Best Hiking Gloves – Expert Review

Updated: February 12, 2024
Best-hiking-gloves

Depending on the severity of conditions you are willing to put yourself through, the best hiking gloves will have a different set of qualities. Apart from keeping your hands warm and dry, they also need to stay on, allow you to hold trekking poles, if needed, get stuff out of a pack, fix your boots and what not.

I've put together my top picks for hiking gloves for various conditions and scenarios.

Only 5 made the cut, so you won't find it difficult to scroll through.

Best Hiking Gloves (Top Picks)

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Top Gloves For Hiking

We reviewed over 12 hiking gloves for this article. Below are the best hiking gloves that made our short list.

  1. Gordini Men’s Promo Gauntlet Gore-Tex Gloves - Best Overall
  2. Outdoor Research Men’s Versaliner Gloves - Editor's Choice
  3. Mountain Made Outdoor Gloves - Best Value
  4. The North Face Etip Glove
  5. Outdoor Research Alti Mitts - Best for very cold conditions

Read our complete buyers guide for hiking gloves.

Best Overall Hiking Gloves

1. Gordini Promo Gauntlet Gore-Tex

Gordini Gore Gauntlet Gloves - Large

4.6/5 Overall Rating

A light-weight pair of gloves with Gore-Tex’s reputable waterproof, breathable and wind-proof lining, are the best overall hiking gloves on our list.

The Gordini Men’s Promo Gauntlet Gore-Tex Gloves five-finger fit, palm grip and tough yet flexible outer fabric allows for a firm hold and grip for trekking poles or scrambling on the hike.

Designed to keep you warm, gauntlet cuffs can go over your jacket to fit and insulate , which is another great and useful feature.

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Main Features
  • Leather Palm
  • Waterproof Polytex fabric
What we like
  • Great, high quality material
  • Comfortable lining that won’t irritate you over long periods
  • Can withstand temperatures up to -30C
What we dislike
  • Due to bulkiness, small tasks might become difficult
  • The sizes can be deceptive
Key Takeway

If you’re looking for a pair of gloves for fiercely cold and wet conditions, the Gordini Men’s Promo Gauntlet Gore-Tex Gloves are the gloves for you.

2. Outdoor Research Versaliner

Outdoor Research Men's Versaliner Sensor Gloves - Touchscreen-Compatible, Water Resistant & Breathable, Heat Pack Pocket

4/5 Overall Rating

The OR Versaliner come in two layers – an insulating fleece lining and a waterproof “shell” that can slip over – which offers great versatility.

Weighing only 2.8oz and with a tight fit, their functional design and features are what has made them our editor’s choice of hiking gloves.

With a 4.5-star rating, these gloves are highly water-resistant and quick drying with the ability to absorb moisture; awesome for damp conditions.

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Main Features
  • Anti-Slip Silicone Palm Print
  • Storage Pocket on the back of liner
  • Glove Clip
  • Pull on Loop
  • Reflective Logo and Trim
What we like
  • The storage pockets double as heat pack pockets
  • You have the option to layer for temperature control, and the water-proof covers can fit into the storage pocket when not worn
  • The loop at the bottom of the gloves used to pull them on is great for when they are wet
What we dislike
  • Because they aren’t seam sealed, they may not be fully waterproof
Key Takeaway

Although they are not fully waterproof or adapt for intense winter climate, Salomon Trail Gaiter’s small fit and many features make it an effective portable product, great for autumn and spring hiking!

3. Mountain Made Cold Weather Genesis Unisex

Mountain Made Cold Weather Genesis Gloves for Men and Women (Black, Medium)

4.3/5 Overall Rating

You can use these multipurpose gloves for hiking as well as cycling, running, driving and other cold weather outdoor activities.

You’ll have no problem grabbing onto things with their highly rated grip. The 88% polyester fabric allows for great heat preservation, while the 6% spandex and 6% rubber offers a multi-directional stretch for active use.

The Mountain Made Genesis’ well-priced, multi-purpose functionality is what has made us choose them to be the best value hiking gloves.

Main Features
  • Anti-Slip Zipper
  • Anti-bacterial treatment to eliminate odour
  • Absorbent and quick drying lining
What we like
  • Although advertised to withstand 32C or warmer, they are said to endure even colder temperatures
  • The sizes fit as expected
What we dislike
  • They do not wick away moisture too well
Key Takeaway

Although, in the past the faulty zips were the main issue with the Mountain Made Genesis, they have addressed this issue and upgraded their design, now offering a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

4. Norce Face Etip Gloves

THE NORTH FACE Etip Glove, TNF Medium Grey Heather (Std), Large

4.6/5 Overall Rating

Because landscapes are the best when viewed from a mountaintop, it’s always a treat to have a touchscreen compatible glove to snap a photo on your phone.

