A Guide to Buying Ski Gloves

by The Skiing Experts

Most people under estimate the importance of a quality pair of ski gloves until they find themselves out on the trail and their hands are freezing. It is important to take your time and find the right pair of gloves that will suit your needs. The decision making process can be challenging as you try to find the right combination of warmth of comfort. Here is a look at factors you should consider whether you are buying your first or tenth pair of ski gloves.

Fabric

When it comes to selecting a fabric for your ski gloves, you need to remember that the more air a fabric is able to trap inside, the more insulation it will provide, meaning warmer hands for you. One fabric used in numerous ski gloves is Polartec Fleece. The fleece is designed to provide comfort and performance to those who enjoy winter activities. This fleece comes in several styles; from thermal insulation to weather protection. The newest addition to the line is next to skin, which was designed to be worn snug to your skin. The fabric is breathable, allowing the warm air to circulate, while keeping the moisture away from your skin. When shopping for ski gloves, pay attention to what are the benefits of the material. Even though a fabric may be wind proof, it might not be weather proof. This would mean cold hands for you when the material becomes wet from a tumble in the snow.

Length

There are two basic lengths when it comes to ski gloves. You can find gloves that come in a short length that will end at the base of your wrist or with a longer cuff that extends past the sleeve on your jacket. Though you may think this decision is sometime more of a personal preference than usefulness, remember when you take a tumble in the snow, it has a tendency to creep its way into any little opening. The longer ski gloves will offer more protection for those times you may find yourself in the snow.

Style

When you are shopping for ski gloves, you will find that they come in two distinct styles, either mittens or gloves. Mittens are when your fingers are kept in a bunch by one sleeve, while a glove will have each of your fingers in their own separate sleeve. Though mittens can be inherently warmer because the single sleeve for your fingers, many find this cumbersome when trying to do a simple task like lacing a boot. Manufactures have started to pay attention to the demands and have created an over mitten or 2 in 1 styles for the skiing enthusiasts. The item is a double layered glove, with a mitten exterior and a sports glove on the interior. This way if you need more warmth, you can wear both layers. And if you need to lace a boot up, you can simply slide off the over mitten and complete the task with the sports glove already on your hand.

Ski gloves have come along way since wool mittens were the only method of keeping your hands warm. Make sure to spend your time when shopping for new gloves and find that is best suited for your needs and not the masses.

By: JM Van Horn