11 Best Winter Gloves for Cold Weather Travel

Although these gloves are designed for cyclists, they make a lovely choice for travel, too. They feature gortex materials, which offer windproofness while staying thin, so your mobility isn’t as limited while wearing them. Plus, they’re touch screen compatible, so you can still use your phone.

We’d consider these gloves to be three seasons warmth-wise; however, for those who get cold hands early in the fall or late into the spring, these might not be for you. They don’t offer great warmth, but their wind-blocking technology is top-notch. They don’t handle water terribly well, but for a fall hike, they’re lovely. Plus, if they get dirty, you can toss them in the washer.

Although they’re crafted from GORE-TEX, they still boast fairly good breathability. If you’ve got hot-running hands but hate the wind, these might be the best winter gloves for you! After all, they’re reasonably warm, thin gloves with GORE-TEX; what’s not to like about that?

• Excellent wind resistance
• They pack down small

• Not the warmest gloves on this list
• Won’t handle more than light rain very well

Plenty of gloves are designed for a world where touchscreens are the norm, and such is the case with The North Face Denali Etip Gloves. What sets this pair apart is how responsive interacting with touchscreens feels versus other pairs we’ve tested that have a similar feature. Whether it was a regular iPhone or a huge tablet like the iPad Pro, we never had to take these gloves off, even for those annoying pop-up ads with ridiculously small close prompts. Furthermore, the Etips are also the same material as the rest of the glove, which means you’re not sacrificing insulation at the fingertips for better touchscreen interactions.

The gloves also have the same warmth of fleece-lined equivalents, with all the freedom of movement and dexterity we usually only see in thinner pairs. The catch is that the Denali Etip Gloves aren’t waterproof, nor are they exceptionally weather-resistant. That said, they hold up just fine for casual use and minor chores.

• Touchscreen devices respond well to the Etips
• Feels warm, but not so thick and insulated that it restricts hand movement

• Not impervious to weather and water
• More tuned for casual use than sport or work

If you’re an ultralight traveler looking for an incredibly lightweight glove that you can wear in three seasons and utilize as a base layer in the wintertime, look no further than the Smartwool Liner Glove! They’re crafted from a Merino blend, ensuring they’re moderately warm, breathable, and odor-free.

These aren’t the warmest gloves on this list, but they aren’t meant to be. They’re a solid choice for chilly Autumn or Spring mornings and layer well in the winter, but in extreme cold, you’ll need something to put on top of them. The Merino wool ensures they breathe well, so you won’t get as sweaty as some other liner gloves.

Out of all of the ones we’ve tested, we think these thin gloves have a great warmth-to-weight ratio and are an essential set of lightweight winter gloves for those who live in warmer climates or like to layer once the snow flies.

• Work well in moderate cold temperatures
• They are great layered under larger gloves in extreme cold

• Without a second layer, they’re subpar in winter cold and wind
• Not the best grip for certain activities

The OZERO Thermal Gloves may have caught your eye for its very modest $14 (at the time of writing) price tag. It’s the kind of entry-level pricing that also sets entry-level expectations. Aspects of the build quality, like the stitching and fabric, may not on par with pricier options, but we were well-prepared to accept it for what it is. That said, it’s the gloves’ overall generic fit that sticks out the most. The fingers are a little long, the fabric bunches up around the palm, and the cuff feels a bit loose around the wrist.

While these gloves may not off the best insulation, that’s understandable for its price. These gloves will pull you through in relative warm comfort if you just need something in a pinch—like a sudden ski trip or a driveway shoveling gig.

• Acceptable warmth for its price
• Has grippy silicone to help you keep hold of a phone, coffee cup, and more

• Fit feels loose in a general sense
• Somewhat stiff to move around in

For many readers, Arc’teryx may be synonymous with staying warm. In the case of their Venta Gloves, this remains true. Thanks to the DWR finish, this model will keep your hands warm, block out the wind moderately well, and handle light rain and snow. For travel, these might be a home run. You can even have a snowball fight with them!

All that warmth and comfort comes with a small asterisk: size. They aren’t humongous; however, they might be more significant than some ultralight travelers want to compromise. However, given how warm they are and how many activities they can be used for, this will be worth it for most cold-weather trips.

You might need something more capable if you’re headed to the Arctic. However, for most trips, these might be the best winter gloves for you!

• The DWR finish ensures your hands stay dry
• The design is sleek and stylish

• They’re larger than some items on this list
• High price for what you get

The Patagonia R1 Daily Gloves are the sort of pair we imagine when someone says something “fits like a glove.” The fit and feel of the R1 Daily Gloves certainly deliver the sensation of sleek leather gloves without the … you know … leather. Patagonia offers them in a variety of sizes, from XS to XL, and their insides is soft thanks to the thin fleece lining that doesn’t feel too fluffy. In other words, there’s a thoughtful balance of just the right fit (so long as you get the right size) and just the right cushioning to make your hands feel right at home.

Furthermore, women among the Pack Hacker crew found this pair the most agreeable because of its comfort and relative non-chunkiness. In fact, these gloves are thin enough that we can use thicker gloves on top of them in case we want to get warmer. The gloves are noticeably quick-drying as well when we got them wet. But in case you do have to take them off, there are handy loops at the cuffs to help you put them back once they’re dry. Additionally, these gloves are also touchscreen compatible, so there’s no need to take them off the moment you need to take a call.

