Gloves for a Minnesota winter
December 12, 2024 2:22 PM   Subscribe

In January, one of our sons will travel from Florida into the teeth of his first winter at his Minnesota college. He'll have long walks to the music building and if his fingers freeze off, the clarinet will become even more challenging.

He's got a great jacket and boots and socks, and a Merino wool underlayer, hat and scarf, but somehow we did not get him gloves. There have been a LOT of posts asking about thin gloves that are suitable for exercise or work, but nothing recent about true cold-weather gloves. An Amazon search is bewildering in volume and options.

Goals are: Warm in zero-degrees F weather, waterproof, not incredibly bulky or otherwise dorky-looking in a way that would discourage use. He's unlikely to be doing outdoor sports where finger dexterity would matter (but would not want mittens, see dorkyness caution previously). He has size-S hands and thin wrists, so ability to tighten the gloves at the wrists is important. Bonus question: Seems like a lot of gloves have touchpad-sensitive fingertips. He'd probably like that, but does that even work in a glove thick enough to keep fingers warm?

Looking for suggestions on brands, style, design, outer materials, insulating materials, etc -- anything you've got. Thanks!
posted by martin q blank to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (43 answers total) 5 users marked this as a favorite
 
When I moved to a cold and icy state from a very hot and sunny one, I waited until I was there and asked other people what they owned and kind of checked out the fashion before investing. For example I noticed at my gym that like 50% of the snow boots that girls wore were the same type so I got that. I’d see people with coats and warm stuff that looked great and just asked. It was cold the first week or so as I made due but honestly the stuff I ended up getting was ideal and also fit right in with the local style which is nice if that’s important to you. Is there a student email or Facebook group he could start asking? Otherwise it’s a great ice breaker to talk to people in person.

Also since you did not ask for that answer, outdoor research and north face makes a lot of really warm and waterproof gloves. It’s best to have a couple of different types of pair so you can either layer or not sweat too much. Hands are such extremity I have found that a heavy pair of water proof mittens, liners for those, a pair of leather insulated gloves, and some knit gloves are a good kit for me.
posted by cakebatter at 2:33 PM on December 12, 2024 [5 favorites]


Check out the "lobster" gloves that Nordic skiers wear. You want there to be a lot of airspace inside. Nothing that fits tight. These are not dorky they're for serious athletes.
posted by Arctic Circle at 2:36 PM on December 12, 2024 [2 favorites]


Since it sounds like the main use is walking around campus - probably any glove will do, provided his jacket has cozy lined-pockets.

The outdoor gear lab website has given me reliably good advice, if you search "gloves" numbers lists come up, I'd start there.
posted by coffeecat at 2:37 PM on December 12, 2024 [4 favorites]


I shop for my gloves at the hardware store, the kind housebuilders wear to work in the winter -- they tend to be heavier leather, better insulated, and more dexterous than something like ski gloves. They're probably not cool-looking but IMHO they do better. I buy the cheap ones and they do OK, I'm sure there's more expensive better ones but don't have first-hand experience.

Note that, as a Minnesotan, when it gets to -10°F (like it is today), you're going to get cold if you're outside, no matter what you do. Your fingers are still going to get cold, just not as cold or dangerously cold.
posted by AzraelBrown at 2:41 PM on December 12, 2024 [5 favorites]


I have a version of these Kinco ski gloves that have held up well and kept me pretty warm through a few Vermont winters. Use the wax they come with and they are pretty water proof, though he'll need to keep up with wax over multiple years.

I might also tell him to visit a store in Minnesota, where there will be plenty of options to try on and see what he likes best in person.

