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Mrs Cubist sufferes horrendously with cold hands. As a caring husband desperate to curry favour I have bought her numerous pairs of gloves over the years but last night walking the hounds in the snow even with liners and a pair of my Seal Skin winter riding gloves on she was suffering.
What are the hands down warmmest gloves that are not so bulky you can't feel anything and come in dainty lady hand size? What are the key things terms/phrases to google for to ensure I am looking for the best solution?
All help greatfully appreciated.
Me too. Frost bite has ruined my hands.
My girlfriend got me some of these. Very warm. Saved me when I have to hold her coat when she’s wild swimming.
https://www.sealskinz.com/products/waterproof-all-weather-lightweight-insulated-mitten
Does she suffer from Raynauds syndrome? The only relief my partner seems to get from it is hand warmers
Would say ski gloves.
or get some electrically heated ones.
Zippo make both gas and electric hand warmers. Not cheap as she’ll need one for each hand but better than being cold
If they are really bad you can get ones from decathlon with built in hand warmers, the ones you crack and can then freeze to bring back to life. They have a zipped compatment on the back of the hand.
You can also buy gloves with built in electric to heat hands which are usb charged. Range in price from 5 quid on wish to 40 plus on amazon.
The lack of dexterity can be frustrating but a thin pair of whatever liner gloves you find comfy + primaloft mitts. Montane mitts are very good if a little pricey.
Edit - but yes - handwarmers in pockets can be a godsend. And one of the best helps I was ever given thanks to a guide taking me and the junior Fazzinis on a navigation course, was to wear wristbands. I've found even the cheapo ones, longer version, from sports shops work.
I suffer from cold hands and Raynauds - I find that mittens work much better than gloves to keep my hands warm.
Warm in dainty are not two things I've ever managed to combine...
Hands down warmest gloves I have ever tried are my Hestra Heli Ski 3 finger gloves, with the insert. They can almost be too warm if you're doing something very physical.
When I went dog sledding in the arctic, the woman running the site had a pair of Hestras that were even bigger and warmer looking 🙂
I find that mittens work much better than gloves to keep my hands warm.
I always though keeping body parts together was better than separation when it came to keeping things warm so would always assume mittens would be best.
Mrs W suffers from cold hands and toes. If we are walking the dog and she has no need to worry about dexterity she uses merino liners with a hand warmer and a pair of Montane Icarus mitts. The mitts are mine so she has enough space to make a fist around the hand warmer.
When she has to use her fingers she uses similar process but has a pair of ugg sheepskin gloves.
The mitts solution she has used in the artic to lower than -20.
For keeping dexterity, it helps to keep your arms and wrists really well insulated, so that the blood is as warm as possible when it reaches your hands. You can then cope with lighter gloves.
In our experience, riding gloves are made as much about dexterity and sleekness as warmth. We've those winter Seal Skins and they're pretty poor.
Proper walking gloves, mitts included, with a good liner are where it is at for warmer hands. Our house rocks either Aldi ski gloves or the (brilliant) Montane fibre pile winter gloves.
Also remember that the rest of the body needs to be warm - buff around the neck, hat, warm socks, thermals etc all keep hands warmer.
remember that the rest of the body needs to be warm
I always thought the extremities got cold as the blood (and heat) left them to concentrate on warming the core.
Warm core=warm extremities
bung on more thermal layers, down gilets, hats etc
Course, with actual Raynauds it is slightly different. This is from the Mayo clinic (hmmmm.....mayo....)
To gently warm your fingers and toes:
Get indoors or to a warmer area
Wiggle your fingers and toes
Place hands under armpits
Make wide circles (windmills) with your arms
Run warm — not hot — water over your fingers and toes
Massage your hands and feet
Hestra 3 fingers are ideal, like a half-way house to crab claws. They're a big step up in warmth from Sealskinz but also quite a lot dearer. There's a small specialist retailer in the UK who often has stock, sorry I don't have a link to hand on a busyday..
I have Raynauds. The best solution I've found are roomy insulated gloves with disposable hand warmers shoved into each one at the wrist. Toasty. But even that's not perfect.
You can get little bottles of beetroot juice from Holland and Barretts, which are natural vasodilators. I've not actually tried them myself for this though.
A pair of insulated mittens over liner gloves. I was in Northern Finland and met a Sami woman who had sealskin fur mittens for her snowmobile - they were lovely (it was -25c)
for a balance between warmth and lack of bulk, montane prism gloves or mits are the ones i go to most of the time. you can keep a good level of dexterity with the gloves and they have touch screen friendly finger tips on them. pack down really small so can just stick them in your pocket / pack for emergencies and stay warm when they are wet. if its super cold a thin pair of liner gloves underneath, or if it's getting properly deep into sub zero some gortex shell mittens over the top. wrist warmers also help and you can get some fairly inoffensive looking ones form some of the outdoor kit brands - mountain equipment for example
mitts are the answer for warm (and indeed dry) hands. if you need dexterity too - then liners so you can briefly remove the outer without exposing bare flesh. If she's not worn mitts since she was in primary school she may look at you like you are crazy - but I assure you if she tries them she will feel the benefit.
the ones you crack and can then freeze to bring back to life
<pedant mode> you put them in boiling water not the freezer - you have to put energy into them which is then later released when you want it</pedant mode>
FWIW I don't rate handwarmers for use when actually out in the cold - they might be fine for a dog walk but I think they provide short symptomatic relief and then an hour later the problem is back.
grahamt1980
... or get some electrically heated ones.