• Thin and easy to pack
• Sizing and comfort feels just right thanks to its subtle fleece lining

• Insulation is not that good; may require extra layers when it gets really cold
• Loops feel a bit thin; could get more loose over time

There are winter gloves you put on for quick trips outside, then there are gloves like the Carhartt Waterproof Insulated Gloves that are for when you want to stay outside. These gloves keep warmth and make sure it stays there, thanks to their secure cuffs that form a relatively strong seal. These are the gloves we reach for when we want to spend extra time shoveling or playing in the snow (you’re never too old for the latter, by the way). Plus, these gloves’ waterproof design helps keep snow from soaking in, so it’s well-suited for those situations.

Keep in mind that the gloves’ thermal performance comes at the cost of dexterity. These gloves are thick, and there’s really no two ways about it. We can feel the stiffness at all times, so you may have trouble flexing your fingers and wrists. Ironically, these may not be the best gloves if you’re going to do some work that requires a lot of complex hand movement, though it’s certainly not impossible to accomplish.

• Well-insulated and keeps you warm for a long time
• Great value for the thermal insulation it offers

• Thick, making it somewhat hard to move your hand and fingers
• Noticeably hefty as well

Okay, if you’ve made it this far, you’re probably looking for the end all be all of warm gloves. You’ve finally made it! The Nørrona Trollveggen GTX gloves are one of the warmest gloves on the market.

Nørrona admits that these aren’t the most lightweight winter gloves; however, regarding wind and water resistance, the GORE-TEX on these gloves doesn’t play games. The seams are taped, too, to ensure no wind or water sneak inside to make your fingers cold. The cuffs are long enough to ensure no gap or skin is exposed between the glove and coat, which is essential for cold-weather trips.

All those features come at a cost, and it’ll hit your wallet. At the time of writing, these gloves cost around $230. For the water and windproofness offered, these gloves are a no-brainer for those who constantly have cold hands. Believe it or not, Norrøna makes gloves warmer than this, so they’re an excellent brand for you or your cold-handed friends or family members.

• Extraordinarily warm, well-designed gloves
• Extra protection from water and wind

• The price is pretty high
• They aren’t packable

Despite plenty of winter gloves offering touchscreen-friendly fingertips, there’s nothing quite like manipulating elements on your smartphone with actual fingers. But when it’s cold, it’s cold, and you still want your hands warm. Thus, fingerless gloves like the ViGrace Winter Wool Fingerless Mittens earn a spot on our list. These don’t look anything fancy—and the $13 (at the time of writing) price tag backs that—but the knitted wool feels as warm as it looks (which is very, to an extent).

What earns these gloves a spot on our list is their mitten covers, which don’t strand you with merely fingerless gloves in case the day gets even colder. Simply detach them from the hook-and-loop patches, and you can then cover your exposed fingers. While mittens do restrict finger movement, it’s not as concerning as the aforementioned hook-and-loop patches sitting exposed—those will surely catch loose threads and other debris in due time. Be careful around your sweaters!

• Fingerless design lets you operate touchscreens as normal
• Removable mitten design lets you cover up once you’re done

• The mitten covers’ hook-and-loop patches are fully exposed, so they will catch debris in the long run
• Knitted design more susceptible to snags than gloves with finer fabric

Yes, your car may have a heater, but it takes time to get going on especially cold days. In those situations, gloves like the Jeniulet Waterproof Winter Gloves are the sort you reach for. They don’t have the strongest insulation among the gloves we tested, but the super soft fleece lining is enough to keep your hands warm while that heater ramps up. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that its minimalist design makes it look fashionable while driving, without leaning into the whole sporty vibe that would otherwise make you look like a rally driver.

The budget-friendly pricing does become obvious once you take a closer look. For starters, the sizing runs a bit large, so the fit isn’t as good as pricier options. The cuffs also don’t taper around the wrists, meaning snow and cold air could still make its way inside the glove if you use it outside your car and your home.

• Super soft fleece lining sufficiently comfortable and warm for driving
• Doesn’t feel constricting while you’re working the steering wheel

• Runs a little large
• Insulation not too secure since it doesn’t taper around the wrists

The Buff USA Aqua+ Glove doesn’t have the best insulation, only being rated for 32°-68°F (0°-20°C). That’s beside the point, though, as you probably wouldn’t want to cycle or play tennis in temperatures colder than that—and those are the kinds of activities where these gloves shine. They have silicone grips on the palm, thumb, and index fingers for holding onto bike handles, tennis rackets, and kayak paddles (if you’re into early mornings on the water). Even if you’re not the sporty type, that level of grip might prove useful for something more trivial—like that one specific slippery doorknob in your life.

Keep in mind that these gloves are technically fingerless. While that may be a blessing for those who want unobstructed usage of their smartphones, it also means you’re feeling the coldness on your fingertips the most. But at the very least, a pair of gloves like these helps keep your hands from being exposed to sunlight while you do all of the aforementioned activities since it’s UPF50 rated.

• Very grippy thanks to its silicone lining
• No issues using a smartphone since they’re fingerless

• Not designed for below freezing despite its sporty inclinations
• You can feels the chills the most on your fingers