Best Work Gloves for Extreme Cold
Anyone who has to work outside in very cold weather knows the value of warm clothing. It is especially important to protect your hands as, when the temperature drops, your body will naturally move blood away from your extremities.
Here is a list of the Best Work Gloves for Extreme Cold
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Working with numb hands becomes unpleasant, if not impossible, as you lose the feeling in your fingers. Sustained exposure can even become dangerous as frostbite threatens.
Still, many people dislike the feeling of chunky gloves and there is no doubt that thick hand wear can affect your dexterity and your ability to work.
The good news is that outdoor clothing is improving every year and gloves are no exception. A pair of good quality gloves made with modern materials can keep your hands warm and allow you the freedom of movement you need to work with your hands.
Which work gloves are best for you?
The gloves you choose will depend on several factors. When you are working in extreme cold then what you are doing will make some difference to they type of hand protection you need. You might need to sacrifice some warmth is exchange for improved dexterity or bundle up in the thickest gloves you can find while you sit or stand for long periods of time. You might be active enough to keep warm and the best gloves will be those which can be adapted by adding or removing a layer.
So, which are the best working gloves for EXTREME cold weather?
As technology improves, our choice of gloves increases. More choice is certainly no bad thing but, when there are hundreds of options available it is sometimes difficult to know where to start.
All of the gloves below are suitable for cold weather working but the conditions in which you are working and the type of work you do will affect your choices. To help you get started, we have suggested suitable uses for each glove.
Our round up of the best winter work gloves on the market will help you choose a pair of gloves that is right for you.
Best materials for work gloves
Some materials are more hardwearing that others and this is something you need to consider when you are choosing gloves. Some of the common materials used for winter gloves are listed below:
• Waterproof membrane – Gore-Tex or similar
• Leather
• Nylon
• Fleece
• Softshell
If you need gloves that are waterproof or windproof, you might need to consider spending more to get the best technical materails to protect your hands from the elements. Some materials will be more durable and better suited for heavy work; but you might find that these are less flexible.
Special features
Some of the best work gloves on the market have extra features that make them more suitable for different kinds of work. Look out for any of the following:
• Touchscreen friendly fingertips
• Heated gloves
• Vegan friendly synthetic gloves
• Removable liners
Value for Money
Protecting your hands is important and worth spending money on but not everyone has an unlimited budget. We have reviewed gloves with a range of prices so there should be something to suit everyone’s budget.
North Face Apex Etip Gloves
North Face is a well-known brand and a name that is usually associated with quality. These gloves are no exception.
View North Face Apex Etip Gloves here
Fit and Feel
The men’s gloves are available in sizes Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large and ladies can buy Extra Small to Large sizes. They are very comfortable to wear and the soft, elasticated cuffs mean that they will fit over your sleeve to keep in your body heat.
The Apex gloves are made from a soft shell material which allows good freedom of movement for your fingers. The palm and fingers have a nice surface with plenty of grip.
Materials and Insulation
Heatseeker insulation makes the gloves snug and warm on your hands and the soft shell outer keeps off the worst of the wind. The gloves are not waterproof.
Favorite features: The Etip fingertips are fantastic for those who need to use a mobile phone or other touchscreen without removing their gloves.
Best for: active workers who are always on the go. These gloves are not the thickest on the market and will not provide a great deal of warmth if you are inactive for long periods of time.
Gerbing S3 Heated Gloves
Gerbing are well known for making high quality gloves that provide their own internal heat from a small rechargeable battery. Heated gloves are more expensive than others but the extra heat is worth it if you have trouble staying warm.
View Gerbing S3 Heated Gloves here
Fit and Feel
These gloves are constructed well and very comfortable to wear. Customer feedback suggests that they fit as expected.
The gloves have a long cuff which fits over your sleeve to keep in heat and keep out moisture.
Materials and Insulation
These gloves provide their own heat so do not need to conserve the heat of your body with many layers of insulation. The waterproof nylon exterior means that your hands stay dry and cozy in wet weather.
Favorite features: The battery pack which can be adjusted to heat the gloves to a maximum of 135 degrees.
Best for: Sedentary workers who are not active enough to generate their own body heat.
Heritage Winter Work Glove
The Heritage winter work gloves are hardwearing and durable.
View Heritage Winter Work Glove here
Fit and Feel
The gloves feel quite snug so check your size before ordering. Luckily, there is a good range of seven sizes to choose from. Customer feedback suggests that these are very warm gloves; and a few found them too warm so keep looking if you are usually warmer than everyone else!
Materials and Insulation
The outer layer of these gloves is made from genuine goatskin so you can trust that the material is hardwearing and suitable for heavy work.
Wet hands get cold quickly so it is great to see that these gloves are completely waterproof. They are quite thick, with a layer of Thinsulate for added warmth and a soft inner lining. Despite this, these gloves do allow a good amount of movement and are suitable for most kinds of winter work.
Favorite features: solid construction and easy to remove; there is no loose lining to make taking them off and putting them on a hassle.
Best for: A good all-rounder, this glove is suitable for a range of outdoor work.
Cestus Temp Series HM Deep Winter Insulated Impact Glove
These are long lasting, durable gloves for heavy, messy or dangerous work.
View Cestus Temp Series HM Deep Winter Insulated Impact Glove here
Fit and Feel
The gloves are made to protect your hands as well as keep them warm. The fit is good and they feel tough but they are not the most flexible gloves; the rubber patches provide extra protection but this comes with some loss of dexterity. PVC dots on the palm do give the wearer some extra grip.
