It is essential that your gloves fit properly when you are skiing or snowboarding. The perfect gloves keep your hands warm as well as safe: they protect you from scrapes and cuts you could suffer during a fall. So take note. Gloves that are too tight impede circulation and will make your fingers feel freezing cold. Gloves that are too big are cumbersome because you will lose your grip on your ski poles. Working out the right size is important and really simple. All you need is a measuring tape:
- Step 1: Measure the circumference of your hand. Close your fingers and wrap the measuring tape around your hand at the knuckles. Don't measure your thumb!
- Step 2: Choose an appealing model in the right size. The circumference in centimetres you have just measured corresponds to the size of your ski gloves. It is better to round the circumference up.
- Step 3: Try them on. The fit of your gloves is good if they don’t pinch anywhere and there’s still a little space around your fingertips.
If you take the following factors into account, you will find the perfect pair of ski gloves in no time:
- Size: be careful not to buy them too small. If your fingers don’t have enough space, the air and your blood circulation inside the gloves will not be sufficient. The result: cold hands. Too big is not good either, as you will lose your grip on your ski poles.
- Material: good ski gloves consist of several layers and materials. Leather, for example, ensures that the steel edges of your skis will not cut through the glove when you wear them. Gloves with a windproof, waterproof and breathable membrane such as GORE-TEX will keep your hands warm and dry.
- Type: gloves have fingers, mittens do not. With ski gloves each finger has to provide its own warmth, while your fingers keep each other warm in a pair of ski mittens. So mittens are warmer, but they do restrict your freedom of movement.
Here are a few more tips to keep your hands warm:
- Don't take off your gloves unnecessarily.
- Use silk or merino wool glove liners.
- Use hand warmers in your gloves for extra warmth. Sometimes there is even a separate compartment for them!
Want gloves specifically for snowboarding? No problem! The main difference with ski gloves is the length of the cuffs. Snowboarders spend more time with their hands in the snow. A longer cuff will keep the snow out of your gloves. Often, the fingertips are also reinforced to prevent premature wear. If you take the following factors into account, you will find the perfect pair of snowboard gloves in no time:
- Size: be careful not to buy them too small. If your fingers don’t have enough space, the air and your blood circulation inside the gloves will not be sufficient. The result: cold hands.
- Material: good snowboard gloves consist of several layers and materials. Gloves with a windproof, waterproof and breathable membrane such as GORE-TEX will keep your hands warm and dry.
- Type: gloves have fingers, mittens do not. With snowboard gloves each finger has to provide its own warmth, while your fingers keep each other warm in a pair of mittens. So mittens are warmer, but they do restrict your freedom of movement.
Here are a few more tips to keep your hands warm:
- Don't take off your gloves unnecessarily.
- Use silk or merino wool glove liners.
- Use hand warmers in your gloves for extra warmth. Sometimes there is even a separate compartment for them!