These Expert-Recommended Winter Work Gloves Will Keep Your Hands Warm and Protected

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Working outdoors in winter weather is often hardest on your hands. You can keep your mitts from going numb with a good set of gloves, but not any old pair will do. A good set of winter work gloves has enough insulation to keep your hands warm while still being flexible enough to allow your fingers to work a cordless drill, operate a chainsaw, or man a snowblower.

Unlike gloves designed for winter recreation, winter work gloves have a rugged outer shell that’s tough enough to protect your hands from abrasions, cuts and even punctures. Some can even stop a chainsaw blade. If your work subjects your hands to frigid temperatures, we have the winter work gloves for you.

Best Winter Work Gloves

• Best Overall: Carhartt Men’s Cold Snap Insulated Work Glove

• Best Value: Lamont Men’s Deerskin Winter Work Gloves

• Best Work Mittens: Give’r Frontier Mittens

• Best Leather: Give’r 4-Season Gloves

• Best Rubber: Toolant Waterproof Gloves

What To Consider

Mittens vs. Gloves

Mittens

Mittens offer the best protection from cold because they keep your fingers together to better conserve body heat. They also have fewer seams where air can enter. But with mittens, you sacrifice dexterity, making it difficult to manipulate smaller objects or operate a drill, chainsaw, or other machines that require a trigger finger. And forget about operating your smartphone with a pair of mittens on.

Gloves

Gloves keep your fingers separate from each other, giving you more dexterity to zip up your jacket, grip a hammer, operate a snowblower, grab nails or screws, and use your smartphone. But gloves also prevent your fingers from grouping together to conserve heat. Gloves have more seams than mittens and hence more openings for the cold to creep in.

If keeping your hands warm is your priority, go with a set of mittens. If your cold weather work involves operating tools and equipment, gloves are probably a better choice.

Material

Winter work gloves use a variety of materials to protect your hands from the cold, blisters, and injury. This type of glove is made up of multiple layers of insulation for warmth, an outer shell to protect from abrasions, grip that helps you get a handle on tools, and a cuff that keeps snow out of the glove.

Insulation

Most winter work gloves include some mix of Thinsulate, foam insulation, and fleece to keep your hands warm. Thinsulate material traps heat well but is also thin enough to allow your hands enough freedom of movement to operate tools and equipment.

A layer of cotton or wool foam provides additional insulation to keep heat inside your globe. Most winter work gloves use a fleece inner layer that feels soft on the skin while also providing an additional layer of heat retaining insulation, and some winter work gloves also have reflective liners that help trap heat inside.

Remember that while more layers of insulation will keep your hand warm in lower temperatures, too much will limit your dexterity, making it hard to wrap your fingers around a handle or manipulate buttons and knobs.

Outer Shell

Winter work gloves have either a nylon, latex rubber, or leather shell, or some combination of these materials. Nylon and rubber gloves have more dexterity, but wear quicker than leather. Leather is stiffer, but offers a certain measure of cut and puncture resistance. Rubber gloves are waterproof, offering total protection in wet conditions.

If you go with leather gloves, you’ll find both deerskin and cowhide options. While cowhide is more durable, this type of leather is also stiffer, which can limit your hand’s dexterity unless you take the time to break them in. Deerskin is softer and more malleable, but won’t hold up as well as cowhide.

If you need max protection and durability, stick with cowhide; otherwise look for a deerskin or nylon glove that will give your hands better mobility. Go with a rubber glove if you're working in wet conditions.

Grip

While all-leather gloves are inherently grippy, winter gloves made from nylon and rubber use a variety of different materials on the palm and insides of the fingers to add grip. This helps ensure your hands don’t slip as you’re shoveling, hammering, or pushing a snow blower.

Goat skin leather, which is more supple than cowhide and deerskin, is often used to add grip to nylon gloves, while rubber winter gloves have a sandy latex coating around the palm and fingers that adds grip.

Cuff

Look for winter work gloves with a cuff that extends to cover the wrist, ensuring there isn’t a gap between the glove and your jacket. Some winter work gloves have cinch straps that allow you to tighten the glove around your wrist to prevent cold air and moisture from getting inside.

Waterproofing

Not all winter work gloves are waterproof. If you’re working in wet conditions, look for a glove that has a waterproof membrane that will keep your hands dry. As with most waterproof garments, note that waterproof gloves will not allow moisture to escape your hands should you work up a sweat. This isn’t a bad thing if it’s cold out, but for milder days you’ll probably need an alternate pair of gloves.

How We Selected The Best Winter Work Gloves

To make my selections of the top winter work gloves, I used my own experience working in frigid outdoor conditions, along with the expertise of the Popular Mechanics test team. I combined that first hand experience with extensive research on more than two dozen pairs of work gloves, comparing specs and reading through dozens of customer reviews for each.

Carhartt knows a thing or two about work wear, and that shows in its Cold Snap insulated work gloves, which balance cold protection and dexterity. The Cold Snaps have enough insulation to keep your hands warm but not so much that they’ll prevent you from operating a cordless drill or working the controls on a snow thrower.

Goatskin covering the palm, fingers and thumb, plus an additional layer of rubber on the fingertips and palm ensure you get a good grip on whatever you’re working with. A strip of leather protects the knuckles and forefingers from abrasions while you work.

The Coldsnap gloves also incorporate Carhartt’s Storm Defender technology, which is a waterproof lining that keeps moisture out while allowing water vapor from sweat to escape, so your hands stay dry while you’re working. A longer than average cuff that runs past the wrist prevents gaps forming between the gloves and your coat sleeves. There’s also a cinch that allows you to tighten the cuff around your wrist to keep snow out. Sure, there are warmer gloves out there, but they don’t offer the dexterity you need to get work done like Carhartt’s Cold Snaps.

