What Are The Best Winter Gloves to Keep Your Hands Warm?

For anyone who loves the outdoors, a good pair of winter gloves means the difference between cutting a trip short and staying out to enjoy it.

Whether you're skiing, snowboarding, hunting, or simply navigating daily winter activities, understanding why your hands get cold and how to fix it can transform your experience. 

Our comprehensive troubleshooting guide addresses the most common issues and provides practical solutions for keeping your hands seriously and pleasantly warm.

What You Will Learn:

• Proper fit, insulation, and circulation are key—gloves that are too tight, too loose, or mismatched to your activity won’t keep your hands warm.
• Moisture control matters most—wet hands lose heat quickly, so breathable, moisture-wicking gloves are essential.
• Layering and technology enhance warmth—a glove system, touchscreen compatibility, and modern insulation materials provide adaptable comfort for any winter activity.

Why Do My Hands Still Get Cold in Winter Gloves?

If you’ve got cold hands despite wearing winter gloves, you’re likely experiencing one of the five issues below: 

1. Proper fit
2. Adequate insulation
3. Moisture management
4. Circulation consideration
5. Matching activity levels

Understanding which factor affects you is the first step to finding the right winter glove solution.

The relationship between your body's core temperature and extremity warmth plays a crucial role. When your core temperature drops, your body restricts blood flow to your hands and feet to preserve vital organ function. This biological response means that even the best winter gloves can't compensate for inadequate overall warmth.

1. Glove Fit

A properly fitting glove is fundamental to glove performance. Gloves that are too tight restrict circulation, reducing the warm blood flow your hands need to stay comfortable. On the other hand, gloves that are too loose create air pockets that your body must constantly work to heat, wasting valuable warmth.

Signs Your Gloves Don't Fit Properly:

• Fingertips feel numb or tingly within minutes of wearing
• Excess material bunches at the palm or fingers
• Difficulty gripping objects or making a fist
• Cold spots where the glove doesn't contact your skin

Measure your hand circumference around the knuckles (excluding thumb) and match it to the manufacturer's sizing charts. Seirus gloves feature form-fit designs that eliminate excess material while maintaining circulation. The Original All Weather™ gloves exemplify this ideal balance between snug fit and comfort, making them a top choice for anyone needing lightweight protection without bulk.

2. Moisture Management

Moisture is warmth's worst enemy. Whether from external sources like snow and rain or internal perspiration, wet hands lose heat 25 times faster than dry hands. This explains why your hands might start warm but become progressively colder during activity.

How Does Moisture Affect Your Hands?

When you're active, your hands perspire even in cold weather. If this moisture can't escape, it accumulates inside your gloves, creating a cold, clammy environment. Traditional gloves often trap this moisture, leading to the familiar sensation of cold, damp hands after just an hour of activity.

Choose gloves with moisture-wicking linings and breathable membranes. The Soundtouch™ Gore-Tex® Infinium™ All Weather™ Glove features Gore® WindStopper® technology that blocks wind and moisture while allowing perspiration to escape. The wicking lining actively moves moisture away from your skin, maintaining the dry environment essential for warmth.

For high-output activities, consider the Hyperlite™ All Weather™ Glove, which uses super-thin Weathershield® tri-laminate technology. These lightweight gloves can even function as weatherproof liners under larger shell gloves for extreme conditions.

3. The Right Insulation for Your Activity

Different activities and temperature ranges require different insulation levels. Using heavily insulated gloves for high-output activities causes overheating and excessive perspiration, while under-insulated gloves leave you cold during stationary activities.

Match your glove choice to your primary activity. For versatile performance across multiple activities, the Heatwave™ All Weather™ Glove features an exclusive thermodynamic lining that amplifies your body heat by up to 20%, providing extra warmth without bulk. Our technology works especially well for stop-and-go activities where your heat output varies.

4. Your Circulation

Circulation problems can stem from medical conditions, but often result from preventable factors like wearing rings under gloves, tight wrist straps, or improper layering that restricts arm blood flow.

Factors That Restrict Circulation:

• Too tight watch bands or fitness trackers
• Multiple layers bunching at the wrist
• Glove cuffs that are too tight
• Cold-induced vasoconstriction (blood vessel narrowing)

Remove your jewelry and loosen any wrist accessories before putting on gloves. Choose gloves with comfortable cuff designs. Knit cuffs provide gentle, even pressure without restricting circulation. The form-fit design of Seirus All Weather gloves ensures proper fit without pressure points that could impede blood flow.

For those with chronically cold hands, consider gloves with longer gauntlet cuffs that overlap jacket sleeves, preventing cold air from entering at the wrist and maintaining consistent warmth up the forearm.

5. Touchscreen Compatibility Compromises

Modern life requires touchscreen access, but removing gloves to use devices exposes hands to cold and breaks the warm microclimate you've built inside your gloves. Traditional gloves force this compromise, leading to a cycle of warming and cooling that leaves hands perpetually cold.

