Because it is inconvenient to drive with my hands in my pockets

December 22, 2008 12:05 PM

Looking for water-resistant/proof, wind resistant, and warm mittens or gloves. Versatile enough to be able to drive with, but warm enough for extended walks outside and waterproof enough for snow shoveling, etc. Giant ski mittens are awesome, but somewhat limiting in dexterity.

So this winter has sucked so far (it was still -11 °F at noon! yay!) and my current mittens are no longer cutting it. (I knit but I feel like natural fibers or even felted mittens are not going to cut it in this instance? Especially on the waterproof part?)

My dream mitten/glove:
-I prefer mittens, but am willing to look at gloves. I am also a fan of the "lobster gloves" bikers often wear.
-Mostly waterproof/windproof.
-Warm enough so I don't have to curl up my fingers and drive with my fists.
-Maintain some dexterity for driving, maybe a grippy leather/pleather palm.
-I am a lady, so cuteness is ok, but not overly cute (somewhere in between giant black snowmobiling mittens and cute pink ski bunny mittens)
-Willing to spend up to $40-50, so hopefully that is good enough for the things I request. I want good mittens/gloves, but they don't have to be Mt. Everest good.

Suggestions? Thanks, and stay warm!

posted by sararah to sports, hobbies, & recreation (12 answers total)

What you want is neoprene, my cold friend.
posted by Pollomacho at 12:08 PM on December 22, 2008

just a thought - try Dale Hauk if you're still interested in knitting some more. It's superwash wool coated with Teflon - a bit icky to knit with (it feels kind of dry and papery) but it really does live up to its promises. If you dip a swatch in water and pull it out, the water just beads right off. They won't keep it out forever - it's knitted fabric after all - but it's a fun option. Try knitting a fine liner on the inside for extra warmth/windproofness.

Raw wool/any wool with some lanolin left in has some of the same properties, too.

Gloves to buy: I think Under Armor makes all kinds of good stuff. I have a lot of their cold gear for running, and it rules - breathable but warm, even in 10 degree weather. I wear these as my everyday gloves; the logo is sort of dumb looking but they're warm and functional and flexible.
posted by peachfuzz at 12:17 PM on December 22, 2008 [2 favorites]

I've recommended these elsewhere. Sealskinz seem to offer a glove for every conceivable purpose.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 12:39 PM on December 22, 2008

I was fortunate enough several years ago to find a pair of LL Bean's Sheepskin Driving gloves at a yardsale for a dollar. They are ridiculously warm and quite water resistant and seem like they will last forever.

They don't seem to sell those in women's sizes (mine are like the men's) but there are these and they make a mitten too.

For my work, I wear neoprene gloves a lot. They are great for when you know your hands are going to get wet, because they hold your body heat even when they're soaked (I'm a stream ecologist). But for day to day wear I love my fuzzy sheep gloves, and they're fine in snow and rain.
posted by hydropsyche at 1:28 PM on December 22, 2008

Bear in mind, layering principles can apply to gloves as well. It means you have several gloves of varying thicknesses lying around, but it gives you more flexibility depending on task and temperature. For example, you could have thin synthetic liners, under fleece gloves, and covered with a gore-tex shell for water/wind resistance.

I have at least a half dozen actively used gloves that I pick and choose and combine based on circumstance.
posted by hungrysquirrels at 1:35 PM on December 22, 2008

Not even close to cute, but these are the warmest mittens I've ever owned. They are loose enough around the hands to allow for decent dexterity.
http://www.armynavydeals.com/asp/products_details.asp?ST=2&SKU=ACGLAAG

You can find them much cheaper on ebay, but this was the best picture/description I could find.
posted by paxton at 2:35 PM on December 22, 2008

Sorry about the link, or lack of link in the last reply.
posted by paxton at 2:38 PM on December 22, 2008

Lands End makes a fine Squall glove. I'm never quite sure what to use the adorable top-of-glove zipper pouch for, but they're flexible and toasty.

(men, women's, and childrens sizes)
posted by mcbeth at 3:06 PM on December 22, 2008

Go to your local farm and tractor store (or visit Tractor Supply on the web) and pick up a pair of the bright yellow deerskin gloves with Thinsulate/ fleece lining. West Chester is a good brand. They are warm and get more pliable and soft with use and abuse. They're also not all that expensive.
posted by weezetr at 8:02 PM on December 22, 2008

I ended up buying a pair of Marmot Windstopper Gloves last night, after trying on a few of the above suggestions, including these Moutain Hardwear Gloves suggested by another mefite. I went with the windstopper gloves even though they were a bit more pricey because something fleecey didn't seem like it would be adequate, and I had a coupon at my local sporting good store! ;)

I am currently wearing the new gloves as a liner to my crappy mittens, and I'm still in search of some sort of a better mitten shell for really heavy duty situations. But crappy mitten + windstopper glove meant my hands were delightfully toasty last night. Today it is downright balmy at +21 °F, so I may be able to go out with just the new windstopper gloves. hungrysquirrels got me thinking about layering, and I think that is the way to go for maximum versatility. I am going to have to try some of that teflon yarn, however!
posted by sararah at 9:39 AM on December 23, 2008

I just bought a pair of neoprene gloves based on the positive comments here, and they are awful. It's only around freezing today and my fingers were quickly numb and frozen. To be scientific I had the neoprene glove on one hand and just a fleece glove on the other. The neoprene was wet and clammy - and the fleece was warm, soft and cozy. I was biking, but it was slippery and snowy today, so I wasn't going fast enough to exert myself or get sweaty. Do I need a liner or something?
posted by kamelhoecker at 1:30 PM on December 23, 2008

Did you try getting the gloves wet, kamelhoecker? The fleece, it does nothing when wet, but the neoprene is exactly the same, for you that seems to be not so good. I'm not sure what is the problem. I've had some great, toasty, and very waterproof neoprene gloves. It seems to help if they have a cloth like lining to them and if you buy them tight fitting. I've been duck hunting in waders in a pond where we had to break holes in the ice for the ducks to land and the only thing warm on my body was my hands, safe in their little neoprene shells.
posted by Pollomacho at 6:38 AM on December 24, 2008