There are potential hazards lurking around while you’re doing your everyday job and waiting to hurt your hands when you least expect it. But do you know what is more dangerous? Doing those when the temperature drops low. Frostbite is painful and dangerous, and the cold might reduce your hands’ efficiency and flexibility, resulting in more likelihood of dire mistakes.
Normal winter gloves might be warm but won’t be able to properly protect your hands and regular work gloves won’t protect you from the freezing cold. That’s why you need a pair of good quality winter work gloves to perform both duties.
There’s a lot to consider when choosing winter work gloves, and there’s no such thing as an all-around pair (at least from my experience). A good pair of winter work gloves must be warm yet breathable, durable enough for heavy-duty tasks yet dexterous enough for flexible jobs. They can also be waterproof or touchscreen compatible, lined or unlined, etc. Depending on the nature of your job, your weather condition, and your budget, determine what constitutes your ideal gloves.
This might sound a bit overwhelming to you especially if you’re finding your first pair of winter work gloves.
Here’s a review of the best winter work gloves to help you navigate your way
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TOP PICK
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TOP PICK
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Carhartt Men’s W.P. Glove |
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Carhartt Men’s W.B. Insulated Glove |
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BEST VALUE
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BEST VALUE
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Carhartt Cold Snap Work Glove |
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Youngstown Waterproof Winter Gloves |
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BUDGET PICK
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BUDGET PICK
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Superior Winter Work Gloves |
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OZERO Work Glove |
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OUR TOP CHOICE
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OUR TOP CHOICE
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OZERO Work Glove, Deerskin Leather |
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G & F 1528M GripMaster Work Glove |
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PREMIUM PICK
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PREMIUM PICK
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Wells Lamont Hi-Dexterity Gloves |
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Ironclad Ranchworx Work Glove |
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PREMIUM PICK
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PREMIUM PICK
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RefrigiWear Cowhide Leather Gloves |
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View Latest Price→ |
1: Carhartt Men’s W.P. Waterproof Insulated Glove
When it comes to blue-collar work gear, Carhartt is considered as the Ford of cars or the Jack Daniels of whiskey. Many favor Carhartt for its high-quality and diverse range products including winter collection. Therefore, it would be a total miss not to include a few of its products on this list.
At first glance, it appears that Carhartt has done a great job combining fashion to work gear, as these gloves have a cool physical design, especially the all-black version. The outer shell is almost waterproof as they don’t let water in easily but will eventually if they get soaked. Even when that happens, however, you won’t find your hands getting wet.
The soft lining is warm and heavenly smooth. However, it has a tendency to move around, making it quite challenging to put the gloves on. There’s a hook attachment for connecting the gloves together so as not to accidentally lose one of them. The cuff, despite being a bit small, is nice and long to cover your entire wrist and keep snow and debris out.
Regarding the ability to keep warmth, these gloves are capable of protecting your hands in 20°F weather for about 6 hours. Here’s the problem; they work too well that my hands come out dripping in sweat after a few hours of work, causing the lining to be soaking wet. Without enough time for drying, the gloves will start to emit a foul odor and actually turn colder from the sweat. One way around this is to flip the inside out and wash or dry them every day, or by another pair and take turn using to allow each of them to completely air dry.
As with most Carhartt gear, these gloves aren’t exactly form-fitting due to the bulky insulation, especially around the fingers. They are flexible enough to hold scrapers, small dials or knobs but not for other, more detailed or dexterous works. These are also not the most durable work gloves, admittedly, but most wintery tasks like snow blowing, shoveling or cleaning are totally doable with them.
The sizing runs a tad small, so order one size larger than you would normally wear. All things being said, these gloves are not perfect, but they are good-looking, warm and comfortable to wear. If that’s what you’re looking for, definitely go for these.
2: Carhartt Men’s W.B. Waterproof Insulated Glove
Here’s another, also well-made pair of winter work gloves coming from the brand Carhartt.