Finally, there are numerous hand warmers now, beyond the Hot Hands packets, that work great. There are rechargeable battery ones, refillable Zippo ones, etc. If he's going to be outside for very long periods of time, regardless of the quality of glove, these can be very helpful.
posted by papayaninja at 2:43 PM on December 12, 2024 [3 favorites]


I love Buffalo wool gloves because they’re very warm and stay warm even when wet

https://thebuffalowoolco.com/collections/rtw-gloves
posted by congen at 3:06 PM on December 12, 2024 [1 favorite]


Minnesotans wear mittens for proper cold, because gloves of any thickness are not warm enough. You use your pockets and thin touch-screen sensitive gloves for just walking around campus or whatever, but if he is planning on going outside in the winter here and spending any time out there, he truly does need mittens. Or, even more useful, a warm, thin glove to use as a liner with choppers. (Not an endorsement of this specific brand or anything, but for real, this is what actual winter hand warmth requires.)
posted by shadygrove at 3:09 PM on December 12, 2024 [17 favorites]


In zero degree weather, dorky-ness concern goes right out the window.

I have a pair of these, U.S. Military Surplus ECW Flyer's Mitts.

Mine are olive, not camo, but are really warm.
posted by Marky at 3:22 PM on December 12, 2024 [5 favorites]


The North Face Etip gloves are not the warmest or most durable option, but they're warm, not incredibly bulky, the touchpad sensitivity is best-in-class for this kind of glove, and they probably won't read as dorky to a college student in 2024. Get something in black.
posted by box at 3:22 PM on December 12, 2024 [1 favorite]


Depending on how long that walk is he may want to consider gloves under mittens. As pointed out above mittens offer superior warmth when it’s really really cold. This Californian who also went to college in MN learned that lesson outside of class.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 3:50 PM on December 12, 2024 [3 favorites]


Spent 4 winters in Southern Minnesota at college. Gets damned cold. Freshman year first winter, every weekend in January the old school wind chill was 100 below...

But they will get used to it. By my junior year, we were playing broomball on the Bald Spot, at 10PM, with subzero temps. No big deal.

But agree will all up[thread who say mittens. More air to warm up.
posted by Windopaene at 4:05 PM on December 12, 2024 [4 favorites]


Best answer: If it's actually cold, he wants mittens, not gloves. Signed, someone from Fairbanks AK, where it gets pretty cold.

I've had good luck with Gordini.
posted by leahwrenn at 4:25 PM on December 12, 2024 [2 favorites]


This type of weather really needs some type of Goretex (or unbranded similar type of tech) gloves or mittens. It allows the gloves to be less bulky. If he wants some versatility to use his fingers for his phone, I suggest layering with liners. The Patagonia liners that just came out are A+++. If I may suggest, he might want to consider getting the Goretex gloves in a neon color to make them easy to find. We usually have our gloves come back to us even when we do lose them because our gloves are so distinctive and people remember the color.
posted by ichimunki at 4:25 PM on December 12, 2024 [4 favorites]


Silk glove liners are great.
posted by jgirl at 4:27 PM on December 12, 2024 [3 favorites]


I moved from SoCal to western Wisconsin a decade ago, where I had to walk my dog outside first thing in the morning, even if it was -15, so I figured I needed something pretty bombproof. I ended up getting these from LL Bean.

In practice, I ended up using a variety and there was no one true glove. I had some thinner liner gloves I already had for camping from REI, a pair I'd gotten when I was in college in the mid-90s from Columbia that were a thicker but not LL Bean mitten thick, and some ski gloves I'd had for a long time, and I'd end up using different things based on how cold it actually was. I might stay a little warmer than most people because I'm big, but I was fine with pretty much nothing down to the high 20s, the liner gloves for a bit below that, the Columbias down to single digits at least, and I ended up using the liners inside the Columbias if it got really cold - I tried wearing the LL Beans a few times, but for the length of time I was typically outside they were overkill.
posted by LionIndex at 4:35 PM on December 12, 2024 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Lived in Minnesota and Wisconsin for 63 of my 66 years. As they say in The Magnificent Seven, “the graveyards are full of boys who were very young and very proud.” Except in this case it’s frostbite instead of the graveyard. Okay, the quote doesn’t really work, but you get the idea.

Part of becoming an adult is realizing that when it comes to protective clothing, fashion is simply not a concern. When it is warm—say down to 20° F, fashion is reasonable and gloves are okay. In colder weather, say down to -30° F, the traditional and best warm hand solution is leather choppers with warm wool mittens inside. Warm wool gloves inside are a second-best-but-still-good solution. “Waterproof” is unnecessary—if it is cold, they won’t get wet.

