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NO ONE enjoys cold hands, but some of us take them more seriously than others. Some of us take them personally.
For those select few, a nice warm pair of winter gloves just won't cut it: Our vendetta with winter weather requires serious heat. Electric heat. If you count yourself among in the battle against numb knuckles and frozen digits, the best heated gloves can deliver the firepower you need to turn the tide.
Best Overall
The North Face Montana Inferno Etip Heated
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Best for snowsports
Outdoor Research Prevail Heated GTX Glove
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Best for casual wear
Outdoor Research Sureshot Heated Softshell Glove
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Best battery alternative
HotHands Sweater Fleece Gloves
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Best Heated Jackets | Best Blankets | Best Heated Socks | Best Touchscreen Gloves | Best Tech Gadgets for Men | Best Winter Coats
What to Look for
You've got plenty of options to choose from out there (too many, if you ask us), but we've found three major factors separate the best heated gloves from the rest of the pack. Whether you're considering one of our favorite gloves on the list below or something we haven't included, we recommend taking each of the following into consideration.
Battery Life
Lithium battery technology has come a long way in the last decade, but despite all the latest advances, generating heat still runs a battery down pretty quickly. Heated gloves have the complicated job of keeping their batteries as compact and unintrusive as possible while also delivering the longest lasting heat possible.
For this reason, the current "benchmark" in heated glove battery life is roughly 8 hours. Some models deliver less, some a bit more in the right conditions, but we consider an 8 hour battery to be an "all-day" glove.
In the article below, you'll see each glove's maximum battery life listed in the specs. This figure represents the glove's runtime on it's lowest setting, although three or more heat levels are typically available on any heated glove. Running these gloves at their higher settings generates considerably more heat, but it also eats through the battery life very quickly. In our experience, an "8 hour battery" typically lasts between 2-3 hours with the heat on full blast.
Insulation
The insulation in your heated gloves plays two roles: Keeping the cold out and keeping the heat in. While your main source of warmth from a pair of heated gloves is obviously electric heat, it's important to remember that if/when their batteries die, you don't want to be left with a useless pair of gloves.
A well-insulated pair of mittens trap both the warmth of your glove's heating mechanism and your body's natural heat inside. Personally, we prefer a more heavily insulated pair of gloves in just about any setting, as you can always run the heat on a lower setting in milder weather, but when the temps really drop, you'll want all the warmth you can get.
Weather Protection
As is the case with any glove, protection from wind and wet can be just as important as outright warmth depending on your intended use. A well-insulated glove will continue to warm your hands when wet, but even with the right synthetic fill, we still prefer a waterproof glove for a few reasons.
First, warm and dry hands are always preferable to warm and wet ones, regardless of whether you're skiing, hiking, or just keeping comfortable around town. Second, we prefer a degree of waterproofing on any heated glove because at the end of the day, there are batteries and potentially sensitive electronics inside. We say potentially because most heated gloves are safe for complete submersion in water (many are even washing machine safe), but it's always better to have a waterproof liner and not need it for peace of mind.
Best Overall
The North Face Montana Inferno Etip Heated
Best Overall
The North Face Montana Inferno Etip Heated
Pros
- Long battery life
- Durable construction
- Weatherproof and well insulated
Cons
- Would prefer GoreTex waterproofing
- Typical bulky ski glove feeling
Durable, dependable, weatherproof, and heated: The North Face Montana Inferno gloves are truly the total package, and somehow do it all for less money than other premium brands.
In addition to being a great all-around winter glove with ample insulation and North Face's excellent eTip touchscreen technology, the Montana Inferno also packs our favorite heating system of the bunch with 8 hours of battery life and no-fuss USB recharging.
Specs:
Battery life | 8 hours |
---|---|
Insulation | 250g Heatseeker polyester |
Weatherproofing | Waterproof/windproof |
Best for snowsports
Outdoor Research Prevail Heated GTX Glove
Best for snowsports
Outdoor Research Prevail Heated GTX Glove
Pros
- Premium materials and construction
- GoreTex waterproofing
- 8 hour battery life
Cons
- 6-7 hour charge time
- Expensive
- May be too narrow for wider hands
The Outdoor Research Prevail GTX is just what you'd expect from a premium outdoors brand that got its start making winter gear. These bad boys have everything you want in a technical ski glove including a GoreTex liner, rugged goat leather palms, and plenty of toasty EnduraLoft polyester insulation.
