Gloves seem to be one of the biggest questions new skiers have when it comes to clothing.  Keeping your hands warm and dry without overheating is the key to staying comfortable.   To do that we recommend you get a pair of cross-country ski gloves.  A good mid-weight pair is usually the best place to start, and an excellent quality pair can cost $60+ but it is always worth it if you ski a lot.

Basic Everyday Ski Glove

In an everyday ski glove, we look for a leather or reinforced palm to ensure that they have some durability.  We also look at the top of the glove for a softer fabric that is more breathable.  The amount of insulation will be a personal preference, but it is better to have a bit too much than not enough.   A good cuff that goes a little bit up the wrist and a strap or elastic to keep it tight on the wrist are also excellent additions.  Below is the Swix Shield XC glove.  You will notice it is reinforced in key areas that rub on your pole straps and that it has a long wrist cuff.  Look for something similar.  The cuff is stretchy so there is no need for a strap which is a nice addition.

When It Gets a Bit Colder

It can get cold anywhere where the skiing is good so having a pair of lobster claws or split finger mitts can be a fantastic addition to your skiing wardrobe.  Also, Lobster claw mitts can be great for skiing with the kids or when going for a slow tour where you will not be working hard enough to keep your hands warm.  Just beware with lobster claw gloves you can get warm quickly!  We usually leave a pair in the car and put them on when we are packing things up to go home for the day if the weather is cold.  They are great for keeping your hands warm when you have to clean all the fresh snow off your car after your ski!  Lobster claws can be great for people with bad circulation in their hands or who are prone to cold fingers.

Extreme Cold

In very frigid conditions we always wear mitts.  While mitts may not feel as comfortable as gloves while skiing, keeping your hands warm is worth it.  In recent years you will notice more world cup skiers racing in mitts when the weather is chilly.  If they work on the world cup they should work for you also.  Again, look for reinforced palms and a good cuff to keep the mitt tight around your wrist.

Warmer Days

When the weather gets warm, we like a simple pair of uninsulated ski gloves.  It can be tempting to use non-specific gloves when it is warm but with rubbing of your ski straps on the gloves the non-ski specific gloves tend to not last awfully long.

Other Features

There are a few other features we look for in a ski glove.  One is a soft spot in case you need to wipe your face or nose while out on the trail.  Yes, it’s not ideal, but it is something that many skiers need to do more than they would like to admit.  Especially if you sign up for any races or loppets.  The second thing to look for is a spot on the glove safe for wiping your glasses off when you still have your poles on.  If you are a going down a hill and your glasses fog up it is good to know you can safely wipe them with your glove.  Also, people tend to ski with a phone in their pocket so having a touch screen friendly finger can also be a nice addition to your ski gloves although we tend to just use voice control or our ear buds to control the music.