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)
Best Overall
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Editor's Choice
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Best Value
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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.
- Gordini Men’s Promo Gauntlet Gore-Tex Gloves - Best Overall
- Outdoor Research Men’s Versaliner Gloves - Editor's Choice
- Mountain Made Outdoor Gloves - Best Value
- The North Face Etip Glove
- 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
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
What we like
What we dislike
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
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
What we like
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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
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
What we like
What we dislike
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
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
What we like
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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
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
What we like
What we dislike
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)
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.
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