Waterproof winter gloves

Litehiker

New Member
Nov 23, 2022
73
31
Las Vegas, NV
Moto13, your leather glove idea is OK as long as the palms are of waterproof material.
And I don't mean just Gore-Tex or some other WPB material but true totally waterproof synthetic outer layer palm,, otherwise your palms will become uncomfortably wet and cold in snowy weather or dangerously cold rain.

I'm an alpine skier and former ski patroller and I've seen some fairly rotten winter weather in my 16 years patrolling so I know what works and what doesn't.
 

Mikerb

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 16, 2019
6,567
5,058
Weymouth
I gave up looking for them (mostly because the prices are ridiculous) and just wear marigolds under my gloves. I've had "Gore-Tex" gloves that just have the tops with Gore-Tex so they aren't even remotely waterproof.

How are they going to make gloves waterproof when on any other clothing, they use taped seams? How could that work on gloves? Unless it has some sort of Gore-Tex marigold with no seams built into it, I can't see how they would stand up to all the bending.
I suggested Windsurfing gloves. They are usually 3mm neoprene............and they are not fully waterproof either but just like a wetsuit they work on the basis of being a wind block and allowing only a very small amount of water....dampness really....into the glove and that small amount is heated by your hands and acts as a warm insulating layer. In addition they provide really good feel and grip on the bars plus pretty good protection from shrubbery and the trail if you crash. My winter gloves have been used for 3 winter seasons so far and now have some signs of snags etc but keep on working well. Mine are O'Neill and I gave my Gul windsurf gloves to my son to use on his roadbike. He loves them and roadbiking isa far greater recipe for freezing cold hands than MTB.
 

Litehiker

New Member
Nov 23, 2022
73
31
Las Vegas, NV
Mikerb,
I have 4 mm thick neoprene gloves for duck hunting and decoy setting/retrieval BUT they are not nearly as warm as dedicated ski gloves. You can improve the warmth of any gloves with light ripstop nylon uninsulated mitten shells. They are sold at backpacking websites that sell ultralight goods. Gossamer Gear and others often have these "rain shells".
 

steve_sordy

Wedding Crasher
Nov 5, 2018
9,012
9,440
Lincolnshire, UK
Why do waterproof gloves have to be so bulky? My assumption is that the manufacturers believe that we only need them in the winter, so they add a shed load of insulation. It rains in the other three seasons and despite the rain being a bit warmer, some protection would be nice. Thin and breathable please! :)
 

Jurassic

Active member
Subscriber
Jul 22, 2022
236
243
Helensburgh, Scotland.
Why do waterproof gloves have to be so bulky? My assumption is that the manufacturers believe that we only need them in the winter, so they add a shed load of insulation. It rains in the other three seasons and despite the rain being a bit warmer, some protection would be nice. Thin and breathable please! :)
I totally get what you're saying, one of my pet hates is bulky gloves for mountain biking (or motorbiking when I used to have a bike) but what you're describing does exist. A couple of years ago I bought a pair of Fox Ranger waterproof gloves for that very reason but I have to reluctantly admit that they're pretty crap. Once the outer fabric wets out on them your hands end up freezing cold despite the fact that the membrane keeps the water out of the inner glove liner bit. I've given up wearing them and just use my Briskers and wring them out when they get soaked. If it gets really bad I resort to the Brisker Hydromatics (which I carry in my hip pack just in case). They are a bit more insulated than the Rangers and are my last resort.
 

Mikerb

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 16, 2019
6,567
5,058
Weymouth
I totally get what you're saying, one of my pet hates is bulky gloves for mountain biking (or motorbiking when I used to have a bike) but what you're describing does exist. A couple of years ago I bought a pair of Fox Ranger waterproof gloves for that very reason but I have to reluctantly admit that they're pretty crap. Once the outer fabric wets out on them your hands end up freezing cold despite the fact that the membrane keeps the water out of the inner glove liner bit. I've given up wearing them and just use my Briskers and wring them out when they get soaked. If it gets really bad I resort to the Brisker Hydromatics (which I carry in my hip pack just in case). They are a bit more insulated than the Rangers and are my last resort.
precisely why windsurf gloves work!! Same principle as a wetsuit. For watersports you can wear a drysuit which as the name suggests keeps you dry ( unless you puncture it...then you are in a world of trouble!!) but not warm. Warmth is down to what you wear beneath it. End result...its bulky!

So the default alternative for active watersports...the wetsuit. A wetsuit is waterproof enough to prevent water flushing throught it but the material will absorb a little water over time and that damp layer is retained between your body and the suit so is warmed. Neoprene is windproof and insulating.........need only be 3 to 5 mm thick.......fits like a second skin.

The gloves work in the same way. If you want even more tactile grip on the bars there are also palmless mitt windsurf gloves..........these are in fact the only one that work for windsurfing and do not cause forearm cramps which full gloves do simply because with a layer between your hands and the boom you tend to grip too hard.
 

hogicid

Member
Jun 2, 2023
60
10
United States
precisely why windsurf gloves work!! Same principle as a wetsuit. For watersports you can wear a drysuit which as the name suggests keeps you dry ( unless you puncture it...then you are in a world of trouble!!) but not warm. Warmth is down to what you wear beneath it. End result...its bulky!