First off, these gloves have pretty impressive quality as well as look, as with most Carhartt products. If the inside is as soft as melted butter, the outside is sturdy and everything is sewn together very well. I once tested these gloves and found them to be water resistant, mostly against rain and melting snow. Plus, the Velcro and slip tie is useful to keep the unwanted snow out and hands dry.
Compared to its previous cousin, these Carhartt gloves are somewhat better in their ability to keep warmth, down to single digits and even sub-zero temperatures. I have worn these riding to work with temperature s in the 30’s and 60mph wind chill, and these gloves did keep my hands warm and comfortable. There’s even a “nose wipe” strip, which is kinda gross but is actually useful and comforting in a way.
When the gloves first arrived, I was pretty concerned about their bulkiness. Indeed, these gloves won’t operate small or intricate things well. Cameras aren’t easily manipulated as you have little tactile feeling and the fingers simply cover a large area. You will also have limited use with a smartphone, besides turning it on and off. There seems to be no problem with handling large pieces of equipment, however.
While riding, I’m still able to handle the turn signals, horn, and brakes with these gloves. I have also worn them in heavy fog and light rain while riding, and they did not disappoint, keeping me warm and dry. For skiing, trekking, driving, walking or simply being outside, these gloves will be perfect as well.
One issue with these gloves is that although they keep my hands warm and dry against outside sources, they might become slightly wet on the inside if you happen to have sweaty palms. Moreover, if your hands are damp, you might have a hard time getting these gloves on and taking them off without having the inside lining sticking out.
The sizing of these gloves is actually quite accurate and the gloves fit nicely, it’s just that the throat of the gloves is a tight squeeze, presumably to keep the cold and wind at bay. However, the tight opening makes them slow and hard to get on and off. After all, there is both an adjustable strap and a Velcro tab for tightening the wrist, so there’s not much need for another extra small opening.
3: Carhartt Men’s Cold Snap Insulated Work Gloves
As the last Carhartt recommendation, these winter work gloves receive much love for good reasons.
The construction and materials that made up these gloves are of good quality, as expected from Carhartt. The gloves are soft, comfortable to wear and feel like a baby’s blanket on the inside. There’s a tight strap for a snug fit and keep the wind and cold out instead of a tight elastic around the wrist, making it easier to put on. Plus, the cuffs can go over any size jacket sleeve and cinch tight for some extra fit.
The gloves are capable of protecting your hands down to near 0°F for several hours and about 2 hours in sub-zero temps before the cold sets in. Unfortunately, the insulation, as well as the stitching at the fingers area, is not as good as the rest of the hand, which means they are more vulnerable to the cold.
So, if you have pretty sensitive hands, you might want to take a look at some of the other suggestions here. If you’re still convinced on getting these gloves, one advice would be to layer a pair of glove liners underneath for more protection.
Because of the bulkiness of the fingers, removing and inserting my hands require some extra care to make sure they are comfortable enough. These gloves are not for fishing out keys from a pocket or small tool from the tray, but for outdoor works like snow blowing, chainsawing, moving branches, collecting and chopping firewood, these would make the ideal pair of winter gloves.
The size runs a little small, so go up by one size when ordering these gloves. Overall, these are tough, solid gloves that shouldn’t be overlooked and as long as you’re not exposing your fingertips while keeping them sedentary, you should be satisfied with these.
4: Youngstown Waterproof Winter Gloves
At such a price range, it’s not easy finding a pair of winter work gloves as good as these from Youngstown.
The construction of the gloves is high quality, with uniform and even stitching. They look and feel durable and will last for a long time, depending on the nature of your works. The rubber palm is rugged yet refined and provides a better grip for the gloves. Plus, the Velcro closure at the base works well to seal out the wind and keep most water from seeping into the gloves.
