Editor’s note: this page was updated on 1/15/2021
Ah, the eternal hiker question. Which are better, gloves or mittens?
There are benefits to both gloves and mittens. Some would say that gloves are better because they allow you to do things with your hands that you can’t with mittens that require more manual dexterity like use your camera or phone. You can even purchase gloves with the “touch” feature, which I find their efficiency minimal at best. I’m still taking them off and on during a hike for every little thing so I tend to use them more in milder weather situations where I just need a little protection from the elements.
Mittens are my go-to on colder outdoor adventures. They are easier to put on and take off and allow your fingers to benefit from the heat of close contact. Keeping a hand warmer packet tucked inside also makes more sense in mittens.
Even though I alternate between gloves and mittens, I often prefer mittens because they tend to keep my hands warmer with the fingers all together and I don’t have to fumble with the individual fingers when they are cold or wet. I find that when my fingers get cold and I go to put either gloves or mittens on, they warm up so much faster in mittens. If I have to use gloves, you will often find me with the fingers pulled into the middle of the glove to they can stay together!
I especially love the feel of fleece gloves on my skin and have made several pairs myself. There are many patterns out there, mine is an old one I bought forever ago from JoAnn Fabrics but you can find them on the internet for free like this one by Happy Camper. You just want to make sure they are roomy for your fingers and long enough to cover the wrist and tuck into or cover your sleeve for full protection from the elements.
The only problem with cozy fleece mittens, however, is that they don’t stay dry in wet weather or snow. For a while, I had been talking about making a pair of “over” gloves with water resistant fabric that would go one over my fleece ones to keep them dry. Eventually, my husband picked me up a pair from REI, the Minimalist Waterproof Mittens.
I was in love! They were just what I need to keep my cozy fleece mittens dry AND they also worked over my thin REI and Smartwool glove liners (I like the liners during the summer because they keep my hands warm at night for very little weight. I try and buy them in the child’s XL because I have smaller hands and they are cheaper! I imagined I would also be able to wear these “over mittens” solo in the summer just to keep the rain at bay. At 1.2 oz, they were super lightweight.
Editor’s note: Unfortunately, REI is no longer offering the mittens I mention above. You can find similar mittens here, here, and here (the cheapest).
Then, I started getting the mitten-glove combinations! They are a great way to have the use of fingers like a glove but the finger tips stay all together for warmth. So much better than taking the glove all the way off every time I pull my camera out or need to open something in my pack. The flap that covers the fingers has a magnet that connects with the body of the glove when closed.
I’m not entirely sure where I got my pair (maybe Costco?) but this brand by Trailheads is similar. I do still have to remove them if I need my bare thumb, however. A tip of you have smaller hands like me, a youth XL is a great way to pay less for hand protection.
This year, in anticipation of a super wet backpacking trip on the coast, I decided to make the pair of over gloves I had been meaning to by using the pattern I use for the fleece mittens with ripstop material upcycled from the demise of my first hammock and then waterproofing it with several layers of waterproofing spray and waterproof seam sealer. I think they turned out great! I attach them to the gloves at the wrist with safety pins so I don’t lose them.
I feel layering is always so important, never more so than when keeping my hands warm and dry in inclement weather. That is why I prefer mittens as they are easier to layer.
Ultimately, I don’t think the question is gloves or mittens as if one or the other will be best for all situations. But rather, when is it a good time for gloves and when are mittens better for the conditions? For me, gloves tend to be in warmer weather when I just need to take the edge off and mittens are for when the temperatures drop lower.
What do you prefer, gloves or mittens? Do you have a favorite system for keeping your hands toasty and dry?
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