Going to a store in Minnesota is another great idea. Fleet Farm has a lot of hand-holding devices. So does REI if cost is not an issue. I hope whatever solution he adopts he still plays the clarinet next year!
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 4:41 PM on December 12, 2024 [7 favorites]


Nthing that mittens are much warmer than gloves. If it's seriously cold (like below 0F in actual temperature or windchill), mittens are worth it. I also agree that you don't need waterproof at those temperatures - nothing is going to melt.

At a minimum, I'd do two options - very warm mittens (or gloves I guess if he refuses to wear mittens) for extreme cold and waterproof gloves for milder temp outdoor recreation (snowball fights etc). Personally I'd also add a third pair of thin, non waterproof gloves for maximum dexterity when it's chilly but not frigid.
posted by maleficent at 4:52 PM on December 12, 2024 [2 favorites]


Best answer: For real, mittens will always keep fingers warmer than gloves because the warm air is shared.

I have leather "choppers" that slip over wool liners -- these will make him look like he Knows What's Up more than some fancy technical fabric gloves from REI. :7)

https://www.reddit.com/r/minnesota/comments/15v3veq/winter_choppersmittens_recommendations/
posted by wenestvedt at 5:23 PM on December 12, 2024 [1 favorite]


I realize you asked about gloves, but my wife, who lived in Minnesota for a while, said she learned the hard way about the need for other protective clothing - she said eye protection / goggles are necessary to keep the liquid on your eyeballs from freezing. Can others who have lived there corroborate that?
posted by TimHare at 5:46 PM on December 12, 2024 [2 favorites]


As a proud northerner I wear wool mittens, or sometimes I wear mittens that fold open to reveal my fingers when I need the dexterity. They might be called shooting gloves?

Regular gloves with full fingers are great if you like cold, immobile fingers.
posted by erpava at 5:54 PM on December 12, 2024 [2 favorites]


Goggles? They do nothing (except when skiing, snowboarding, or snow-blowing).
posted by wenestvedt at 6:26 PM on December 12, 2024 [2 favorites]


Saw a post above that triggered this...

There was a person, in my department's cohort, (that no one really liked), who went out running one morning. Wearing a t-shirt and shorts, when it was like -5...

Didn't work out well... But don't be stupid. Respect the cold. It will fuck you up. Better than heat though. You can always put on more layers. Not a t-shirt and shorts though...
posted by Windopaene at 6:30 PM on December 12, 2024 [1 favorite]


Apologies for another not-answer: I started using rechargeable hand warmers a few years ago and I just... don't wear gloves anymore. They are kind of life changing! I either keep them in my pockets or just hold them in my hands when I walk. Having a source of good hot heat when I'm out in the cold is such a huge mental boon. They have little straps so I can't accidentally drop them. Highly recommend! OCOOPA brand is good.
posted by kinsey at 6:34 PM on December 12, 2024 [1 favorite]


I am interested in the terminology here! What y’all are calling choppers I grew up calling garbage mitts. I wear them with wool mitts inside as liners. Mine are made of moosehide or deerhide and as a kid I used to chew on the leather. Mmm

Real cold calls for mitts.
posted by Lawn Beaver at 6:57 PM on December 12, 2024


I realize you asked about gloves, but my wife, who lived in Minnesota for a while, said she learned the hard way about the need for other protective clothing - she said eye protection / goggles are necessary to keep the liquid on your eyeballs from freezing. Can others who have lived there corroborate that?

I lived in Minnesota for over 30 years. You don't need goggles for daily use in winter. It may sometimes feel like your eyeballs are freezing, but they're not. It's definitely possible that the cold and wind will make your eyes water, and that it may feel like your tears are freezing, but they're almost certainly not. What will happen is that your glasses, if you wear them, will fog and frost up if they get any moisture on them.

Nthing mittens over gloves. Truly, they are superior for keeping hands warm.
posted by Janta at 6:57 PM on December 12, 2024 [3 favorites]


Windopaene : ....went out running one morning. Wearing a t-shirt and shorts, when it was like -5...