Speaking of water, these gloves are one of the best waterproof winter work gloves. You can submerge the gloves completely for a few seconds without having the water soaking through, and as a result, your hands stay warm and dry. If you submerge your hands too far, however, the water will without a doubt seep in behind the wrist strap. Fortunately, the gloves dry pretty quickly and will return to their normal state eventually.
Do you know that there are many surprising special features in gloves other than waterproof? This article will introduce gloves for special purposes.
The gloves are warm enough for approximately 20°F weather and above, lower than that and you might start to feel the cold. I wore them once while riding at 70mph at 40°F and was able relatively warm. Apparently, the fingers are not insulated enough to sacrifice for better tactility. Indeed, these Youngstown gloves are not as bulky as the previous gloves and are thin enough for an intricate pair of work gloves.
One complaint that many people have with these gloves is about the inner lining coming out when they take the gloves off, bunching up and making the next time you put them on more difficult. In my experience, almost every glove with an inner lining will face this issue. So, what I do is to pull the gloves off by pulling the gloves at the fingertips first and the lining tends to stay in place.
Another caveat is to avoid using the gloves around hot places as the woven top of the fingers, despite adding more dexterity and comfort, is fragile to the heat and can easily melt if touches something like ember or the fireplace. Also, go for a size bigger as sizing runs a bit small. Other than that, these are good, nice fitted gloves that are comfortable, durable and highly water-resistant. Definitely worth taking a look!
5: Superior Winter Work Gloves
If dexterity and affordability are higher than warmth on your list, these Superior winter work gloves might fit the bill.
These gloves are well-built and strong yet light and dexterous. They are also relatively warm and sufficiently windproof down to about 20°F for 4 hours, as long as you’re moving around. The tips of the fingers do get a little cold at 15 or 20 degrees especially when I’m not active for a few minutes. For sub-zero temperatures, these are better off being worn as glove liners rather than full-fledged gloves.
When you want to hang on securely to whatever you’re grabbing, few gloves can perform better. These Superior gloves feature a Micropore PVC coating on the palm to provide more grip. Plus, I also found out that I can scroll through my smartphone without having to take them off.
Although these gloves are not the most durable when it comes to heavy-duty works, their flexibility and grip are perfect for gardening, carpentry or house and farm chores and will last for a long time. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t recommend using these in wet conditions, as they are not completely water-resistant and take quite some time to throughout dry.
Sizing is pretty accurate, though the fingers are somewhat tight and constricting at first before loosening up afterward. Some people have complained about the fingers being too long for theirs, so if you have relatively short fingers, you might want to go down by one size or opt for another option.
All things aside, these gloves are a combination of light, dexterity, and affordability. For such a price, these Suprior winter work gloves definitely live up to its name.
6: OZERO Work Gloves Winter Lambswool for Men
These Ozero leather work gloves are my first go-to for handling heavy-duty winter outdoor works.
These gloves are made from split cowhide which, in case you’re wondering, is the most popular type of leather known for to its thickness, durability and abrasion resistance, making it ideal for heavy jobs. Indeed, the gloves have performed impressively and stood up to the abuse from chopping and stacking woods, shoveling or driving the tractor. One year later, they are still up and running with little signs of wear and tear.
Unfortunately, such thickness and durability come at the sacrifice of dexterity. Picking up small objects like nails and screws, or weeding the garden beds can be a challenging task wearing these Ozero gloves. One redeeming feature that the company has incorporated into the gloves is the Gunn cut and keystone thumb design in order to improve their dexterity.
The synthetic lambswool lining is incredibly warm and comfortable. In addition to serving as a layer of insulation, the lining also works as a vibration barrier, something that has been found to be in handy when using sanders or the lawnmower. One small improvement would be to add a wrist closure to prevent small debris from getting inside and get stuck in the lambswool after several uses.
It’s worth bearing in mind that cowhide is not as warm as other insulating materials, so you shouldn’t expect ski glove warmth from these gloves. They will be able to keep your hands warm for about 45 minutes in 15-20°F weather. Lower than that and you might want to switch to other warmer gloves.