Materials and Insulation
The Cestus gloves have impact resistant guards on the back of the hand, and the palm of the gloves is water, oil and chemical resistant. A waterproof membrane keeps your hands dry while using them. The gloves are bright orange for good visibility.
Favorite features: the palms are made with Kevlar thread and double stitched for extra toughness. They really are built to last.
Best for: Active workers who need a glove that will protect their hands as well as keeping them warm.
Mechanix Wear Winter Impact
Mechanix offer a good range of solid work gloves. These are designed with extra insulation and are ideal for cold weather use.
View Mechanix Wear Winter Impact here
Fit and Feel
Users report a comfortable fit, and nice warm hands while wearing these gloves, though you do lose a little mobility in the fingers due to the extra protection.
Materials and Insulation
The thinsulate lining traps air to keep the warmth in and the nylon keeps the worst of the wind and rain off. The wearer’s knuckles are protected by an accordion style knuckle guard made with EVA foam.
Favorite features: The glove has a touchscreen compatible finger so is ideal if you need to use your phone or tablet while at work.
Best for: these gloves have a good balance of warmth and dexterity at a great low price; they are suitable for general cold weather work use.
DeWalt Extreme Condition Insulated Cold Weather Work Glove
DeWalt is a well-known and trusted supplier of hardwearing work clothes and these gloves are no exception.
View DeWalt Extreme Condition Insulated Cold Weather Work Glove here
Fit and Feel
The soft fleece lining makes the gloves feel comfortable when worn. Long, gauntlet style cuffs allow them to fit neatly over your cloths. User feedback on the warmth of these gloves is mixed so if you have trouble keeping your hands warm then you might want to keep looking. But if you are prone to overheat when you are active then these are a good choice as they allow your skin to breathe.
Materials and Insulation
The DeWalt Extreme Condition Gloves have a 4 layer system which creates a wind and waterproof barrier to protect your hands in poor weather conditions. Reinforced patches make the gloves extra durable.
Favorite features: these gloves really are great quality and great value for money
Best for: extra warmth with some breathability
Ironclad Project Impact Gloves
The Ironclad gloves are seriously tough, suitable for any work where you really need hardcore protection.
View Ironclad Project Impact Gloves here
Fit and Feel
The Ironclad Impact gloves fit like, well, a glove. Considering the extra protection needed in an impact glove these still give your hand a good amount of freedom and do not restrict movement. For this reason, they are a fantastic pair of work gloves. They are also very warm and suitable for outdoor work on even very cold days.
Materials and Insulation
Open cell memory foam padding shield your hands from shocks and impacts and make these gloves a great choice for operating power tools and other machinery. The back of your hand is also protected and the fingertips are reinforced for 360 degree protection.
Favorite features: these gloves just scream quality; everything about them looks like it was made to last.
Best for: added impact protection when using power tools.
Wells Lamont Safety Cuff Work Glove
The Wells Lamont Work Gloves are heavy duty leather gloves made from split cowhide leather for extra strength.
View Wells Lamont Safety Cuff Work Glove here
Fit and Feel
These gloves feel warm when worn and the soft leather means that they are flexible on your hands.
Materials and Insulation
The leather and cotton skin of these gloves gives your hand a good amount of protection for outdoor work, though they are not as strong as some of our other choices. The best part of the Wells Lamont gloves is the Thinsulate lining which makes them one of the coziest gloves we have reviewed so far.
Favorite features: we love the soft and flexible feel of these gloves
Best for: workers who need warmth more than toughness.
Ironclad Tundra Cold Condition Gloves
Our second choice from the great Ironclad range of work gloves; these offer good protection from the elements and a fantastic grip in wet conditions.
View Ironclad Tundra Cold Condition Gloves here
Fit and Feel
The gloves are form-fitting and very comfortable to wear but, like many of the more insulated gloves, do feel quite bulky. They are very warm but breathable enough to stop your hands from becoming unpleasantly sweaty.
Materials and Insulation
Ironclad’s own CryoFlex insulation system makes these gloves warm, waterproof and breathable; everything you could want in cold wet conditions. The gloves are rugged and stand up well to abrasion and heavy use. They are a little more expensive than many of our other choices but they really do work in conditions where other gloves would let you down.
Favorite features: great dexterity and grip
Best for: use in cold, wet conditions when other gloves are not up to the job.
Boss Frosty Grip Latex Dipped Gloves
These come in a pack of 12 heavyweight string knit gloves that offer a good deal of warmth in extremely cold conditions with none of the loss of dexterity that often accompanies really warm gloves.
View Boss Frosty Grip Latex Dipped Gloves here
Fit and Feel
These gloves fit snugly and allow your hand plenty of freedom to move as needed. They are suitable for driving and can be used for detailed work such as carpentry where dexterity matters.
Materials and Insulation
The insulation in these gloves is provided by the thick knit material that they are made of. They do not have lots of layers to make your hands clumsy while keeping them warm but do feature a brushed Acrylic shell which makes them extra warm. Wearers report good result down to temperatures below 10 degrees.
The front of the fingers and palm are coated with latex for protection and durability.
Favorite features: great tactile sensitivity and no loss of movement
Best for: users who need to the freedom to work with their hands
For more guides check out our guide to Best Cold Weather Gloves
