The best snowboard gloves and mittens in 2024, tried and tested

As a chronically cold person and snowboarder in Colorado, I get pretty picky about what gear I invest in, particularly gloves and mittens. Some of my wants are personal preferences — wrist leash? Nose wipe? Yes, please — while others like warmth, waterproofing and dexterity are necessities.

During the start of this year’s season, I spent many laps testing 14 pairs of gloves and mittens to see how they stacked up against one another in terms of overall features, ease of use, dexterity, warmth and waterproofness. After many days of early-season testing, four stood out above the rest.

Best snowboard mittens: Stio Objective Insulated Mitts

$189 at Stio

The Stio Objective Insulated Mitts stood out in every single one of our tests: warmth, waterproofing and durability, as well as overall comfort and features. They’re a bit more expensive than other mitts and gloves we tested, but as long as gauntlet gloves are your thing (this gauntlet is 4 inches in length from the wrist crease to the end of the gauntlet), you’ll love these mitts, thanks to their fantastic balance of warmth, waterproofness, dexterity and features.

When riding, the mittens don’t necessarily feel like super-fancy or high-end gloves, but when it comes to their form and function, they are. They tested extremely well in our warmth test where I secured a thermometer in each glove and mitten and popped them in the freezer for three minutes to see how much their temperature declined. The Stio mittens only went down in temperature by 2 degrees Fahrenheit, which ranked third best out of all the gloves we tested. This isn’t surprising, as the mittens use durable goat leather on the hand, followed by a Gore-Tex membrane and thin but hearty PrimaLoft Gold insulation on both the front and back of the hands.

On top of the mittens’ great performance in my freezer, I also felt their quality construction and warmth on the hill. Many of my testing days were in the single digits with extreme wind, and when I wore these Stio mitts, my hands never felt cold and no wind seeped in. The long gauntlet cuff also helped keep my hands warm, as it has an easy-to-use cinch at the end to block out any wind and is made from waterproof and windproof material. These snowboard mittens passed with flying colors in our waterproof test too: No water seeped into any part of them, even after being soaked for three minutes.

Even with the membrane and insulation, the dexterity of the mittens was the best out of any we tested. They were more than flexible enough to easily grab small things like zippers or a phone. The mitts also have leather reinforcements on their palms, which helps with not only durability but also completing small tasks like moving goggles off your face or filling up your water bottle during a break.

The inner liner of the Stio mittens isn’t removable and definitely isn’t as soft as other liners, but the articulated fingers made from wool add a bit more dexterity and curb sweaty hands. Other features I appreciated were a nose wipe, a clip to connect the mitts together and a slim, removable wrist leash.

The Stio Objective Insulated Mitts were easily the best mittens we tested. They’re warm when you need them to be, they’re the most dexterous and flexible mitten we tested and they don’t skimp on any features that make a long day of riding comfortable and fun.

Best snowboard mittens for especially cold hands: Hestra Army Leather Heli Mitts

$160 at Hestra, Amazon and Evo

The Hestra Army Leather Heli Mitts are an excellent option for winter mittens, especially if you love a good gauntlet and get cold hands. As a rider who prefers under-cuff mittens, testing these out (and loving them) was a bit surprising. But between the convenient gauntlet, supreme warmth and strong features, these easily took a top spot in our testing.

The most impressive part of these mittens was undoubtedly their warmth. We found a difference of 5 degrees Fahrenheit during our warmth test, which wasn’t the best, but during my in-field testing, these were some of the warmest I wore. On more than one single-digit, windy day on the mountain, my hands felt not only comfortable but also completely warm. In fact, my hands even warmed up inside these mittens after taking them out for a few minutes in the frigid wind.

Inside the mitt is a soft fleece removable liner that adds to that overall warmth. A mitten liner comes with this pair, but if you’d rather have glove liners inside, you can change that out easily. The removable liners are really nice, but they aren’t liner gloves that you can wear solo like the pair that comes with our pick for the best short-cuff snowboard mittens, the Burton Gore-Tex Under Mittens. As I did find dexterity to be slightly lacking with these burlier mittens, a glove liner would help a bit. The mittens are thicker than the Stio pair, so grabbing a phone or zipping up a coat was definitely trickier.

In our waterproofing tests, the Army Leather Heli Mitts also fared well — no water soaked through at all after being submerged for at least three minutes — even though, according to Hestra, these are technically water-resistant, not waterproof. The outer is made from a windproof, breathable and water-resistant polyamide fabric and has durable, grippy goat leather on the palm.

The mitts also have many features that make riding better, such as a carabiner to clip the mitts together or to your pack and removable wrist leashes (not the best wrist leashes we tested, however; we preferred the wrist leashes of the Hestra 3-Finger gloves or the Oyuki mitts much more). The one missing feature we wish these mittens had was a nose wipe.

