Best waterproof gloves for 2024: fight the frostbite

We were hard pressed to find fault with Black Diamond’s entry-level 4-season waterproof Glissade Gloves. With their soft fleece lining wrapped in Thinsulate insulation, the Glissade Gloves kept our hands snug and comfortable. But more than outright warmth, the weather protection is superb.

Black Diamond uses its own BD.dry insert for effective waterproofing, but we were also very pleased with the use of Empel DWR. Compared to other water repellent coatings, Empel doesn't wear off – it's permanent and also far more eco-friendly. The cinching cuff also works very well at keeping weather out.

We found the Pertex and goat leather outer fabrics are hard wearing. Freedom of movement is boosted because the Pertex fabric has four-way stretch, too.

While the sizes are unisex, there are five sizes available, so you should find it easy enough to find the right one for you. And while these are definitely warm enough while on the move, we found cold can start to seep through when standing around for a while in temperatures below –4°C or so. But you can easily use these with a glove liner.

As a waterproof glove for any winter mountain activity, the Glissade Glove is about as versatile as it gets.

Check out the Glissade Mitt here

These attractively priced gloves feature a Gore-Tex Active waterproof lining to keep your hands dry from rain and sweat. They also have polyester hollow fibre insulation for warmth. Instantly comfortable when you first slip them on thanks to a brushed microfleece lining, the pre-curved fingers improve grip on ice axes or poles and the palm has a PU layer for durability.

Impressively, these gloves work with touchscreen devices, and the cuff length is good, which fits inside or outside a jacket. Less impressive are the fingertip seams, which are just at the point you want to touch things. This really affects dexterity, and if used regularly this area would be less durable than other designs. The thumb shape was also not very close-fitting, with a square seam that again raised dexterity and durability concerns.

This well-established glove continues to offer us great comfort and dexterity. It’s available in both men’s and women’s sizes, with the women’s range coming in black/grey. That's great if you don’t like the typical pinks/purples that many women’s products display.

On offer are a Drilite waterproof lining, a leather palm and a fibre pile lining on the back of the hand, with a microfleece lining on the palm. This all adds up to a warm glove with durable protection. The pre-curved fit means they feel natural when the hands are relaxed and the materials don’t bunch up when holding things such as ice axes or trekking poles. Also, the lining doesn’t get caught when you remove them quickly and doesn’t snag when putting them back on.

Although the cuff isn’t the longest, you can fit it inside or outside a jacket sleeve. You also get a drawcord to close the cuff. A soft nose wipe is included and there is a loop on both ring fingers to clip the gloves to a carabiner for easy carrying.

On the downside, there’s no wrist leash, so you need to keep hold of these when taking them off in the wind to prevent them from flying off the mountain. Also, while warm, they aren’t as warm as others here, so you may need something better for really cold days.

The shorter cuff could allow for air gaps around the wrist, which is annoying, but then longer cuffs can be difficult to fit inside a jacket sleeve. Some gloves have an additional adjustment at the wrist, but here you just have elastication, so you need to consider if you need any additional adjustment.

Also, you don’t get the touchscreen sensitivity required to operate a mobile phone. But for me, these worked fine on the hill and I really liked using them just as they are.

Check out the women's version here

As the price suggests, these are no ordinary gloves. The Fulcrum GTX is one of the ultimate winter hillwalking gloves and we found them ideal for tough days on Scotland’s Munros. The super-durable Gore-Tex outer ensures waterproofness, while the strong, Pittards Armortan leather palm and fingers guarantee a durable grip. The thumb also has a much-used nose/goggle wipe – a feature often lacking on lower-priced gloves.

After a few minutes without gloves in cold, wet and windy weather, it's a relief to slip hands into the soft fibre pile lining. The overall fit is precise and the pre-curved palm and fingers allowed your hands to rest or grip in a natural position. We think the wrist leash is super, which keeps the gloves close to hand when removed in high winds.

In pursuit of an ideal dexterity-warmth balance, Rab has used high-performing PrimaLoft Gold synthetic insulation. The warmth of these gloves for the weight is impressive but you will certainly find warmer, albeit bulkier, gloves if that is what you need. Unfortunately, they can’t be used with a touchscreen device either, and there’s no women’s option.

The low price of these gloves is instantly inviting. But we found that these aren't just outright cheap, they are well designed too.

The waterproof Hydrafort fabric has Thermoguard synthetic insulation inside, which kept our hands dry and reasonably warm. There is some pre-curvature to the fingers, which makes gripping ice axes easier and neater. In particular, the thumb fits very neatly and is nicely shaped. One of the big plus points with the Transition III is that these are touchscreen friendly.

For durability, the palm and fingertips have a textured PVC layer. The cuff is a good general length that can be fitted under or over a waterproof jacket, and you get basic elastication at the wrist as well as a cuff drawcord. This all works well, so these gloves are ideal for general walking if you are on a tight budget.

But these gloves come with a number of drawbacks. Therefore, if you can pay more then it is worth doing so. Firstly, they only come in two sizes, so you really must try before you buy. Also, while these are insulated, they are not as warm as some higher-priced gloves. Those suffering from cold hands will want something warmer.

The palm is durable enough for most walkers, but hard users will find leather palms much better. There is no nose wipe – something you may come to miss! Also there is no wrist leash and no wrist cinch strap, all great little details that do make a difference if you are out in the hills regularly.

The trouble with many lightweight gloves is inevitable warmth trade-off. We found Sealskinz’s Griston gloves punch well above their weight for warmth, while having far better dexterity than the more bulky gloves featured here.

They’re reliably waterproof too. The Griston gloves aren’t the toughest gloves out there, and aren’t meant for winter mountain treks. But for hillwalking and general outdoor use, they’re fantastic. And very good emergency gloves.

Pre-curved fingers help for a more natural fit, while a soft inner and reasonable stretch gives good comfort. The lightweight construction is to the benefit of breathability too.

The Griston gloves come in men’s and women’s sizes but aren’t touchscreen compatible.

Check out the women's version here