These winter work gloves run somewhat on the smaller side, so make sure to go for the larger by one size. Cowhide requires a longer break-in time than other types of leather. Should you still find them to be a bit tight and stiff, try rubbing a handful of snow-seal leather protectant onto the gloves. This will make a big difference in breaking in the gloves, making them better overall.
7: OZERO Work Gloves, Deerskin Suede Leather for Men
If what you’re looking for is dexterity rather than durability, don’t worry because these Ozero has got you covered.
Unlike its cowhide brother, these gloves are built using a thin layer of deerskin leather. Deerskin is one of the softest and most dexterous types of leather, they are supple, stretchy, lightweight and offer good ventilation. As a result, these gloves are a pleasure to wear as they are much more comfortable and softer than cowhide.
Inside the gloves is a layer of 3M Thinsulate, together with another Thermal TR cotton layer. These gloves will offer enough warmth for your hands when the temperature drops to 15°F. Thanks to its natural flexibility and the reinforced grippy palm, these gloves are perfect for driving, snow blowing or shovelling.
One thing to take into consideration is that these gloves are not really water-resistant and will start soaking in water after a while. Although deerskin tends to remain pliable and supple after drying out, this is doubtlessly something the company should improve on. One way around this problem is to spray waterproofing on them before adding another water sealing repellent.
Other than that, there’s hardly anything undesirable about these gloves. The sizing is pretty accurate and the price is highly competitive. A true bargain, I must say!
8: G & F 1528M GripMaster Winter Work Gloves
In terms of price, these G&F gloves are unrivalled.
The gloves seem to be reasonably sturdy and well made, better than what I had expected seeing the price range. The neon orange color makes them easily noticeable and thus, harder to be lost. Regarding their ability to keep warmth, I wouldn’t expect much from these gloves, but they’re definitely warm enough if it’s 20°F with little wind.
The thick orange knit at the back of the hand and the cuff is sweater-like, soft and pretty warm though not waterproof. The palm and underside have a black neoprene coating, which is water-resistant and provides a great grip. I once wore these gloves while driving and my hands never came off the handlebars! Nevertheless, since the coating is rather bulky and stiff, these gloves might not be suited for working on vehicles or using small hand tools.
For light-duty works, these gloves could last for a few seasons. I have used these gloves to fix the gates, drive a tractor, do house chores and clean the snow off my car with ease while wearing these gloves. It’s worth noticing that as they’re not 100% waterproof, they are designed to be used while it’s cold and lightly snowing, and not for picking up the show itself.
The gloves fit true to size, though I would recommend going one size up should you have proportionally long fingers. Overall, well-made gloves that are offered at such a tempting price should not be overlooked.
9: Wells Lamont Men’s Hi-Dexterity Winter Gloves (7747L)
It’s almost impossible to find a good pair of winter work gloves that meet all 3 criteria: warmth, dexterity, and durability. These Wells Lamont winter work gloves try to satisfy all of the requirements.
These gloves are made with seemingly more durable leather than most others. The palm is synthetic leather, reinforced with abrasive resistant patching for another layer of protection and more durability. There are a fleece lining and 60g of Thinsulate for extra warmth. The gloves can keep my hands warm in temperature down to about 35°F, lower than that and my advice is to layer a pair of glove liners underneath.
Dexterity? These gloves offer reasonably for general work and operating machinery. However, they do not offer the best grip, especially for wooden carpentry or metal tool handles. If I have to handle very small finish nails, I do have to remove them. On the upside, these gloves are solidly constructed and offer decent durability. Unfortunately, many customers have reported about the stitching on the fingers and pads coming apart after a few weeks.
All things considered, Wells Lamont definitely put much effort in creating an all-around pair of winter work gloves, though the result is not flawless. The gloves do provide a great degree of water-resistance, which is a nice plus. They tend to run a bit small, so go for one size larger.