There is a hook-and-loop closure strap on the underside of the wrist and a cinch at the end of the gauntlet, so even on the windiest of days, no air got inside. And again, the gauntlet won us over: It’s long at 5 inches from the wrist crease to the end of the gauntlet and a bit stiff, but that means that it fits easily over even the bulkiest jacket sleeves. Plus, the length makes it very easy to grip and pull on.

Another thing we loved about the Army Leather Heli Mitts, and all other Hestra gloves, is the sizing. Instead of just small, medium and large sizes, Hestra has a wide range from 5 to 13. That means if you have particularly small or big hands, Hestra makes finding the perfect fit a breeze.

Since the thickness causes a lack of dexterity and the insulation of the Stio mitts is enough for most days, we think the Stio Objective Insulated Mitts are a better pick for most people. However, if you know your hands get cold or you live in a particularly chilly climate, the Hestra Army Leather Heli Mitts are the pick for you.

Best short-cuff snowboard mittens: Burton Gore-Tex Under Mittens

$85 at Burton

If you like a good under-cuff mitten that fits seamlessly under your jacket sleeve without any bulk around your wrist, look no further. The Burton Gore-Tex Under Mittens have quite the ideal under-cuff; it’s very flexible but isn’t too tight around your wrist, so you can still wear your smartwatch to track your runs. Out of all the under-cuff gloves and mittens we tested, the Burton Under Mittens undoubtedly had the best cuff. That, paired with the mittens’ top-notch performance in warmth and waterproofness, made giving these a winning spot an easy decision.

The Burton Under Mittens use a hook-and-loop closure to tighten the flexible under-cuff, but it doesn’t have a cinch near the wrist crease like our gauntlet-style winners. However, even without that, I rarely had an issue with air getting into the gloves (the gauntlet version of these mitts, the Burton Gore-Tex Mittens, do have this wrist cinch).

While I love the under-cuff, it is missing a pull loop, which is an immense help when getting the gloves on and off. I still didn’t have much trouble putting these gloves on, but if the pull loop is a deal breaker for you, check out the Norrona Lofoten Gore-Tex Thermo200 Mittens.

If you’ve got extremely cold hands, these mittens should be your go-to. Not only are they actually two gloves in one (they have a removable inner liner that’s soft to the touch and touchscreen-compatible — a game changer for when you need to pull out your phone), but they also had the lowest change in temperature out of all the gloves we tested. These mitts chilled by only 1 degree Fahrenheit in the freezer, compared to most of the other gloves we tested that had swings of 4 to 8 degrees Fahrenheit. In the field, I wore these on a day when the wind was blowing and the real feel was 2 degrees below zero; these, the Stio mittens and the Hestra Army Leather mittens were the only gloves that actually kept my hands warm.

Their waterproofness was another top feature that scored them a winning spot. Thanks to their Gore-Tex membrane, they were able to stay submerged underwater for three minutes without any leaks, just like the other top performers in this test. The Burton Gore-Tex Under Mittens also have tons of features that come in handy on the mountain: a nose wipe, a removable and slim wrist leash, a pocket vent and a connector to keep them together.

Featuring the best under-cuff we tested, fantastic warmth, solid dexterity (due to the inner liner glove) and waterproofness, there’s no question these mittens deserve a spot in our top four. And with a price tag of just $85, the Burton Under Mittens are a true steal that’s perfect for any snowboarder who loves a short cuff.

Best claw snowboard gloves: Hestra Fall Line 3-Finger Gloves

$165 at Hestra and Evo or $160 at Amazon

The Hestra Fall Line 3-Finger Gloves took our top spot for a three-finger option, thanks to their unmatched dexterity, supreme warmth and solid number of features. It beat out the other pairs of three-finger gloves we tested in both the dexterity and warmth tests, and while they’re not the most feature-laden gloves we tested, they had enough to push them over the finish line, such as comfortable wrist leashes and easy-on short cuffs. That, along with their stylish leather construction, made the Hestra Fall Line 3-Finger Gloves a no-brainer for our best claw snowboard glove spot.

Short of wearing full gloves, the Hestra Fall Line 3-Finger Gloves are a perfect blend of dexterity without compromising a ton of warmth. With the pointer finger free, it’s easier to grab things like zippers and your phone or adjust helmet vents. The exterior cowhide also helps with grabbing items like goggles, as it has a nice grip and outward seams for added catch and feel. There are also leather reinforcements on the palm, thumb and forefinger to increase durability. Out of the three claw-style gloves I tested, these were by far the most flexible and offered the most dexterity, easily beating out the Oyuki Chika GTX Trigger Mitts and Salomon QST Paw Gore-Tex Gloves.

