Your hands are the first thing to go cold on a chairlift, the first thing to get wet in a fall, and the thing you notice most on a long, windy descent. A good pair of ski gloves is the difference between skiing all afternoon and retreating to the café by eleven.

This guide covers the four decisions that actually matter — waterproofing, insulation, mitten-versus-glove, and fit — plus the standards that let you read a label instead of trusting the marketing.

Table of Contents

Waterproofing: The Membrane Is Everything

Insulation is what keeps you warm, but the outer shell and its membrane are what keep that insulation working. Wet insulation collapses and loses most of its warmth — so waterproofing comes first in the decision tree.

  • A waterproof, breathable membrane (a film bonded into the glove) is the standard for serious skiing. Look for a hydrostatic head around 10,000mm for resort skiing.
  • Water-resistant coating (no membrane) is cheaper and fine for cold, dry snow — but it wets out in heavy snow or rain.
  • Taped or welded seams — a "waterproof" glove with stitched seams leaks where your hands grip poles. Seams must be sealed.
  • Leather palms grip poles and lift bars better than synthetic, and hold up to rope-lift abrasion — the palm is where gloves die first.

Insulation: What the Grams and Standards Mean

Two things on a label tell you how warm a glove is. The first is the insulation weight in grams (40g, 60g, 100g, 200g) — the fabric weight per square metre, where more grams mean more trapped air and more warmth. Synthetic insulation like 3M Thinsulate keeps insulating when damp, which is exactly what snow demands. For deeper detail on the gram ratings, see our Thinsulate gloves guide.

The second is the EN 511 cold-protection standard — the European benchmark that rates a glove in three numbers: resistance to convective cold (0–4), resistance to contact cold (0–4), and water penetration after a soak (0–1). A glove marked, say, EN 511: 2-2-1 resists cold air and cold surfaces at level 2 and keeps water out — three numbers that tell you more than a hundred adjectives. Read what each EN 511 digit means.

Cut-away of a ski glove showing the outer shell, waterproof membrane layer and white insulation fill
Shell, membrane, insulation: three layers — waterproofing, breathability and warmth working together.

Mittens vs Gloves

Mittens are warmer at every equal weight because fingers share one air pocket; gloves win on dexterity. For skiing, the honest rule is: gloves for active days, mittens for cold days. Many skiers own both, or a 3-in-1 glove with a removable liner that lets them strip down to a light shell on warm spring days and add the liner back in a January cold snap.

Children are a different case entirely — their hands run cold and they don't need the dexterity, so mittens win for most under-10s. See our children's ski mittens guide for that decision.

Touchscreen, Cuffs and Other Details

  • Touchscreen fingertips — for the phone-and-photo generation, index-finger and thumb pads that work with screens mean you don't expose bare hands every time someone asks for a photo.
  • Gauntlet cuffs that go over the jacket sleeve and cinch are the standard for snow; under-cuff gloves let snow in when you fall.
  • Wrist leashes — gloves come off on lifts, and the mountain does not give them back.
  • Nose-wipe panel on the thumb — small, and immediately understood on a cold day.
  • Wrist cinches and one-hand adjusters — you'll want to seal the cuff without taking the other glove off.

Fit and Sizing

Fit snugly but not tight: a tight glove compresses the insulation and kills its warmth, while an oversized glove leaves air gaps at the fingertips. There should be a small amount of room to wiggle your fingers, the cuff should cover your wrist bone, and — critically — you should try them with your ski jacket on, because the cuff has to work with the sleeve.

Women's and men's cuts differ in palm width and finger length; women's models are cut narrower. Unisex gloves are the compromise that fits no one perfectly.

Caring for Ski Gloves

  • Air-dry at room temperature after each day, cuffs open — never on a radiator, which delaminates membranes and clumps insulation.
  • Machine wash cool on a gentle cycle when the label allows; use a technical wash, not fabric softener (softener clogs membranes).
  • Re-proof the shell occasionally with a wash-in or spray-on DWR restorer once water stops beading.
  • Store dry and uncompressed — a glove crushed in a boot bag all summer loses loft it won't fully recover.
Skier's gloved hands gripping ski poles on a chairlift, waterproof ski gloves with gauntlet cuffs over the jacket sleeves
Gauntlet cuffs over the sleeve, sealed at the wrist — the fit that keeps snow out on the lift.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are more expensive ski gloves worth it?

Up to a point. You're paying for the membrane, seam sealing, leather and insulation quality — the parts that decide whether the glove lasts two seasons or five. Beyond the mid-price tier, returns shrink fast.

Why do my hands still get cold in "warm" gloves?

Usually one of three things: the gloves aren't actually waterproof and the insulation is damp, they're too tight and compressing the insulation, or your core is cold and your body is pulling blood back from your extremities. Fix the fit and the layering before buying thicker gloves.

Can I use my gloves for snowboarding?

Yes — snowboarders put more wear on the palm and cuff (from strapping in), so prioritise a durable leather palm and a robust cuff. Otherwise the same waterproofing and insulation rules apply.

Shop Ski Accessories

Gloves are half the warmth system — the other half is a hat, socks and eyewear. See our children's ski goggles guide for the family's eye protection.

Browse ski accessories at Desvips, or read more in our Ski & Snowboard articles.