I went jogging one Minnesota winter day in shorts. I was 17, and invincible...until I slipped on ice (thanks, College of St. Thomas grounds guys!) and brutally twisted my ankle. I hopped on one foot the four blocks uphill to my dad's office, where I arrived BRIGHT RED but alive.

Lesson learned: I don't jog anymore.
posted by wenestvedt at 7:00 PM on December 12, 2024 [9 favorites]


LL Bean has chopper mitts as well
posted by LionIndex at 7:06 PM on December 12, 2024 [1 favorite]


Best answer: His boogers will freeze solid at some point this winter. He will be reluctant to discuss this with his family, but it will change him forever.

But with adequate mittens, his hands should not! Here are some amazing choppers, a pair of which I have worn for twenty-some years so far, made by the heirs of the late Henry Held of Ely, MN: http://henrysshoerepair.com/moosehide%20chopper%20mittens.html (I also have one of his belts, which is so much better than any other belt I have bought that I expect to be wearing it the day I die.)

If you get The Boy leather mittens and he is outside a lot, get two pair of wool liners so one can air out and dry while he wears the other ones.
posted by wenestvedt at 7:07 PM on December 12, 2024 [7 favorites]


I have some basic REI gloves that I use when I'm in Minnesota and they work fine. They even somehow work on touchscreens.
posted by umbú at 8:05 PM on December 12, 2024 [1 favorite]


Not currently living in that climate but I have previous experience, and I am nthing the gloves inside mittens thing when it is brutally cold out.

With that said, Mr. gudrun, who spends a lot of time on his phone outdoors in winter recommends Glider Gloves.
posted by gudrun at 8:08 PM on December 12, 2024 [1 favorite]


As kinsey mentioned above OCOOPA is a good brand of rechargeable hand warmers and some models have the feature of letting you charge your phone from them if need be. I am not in the Great White North but I don't like bitter cold any more than the next guy. FWIW.
posted by forthright at 8:08 PM on December 12, 2024 [1 favorite]


For Michigan winters I thrived in these heavy Carhartt mittens with merino gloves inside.
posted by skookumsaurus rex at 9:35 PM on December 12, 2024 [1 favorite]


Good advice above for brands and mittens but wanted to add: get him at least two pairs of whatever warmest one you buy. There will be a lost mitten before spring.
posted by ponie at 10:07 PM on December 12, 2024 [4 favorites]


He needs two pairs of hand wear:

Waterproof gloves for warmer (above 20°F) weather. It won’t be super cold the entire time he’s there and heavy mittens will be massive overkill when it’s above freezing.

Insulated mittens (no need for waterproofness) for when it’s actually COLD and for when he’ll be outside longer periods of time. Any of the above recommendations will be fine.
posted by theory at 10:14 PM on December 12, 2024 [3 favorites]


I lived in Minnesota for over 30 years. You don't need goggles for daily use in winter.

Agreed but you may want sunglasses if there’s fresh snow or if the walk is relatively rural, and those also help on high windchill days (regular glasses do too.)
posted by warriorqueen at 3:32 AM on December 13, 2024 [2 favorites]


If it’s cold enough to warrant mittens then I suggest some thin touchscreen-enabled gloves as an inner layer. Not sure whether previous responders have firsthand experience of just how much 2024 kids use their phones, but those mittens (or heavy screen-preventing gloves) will be coming off frequently.
posted by staggernation at 5:21 AM on December 13, 2024 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Echoing that Minnesotans stop caring about fashion REAL FAST when the temps dip into single digits or below. Especially as a musician who needs to keep his fingers dexterous, tell your kiddo to embrace mittens.

I have Raynaud's Syndrome and my fingers get cold quickly, but I have developed a perfect system over the years: flip-top mittens with touchscreen-enabled liners underneath. (These are the exact products that I have!) I can easily flip the mitten over and access my fingers if I need to send a text, dig for my car keys in my bag, etc. This will work great for walking across campus in a wide range of temps, and if his hands get hot, he can always remove the mitten part and just wear the liner.