So the default alternative for active watersports...the wetsuit. A wetsuit is waterproof enough to prevent water flushing throught it but the material will absorb a little water over time and that damp layer is retained between your body and the suit so is warmed. Neoprene is windproof and insulating.........need only be 3 to 5 mm thick.......fits like a second skin.

The gloves work in the same way. If you want even more tactile grip on the bars, there are also palmless mitt windsurf gloves, and if you need assistance, you can reach out to Temu phone number for more information...........these are in fact the only one that work for windsurfing and do not cause forearm cramps which full gloves do simply because with a layer between your hands and the boom you tend to grip too hard.
I'm in search of some high-quality women's cold-weather gloves that can handle temperatures down to at least 30 degrees, ideally waterproof as well. What do you all recommend? Also, is it possible to find cold weather gloves that still allow good dexterity?
 

steve_sordy

Wedding Crasher
Nov 5, 2018
9,012
9,440
Lincolnshire, UK
I'm in search of some high-quality women's cold-weather gloves that can handle temperatures down to at least 30 degrees, ideally waterproof as well. What do you all recommend? Also, is it possible to find cold weather gloves that still allow good dexterity?
I would start with gloves from Sealskinz. Unlike so many things, size is important in this case. Also, pay very careful attention to the specification; Sealskinz have a bewildering product range where one product looks like another and with an almost identical name, but one is waterproof and the other is not (ask me how I know).
 

Swiss Roll

Member
Jul 28, 2021
125
92
Switzerland
We just got the first snow of the year here in zürich, and it was prettty heavy, so its time to tool up for the winter commute!
My gore wear gloves don't really cut it in the depths of winter, do I am going to get some of those neoprene muffs that go around your grips, like motorbikes have. I figure it's a lot cheaper than trying out loads of gloves.
Anyone got any experience with this type of thing?
 

Jurassic

Active member
Subscriber
Jul 22, 2022
236
243
Helensburgh, Scotland.
We just got the first snow of the year here in zürich, and it was prettty heavy, so its time to tool up for the winter commute!
My gore wear gloves don't really cut it in the depths of winter, do I am going to get some of those neoprene muffs that go around your grips, like motorbikes have. I figure it's a lot cheaper than trying out loads of gloves.
Anyone got any experience with this type of thing?
Yes, they're excellent at keeping your hands warm. I've used them a lot in Scotland where it often tends to be wet as well as cold and although my hands have been wet they've never been cold. I use my ultra thin TLD summer gloves under them as I just like wearing them but bare hands would be fine as well. My ones aren't neoprene, they're cordura type outer with thermal insulation inside (search Hotpogs, UK company). Before someone mentions it, in wet conditions it's almost impossible to keep your hands dry whatever the pogs are made of as the water runs down your arms into them soaking your hands. In my experience it's not a problem though and in cold, dry conditions it wouldn't happen anyway.
 

Swiss Roll

Member
Jul 28, 2021
125
92
Switzerland
Yes, they're excellent at keeping your hands warm. I've used them a lot in Scotland where it often tends to be wet as well as cold and although my hands have been wet they've never been cold. I use my ultra thin TLD summer gloves under them as I just like wearing them but bare hands would be fine as well. My ones aren't neoprene, they're cordura type outer with thermal insulation inside (search Hotpogs, UK company). Before someone mentions it, in wet conditions it's almost impossible to keep your hands dry whatever the pogs are made of as the water runs down your arms into them soaking your hands. In my experience it's not a problem though and in cold, dry conditions it wouldn't happen anyway.
I just saw some neoprene ones by chance last week, whilst getting a new chain, i should have bought them then and there! I have a couple of those hand warmer thingies, i might throw them in there too!
 

p3eps

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Subscriber
Dec 14, 2019
1,982
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Scotland
Here's my winter glove thread!
 

Mik3F

Active member
Sep 23, 2023
439
365
Middleton
Ive just bought a Pair of Sealskinz All Weather Waterproof Gloves, seems they are being discounted for Black Froday at quite a loft of retailers
 

Jurassic

Active member
Subscriber
Jul 22, 2022
236
243
Helensburgh, Scotland.
My problem with winter gloves is that you can have warm, waterproof and non-bulky in gloves but not all three together. As I've mentioned earlier on this thread, I hate gloves with bulky palms so I've had to pretty much stick with 100% Briskers and accept if it gets really cold or wet (or both) I'm going to suffer. I do have pogies which work amazingly well but I find them off putting for riding technical trails (I don't know why, I think I'm just weird). My halfway house solution to this problem is to use enduro style brush guards which deflect a bit of wind chill when moving fast (and also deflect a bit of rain if it's falling). I experimented with cheapo hand guards from Amazon and became convinced that they were doing at least some good after I crashed during a ride and broke one of them off. I ended up with one cold hand and one warmer one after the crash (corresponding to the one remaining hand guard). That convinced me to spend on some decent quality ones and I now run SendHit Nock hand guards which can withstand crashes (and actually protect your levers). I take them off in summer because I hate the look of them but they're back on now for the colder months. Not for everyone (if you don't mind bulky gloves or don't have a mental block about seeing your hands then ski gloves, Sealskinz, pogies etc are probably a better option) but if you're weird like me then hand guards are worth a try.
 

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