We love that the Prevail's battery packs enough juice for 8 full hours of warmth on its lowest setting, which means one fully charged set of batteries is all you need for a full day on the slopes. They'll cost you a bit more than most of the competition, but as is the case with most Outdoor Research products, there's no denying these gloves are built to last.
Specs:
Battery life | 8 hours |
---|---|
Insulation | 333g Enduraloft polyester |
Weatherproofing | Waterproof/windproof |
Best for casual wear
Outdoor Research Sureshot Heated Softshell Glove
Best for casual wear
Outdoor Research Sureshot Heated Softshell Glove
Pros
- Excellent dexterity and feel
- Buttery soft fleece lining
- 8 hour battery life
Cons
- Not as weatherproof as a dedicated ski glove
- 6-7 hour recharge time
If you're looking for a solid do-it-all winter glove, the Outdoor Research Sureshot is our favorite pick. The Sureshot isn't as heavily insulated or robust as a dedicated ski glove like the Prevail gloves above, but that's also what makes them great.
Because these gloves use more pliable 2-way stretch material and thinner 100g insulation, they deliver much better feel and dexterity for everyday tasks like driving, opening doors, and using your phone. They still retain a respectable degree of wind and waterproofing too, so they can handle part-time duty on the slopes when called upon.
Specs:
Battery life | 8 hours |
---|---|
Insulation | 100g EnduraLoft polyester |
Weatherproofing | Water resistant/wind resistant |
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Pros
- Full-coverage heat panel technology
- Fully wind and waterproof
- Toasty 240g synthetic insulation
Cons
- 4 hour recharge time
- Less battery life than some
Seirus is arguably the first name in heated winter gloves, and their HeatTouch technology is the driving factor that makes their products stand out. See, where other heated gloves run a stretch of wire to deliver electric heat, Seirus uses a single flexible panel, which covers the entire back of the hand and even stretches over the fingertips.
The result is consistent heat and coverage throughout the glove, made that much sweeter thanks to Seirus' 240g of synthetic insulation. These gloves are also fully wind and waterproof, so they're ideal for everything from ski trips to shoveling snow out of the driveway.
Specs:
Battery life | 6 hours |
---|---|
Insulation | 240g synthetic fill |
Weatherproofing | Waterproof/windproof |
Best heated glove liners
Day wolf Heated Gloves Liners
Best heated glove liners
Day wolf Heated Gloves Liners
Pros
- Velvety-soft polyester lining
- Work by themselves or paired with other gloves
- Waterproof and touch-screen friendly
Cons
- Not particularly warm on their own
- Limited battery life
In seriously cold temperatures, a good pair of glove liners is a great way to boost the warmth and insulation of a pair of winter gloves. Heated glove liners like these from Day Wolf transform any of your current gloves into heated gloves, but they also work well on their own.
That's because Day Wolf gave these liners an exterior waterproofing treatment as well as touchscreen-friendly fingertips. As a glove liner, the heat on these is on the milder side though, so if you're looking for a standalone pair for cold weather, you'll probably want something more substantial.
Specs
Battery life | 6 hours |
---|---|
Insulation type | Polyester fleece |
Weatherproofing | Waterproof/wind resistant |
Best battery alternative
HotHands Sweater Fleece Gloves
Best battery alternative
HotHands Sweater Fleece Gloves
Pros
- Super affordable
- No battery needed
- Up to 10 hours of heat per warmer
Cons
- Use single use chemical handwarmers
- No wind/water protection
We'll wager you're familiar with the HotHands brand: These folks have been making everyone's favorite chemical hand and boot warmers for decades, and we've all experienced the decadent warmth those little wonders deliver.
These gloves are made specifically for use with chemical hand warmers, and incorporate separate pockets into each glove for stashing one packet each. Their all-fleece construction is simple but cozy, and HotHands even worked conductive fibers into the mix, so these gloves are touchscreen friendly as well.
Specs:
Battery life | N/A (warmers last up to 10 hours) |
---|---|
Insulation | Fleece |
Weatherproofing | None |
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How We Selected
If you're shopping for heated gloves, we probably don't need to tell you that there are a shocking number of no-name products out there (most of them spelled in all capital letters) whose customer reviews and apparent quality don't seem to match.
That's why we select all of our products from (a) brands we know and use ourselves or (b) those with overwhelmingly positive customer feedback. Yes, there are cheaper gloves out there, but in our experience it's always worth spending a few extra dollars for dependable winter gear.
Kurt Spurlock
Contributing Gear Commerce Writer
Kurt Spurlock is a commerce writer who specializes in outdoor gear and motorcycles. His work has been featured in Men's Journal, The Manual, and Bike EXIF.