I don't tend to spend a significant amount of time outside in subzero temps -- he may want something more serious if he plans to do so. Lots of good advice above for that scenario!
posted by leftover_scrabble_rack at 7:47 AM on December 13, 2024 [3 favorites]


I worked outside a lot in Northern Canada winters. Like all day at -30, without the wind chill.

I've used the Canadian Forces Extreme cold mitt.
They are gauntlet style with built in snot rag.
Similar to what Marky posted
I only used those while driving a snowmobile. Then they came off.
Do not recommend. Zero dexterity.

I would change into what shadygrove called choppers.

We never used the term
But I would buy a couple of rag wool inner mitts and a pair of leather outers.
I would buy them seperately from Mark's work warehouse.

They 're warm to use all day. Enough dexterity to write with pencil and notebook, and to operate survey equipment
The extra liner you would change out as needed.
Not gauntlet style which frankly just gets in the way. Pain in the ass
Not waterproof ,but that doesn't matter

You could use a very light fleece glove as a liner as well. Nowhere near as warm

For insulated gloves , again I avoid gauntlet style.
For insulation Primaloft works best.
It's a synthetic but is very soft almost down like feel'
You retain dexterity. It's more expensive
I pay extra for that. I find Thinsulate which is common to be too stiff

Overall you are going to need some light weight fleece gloves , used most often. Maybe a pair of synthetic insulated gloves. Nothing crazy.
And a pair of mitts. Even just inexpensive knit wool for those days where it's real cold.
posted by yyz at 7:54 AM on December 13, 2024 [4 favorites]


Response by poster: OK, wow! Thanks, everyone. I'm convinced -- mittens are The Way. And TIL what "choppers" means.

It sounds that just like layers are a good thing for the torso (flexibility, warmth), they're good for the hands. So maybe some thinner warm gloves (probably with touchscreen ability, because yes, he's a CS major and constantly fiddling with his phone) and mittens to wear either with or without them when it's really cold.

If he needs convincing on mittens, I'll show him the comments :)

I've given Mrs. Blank a link to this post and when she weighs in, I'll pick a "best answer." And will try to remember to stop back in and let you know what we chose.
posted by martin q blank at 8:02 AM on December 13, 2024 [1 favorite]


+1 to layering with gloves, the same as you layer a sweater and jacket. I use a thin synthetic material glove for the first layer (like a fake "silk") and then a nice chunky glove or mitten on top of that. Like with all layering, you get a "sum is greater than the parts" effect where, like, you feel 2.5x warmer even though you only have 2x (or whatever) material, if that makes any sense.
posted by Mid at 11:40 AM on December 13, 2024 [3 favorites]


I am Minnesotan. I wear these leather chopper mittens when it is super cold or when playing in snow. I wear these fleece mittens the rest of the time.
posted by Maarika at 12:33 PM on December 13, 2024 [2 favorites]


If you buy sufficiently oversized mittens, the loss of dexterity can be offset by the ability to carry an MP3 player (in Ye Olden Times) or a smaller phone (these days) inside the mittens for some limited uses.
posted by wenestvedt at 1:38 PM on December 13, 2024


Response by poster: OK, stopping back in. Thanks again to everyone. So many great answers; I tagged a few for the recommended products, the insight or simply the writing. (Looking at you, Gilgamesh's Chauffeur!)

We ended up going with these mittens from Gordini (brand recommended by leahwren). They checked a lot of the boxes that people recommended; in addition, they were available via Amazon, and we tried to buy all our Christmas gifts with the gazillion Amazon points we had accumulated via a credit card, because money is tight right now (paying two college tuitions will do that).

Loved the various choppers that people recommended, especially wenestvedt's pointer to Henry's Shoe Repair. Also came across these from Frost River and these from Chopper Mill -- which, FYI to future readers, specializes in mittens for kids and if your kid (of any age) loses a mitten, they will give you one free replacement, and will sell single mittens if you need another replacement down the line.

Thanks again, MetaFilter!
posted by martin q blank at 12:52 PM on December 30, 2024 [2 favorites]


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