Reply To: Neoprene gloves VS mitts

#20248
George Prevost

I think a good combination is a pair of neoprene gloves, which will probably keep you warm enough in all but very cold conditions, backed up by pogies which you can wear over the gloves when it’s really cold.  I find that pogies on their own don’t completely protect my hands when it’s windy and wet.

NRS makes a couple of different kinds of neoprene gloves which would probably keep you pretty warm except in very cold conditions.  Another good option, which I just got and am really liking, is Glacier Gloves Perfect Curve gloves (https://glacierglove.com/perfect-curve-glove/)  I ordered them from fruugo.ca and shipping was free.  They are 2 mm but apparently made of a fancy kind of neoprene that is warmer than the standard stuff for a given thickness.  Being thinner makes them more flexible and easier to do things in.  The NRS ones I tried are 3 mm and definitely a bit more awkward when you need some fine motor control.

If you’ve got a dry suit, you can put the sleeves (the outer material, not the gaskets) over top of the wrists of your neoprene gloves which makes them pretty much water tight unless your hands are actually in the water for awhile.  (One of the types of gloves that NRS makes have a very close-fitting wrist that is supposed to make them watertight, but I suspect that it also makes them pretty hard to get on and off.)

If you’re ordering gloves and don’t have a chance to try them on, pay close attention to the sizing information on the website.  If they’re too small, they’re hard to get on and off and they may restrict the circulation in your fingers a bit, making them more likely to get cold.  I think it’s better to err a bit on the large side.  That might even allow you to wear some very thin gloves underneath for additional insulation.