The Hidden Cost of Removing Gloves

Each time you remove your gloves, you lose the accumulated warmth and must start the warming process over. In extreme cold, even 30 seconds of exposure can require 5-10 minutes to fully rewarm your hands.

Invest in gloves with integrated touchscreen technology. Seirus's proprietary Soundtouch™ technology enables full touchscreen compatibility without removing gloves. 

Your Layering System Is Your Secret Weapon

Just as you layer clothing for your body, a glove layering system provides adaptable warmth for changing conditions and activity levels.

The Three-Layer Glove System:

1. Base Layer (Liner Gloves): Thin, moisture-wicking gloves worn next to skin. These manage perspiration and provide minimal insulation.
2. Insulation Layer: Provides warmth through trapped air. It can be integrated into an outer glove or worn as a separate mid-layer. 
3. Shell Layer: Protects against wind, rain, and snow while allowing moisture vapor to escape.

Note: This layering method offers excellent versatility, allowing you to mix and match pieces based o conditions and activity level. For mild weather or high-exertion activities, you might wear just the liner and shell. In extreme cold with low activity, all three layers work together. During moderate conditions, the liner plus insulation layer may suffice. This adaptability helps regulate temperature and moisture across a wide range of outdoor scenarios.

The Heatwave Glove Liner™ is specifically designed to be versatile. It work as a liner under heavier gloves or mittens for extra warmth when needed, but also functions as a standalone glove for mild conditions.

How They Fit in a Layering System:

• As a liner: Amplifies warmth while maintaining breathability when worn under insulated gloves or mittens in harsh conditions
• As a standalone glove: Provides just the right amount of warmth with maximum dexterity for moderate conditions or high-output activities
• As a quick-change option: Light enough to carry as backup when conditions shift throughout the day

When to Upgrade Your Winter Gloves

Even quality gloves don't last forever. Worn insulation, compromised water resistance, and stretched-out fit all reduce performance over time.

5 Signs It's Time for New Gloves

1. Insulation has compressed and lost loft
2. Water resistance is no longer effective
3. Seams showing wear or separation
4. Persistent odor despite washing
5. Loss of dexterity from stretched material

Consider how your needs may have changed since your last purchase. If you've taken up new winter activities or moved to a different climate, your glove requirements may differ.

Looking for some real-world solutions for your lifestyle?

• "My hands are freezing during my morning commute" 

The Original All Weather gloves provide reliable warmth for daily use with proven durability and a fleece lining that traps warmth effectively for moderate activity levels.

• "I need to use my phone constantly while outside"

The Soundtouch™ All Weather™ Glove combines weatherproof protection with full touchscreen capability, eliminating the need to expose hands to cold.

• "My hands sweat during uphill hikes but freeze on the descent"

Layer the Hyperlite gloves under a shell mitt. Remove the mitt during high-output climbing and add it back for windy descents.

• "I need one glove for everything from shoveling to walking the dog"

The Soundtouch™ Xtreme™ Hyperlite™ All Weather™ Glove offers premium versatility with Gore-Tex weather protection, touchscreen compatibility, and balanced insulation.

Ski & Snowboard Glove Recommendations for Maximum Warmth

When you're spending all day on the mountain, keeping your hands warm is crucial. Here are our best-selling options for skiers and snowboarders:

For Extreme Cold Days:

• HeatTouch Hellfire Magne Mitt: Our ultimate cold-weather solution with battery-powered heating that lasts up to 12 hours. The magnetic opening lets you access your fingers without removing the mitt.
• Magne Mitt Heatwave Summit: This premium leather mitt features Heatwave technology that reflects and amplifies body heat. The magnetic seam provides quick dexterity when needed.

All-Day Comfort:

• Heatwave Plus ST Ascent Glove: This glove is top-rated for balancing warmth and dexterity. It features 280g of insulation with Heatwave Plus lining.
• Phantom Gore-Tex Glove: Waterproof and breathable with 200g insulation. Excellent value for recreational riders.

These gloves are specifically designed for extended time in cold conditions, with features like one-handed wrist cinches, gauntlet cuffs, and reinforced palms for pole grips and board adjustments.

How to Care for Your Winter Gloves

Proper care extends glove life and maintains performance. Most glove problems develop gradually through improper care rather than sudden failure.

Essential Glove Care Tips:

• Air dry away from direct heat sources
• Store completely dry to prevent mildew
• Wash according to manufacturer instructions
• Wash liners to keep them fresh

The Complete Solution

Don't let cold hands limit your winter adventures. With proper troubleshooting and the right gloves, you can maintain seriously, pleasantly warm hands from the first snowfall to the last spring ski day.

Use our sizing guide to ensure your ideal fit. With free ground shipping on orders over $150 and 10% of Shield online sales supporting Winter Outreach Partners, there's never been a better time to upgrade your winter hand protection.