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Question: What are the best ski gloves? I have Reynolds syndrome in my hands and need really warm gloves.

NewEnglandSkier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@lisamamot when you found out the women's mercury mitt had less insulation did you call Black Diamond to find out the info or did you get it from their website? This year they may have changed the insulation in the women's as it says 340 g (on the website) for both men and women's. I'm thinking of getting a pair of these so was just curious.
 

bounceswoosh

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I had never heard of Astis before, but after a quick search now I want a pair!

@bounceswoosh how does the sizing run? On their chart I'd be a small, but right on the fence of being a medium...

I was between sizes, ordered one size, wasn't sure, ordered the other, hemmed and hawed, finally went with the larger size. The problem for me was the length of the thumb - with the smaller size, my thumb was up against the limits of the mitten thumb, and I knew that would irritate me. Otherwise smaller would have been a more functional fit - I really can't do anything with my mittens except hold my poles - but possibly not as warm, with less of an air pocket.

Really the point maybe is that I ordered them direct from Astis, and they were totally willing to send me two pairs (and pay for them) and then let me return the one that didn't fit as well. I don't recall the shipping arrangement - I assume I paid for return shipping.
 

lisamamot

Angel Diva
@lisamamot when you found out the women's mercury mitt had less insulation did you call Black Diamond to find out the info or did you get it from their website? This year they may have changed the insulation in the women's as it says 340 g (on the website) for both men and women's. I'm thinking of getting a pair of these so was just curious.
I did not call the company. Ordered Womens for myself and then men's for my daughter. Tags showed different insulation grams, but that was last year.
 

Ski CT

Certified Ski Diva
What do you recommend?
I too have Raynaud's, and I find that mittens, with thin glove liners and hand warmers (Hot Hands, etc. from Costco by the case!) between, works great in even the coldest conditions.
 

MaineSkiLady

Angel Diva
^^ This, with the emphasis on the liners. They need not be skiing-specific, as long as they are thin. I get mine at end of season close-outs at big box discount stores. The trick is to NEVER TAKE THEM OFF while you are outside. If you need to text, find a pair that is touch-screen-compatible. (Note: I do not have Raynaud’s but simply deal with a wildly cold climate and ski mountain.)

I rode chairlift with a lady who had Astis mittens, and I asked about them. She said they were warm, but she was way disappointed in how they were wearing - that the cowhide leather got very soiled, and quickly. She said she wouldn’t spent that kind of money again on a mitt that looked like this in less than half a season.

I have a similar beef with Hestra, who makes many models with WHITE palms, and in “goat skin leather,” no less. Well, that’s not only going to be high maintenance for material, the leather is going to show soil - FAST. Why white? So you’re all the more aware of how old and crummy your gloves look? Pass, especially with that price tag.

It’s really more about the layering and trapping air than it is the specific brand of mitten. I’ve done fine with mittens that are <$30, liners that are .25/pair.
 

Heather Burke

Diva in Training
I have Raynaud's and am on medication to increase my circulation. The best I have found so far are the Black Diamond Mercury Mitt. I also have a pair of Hestra mitts, and for me they are a very close #2. If the men's Mercury fits, then choose that over the women's as it has slightly more insulation. Hand warmers are still essential.
Hey cool ladies, lol, I have Raynauds as well, not pleasant in ski country - so I love my Scott leather mittens with a daily dose of HotHands disposable hand warmers (I have blasted through boxes of brands- these last longest and best for me). I buy them by the case from my local ski shop - it's my buck a day habit.
 
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bounceswoosh

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I rode chairlift with a lady who had Astis mittens, and I asked about them. She said they were warm, but she was way disappointed in how they were wearing - that the cowhide leather got very soiled, and quickly. She said she wouldn’t spent that kind of money again on a mitt that looked like this in less than half a season.

I have a similar beef with Hestra, who makes many models with WHITE palms, and in “goat skin leather,” no less. Well, that’s not only going to be high maintenance for material, the leather is going to show soil - FAST. Why white? So you’re all the more aware of how old and crummy your gloves look? Pass, especially with that price tag.

My Astis still look like new after 20 or so days. For my Hestras, I'd just as soon they don't look brand new, but they don't look soiled, just used - I've had mine for several years and they are still going strong, although I did replace the liner. Maybe rubbed conditioner on them once.

