbide Sensor Mitts are an impressive piece of apparel. They are warm, waterproof, and moderately stylish. It’s certainly hard to top these mittens when those three boxes get checked right off the bat. Outdoor Research has also released the Carbide Sensor Gloves for those who want the added dexterity of a glove versus a mitt.

Material

Inside the mitt is a Tricot lining that is rather soft and warm directly against the skin. There are no noticeable pinch points or areas of discomfort while wearing the mitt. The leash and wrist cinch have been made in partnership with adventure belt company Arcade. The leash cuff is really comfortable against the skin and I haven’t noticed it while riding or when the mitts are dangling by my side. One drawback is that the inside lining is non-removable, so it does take longer to dry if any moisture gets into the mitt throughout the day.

Insulation

Dexterity and Fit

There are no individual finger slots like in the Black Diamond Black Diamond Sparks or Kinco Mitts, so the dexterity is not great. But I’m not wearing the mitts for their handling – I want warm hands. I have what some would call smaller hands and I went with the large-size Carbide Sensor Mitt. I did this primarily so if the weather really got cold I could wear a thinner glove inside the mitt for added warmth, but so far I have not needed it and the size has not felt too large. The cinches at the bottom of the cuff and on the back of the wrist help to keep everything secure while riding.

A couple areas of concern that I have noticed are the cuffs and the thumbs. The Gauntlet cuff seems to be having an identity crisis – it isn’t large enough to fit over most jacket cuffs without them being fully strapped down, and it isn’t small enough to go beneath a large coat cuff. As a result I’ve had to really strap down my jacket cuffs to get the gauntlet cuff over my sleeve; not a huge deal, but if they had gone just a bit larger then everything would fit together a lot smoother. In addition, the thumb on the mittens is quite stiff. I didn’t notice it at first but after switching between the Black Diamond Spark Mitts and the Kincos, there is a noticeable lack of movement in the thumb. It doesn’t impact my ability to handle ski poles but it is something to note.

Other Features

The Bottom Line

I have been really impressed with these mitts. While they are a bit “clunky,” they have not been as bulky as I expected and so far I have not dropped one ski pole by accident, which is a miracle in itself. The inside liner is super comfortable for all-day wear, and with the Gore-Tex insert, you will have dry hands all day no matter the conditions.

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