Here you’ll find the best hiking gloves for any conditions
The weather forecast dictates which are the best hiking gloves, and we’ve got recommendations for all types and conditions. Here you’ll find the best hiking gloves for cold, rain, sun, sleet, snow, wind, and some all-purpose gloves too.
This buyers guide to the best hiking gloves is grounded in obsessive product info comparisons, backcountry testing, outdoor industry tenure, and decades of ultralight backpacking experience. We’ve worn all types and are glad to share our experience to help keep your hands safe and comfortable on the trail.
Keep scrolling to grok the best hiking gloves, or jump ahead to view the buyer considerations where we’ll help you build out your glove quiver. And while you’re here, don’t miss our dedicated guides to fingerless gloves, sun gloves, rain mitts, rain jackets, puffy jackets, fleece jackets, and hiking shirts.
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Best Hiking Gloves Quick Picks
- Best All-Purpose: DEFEET Duraglove
- Best Fleece Liner: Black Diamond Lightweight Screentap
- Best UPF Gloves: Glacier Gloves Ascension Bay
- Best Convertible Mitts: Black Diamond WindWeight
- Best Gore-Tex Rain Mitts: REI Minimalist GTX 2.0
- Best Ultralight Rain Mitts: Zpacks Vertice Rain Mitts
- Best Liner + Shell Combo: Outdoor Research Versaliner
- Best Warmth>Dexterity: Glacier Glove Alaska River
- Best Dexterity>Warmth: Glacier Glove Cold River
- Best for Wet + Cold: SHOWA Temres 282
- Best for Cold + Wind: Outdoor Research Gripper Sensor
- Best Puffy Mitts: Enlightened Equipment Torrid Mitts
- Best For Rough Handling: Outdoor Research Direct Route II Glove
Best Hiking Gloves Comparison Table
| Make/Model | Price ($) | Weight (oz) | Warmth (1-5) | Dexterity (1-5) |
| DEFEET Duragloves | 22 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 3.0 |
| BD Lightweight Screentap | 35 | 1.4 | 2.0 | 3.0 |
| Glacier Gloves Ascension Bay | 22 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 5.0 |
| BD WindWeight Convertible | 45 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 |
| REI Minimalist GTX 2.0 | 50 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 1.0 |
| Zpacks Vertice Rain Mitts | 70 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 1.0 |
| OR Versaliner | 60 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| Glacier Gloves Alaska River | 20 | 2.2 | 2.0 | 4.5 |
| Glacier Gloves Cold River | 22 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 5.0 |
| SHOWA Temres 282 | 27 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 1.0 |
| OR Gripper Sensor | 55 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 2.5 |
| EE Torrid Mitts | 70 | 1.9 | 5.0 | 2.5 |
| OR Direct Route II | 45 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 |
Best Hiking Gloves Reviews
Best Hiking Gloves – All Purpose
Defeet Duraglove
Defeet Duraglove
2.1 oz | $22
More durable and more tactile than fleece liners, DEFEET Duragloves are our go-to, all-purpose hiking gloves, even though they may technically be cycling gloves. They are warm, and have very grippy fingers and palms. Silver in the fingertips makes them touchscreen compatible. Alan has been raving about these for years and our overall pick for best hiking gloves.
Best Fleece Liner
Black Diamond Lightweight Screentap Gloves
Black Diamond Screentap Lightweight Gloves
1.4 oz | $35
Minimalist and touchscreen compatible, the Black Diamond Lightweight Screentap Gloves are a basic pair of lightweight fleece liner style gloves at a good price. This unisex style is constructed with Polartec Power Stretch fleece, a premium name-brand fabric. Note, this is a lightweight fleece, and we’ve picked it because it weighs very little, not because it’s the warmest.
Best Sun Protection
Glacier Gloves Ascension Bay
The Glacier Gloves Ascension Bay are our pick for UPF-rated gloves thanks to their better-than-average durability for handling trekking poles. The entire Adventure Alan & Co team prefers this model for all day, everyday sun protection, and we recommend them very highly. They comes in a basic, light gray colorway, as well as a cool water camo print with thru-hiker fashion appeal and fisherman functionality.
Best Convertible Mitts
Black Diamond WindWeight Mitts
Black Diamond WindWeight Convertible Mittens
3.0 oz | $45
Winter hiking and camping requires keeping your hands warm, without sacrificing dexterity. That’s why your giftee will love the Black Diamond WindWeight Convertible Mittens. Pull back the mitt-top while rifling through a backpack, setting up a tent, or making coffee. Put it back on when the mercury drops. This wind-resistant fleece is the perfect tool for the job, and we know they’ll love this hybrid handwear.
Best Gore-Tex Rain Mitts
REI Minimalist GTX Mittens 2.0
2.0 oz | $50
A pair of Gore-Tex shell mittens is a perfect add-on to a pair of convertible fleece mittens. This creates a versatile, modular system with a wide array of configurations, whether you want to maximize for dexterity or weather protection. These mittens in particular fit the bill nicely for a good price, are lightweight, and not over-featured.
Best Ultralight Rain Mitts
Zpacks Vertice Rain Mitts
1.0 | $70
If you want the lightest and most breathable waterproof handwear, pull on a pair of Zpacks Vertice Rain Mitts. They weigh virtually nothing, are three times more breathable than Gore-Tex, and when combined with fleece liners, make for a complete hand protection system for wet weather.
