Gloves are an essential piece of kit to pack as temperatures drop
Spend any amount of time on a cold, blowy hillside without a decent pair of gloves and you’ll regret not packing a pair in your rucksack.
Even in the height of summer, temperatures can drop and windchill can kick in, making our extremities cool quickly.
We put five pair of gloves aimed at outdoor fans to the test to see how they performed.
They ranged from thin stretchy gloves to a full-on winter pair that will perform in extreme conditions.
We rated the gloves for warmth, waterproofness, features, dexterity and quality.
Not everyone will be looking for a waterproof pair, though most of those tested claim a degree of waterproofing.
The ability to do certain tasks while wearing them could be important in your choice. The thicker, insulated gloves were obviously less suited at fiddly jobs. We were able to take a compass bearing on a map wearing all of the gloves.
The gloves featured were supplied to grough by the brands.
Craghoppers Motion Waterproof Glove
Craghoppers Motion Waterproof Gloves
Colour: black
Weight: 142g/pair (size S/M)
Price: £25
Material: 100 per cent polyester outer, inner and padding; 95 per cent polyester/5 per cent Elastene cuff; 100 per cent polyethylene lining; trim 100 per cent PVC
Country of manufacture: China
Recommended wash: 30C wash with waterproof cleaner or pure soap. Regular reproofing with waterproof spray recommended.
These are the simplest of the thicker, insulated waterproof gloves.
The cuff is elasticated at its inner end and there is a knitted inner cuff running back beyond the main outer shell. There are no adjustments possible, though in practice the gloves fit well and didn’t slip off.
The palms and inner face of the fingers have a reinforced grip which performed reasonably on our ice-axe grip test.
Warmth was good and the gloves kept our hands dry. The Motion Gloves use Craghoppers’ own AquaDry membrane. In common with most of the brands, expect some moisture from sweating within the gloves when working hard.
There is a clip to keep the gloves paired when not in use.
As with all the thicker, insulated gloves, intricate handling tasks were not easy.
The reasonably priced Motion Gloves are a good bet for keeping hands dry and warm in all but the most severe conditions.
Warmth 21/30
Waterproofing 22/30
Dexterity 5/10
Quality 6/10
Value for money 14/20
Total score: 68/100
Outdoor Research Highcamp Glove
Outdoor Research Highcamp Gloves
Colour: black
Weight: 268g/pair (size M)
Price: £80
Material: 100 per cent nylon shell; 100 per cent polyester lining; 100 per cent leather palm; insert 100 per cent polyurethane. Liner: 100 per cent polyester
Country of manufacture: China
Recommended wash: 30C wash
The Highcamp gloves are a serious bit of kit, designed for use in temperatures between –9C and –26C.
The gloves have pretty much everything you need to keep hands comfortable in extreme conditions.
The Highcamps come with removable stretchy 110-weight fleece liner gloves which could be used on their own on cool, dry days. These have sticky silicone grip areas on the fingertips and palm and also have a pocket for a heat packet on the back of them.
The liners have Velcro strips which attach to the inside of the shell gloves. It is possible to use the shells on their own, without the liners, if the temperature dictates.
The gloves have PrimaLoft One insulation which keeps its insulating properties when wet.
The Highcamp gloves have precurved fingers and also feature a water-resistant leather palm and inner finger and thumb surfaces.
Ventia Dry construction, with a waterproof membrane, keeps the rain and snow out. There are karabiner loops on the middle finger of each glove. There are hanging loops in each glove for when not in use and a pairing clip keeps them together in the pack.
Each glove has an easy to use wrist leash which allows the gloves to dangle while still attached to your arm if you need to take them off during the trip.
The glove’s adjustment and gauntlet closures are some of the easiest to use we found.
The Highcamp inner liner glove
The strap to cinch in the glove around your hand has a nice big tab to tighten it, and loosening it was also very easy with the other gloved hand.
The SuperCinch gauntlet closure is the best we’ve found. Pull on the grey plastic tab and it tightens, keeping out the water and cold air. To loosen it, just pull on the fabric tab, easily accomplished even with the thick gloves on.
The leather palms provided good grip on an ice-axe.
As you would expect with such well insulated gloves, dexterity is not fantastic, but essential tasks such as using a compass and taking a bearing were accomplished. We also managed to turn on and use a GPS unit while wearing the Highcamps.
In use in horrible wet conditions on the high fells of the Lake District, the Outdoor Research gloves performed perfectly, keeping hands dry and warm.
The Highcamps have clearly been designed by people who know what’s needed in a pair of gloves. They will serve over prolonged expeditions in cold and wet conditions and give a great sense of confidence that they’re up to the task.
Warmth 28/30
Waterproofing 28/30
Dexterity 5/10
Quality 9/10
Value for money 14/20
Total score: 84/100
Snugpak Geogrip Glove
Snugpak Geogrip Gloves
Colour: black
Weight: 72g/pair (size M)
Price: £19.95
Material: 100 per cent nylon
Country of manufacture: Indonesia
Recommended wash: hand wash
The lightest pair of gloves in our test is ideal for those cool, dry days when you just need a bit of extra warmth for your hands.