For our warmth testing, I found that the Hestra claw gloves had a temperature change of only 3 degrees Fahrenheit. This wasn’t as ideal as the 1-degree change of the Burton Under Mittens, but it was much better than other mittens and gloves we tested. Part of that warmth came from the super-soft fleece glove lining, which is also removable to make washing a cinch.

Most of the other gloves we tested are rated as waterproof, whereas these are not; the impregnated leather is highly water-resistant, though. For the in-house testing where we dunked each glove underwater for three minutes, no water leaked into the mittens and there was zero dampness inside. Plus, each pair of leather Hestra gloves comes with a small tube of leather balm that you can apply once or twice per season to keep that leather holding up as it should: soft, flexible and weather-resistant. Although not technically waterproof, these claws are completely windproof, which I found out quickly during a very windy, flurrying day at Keystone.

The Hestra Fall Line 3-Finger Gloves also stood out in terms of overall construction and features. The under-cuff is solidly designed; it’s a stretchy neoprene cuff that uses a hook-and-loop closure to get a nice tight fit. Its stiffness falls right in the middle of the Burton Under Mittens and the Black Diamond Progression Mitts: It’s stiffer than the Burton but much more flexible than the Black Diamond. What you get is a slim under-cuff that fits easily under a jacket sleeve with a stable, secure feeling that doesn’t let any air into the mitts. We did find that with a stiffer under-cuff, wearing a watch underneath wasn’t as comfortable; for these, wearing an Apple Watch was doable but still not as comfortable as the Burton mittens.

As far as features go, these don’t have a nose wipe (since they are all leather), but they do have removable wrist straps. We liked the wrist straps on these much better than the ones on the Hestra Army Leather Heli mittens, as these are about a half inch wide rather than almost 1.5 inches wide. They also come with a carabiner and tab to connect the gloves together or to your pack, with the tab doubling as pull-on help.

Overall, you get added dexterity without compromising warmth, a comfortable and soft wear, a premium under-cuff and superb grip, easily landing these mittens in the top claw glove spot. If you want a claw glove that’s less bulky and better for spring skiing, opt for the Salomon QST Paw Gore-Tex Gloves. But for most boarders looking for a balance of dexterity, warmth and performance, look no further than the Hestra Fall Line 3-Finger Gloves.

How to choose snowboard gloves or mittens

When figuring out what to wear, first think if you want a mitten, glove or three-finger mitten claw. Mittens will naturally keep your hands warmer than gloves since there is a smaller exposed surface area, but there’s a compromise for that warmth: With mittens or claws, you’re losing dexterity as compared to gloves. With snowboarding, I’ve never found mittens to be too big of an issue in regard to dexterity. I’m not gripping poles, so mittens have always worked to get my bindings on or off, and unless the mittens are either too big or just extremely bulky, everything else when it comes to snowboarding has been doable. With most mittens, you can still adjust your goggles, change up helmet vents and get your phone out (though actually using your phone might be a different story).

The claw or lobster mitten is the in-between of the two options, as the pointer finger and thumb each has its own compartment and the other three fingers are in a third section. This helps with having at least a bit more dexterity than a full mitten but still has the added warmth of having most of your digits together and building up heat. And while most boarders won’t choose five-fingered gloves, there’s nothing wrong with wanting even more dexterity on the slopes.

Next up to consider is the material used to construct the mittens or gloves. As a snowboarder, you’re up and down off the snow (unless you have the Burton Step-On Bindings) with each run, so you need something that’s durable and waterproof that also still has enough insulation to keep you comfortably warm throughout the day. Opt for winter mittens or gloves that have a waterproof shell or waterproof membrane, both of which should be breathable enough to ensure your hands don’t get too sweaty.

Durability of the outer shell matters too since, again, us snowboarders are pushing up off the ground often, cranking our bindings and, if you’re like me, definitely tapping tree trunks when deep in the glades. The palms of mittens, as well as the back, need to be made from a sturdy material that won’t break down easily; if the shell isn’t a synthetic material, it is most likely leather, which is tough but flexible. You’ll also see many gloves or mittens have added reinforcement to high-wear areas, such as the palms or knuckles.

For insulation, you’ll find options that use a synthetic fill, down fill or even fleece. Many high-quality mittens do differentiate their fill on the back of the hand versus the palm of the hand so you get the correct warmth for each area. Overall, more insulation means you’ll have a warmer glove, but it also has the likelihood of being bulkier and not as flexible.

Lastly, check out the glove’s features. For some, features can make or break their go-to mitt. Various options include wrist leashes, nose wipes, hand-warmer pockets and wrist cinches. Also consider if you want a long, over-the-jacket gauntlet cuff or a shorter under-cuff. With mittens, think about if you want a removable, slim liner (which is nice for when you want to check your phone but don’t want your hands exposed to all the elements) or if you want articulated fingers inside the mitten (which can help reduce that sweaty-hand feeling).

