What to Look for In Gloves for Winter Commuting

Question

We live in Buffalo, NY where winters are harsh. My husband rides early in the morning and afternoon about 6 miles each way. The temperature is often below freezing, especially early in the morning – wind and snow make the cold worse and make his hands very wet. He says he arrives at work every morning with numb fingers and can't type for the first 20 minutes or so until they thaw.

I want to buy him some gloves that will keep his hands warm in the conditions he deals with. What should I be looking for? What features make a good glove for winter commuting in a cold, wet climate?

Answer 1

You'll need gloves that allow you to still hold the bars and use the brakes and shifters. Standard mittens don't work well since you have to grab the brake with all your fingers.

Durable waterproof ski gloves with five fingers are one of the best options, especially those which come with a hand warmer pocket for extra warmth capability. Some folks prefer lobster style gloves since they are split and allow you to wrap two fingers around the bars and two on the brake on a flat bar setup. They still suffer a bit when using STI shifters, but they are usable.

Gloves that have a separate outer an inner layer are very helpful for longer duration riding as you can keep a set of dry liners handy to swap out if your hands sweat a lot, since moisture will transfer cold from the liner to your fingers. I've found this a lifesaver on long rides where my hands begin to freeze up. If using on commutes, it's nice to have separate liners for to and from trips, in case your liners don't dry through the day.

For extra cold conditions, a lot of people prefer to combine thinner gloves with pogies / bar mitts. These provide a lot of wind shielding as well as some insulation, enabling you to forgo super heavy gloves. They are available for both drop bar and flat bar setups, but they are more optimal on flat bars.

Some popular brands of gloves to check out are:

45nrth - See Sturmfist gloves (some of the best deep winter cycling gear)

Pearl Izumi - See Pro Softshell Lobster Glove (one peice, makes layering hard)

Planet Bike - See Borealis Glove (lobster style, separate liner)

Swany - See X-change Gloves (some of the best ski gloves, also awesome for winter cycling)

Popular Pogies:

45nrth Cobrafist (Flat bar only)

Revelate Designs (flat bars and jones loop bar compatible models)

Dogwood Designs Pogies (Flat bar only)

Barmitts (Both Flag bar and drop bar models, simple neoprene design)

AMF Threadworms Moose Mitts (Drop bar and flat bar models available)

Answer 2

In all honesty, I think your best bet is Bar Mitts or something similar. They're neoprene covers that attach to your handlebars and cover your hands. They allow you to get away with wearing thinner gloves so you stay a little more dexterous. If you ride drop bars, you're kinda stuck riding on the hoods to stay protected. You can still move your hands to the top or drops, but they just won't be protected from the wind. I rode all last winter with them and I don't think I could've done it without them.

If you don't want something like that, then as someone mentioned, layering is key, even in gloves.

Answer 3

Based on weather in Helsinki, Finland: You'll want gloves with waterproof membrane (Gore-Tex is fine but others work, too) and room for additional thin gloves under them. Gloves made for downhill skiing work well for riding and may be easier to find than winter bike gloves.

If your brakes and shifters allow, lobster gloves and even mittens are great.

Answer 4

I always find mittens way warmer than gloves.
In some cases I even get my thumb out of its own area and tuck it in with the rest of the hand to keep it warm.

I still go for skiing mittens, which are pretty good wind and waterproof.