Best Liner + Shell 2-in-1
Outdoor Research Versaliner Sensor Gloves
2.8 oz | $60
The Outdoor Research Versaliner Sensor Gloves are your quintessential 150 weight fleece liner hiking gloves, only they come with an added bonus – waterproof shells stashed in back-of-hand pockets. You’ll barely notice them until needed, but they add significant warmth by protecting against wind and rain. Technically, the liners are not seam taped, and thus not completely waterproof, but they do a good impression of it in light to moderate rain when other gloves would be soaked through immediately. A versatile pair of hiking gloves!
Best Warmth>Dexterity
Glacier Glove Alaska River Fingerless Gloves
2.2 oz | $20
Like their counterpart, the Cold River, the Alaska River Gloves are fingerless and optimized for dexterity. However, unlike Cold River which are made with a soft shell fabric, these have a heavier duty, warmer fleece backer with a durable palm. The net result in increased warmth, with high, but not max dexterity on the fingerless spectrum. The wrist strap is a nice touch for locking in a great fit.
Best Dexterity>Warmth
Glacier Glove Cold River Fingerless Gloves
1.6 oz $22
The Glacier Glove Cold River are fingerless, windproof soft shells designed for fishing or photography, but perfect for dexterity purposes on the trail. They are the most dexterous hiking gloves for when you need to tie knots, operate stoves, pack up a tent, etc. The palms are nice and grippy. Compared to their siblings the Glacier Glove Alaska River, they are a bit less warm, a bit lighter, and a bit more dexterous.
Best For Wet + Cold
SHOWA Gloves TEMRES 282
SHOWA Gloves TEMRES 282
3.5 oz | $26.95
For sleet and cold rain, we use the SHOWA Gloves TEMRES 282, designed for winter-use in the maritime industry. These gloves are at home in truly nasty weather. and are 100% waterproof and never wet out from the exterior.
As out-of-place as they look in the backcountry, their performance is simply superior to alternatives from traditional outdoor brands, and they’re plenty warm enough. Dexterity and breathability are both lackluster, but functional enough for non-technical use. They run small so size up.
Best For Cold + Wind
Outdoor Research Gripper Sensor Gloves
4.0 oz | $55
The Outdoor Research Gripper Sensor Gloves combine fuzzy microfleece, Gore Infinium Windstopper, and durable synthetic grip palms. The effect is warm and windproof hand protection that works as hard as you do. And they’re touch screen compatible. These are the best hiking gloves for windy conditions.
Enlightened Equipment Torrid Mitts
1.9 oz | $70
The sub-two-ounce Enlightened Equipment Torrid Mitts provide four season hand warmth in an ultralight puffy mitten package. What’s more, the flip tops pull off and secure with a shock cord when dexterous handwork is required. They are filled with a high warmth-to-weight synthetic loft batting called CLIMASHIELD APEX. It’s quick drying and warm when wet. They are weather resistant on their own, but wear them under shell mitts or over liners in really gnarly conditions.
Best For Rough Handling
Outdoor Research Direct Route II Gloves
3 oz | $45
Designed for rock climbers to handle ropes, the Outdoor Research Direct Route II Gloves offer lightweight protection of the hand. They have durable goat leather palms with the breathable stretchy polyester-spandex on the back. The wrist closure ensures a secure fit. We recommend these as hiking gloves for scenarios involving rope ladders, chain handling, Tyrolean traverses, trail work, and everything else that could abrade your hands.
The Complete Hiking Glove Quiver
Our perfect quiver is as-follows: One pair of midweight fleece liner gloves or flip mittens. One pair of UPF gloves. One pair of waterproof rain mitts. One pair of puffy mitts. Having access to this combination of four hiking gloves will protect your hands on 95% of trips without the need for anything else. Layering rain mitts over puffy mitts over liners is warm enough for use in temps well-below freezing. Note, you are unlikely to need all four of these hiking gloves on any one trip.
A Basic Fleece Liner or flip mitten Does 80% Of The Work
When it comes down it, a basic fleece liner style hiking glove or flip mitt covers you for about 80% of backcountry scenarios. If we are packing for just about any 3-season trip, we recommend including a pair of lightweight gloves. This is the first base you should cover when building out a glove quiver. They should be dexterous and breathable enough to use hiking uphill in the cold.
Where To Store Your Hiking Gloves On Trail
Of course, where we store our hiking gloves depends on the weather and conditions we expect to face. If we expect to be frequently putting gloves on, we might store them in a hip belt or pants pocket. If we think we will only use gloves while approaching a windy summit or taking a cold break, we may keep them in an exterior pocket, but not in prime real estate pockets described above. You may also choose to store the gloves in your fleece jacket pocket, as you will likely the use them simultaneously. For backpackers who don’t expect to use their gloves until they get to camp, you may wish to store them inside your puffy jacket pockets.
How Much Better Are The Best Hiking Gloves?
To be honest, most hiking gloves are fairly interchangeable. The best fleece liners might only be marginally better than the average fleece liners. Thus, most of our picks are based on personal experience. We have not, of course, tested every single glove.
Thoughts On Touch Screen Compatibility
This is a fairly unimportant feature to us. Even if gloves are conductive and touch screen compatible, they are likely still to clumsy to use to manipulate an iPhone. For uses where touchscreen dexterity is paramount, we prefer fingerless hiking gloves.
Best Hiking Gloves Conclusion
We hope this guide to the best hiking gloves has been helpful and informative. These gloves have served us well on the trail, and we know they’ll do the same for you! Drop us a comment if you have any questions! Happy hiking and happy trails!
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