To choose the best ski gloves for women (or mittens) for any woman, you need to consider a glove’s thickness and warmth, while keeping in mind the importance of adequate dexterity. With so many options available, how do you know which ones to buy? To make it easy to choose a great pair of ski gloves or mittens, we tested and evaluated some of the top-rated women’s gloves & mittens, and evaluated them based on price and performance.

Best Women’s Ski Gloves

For more of my women’s ski gear recommendations, have a look through these popular Outside Pursuits guide links: Women’s Ski Jackets, Women’s Ski Pants, Ski Helmets

Quick Answer: The Best Women’s Ski Gloves

1. Burton Women’s Gore-Tex Gloves
2. Hestra Women’s Heli Ski Mitten
3. The North Face Women’s Montana Futurelight Etip Glove
4. Burton Women’s Gore-Tex Mitten
5. Columbia Women’s Bugaboo Interchange Gloves

Women’s Ski Gloves/Mittens Reviews

#1 Editor’s Choice – BURTON Women’s Gore-Tex Gloves

The distinguishing feature of this pair of gloves is that they’re designed for touchscreen control, so you can use your phone even with your glove on! This is an extremely attractive feature considering the number of people nowadays who rely on such devices for communication and other uses. It has Thermacore insulation to keep you warm on the coldest of days. Perhaps most importantly, these gloves are waterproof, windproof and breathable.

They also offer a removable 4-way stretch Dryride Thermex liner that makes it expand slightly within 2 to 4 days. You can wear only the liner when doing other activities, or anytime you’re out in the cold.

Removing the outer shell exposes a liner that can be used for activities in warmer weather. In turn, replacing the shell prepares the glove for providing thorough protection from frigid conditions.  The glove’s ability to transform for use in different climates makes it a versatile and handy accessory.

This glove really shows off when tackling wet snow and/or freezing rain, where it’s known to keep the hands dry and warm for extended periods of time. This model is a premium choice for women who spend extended periods of time outside enjoying snow sports.

If you’re willing to invest a little more, the Burton Gore-Tex Gloves might be your best bet.

#2 Runner Up – Hestra Women’s Heli Ski Mitten

If you’ve never heard of them, Hestra is a Swedish company and has been making gloves since the 1870’s! If you’re looking for some of the warmest ski gloves/mittens available, then look no further. Being mittens, these offer the inherent extra warmth that a mitten offers. The liners are extremely soft, cozy and warm.

Not only can they be removed and used separately as a mitten, but you can also change them out to suit different weather conditions. Depending on your preference and the weather outside, you can choose a warmer liner.

The one-pull tightening of the wrist cinch strap allows adjustment of fit and temperature, and the hem can be tightened to keep snow and cold out. Being as warm as they are, these mittens are surprisingly breathable, keeping your hands warm and dry.

The polyester liners do a great job wicking away sweat and moisture from your hands. The versatility of these mittens is unmatched, with the ability to change liners to suite conditions. You can of course use them without the liners for when the weather turns warmer, and you don’t need the warmth of the liners.

The goatskin leather of these gloves combined with the synthetic polymide fabric make these gloves impenetrable to water. The goatskin requires some break-in before they achieve full flexibility and you will have to take care of the leather and condition according the manufactures recommendations. But normally once or twice a year is sufficient.

Keep in mind that being a mitten you gain warmth but lose dexterity, it is difficult at best making equipment changes, using your phone etc with mittens. It all comes down to what you value more, warmth or dexterity.

Video: How to care for your Hestra Heli gloves.

#3 Customer’s Choice – The North Face Women’s Montana Futurelight Etip Glove

The North Face has a great reputation for making quality cold-weather gear, and the Montana Futurelight Etip gloves are no exception. As you would expect, these gloves are waterproof, windproof and have a breathable liner.

A cinch strap ensures that snow and cold air are blocked from entering. Several parts can be adjusted while wearing the glove, allowing a snug fit without exposing hands to the elements.

The Etips have “Radiametric Articulation” so that your hands are in a relaxed, comfortable position, you will notice this when holding your ski poles all day.

Even with relatively thick insulation of 150g of “Heatseeker” insulation, they’re still dexterous so you can unfold a trail map or zip/unzip your ski jacket when you need to.

Its thick inner layers keeps hands toasty warm. You can count on this glove to keep your hands warm even in the coldest temperatures. Even with the thick padding, they remain breathable, keeping your hands dry even when the weather warms up and your hands start to perspire.

Considering the overall quality of the The Montana Futurelight Etips, you won’t find a better glove for the money! And for the fashion-minded skier or snowboarder, a few prints and colors are available to choose from.

#4 Best Color Variety – BURTON Women’s Gore-Tex Mitten

This mitt is very similar to the previously reviewed Burton Gore-Tex Gloves. The simple difference is design.  They offer the same great windproof and waterproof qualities. If you want to use hand warmers, they have a zippered compartment to put in a “HotHands” handwarmer pouch.

They also come with touchscreen control, are well-suited for keeping out snow and freezing rain, and as with gloves, there’s a liner that can be used in warmer weather.

They do differ in design, however, as this product is a mitt that covers four fingers within a pouch, while the glove separates each finger. Some women say they prefer mitts, claiming the mitts are better at keeping their hands warm.

If you prefer wearing a mitten, then the Burton Gore-Tex Mitten is a solid choice.

#5 Best Classic – Columbia Women’s Bugaboo Interchange Gloves

Columbia products have always been at the top of my list for outdoor wear that’s very good on a cost/value basis. These are long gauntlet style gloves that with one pull will tighten or loosen for fit and temperature regulation. The same goes for the hem, as it’s fully adjustable as well. You can pull it tight over your coat to keep out the snow and cold.

The removable fleece liners effectively gives you 3 gloves. You can take the fleece liners out and use them alone for warm weather skiing. Use the shells the same way for wet conditions. And when you need all the warmth you can get use the liners with the shell combined. If you want to use hand warmers, they have a zippered compartment to put in a “HotHands” handwarmer pouch.

The fleece is soft and cozy for your hands and does an excellent job of wicking away moisture if your hands start to sweat. The shells feature Columbia’s patented Omni-Tech exterior that’s waterproof, windproof and breathable.

The interior of the shell has their “Omni-Heat”, which is there proprietary reflective heat lining that reflects the heat from your hands back, keeping them toasty.

The fingers are articulated (pre-curved), so they make it comfortable holding your ski poles all day if you’re an avid skier.

One notable feature that you don’t see very often is a zippered pocket on the top side of the glove, where you can insert a heater packet if the temperature reaches subzero, and you need some extra heat. You could also keep a tissue or credit card in there if need be.

The 100% synthetic construction of these gloves gives them durability and toughness that doesn’t require any maintenance, just like you have with leather gloves.

New to skiing? See my beginners guide to skiing for tips and advice.

Have fun and be safe out there!

How We Researched

To come up with the best women’s ski gloves, we researched a variety of sources for reviews such as REI, Backcountry, Moosejaw, EVO along with our own personal experience.

We also consulted online magazines for product research and reviews to get as much unbiased information as we could. To help weed out fake reviews we used Fakespot.com to make sure we only looked at genuine reviews.

With so much quality gear available, we had to narrow it down based on what we felt were the best options were for the price. The author, Christy, enjoys backcountry skiing and has a keen eye for fashion. She knows exactly which gloves will help you look good but stay warm.

To help narrow down the selection she used her personal experience along with recommendations from fellow ski enthusiasts.

After extensive research, we came up with our list to help you choose the right one for you.

Sources