Nothing ruins a great day on the slopes like frozen fingers, and a quality glove or mitten can make all the difference. Keeping your hands warm and dry is essential to your safety and, more importantly, to your fun. Choosing one that suits the conditions and type of skiing you do most is an important decision.
The more you ride, the more you should consider making an investment that will keep your hands dry and toasty during wickedly cold or wet and sloppy conditions. Options range from gauntlet-style synthetic gloves to undercuff leather designs from powerhouses such as Swedish manufacturer Hestra and backcountry mainstays Black Diamond and Outdoor Research.
Between the most ideal gloves for resorts and long-proven, backcountry saviors, we’ve tested and reviewed the best gloves from every category.
Below are our picks for the top ski gloves and mittens for the season, with the Hestra Army Leather Heli Glove as our favorite overall glove and the Black Diamond Mercury Mitt as our favorite mitten.
For more background information, see our comparison table and buying advice below the picks.
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Editor’s note: We updated this guide on December 4, 2025, to hone in our list of favorite ski gloves based on testing experiences and use cases (you can see our list of dismissed ski gloves and mittens below). We also added new gloves to the list: Rab's Khroma Tour Windstopper as our favorite backcountry glove, the Outdoor Research Alti II Mitts, and Black Diamond's Cirque Gloves. Lastly, we refreshed the imagery with photos from recent testing and ensured all other information was up to date at the time of publishing.
Our Team's Ski Glove and Mitten Picks:
- Men's Ski Gloves and Mittens
- Best Overall Men's Ski Glove: Hestra Army Leather Heli Glove
- A Close Second (With Better Waterproofing): Black Diamond Guide
- Best Overall Men's Ski Mitten: Black Diamond Mercury Mitt
- Best Budget Men's Ski Glove: Gordini GTX Storm Glove
- Best Budget Men's Ski Mitten: Outdoor Research Revolution Gore-Tex Mitten
- Best Backcountry Ski Glove: Rab Khroma Tour Windstopper
- Best Heated Ski Glove: Outdoor Research Prevail Heated GTX Gloves
- Best Heated Ski Mitt: Hestra Power Heater Gauntlet Mitt
- Best Men's 3-Finger Ski Glove: Oyuki Pep GTX Trigger Mitt
- Best Leather Work Glove for Skiing: Flylow Gear Ridge Glove
- Our Other Favorite Ski Gloves and Mittens
- Women's Ski Gloves and Mittens
- Best Overall Women's Ski Glove: Hestra Army Leather Heli Glove
- A Close Second (With Better Waterproofing): Black Diamond Guide
- Best Overall Women's Ski Mitten: Black Diamond Mercury Mitt
- Best Budget Women's Ski Glove: Gordini GTX Storm Glove
- Best Budget Women's Ski Mitten: Outdoor Research Revolution Gore-Tex Mitten
- Best Backcountry Ski Glove: Rab Khroma Tour Windstopper
- Best Heated Ski Glove: Outdoor Research Prevail Heated GTX Gloves
- Best Heated Ski Mitt: Hestra Power Heater Gauntlet Mitt
- Best Women's 3-Finger Ski Glove: Oyuki Chika GTX Trigger Mitt
- Best Leather Work Glove for Skiing: Flylow Gear Ridge Glove
- Our Other Favorite Ski Gloves and Mittens
Best Overall Ski Glove
1. Men's Hestra Army Leather Heli & Women's Army Leather Heli ($185)
Cuff style: Gauntlet
Shell: Polyamide/goat leather
Insulation: G-Loft synthetic & fleece
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What we like: Beautifully made, cozy and warm, and good dexterity.
What we don’t: Requires some maintenance to stay waterproof.
Ski professionals worldwide have trusted Swedish manufacturer Hestra for decades, and their Army Leather Heli glove is our favorite in their lineup. This comfortable and highly functional ski glove has been around for years, and its hybrid leather and synthetic construction remains best in class. The Heli’s premium build quality, warmth, and comfort all stand out at a price that undercuts other high-end ski gloves. For these reasons, we think the Heli is the ideal partner for keeping you warm on the mountain, especially on deep powder days.
As with nearly all Hestra products, the Heli has liberal amounts of leather in its construction. The benefit is that the glove flexes easily and is very durable, but you will occasionally want to reapply a leather conditioner to the palm and fingers to keep moisture at bay (a small sample of Hestra’s Leather Balm is included with purchase). Some prefer a glove with a nylon shell for better waterproofing, but we find the simple maintenance and increased dexterity the leather provides are well worth the effort-even for skiing in the wet snow of Tahoe and the Pacific Northwest.
A Close Second (With Better Waterproofing)
2. Black Diamond Guide Glove ($190)
Cuff style: Gauntlet
Read also: Ski Mittens Guide
Shell: Nylon/leather
Insulation: PrimaLoft One (200g) & wool
What we like: Very warm, long-lasting build, and comfortable.
What we don’t: Takes some time to break in; below-average dexterity.
Gloves and mittens for ski touring and freeriding
Black Diamond’s Guide glove is legendary among hardcore skiers for its impressive warmth and durability. It’s near the top in terms of hand protection on this list, and unlike the Hestra Heli above, the design is completely waterproof with a Gore-Tex insert. Inside its very tough exterior, Black Diamond uses both synthetic insulation and thick, boiled wool in the removable liner for insulation. If your hands are consistently cold or you ski regularly in frigid conditions, the Guide Glove is hard to beat.