Norce Face Etip uses 5 measurements of your hand to construct accurately fitting gloves and the four-way stretch fleece fabric guaranties a snug fit.

A Radiametric Articulation design keeps the hands in their natural position by mirroring your hands’ natural curves, and when this is combined with touch-screen compatibility, it’s a delight to use with your phone.

The gripper palm also keeps the wearer from dropping their phone.

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Main Features
  • Four-way stretch fleece
  • 5 Dimensional fit
  • Radiametric Articulation
  • Silicone gripper palm
What we like
  • Reliable touch screen compatibility 
  • The silicone patterns provide great grip
  • Snug fit
What we dislike
  • Isn’t that good in cold conditions
Key Takeaway

Norce Face Etip allow you to make calls, take pictures and send texts on your while keeping your hands warm.

5. Outdoor Research Alti Mitts

Outdoor Research Men's Alti Mitts, Black, Medium

4.5/5 Overall Rating

OR Alti Mitts will keep your hands warm in up to -40C conditions.

With extra thick insulation and windproof and waterproof material, the mitts even go so far as to make your hands sweaty in freezing conditions.

The extra-long, gauntlet-style cuffs come down toward your elbow, allowing you to secure it around your jacket, keeping ice, snow and water out of both your gloves and your jacket.

Plus, you pretty much get two pairs of gloves with these, as the liners can be used as stand-alone mitts.

Main Features
  • 100% nylon and 100% polyester insulation
  • ToughTEK LT Tabs Prevent Slipping
  • Kevlar Stitching
What we like
  • The dexterity of the mitts doesn’t cut back any functionality, with the option to take off the insulating layer for even more mobility when needed
  • Excellent cinch cord
What we dislike
  • The thumb insulation is not as great as the rest of the fingers and will be the first thing to get cold
Key Takeaway

OR Alti Mitts are a must-have for any winter outdoor enthusiast, as its exceptional insulation and weather-resistance will be sure to keep your hands toasty.

Trekking Gloves - Buyer’s Guide (Key Features)

Hiking Gloves are a key part of your gear for the colder days out on the mountains.

The two main reasons one invests in a pair of hiking gloves is for the protection and warmth they can provide.

Different demands of these two factors depend on what conditions you trek in.

Here are some of the key factors to look out for when buying your own pair of hiking gloves.


Protection

Some hikes will demand hardier gloves than others, but nonetheless – protection is always vital. It promotes durability and personal efficiency.

Look out for palms made of tougher material – such as leather – and/or extra padding on the knuckles and fingers.

Anti-Slipping

In a situation where a good grip is the difference between a major injury or not, you’ll want a sturdy pair of gloves that won’t slip. This is almost always the case when hiking with trekking poles.

There are two aspects to this. The first is making sure that the gloves will stay fixed onto your hands. Look out for wrist cinches, straps, zippers or drawstrings that will secure your gloves on.

The second aspect is palm grip. Make sure your gloves have some sort of anti-slip palm print to aid in grip. 

Insulation and Wicking

The colder the climate, the more insulation you’ll want – toasty fingers are efficient fingers. Owning gloves that can absorb moisture is also key, as without insulation, residual sweat can turn cool.

Look out for insulation padding as well as windproof material to avoid losing heat. Some gloves have two layers – a lining and outer shell – which is great for temperature control.

Nylon’s non-breathable material offers great insulation, but Polyester is a great wicking material, as its oleophilic nature absorbs our oil-based body sweat (this also means less smelly gloves). Try to look for gloves with a Polyester lining. 

Dexterity

Our hands are the most efficient part of our body, and this makes it important to be able to still move them.

Fitting gloves are ideal for this. Spandex is a great stretchy material that is incorporated into gloves.

Something else to consider is size, which can be slightly deceptive at times.

It’s important to double check the measurements to guarantee a snug fit. To find your glove measurements, measure around the area just below your fingers on your dominant hand.

Quality is key here, too – look out for a pair of gloves that have maximum benefit with minimum thickness. Bulky gloves are hard to function in.

Hiking-Gloves

About the author 

Mark Whitman

Mark has trekked extensively in Asia, Europe, South America and Africa. He founded Mountain IQ in 2014 with the sole aim to be the best online information portal to some of the most popular mountain destinations around the world. When not writing for Mountain IQ, Mark is out exploring the outdoors with his wife!

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