10: Ironclad Ranchworx Work Gloves RWG2-04-L
These Ironclad winter work gloves will be the “holy grail” for those searching for the best winter work gloves for dexterity to perform their intricate jobs.
I own quite a lot of work gloves over the years; including heavy-duty leather gloves for rough works that were stiff and restrictive, and lightweight high-tech cloth “mechanics” gloves that fit well, articulated easily, but wore out quickly and only gave moderate protection. These gloves combine the best of both styles. Each area of the hand has the optimum material (leather, fabric, rubber, etc.) for that area.
The goatskin leather looks nice and is washable. I’m able to hand wash these gloves and they still hold their shape, no shrinking, twisting or becoming stiff as they dry and last relatively longer than normal gloves. The material on the back allows air to get in so your hands don’t get too sweaty and the stitch work is pretty impressive. What’s more, the little nose wiper behind the thumb is a small feature set works great.
Whoever designed these gloves knows ergonomics and where dexterity is needed. The placement of the extra Kevlar padding is just spot on. The design of the fingertips allows for picking up small items with the gloves on, and the extra reinforcement on the fingers and knuckles doesn’t make them stiff or interfere with hand movements. Holding nails, tape measure, pressing the screen on my smartphone, writing in a notebook, turning pages, etc. are all accomplished easily enough.
In terms of warmth, I’d rate these gloves down to approximately 25°F if you’re moderately active. If the wind is up or the temperature drops below that, you might be better off considering an alternative.
They fit comfortably and provide the best freedom of movement of almost any work glove I’ve owned. They are easy to get on and off (you can optionally Velcro the cuff closed, but it’s not required). I find them to be tough and protective, and also light, flexible and comfortable. However, these gloves seem to be less on the durable side, so try to avoid working with sharp edges or barbwires while wearing them.
One good news is that these are among the few gloves that have actually accurate sizing. The gloves tend to fit your hands snugly, so if you prefer more room in your gloves, go one size up and you’re good to go. It’s safe to say that these are one of the best winter work gloves out there.
In case you’re still curious, here’s everything you need to know about work gloves, winter or not.
11: RefrigiWear Double Insulated Cowhide Leather Gloves
While the Ironclad gloves above are the perfect example of dexterity, these RefrigiWear winter work gloves can boast of their durability.
Made from split cowhide and stitched with strong Kevlar thread, these gloves are thick and very durable, perfect for anyone looking for a good heavy pair of winter gloves. There are reinforced paddings on the fingers and palms, where they endure the most wear and tear. What’s more, the double insulation allows the gloves to bear temperatures down to 10°F.
Unfortunately, one downside to having thick insulation is that it comes at the cost of dexterity, as these gloves are on the thick and rigid side. Still, they can hold a chainsaw, splitting axe, tongs or logs and are great for snow blowing in the cold winter. Another complaint from customers is that they are not waterproof, which is something to be expected from suede.
What I did to take care of both issues is to treat them with “leather honey” conditioner, which is similar to neatsfoot oil, put them in the 150-degree oven then apply 2 coats of snow-seal beeswax on them. Afterwards, the gloves broke in much quicker and become more water-resistant.
Overall, these are rugged and heavy-duty gloves that can last longer and save you a good amount of money from having to go through different pairs of gloves every week. One reminder is to upsize them when purchasing as these gloves run on the small side.
There you go, my recommendations for 11 different pairs of men’s winter work gloves with their own strengths and weaknesses to help you pick out the most ideal for yourself. Bear in mind that it’s extremely challenging to find a pair that satisfies all the criteria of “the perfect” gloves. But these gloves come close. I hope that with the review above, you were able to pinpoint your ideal gloves.
Besides winter work gloves, there are some other types of must-have gloves in a man’s wardrobe. Check out this article to see if you’re missing out on anything.