Why would ski gloves get soiled? If you're a ski patroller or do lift maintenance, sure, but otherwise?
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Why would ski gloves get soiled? If you're a ski patroller or do lift maintenance, sure, but otherwise?
Riding the Alta Lodge rope tow didn't do great things for my Hestra gloves. :smile:

Don't get me started on what happens to kids' gloves/mittens.
 

bounceswoosh

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Riding the Alta Lodge rope tow didn't do great things for my Hestra gloves. :smile:

Don't get me started on what happens to kids' gloves/mittens.

Ah. Rope tows have not figured prominently in my skiing life.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Ah. Rope tows have not figured prominently in my skiing life.
Haven't come across that many rope tows out west besides at Alta. There is one at Bridger.

Even J-bars, T-bars, and poma lifts can get gloves dirty. PowMow has a poma. Big Sky has one that's used for access for some of the condos in the base village. Plenty of them scattered around the east. Massanutten has a J-bar for the big terrain park.
 

bounceswoosh

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Haven't come across that many rope tows out west besides at Alta. There is one at Bridger.

Even J-bars, T-bars, and poma lifts can get gloves dirty. PowMow has a poma. Big Sky has one that's used for access for some of the condos in the base village. Plenty of them scattered around the east. Massanutten has a J-bar for the big terrain park.

Maybe I just don't care as much as some people do about what the palms of my gloves look like. I do care more about keeping the Astis mitts pretty - but even more than that, I just want them to keep me warm.

I'll echo @MaineSkiLady - I always wear an extremely light, wicking liner under my mittens. This allows me to pull off my mittens when I need to do stuff (write on a notepad, fiddle with buckles, etc) without losing all the warmth in my fingers. I'm a big fan of these: https://www.burton.com/default/burt...-131701.html?cgid=mens-snowboard-glove-liners - my hands never feel sweaty in them, and they do work decently with phones. They're pretty delicate, so they don't last forever, but they're not crazy expensive, either.
 

Christy

Angel Diva
Why white? So you’re all the more aware of how old and crummy your gloves look? Pass, especially with that price tag.

Agreed. My husband and I got these on sale, and they were filthy almost immediately. White is such an odd choice. I think the filth happens from grabbing onto the center bar or chair backs of those super fast fixed grip lifts. I don't use rope tows or t-bars much, but fixed grip lifts are common where I ski.
 

altagirl

Moderator
Staff member
I've had both white and turquoise blue leather gloves that never got noticeably dirty using the Alta transfer row regularly. But the rope is usually covered in snow, not dirt or grease or anything.

I wouldn't avoid light colored (or white) gloves/mittens, but I guess you have to know what you normally encounter and your tolerance for gear looking used.
 

lisamamot

Angel Diva
Unlike ski ct and maineskilady, I go without liners. I have tried with and without thin liners (probably a half dozen different types) and found I was definitely warmer without liners. Skin-to-skin contact, and direct contact with the hand warmers, worked better for me.
 

altagirl

Moderator
Staff member
Unlike ski ct and maineskilady, I go without liners. I have tried with and without thin liners (probably a half dozen different types) and found I was definitely warmer without liners. Skin-to-skin contact, and direct contact with the hand warmers, worked better for me.

Same for me. Disposable heaters are mandatory, but liners just make my hands colder in the mittens. I need mittens to keep my fingers together, so liners do the opposite and separate them again. My mittens often have a separate chamber for the index finger in the mitten liners and on cold days I move that finger over into the main compartment with the rest of my fingers. Dexterity is nice, but not if I can't feel my fingers anyway.
 

Ski CT

Certified Ski Diva
Unlike ski ct and maineskilady, I go without liners. I have tried with and without thin liners (probably a half dozen different types) and found I was definitely warmer without liners. Skin-to-skin contact, and direct contact with the hand warmers, worked better for me.
I tried that once, and the heat packs burned my skin.
 

Jenny

Angel Diva
I wear mitten liners inside the mittens. Then my fingers touch and I'm protected from burning. I just wish there were a little bitty thumb sized warmer for that compartment, but I just take my thumbs out and put them with the others on the lift ride up, and hope I don't need to grasp something quickly.
 

altagirl

Moderator
Staff member
I wear mitten liners inside the mittens. Then my fingers touch and I'm protected from burning. I just wish there were a little bitty thumb sized warmer for that compartment, but I just take my thumbs out and put them with the others on the lift ride up, and hope I don't need to grasp something quickly.

On really cold days I use two sets of disposable heaters and jam one in each thumb.
 

bounceswoosh

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I know the packaging warms against that, but they barely feel more than warm on my skin. I don't know if I tolerate more heat than most or what.
I think you do. If I'm not wearing liners, the chemical packs hurt.
 

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