Fleece Gloves and Mittens

Featured review by Phil Smith

Warm, lightweight, wind and water-resistant gloves. The e-tips work every time, and for me at least they’re warm at temps much lower than most reviewers report.

i bought my TNF Denali Etip gloves this past winter for use in warmer winter temps, and they worked great while hiking and snowshoeing in those temps maybe 5 degrees either side of 32°F that seem to be so hard to keep hands warm in.  What I found out this winter, however, is that the Denali Etips keep my hands nice and warm snowshoeing in temps in the mid single digits Fahrenheit and wind chills about 10-15 degrees colder. It’s nice not having to pull off heavier gloves to take pics, at least until the cold kills the battery.  The Denali Etips are mostly fleece, with nylon reinforcement over the backs of the hands and a synthetic suede palm with silicone gripper dots.  On the hood of my trusty Jeep after a bit of snowshoeing today.

Read more: The North Face Denali Etip Glove reviews (2)

Reviewed by Alicia MacLeay

Outdoor Research's Fairbanks Fingerless Gloves are the best kind of simple: they do their job—keeping hands warm while providing finger dexterity—without any fuss. I've had my pair for more than a year, use them regularly for photography and general use, and just bought a backup pair, so I don't have to worry about losing them.

Fairbanks Fingerless Gloves  Use Fingerless gloves are, obviously, for when you want finger dexterity, and to retain some warmth. That might seem like a narrow usage window, but I use this OR pair regularly from fall through spring for photography, and often as my general go-to glove in cool temps. If I'm bringing my camera and temps will be cool or colder, I'll automatically take these with me when traveling as my light-ish weight pair. Fingerless gloves are also popular for fishing, among all sort of other uses where you need dexterity.

Read more: Outdoor Research Fairbanks Fingerless Gloves review (1)

Reviewed by Brian Nordberg

Excellent light glove for mildly cold temps, where you need to use your electronics.

These are my go-to light gloves. They are great for ascents where I am working hard and am generating heat, but temps are still freezing. I throw these in my cargo pant pockets so I can quickly thrown them on or off as needed. They weigh just 2 ounces, so keeping them in my pack year round is not an issue. They are also great for summer nights around camp when temps have dropped. They also work well enough with my phone that I can do minimal operations, like using the camera while wearing them.

Read more: The North Face Etip Recycled Gloves review (1)

Reviewed by Sean Van Cleve

The Black Diamond HeavyWeight WoolTech glove liners provide good hand dexterity in cool weather (sub 40°F), while also working as a liner under a heavier glove or mitten in colder weather (approx. 28°F). Quality goatskin palms give greater feel and durability, allowing the wearer to focus on the chore "at-hand." The HeavyWeight WoolTech Liner glove is ideal for people looking for versatility, without looking flashy or breaking the bank. These gloves are ideal as a liner in all cold weather outdoor activities, while recommended in dry cool weather when worn by themselves.

Glove liners are an often overlooked element of gear in one’s cool/cold weather kit. A quality liner can be as versatile as any other mid-layer, whether using as a stand-alone glove or layered with other hand-wear. Black Diamond has shown to be a frontrunner in apparel for quite some time, and their gear can be seen everywhere from the trail to the climbing gym since 1957. There are three weights available with the WoolTech Liner series; LightWeight, MidWeight, and HeavyWeight.  These liners shined during an autumn week in Baxter State Park, Maine    Solution Wool is a new product line that uses sustainable materials claimed to provide higher durability, faster drying time, higher elasticity and warmer performance when in use.

Read more: Black Diamond HeavyWeight WoolTech Liner review (1)

Reviewed by Jwbeene

Uber Black Pile Snow Mittens with with Plush Pile Insulation.

Bought two pairs a few years ago; regardless of temp. these are the warmest gloves regardless of price. This was also confirmed by the person I bought the second pair for, as these are the only gloves he wears when working in the snow. Outdoor Research Men's Alti Mitts are the mittens I originally bought for snow work, and they are not nearly as warm as the Uber mittens. Plus if you are wearing the Alti Mitts and it's warm you cannot get your hands back in the glove liners because of sweat.  These mittens extend well up the forearms and you can have your hands exposed for several minutes and when you put the mittens back on your hands will warm back up.  Would give this product five stars if they were waterproof.

Read more: Century Leather Products Black Pile Sno-Mitts review (1)

Reviewed by Andrew F.

An emergency pick-up turns out to be useful. These are light Polartec fleece fingerless gloves that convert into mittens—a piece of fleece folds over to cover your fingers. The mitten part sits out of the way via a small piece of hook/loop on the back. I find myself using these more than I expected, love the versatility.

When you're heading to a cold weather football game and forgot gloves....you buy what you can. I found these at a college campus outdoors store in Evanston.   What do these offer that a typical fingerless glove does not? First, the fleece is layered, and there is a tiny bit of Thinsulate backing the fleece. They are warmer than you would expect, and correspondingly feel a little bulkier than you would anticipate. However, fingers can move freely. They also have a reinforced palm. The material feels like neoprene—it's pretty smooth.

Read more: Broner Fleece Flip Top Mitten review (1)

Reviewed by Andrew F.

These may be the most versatile gloves I own, and certainly the gloves I use and abuse the most. I am on my second pair. The Gripper Gloves are made from Windstopper fleece. The first two fingers and palm are made of Windstopper fleece with the outer surface coated or impregnated with some kind of rubberized compound that makes that area of the gloves much more grippy than ordinary fleece. Hence the name. I wear these gloves alone in cooler weather, for driving in the winter, or if I'm shoveling snow or working hard outside in cold weather; with a thin wicking liner to add some warmth, for cross-country skiing for example; and with expedition-weight liners in weather down into the teens or if I expect to be a little more stationary.  A key...

Read more: Outdoor Research Gripper Gloves review (1)

Featured review by Alicia MacLeay

The Outdoor Research BackStop fleece liner gloves with WindStopper have become my go-to gloves for year-round use. For a single pair of 100-weight fleece gloves, they are incredibly versatile and useful. The BackStops balance fleece warmth and wind protection with breathability sufficient for cold-weather energetic pursuits like skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, trail running, or whatever gets you moving outside in winter. They also can be used as a liner layer in a glove system. The BackStop Gloves are flexible, comfortable, and fairly dexterous, thanks to small silicone pads on the fingertips that provide good grip.

Read more: Outdoor Research BackStop Gloves reviews (2)

Reviewed by FromSagetoSnow

Great running gloves. Or really good liner gloves, your call.

Caveat: I am a member of the Columbia Sportswear Testing Program, however I have yet to test anything for them and I bought these long before I had this affiliation.  This is one of those odd situations where a niche product is exactly what I was looking for. Last spring I started running outside again and needed some super light, breathable gloves to wear as I run because my body heats up everywhere when I run except my hands. Weird huh? No, I'm not diabetic. Please don’t try to tell me that I just need a better hat, or socks or pants, I wear all of those.

Read more: Columbia Trail Summit Running Glove review (1)

Reviewed by G8rben

I picked up this glove to use as a liner in my Mountain Hardwear Hydra shell gloves for a trip up Mt. Shasta last summer. I picked them over other similar lightweight gloves because of the leather palm. That little bit of added dexterity is great. These gloves do the exact job they're designed for. Minimum weight with maximum comfort and dexterity. They're definitely not for frigid temperatures but in cool weather their very easy to stuff in a pocket and have ready. I had them on a recent trip out to Alcatraz and when it began to get windy and drizzle out they came.

Read more: Black Diamond Powerstretch Glove review (1)