The Geogrips are stretchy water-resistant gloves with sticky patterned areas on the palm, fingers and thumb.
They will shed the rain from a shower for a little while but prolonged rain will see the wet come through and the gloves then loose a fair amount of their insulating power.
Dexterity was best in the test, as these gloves are considerably less bulky than the other, thicker waterproof models.
There is no adjustment at the cuffs, but the gloves felt secure in use. Grip on an ice axe was good from the sticky bobbles on the inner surface. There are pairing clips to keep the gloves together and a pair of loops are provided on the inside of each cuff to attach a leash (not supplied).
Warmth was not as good, understandably, as the more expensive, insulated gloves in the test, but the Snugpak Geogrips are good to keep in the pack for when the day cools down or you stop for a rest on top of that windy fell.
Warmth 14/30
Waterproofing 12/30
Dexterity 8/10
Quality 6/10
Value for money 16/20
Total score: 56/100
Snugpak Geothermal Glove
Snugpak Geothermal Gloves
Colour: black
Weight: 252g/pair (size M)
Price: £34.95
Material: shell 68 per cent unspecified, 32 per cent polyurethane; palm 79 per cent PVC, 21 per cent polyester; lining 100 per cent polyester; insert Hydro-Tex membrane
Country of manufacture: Indonesia
Recommended wash: not specified
The Geothermals are the Geogrips big brothers, designed for colder, wet conditions, with full waterproofing from the Hydro-Tex membrane and insulation to keep the hands warm on, as Snugpak says, ‘long winter walks’.
The outer shell is fairly soft to the touch and the gloves have a PVC reinforced palm, fingers and thumbs, with a roughened texture to aid grip.
We found the fingers slightly long for a medium size, which hampered dexterity a little, though our standard tasks of using a compass, turning on and using a GPS and turning it off again were accomplished with no great difficulty.
The gloves gripped an ice-axe well.
Adjustment at the hand was via a strap and buckle, which was easily done unless the strap was fully loosened, then it was a little hard to grasp the strap’s end to tighten it. The strap is supplemented by an elasticated section which helps keep the cold air out.
The cuffs are cinched via a tethered shockcord which worked well. Although the release button on the clasp is small, it was still easy to operate with the other gloved hand.
There is a small karabiner loop on each little finger, and a pairing clip keeps the gloves together when not in use.
The unnamed insulation kept our hands warm and the Hydro-Tex membrane kept the rain out.
The Snugpak Geothermals are a good all-round glove for trips into the hills during wet cold days and winter months.
Warmth 23/30
Waterproofing 22/30
Dexterity 4/10
Quality 7/10
Value for money 13/20
Total score: 69/100
Terra Nova Extremities Inferno Glove
Terra Nova Extremities Inferno Gloves
Colour: black
Weight: 148g/pair (size M)
Price: £35
Material: 50 per cent nylon; 30 per cent polyester; 20 per cent PVC
Country of manufacture: China
Recommended wash: 30C wash
The Extremities Inferno Gloves use PrimaLoft One insulation to keep your hands warm. Primaloft, which is a synthetic material which keeps its ability to retain warmth even when it’s wet – something that can’t be said of standard down.
PrimaLoft’s material also claims good breathability, an important feature because much of the wetness encountered while pushing uphill will come from perspiration rather than rain getting in from the outside.
The Infernos use a Velcro strip as a cuff closure, which works well but is not quite as easy to adjust as a conventional shockcord and fastener set-up.
The palms and inner face of the thumb, plus what Extremities term the thumb crotch – the join between thumb and palm – have a very tough-feeling but flexible reinforcement.
There is a pairing clip to keep the gloves together in your pack.
The pre-curved fingers mean the gloves fit very well and are instantly comfortable and warm.
The cuff doesn’t extend as far up the arm, so care is needed to make sure your jacket sleeve covers the glove (or if you’re climbing with arms mostly upwards, vice versa) to stop rain entering.
As with all the thick, insulated gloves, anything too intricate is difficult. Ice-axe grip was fine.
These are well designed, warm gloves that will keep out the winter weather.
Warmth 24/30
Waterproofing 22/30
Dexterity 5/10
Quality 7/10
Value for money 13/20
Total score: 71/100
The Extremities Inferno just edged out the opposition for the recommended mark
If you’re looking for a lightweight pair of gloves for cool days when you might encounter an odd shower, then the Snugpak Geogrip Gloves are the obvious choice. Lightweight, easy to slip into your pocket so they’re handy at all times, and a good price.
For more serious cool and wet conditions, the four insulated pairs have to be considered.
The stand-out pair was the Outdoor Research Highcamp Gloves. It was difficult to find a flaw in them and they will see you through the most testing conditions, whether it’s persistent Lake District torrents or Scottish blizzards.
The excellent design, features and construction are, of course reflected in the Highcamp price, but with care, they should last a good few years.
It was a close-run thing between the insulated offerings from Craghoppers, Snugpak and Terra Nova Extremities, but the Inferno just tipped it.
Best in test: Outdoor Research Highcamp Gloves
Recommended: Terra Nova Extremities Inferno Gloves
Best lightweight: Snugpak Geogrip Gloves