How we tested

To determine the best snowboard gloves and mittens, we evaluated overall warmth and comfort, durability, dexterity and ease of use, as well as the number of features each glove has and how useful those features are. From there, we compared the gloves through standardized, scripted tests, as well as real-world runs on the slopes. Check out our full breakdown of how we tested below.

Weather resistance

Dexterity

Features

Other snowboard gloves and mittens we tested

Burton Gore-Tex Mittens

$85 at Burton

Similar to the Burton Gore-Tex Under Mittens, these mittens kept hands extremely warm without compromising dexterity. However, their gauntlet was just a bit too small to comfortably go over a jacket cuff.

Salomon QST Paw Gore-Tex Gloves

$130 at Salomon

The Salomon QST Paw Gore-Tex Gloves were the first claw gloves we tested, and we found them to be a good choice. They have quality dexterity and a really sleek and slim fit. They weren’t quite as warm as the Hestra 3-Finger gloves, but they would be great for mid-temp, sunny days.

Give’r Frontier Mittens

$139 at Give’r

The Frontier Mittens by Give’r are some of the warmest mittens we tested, and they performed right up there with some of our best picks. However, their stiffness and necessary break-in period mean they aren’t ideal from the get-go, while the other gloves that top our list are. If you love Give’r or dig the style of the Frontier Mittens, you should definitely buy them, as they were a truly great pair. Just know you’ll have to break them in before they can reach their most comfortable, dexterous state. (Give’r does have an easy oven method to help this along.)

Icebreaker Unisex MerinoLoft Mittens

$120 at Icebreaker

These gauntlet-style mittens have great dexterity, but they lack overall warmth and insulation. The gloves look and feel slim — which means they’re great for grabbing items and tightening boots — but they barely kept my hands warm, and the inner liner was one of the least comfortable we tested. They also didn’t come with many features — just a gauntlet cinch and clip to connect the mitts together.

Oyuki Chika GTX Trigger Mitts

$160 at Oyuki

These claws were great for keeping our hands warm while still being able to latch into bindings easily. They use high-quality goat leather for the outer material and a Gore-Tex membrane. However, they were just a bit stiffer than the Hestra Fall Line 3-Finger Gloves, so they couldn’t grab that top spot due to a slight lack of dexterity. They do have a pretty sweet inlaid design on the Anna Segal color, though, designed by the Australian pro freeskier.

The North Face Montana Ski Gloves

$65 at The North Face

While these gloves weren’t quite good enough to be a best pick, they do have good dexterity and flex, but we found the leather on the palm to be lacking grip. Still, this $65 pair is a great buy. They are warm and waterproof, they have the softest liner of all the mittens we wore by far and they have solid features like a nose wipe, wrist strap, wrist cinch and long gauntlet.

Backcountry Gore-Tex All-Mountain Gloves

$124 From $74 at Backcountry

Our biggest gripe with these was that the back of our fingers felt quite cold on really windy days (colder than in The North Face gloves) because that’s where the leather stops. The dexterity of the glove was great for cranking our snowboard bindings, and the large gauntlet made for easily pulling over our jacket sleeves without creating any uncomfortable bulk near the wrist, but the gloves also don’t have a nose-wipe area.

Black Diamond Progression Mitts

$160 at Black Diamond

Although these mittens are very warm (with 200 grams of PrimaLoft insulation on the back of the hands and 89 grams on the palm) and have a sleek fit, the wrist cuff was too tight to easily get them on and off in order for them to be my go-to pair for snowboarding. Black Diamond does have a similar pair with the new Impulse Gloves ($170).

Norrona Lofoten Gore-Tex Thermo200 Mittens

$229 at Norrona

These new mitts are made for skiing and snowboarding, which was obvious due to their good warmth and insulation that didn’t feel cumbersome at all. Honestly, the thinness of the mitts made it seem like our hands would be freezing instantly, but they stayed a pretty good temperature even during a day with 20-mile-per-hour gusts and 19-degree temperatures at Eldora. The under-cuffs are really short but can still be fastened tightly. Plus, the mittens have a nose wipe, wrist leash and pull tab for easy on and off, as well as more insulation than the Norrona Trollveggen gloves. Although these gloves have a lot of winning features, the price is quite high for protection that you can find in other, cheaper mittens like our top picks.

Norrona Trollveggen Gore-Tex Gloves

$229 at Norrona

At a hefty price point, these gloves were not as warm or soft as we wanted them to be. They are better suited to more digitally active adventures like alpine climbing, ice climbing, mountaineering and trekking. The inner liner is articulated into fingers, which is our preference to ward off sweaty hands, but they did not keep fingers warm in single-digit temperatures like the Hestra Army Leather Heli mittens or Burton Under Mittens did. These gloves also come in mittens at a lower price ($179).