The downside of all this material is that the BD Guide can take some time to break in. And even after many days of consistent use, ours still lacks the flexibility that you get right out of the box with the Hestra Heli, which is similarly warm (this is one downside of the Gore-Tex liner). It’s a compromise many are willing to make, however, and the Guide is among the most popular ski gloves on the market.
Best Overall Ski Mitten
3. Men's Black Diamond Mercury & Women's Mercury Mitt ($140)
Cuff style: Gauntlet
Shell: Nylon/leather
Insulation: PrimaLoft Gold (133 & 170g)
What we like: Warm, tough, and reasonably affordable.
What we don’t: Harder to grip a ski pole and adjust boots.
For keeping your hands as warm as possible, you just can’t beat a mitten design. It may compromise dexterity for skiers trying to grip a ski pole, but by keeping your fingers together, you get extremely efficient warmth thanks to your fingers warming each other. The Black Diamond Mercury is our favorite mitten option for offering the expected increase in warmth without a significant price increase. It’s also made with a four-way stretch in the shell and includes removable split-finger liners, making it very user-friendly.
As with other BD ski gloves we’ve worn, the Mercury features a durable construction that should withstand plenty of wear and tear. Really, the only downside is whether or not you’re comfortable wearing a mitten. We still find gloves to be more convenient and effective for skiing, especially if you’re one to unbuckle your boots on the lift. The Mercury, in particular, is a bit bulky for handling a pole or adjusting buckles-you can achieve a bit more dexterity with a sleeker or non-leather design.
Best Budget Ski Glove
4. Men's Gordini GTX Storm Glove & Women's GTX Storm Gloves ($83)
Cuff style: Gauntlet
Shell: Polyester
Insulation: Polyester
What we like: Standout comfort, warmth, and waterproofing at a great price.
What we don’t: Fake leather palm; liner isn’t removable.
If you only get out a handful of times each year or don’t want to blow your ski gear budget on gloves, the Gordini GTX Storm is a winner. You don’t get the premium shell fabric or leather palm of our top picks, but this glove is durable, features Gore-Tex waterproofing, and just plain works. In addition, warmth and coziness are surprisingly good considering the price-it’s a step down from the Hestra Heli and Black Diamond Guide above, but the difference isn’t substantial, and this glove should be plenty for most days on the hill.
The GTX Storm is a solid option for wet conditions with its top-shelf Gore-Tex membrane. There are warmer options to be sure, but generally that will mean more bulk. Outdoor Research's Revolution Glove is another great contender (the mitten version is featured below), but it’s hard to beat the quality, fit, and finish of the GTX Storm, which is one of the best budget ski gloves we’ve used to date. Its combination of comfort, dexterity, and protection make it a standout in the sub-$100 price range.
Best Budget Ski Mitten
5. Men's Outdoor Research Revolution & Women's Revolution GTX Mitten ($90)
Cuff style: Gauntlet
Shell: Polyester
Insulation: EnduraLoft (200g)
What we like: Warm, well-made, and touchscreen- and handwarmer-compatible.
What we don’t: Harder to grip skis, a bit limited in ultra-cold conditions.
Sometimes simple and affordable gets the job done, and Outdoor Research's Revolution Gore-Tex Mitt is our favorite budget mitten of the year. With 200-gram synthetic insulation and a proven Gore-Tex insert, the Revolution is both warm and reliably protective. What's more, the combination of ladder-lock wrist cinch and drawcord-equipped gauntlet make it easy to batten down the hatches. As we touched on above, it's also sold in a glove version (called the Revolution II) that's an equally standout value.
While the value is there, some of the quality refinements found in more expensive options are missing-namely a leather palm for better grip and feel-and other mittens have easier-to-use cinch cords. The Hestra Powder Gauntlet costs a bit more, but it provides slightly better warmth, comes with a leather palm and removable liner, and is made by one of the best companies in the business. Still, for those who prefer to avoid leather or are set on Gore-Tex, the OR Revolution is an incredible deal.
Best Backcountry Ski Glove
6. Rab Khroma Tour Windstopper ($110)
Cuff style: Undercuff
Shell: Nylon/leather
Insulation: Fleece lining
What we like: A lightweight, warm, and dexterous glove for backcountry skiing.
What we don’t: Not the warmest for the way down.
Rab is well-known for making premium backcountry gear, and their Khroma Tour Windstopper glove is hands down our favorite for ski touring. The glove is expertly crafted with Gore-Tex’s Windstopper fabric and leather along the fingers and palm, providing warmth, durability, and dexterity in a relatively thin and lightweight package. In fact, we think they offer just the right amount of warmth for the skin track: Not too much as to overheat, but plenty to cut the cold on mid-winter pursuits. And if you do work up a sweat, the interior fleece does a great job at wicking it. Best of all, Rab puts it all together in a relatively low-cost package.
Many backcountry skiers-especially those who keep it fairly tame and aren’t venturing into technical mountain terrain-can get away with a simple liner for the uphill and a thicker glove for the down. In testing, we have found the Khroma Tour a bit chilly for the ride back down the mountain, especially in powdery conditions (the undercuff design relies on your jacket sleeve to keep snow out). But other than that, we really don’t have any gripes. The Khroma is well-made, very effective, and has lasted us several seasons of consistent use, which will save you even more money in the long run (as we usually have to replace our liners each season).
Best Heated Ski Glove
7. Outdoor Research Prevail Heated GTX Gloves ($339)
Cuff style: Gauntlet
Shell: Nylon/leather