Girlfriends...? 😉
I bought some 45nrth Sturmfist 4's on a trip to Minnesota as I was taken snow biking and the kit I took was not suitable for -20 deg C.
They kept me proper cosy. I look forward to it being cold enough back here in the UK to wear them
Hand warmers.
Mitts.
If you need dexterity then get ones with a removable shell, like these (I bought these for my then girlfriend, now my wife)
https://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en_US/product/mercury-mitts-womens/
I've got a nice pair of Mizuno running gloves which are thin and thermal. I can't find them anymore but Mizuno do other gloves similar for golf.
Since getting Hestra's on a remarkably cold day skiing, I've never had cold hands again since.
I'd also suggest something like a stress ball/soft tennis ball, or grip trainers to help improve circulation. my wife has terrible hand circulation but also doesn't do much grip strength training to aid it. I like the Captains of Crush trainers!
You can buy heated gloves.
I was looking into heated socks, and there are heated socks and there are heated socks, so you can get a pair of them on ebay for 20 quid, but at the other end of the spectrum you get them for motorcyclists, or people who engage in winter sports-ice climbing, cross country skiing, and those are that end at £240-260 a pair.
I think the company that does those also does heated gloves. I'll just take a look, saved the links 😕
Ya here we go, a company called Therm-IC
They do gloves and those are a better price, more affordable, and a range of types from 5 fingered to lobster to mittens. Should be something there to suit her.
https://www.therm-ic.com/en/
FIL has reynauds & is getting on in years. We've been buying him "Hotties" disposable handwarmers for year & he swears by these inside insulated gloves. Costco sell them in packs of 40. I tried one of these and they are almost hot enough that you don't want them on your skin.
Sound like an edition of the Viz Annual.
Hestras that were even bigger and warmer looking
Hands-down, my Hestra mittens are the warmest things in the world, too warm for me in anything above minus 5 degrees. Space inside for warming pads or silk liner gloves which i used in minus 25 in the rockies.
Purchased a pair of Dakine Sequoia Goretex mittens for the girlfriend for a March trip to Finland for the Northern Lights. Come with a super liner for dexterous moments (taking photographs, changing lenses, batteries etc) and coped well with the -25/-30C as we waited through the night for the lights to appear.
Highly recommended gloves.
Good luck with your hunting.
PH Designs do some very good gloves but are rather spendy
You'll struggle find better IMO.
Not cheap, but I use the non-heated version of these all winter on the bike.
The base glove is excellent. Fits well, dexterous and the long cuff works well, so I’m sure the heated version would be amazing.
https://www.trekkinn.com/outdoor-mountain/outdoor-research-stormtracker-heated-sensor/137196510/p
Hestra mittens.
I have the Army Heli-Ski Leather gloves ( https://sv-se.hestragloves.com/handskar/30570-100-army-leather-heli-ski-black) and the same thing but mittens ( https://sv-se.hestragloves.com/handskar/30571-280-army-leather-heli-ski-mitt-navy) and the mittens are warmer by a way.
They are also really good for skiing.
I've not read all the replies so suspect this has been mentioned already - if it's Raynauds, just adding more insulation won't work, as there has to be some warmth there to begin with. I would recommend some rechargable heated gloves.
These could be a worthwhile investment, even if they are a bit pricey.
A timely thread- we have a yearly argument over her cold hands and if the gloves she selects for an activity will be warm enough. Will be checking out some of the options above.
Flaperon said roomy.
Flaperon is right, or at least tight will be cold. It gloves or shoes are tight they constrain blood flow and you will be cold. Try putting big thick socks in your boots so that it’s a little tight if you want to check it out.
I've got a wife with the same. Disposable handwarmers are key, but out of the 9 various pairs of mitts and gloves I've bought her, her favourites and the warmest are are dachstein mitts, montane prism mitts and gloves and buffalo mitts in that order. For more dexterous gloves, she uses Ejendals Tegera 517.
But as mentioned by most others... None of these gloves. Mitts would be enough without handwarmers.
It's often the cause of arguments as as soon as the Reynauds starts she gets grumpy. I tell her to start the handwarmers as soon as she leaves then house,they last for ages anyway.
out of the 9 various pairs of mitts and gloves I’ve bought her, her favourites and the warmest are are dachstein mitts, montane prism mitts and gloves and buffalo mitts in that order.
Are you going warmest to coldest there, i.e. are the dachsteins warmer than the Buffalos?
Company called Gerbing make battery powered electric gloves - they do one aimed at outdoor pursuits too - good company to deal with and I think good warranty.
https://gerbing.co.uk/collections/gerbing-heated-gloves-outdoor-leisure-activities
GERBING
Yes,by far the dachsteins are the warmest. Even holding her claw when she's got them on makes my hands too hot!
Mrs DO suffers like this also. Bizarrely the warmest gloves she has (despite spending loads on sealskins etc) is a pair of fluffy fleecy ones from Primary. Obviously they don't work when it gets wet or windy so she combines them with a gortex shell in crab claw design.
This weekend the wife opted for the buffalo mitts... She actually thought they were warmer than the prism mitts and didn't need handwarmers all day. When we stopped for lunch, she could feel her fingers starting to get a bit cold. This was kept at bay by walking briskly and doing some star-jumps!