The problem with a lot of winter work gloves is that they’re bulky, making it difficult to grip a snow shovel handle, work snow blower controls, or grab a log of firewood. Lamont gloves are an exception. They’re equipped with a layer of 3M Thinsulate that keeps your hands warm while granting enough dexterity to work. And while they may not offer the same protection as those with heavier insulation, they’ll keep your hands warm in moderate cold.

These work gloves are made from deer skin, which is softer and more flexible than cowhide, so you won’t have to put these gloves through a break-in period. Keep in mind that these work gloves are not waterproof. If you want winter work gloves that will allow you to move your fingers and won’t break the bank, these are the ones.

They’re not cheap, but if you’re after a set of gloves that is going to provide you with max protection from the cold, this is it. These work mittens use a mix of Thinsulate, thermal, foam insulation, and a layer of fleece to provide tremendous heat retention. They’re also equipped with Give’r’s own proprietary heat shield, a reflective material that traps body heat inside. There’s also an internal waterproof membrane that keeps the wet from reaching your hands, and a wrist cuff that prevents snow from finding its way into the glove opening.

We also like the attention to detail Give’r puts into its winter work gloves. The company puts a layer of beeswax that protects the leather from water damage and will even brand your initials on them. While you’ll need to put the Frontier mittens through a breaking-in process to improve their dexterity, they’re worth the extra effort if you’re after warmth and durability.

Give’r gloves come with a high price tag, but if you need a serious work glove, they’re worth splurging on. That’s because they use thick, high-quality leather that’s tough enough to endure long days of work outdoors without ripping or coming apart. They’ll also keep your hands warm and dry, thanks to multiple layers of insulation that include Thinsulate, a fleece lining, and a heat and wind shield. There’s also a wrist cuff that keeps the cold and snow from creeping in through the opening.

As with other Give’r work gloves, the 4-Seasons are treated with a layer of beeswax to protect the leather, and Give’r will brand your initials on the cuffs. These gloves do require a breaking-in process to make them more flexible and they’re among the priciest work gloves, but they’ll pay you back in durability and performance.

These gloves are a great option if you’re working a wet outdoor job in frigid temperatures. They consist of a waterproof nitrile coating that has a sandy texture on the palm and fingers for added grip. Inside the gloves is an acrylic thermal layer that provides insulation to keep your hands warm. A hook-and-loop strap on the cuffs lets you cinch them tight around your wrists to keep cold air and moisture out.

While there are gloves out there that offer better cold protection, the thinner layer of insulation makes these gloves more flexible. That means you’ll have an easier time gripping a cement trowel or working a socket wrench while wearing them. The grip is also touch-screen-compatible, so you won’t have to remove them to work your smartphone. If you need a waterproof glove that won’t hinder your ability to work, these are the ones.

While these work gloves are equipped with a thick layer of insulation that makes them stiffer than most, they’re better equipped to protect your hands from extreme cold. According to RefrigiWear, they’re rated for temperature down to minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit. They come equipped with a waterproof barrier and a moisture wicking inner liner, so you don’t have to worry about your hands getting wet from rain,snow, or sweat.

A goat skin palm and PVC abrasion pads on the fingertips and palms make these gloves durable enough to handle rugged jobs. There’s also a long cuff with a knit wrist that conforms to your forearm to keep snow and cold air from getting inside the glove. When cold protection trumps dexterity, these are the go to work gloves.

These gloves use a waterproof insert to ensure your hands stay dry regardless of how wet the conditions are. Along with being dry, they’re also warm, thanks to multiple layers of insulation.

The palm and fingers have a high level of traction that helps you grip a snow shovel handle or cordless drill. The gloves also offer considerable cut and puncture protection for your hands thanks to a thick rubber and Kevlar outer shell that protects the knuckles and heavy padding over the fingers.

A cuff equipped with a hook-and-loop cinch strap keeps snow from ending up inside the glove. If you work in wet and cold conditions, these are the gloves.

Not only will this pair of gloves protect your hands from the cold, it’ll also prevent your hands from getting cut should they come into contact with an operating chainsaw. That’s because they’re equipped with chainsaw stopper fabric patches that will stop the blade instantly. Obviously, we don’t recommend testing this out.

When shopping for these, be aware that not all pairs come with saw stopper fabric on both hands. Some sets offer it on the left (suited to right handers) and some on the right (for left handers). There is a version that offers protection on both hands, which we think is the best option.

Inside this pair of gloves is a waterproof membrane and a Thinsulate layer to keep your hands warm and dry. The outer layer of these bright orange gloves is made of flexible spandex that gives your hands enough mobility to operate the chainsaw. There’s also a long neoprene cuff to keep snow and other material from getting inside the glove, and a cowhide palm and fingers for grip.

Q+A With Winter Work Wear Expert Tony Carrick

Can I use my ski gloves as winter work gloves?

Using ski gloves as winter work gloves is a bad idea for a few reasons. While a good pair of ski gloves will certainly keep your hands warm, they’re designed for gripping ski poles and lack the dexterity for operating power tools and other equipment.

Also, most ski gloves aren’t rugged enough to function as work gloves, which means they don’t offer the same protection from abrasions, cuts and punctures. There’s also a good chance you’ll ruin your ski gloves by using them for work. Save the ski gloves for play and get a separate pair of gloves for work.

Should winter work gloves be tight or loose?

You want gloves that have a just-right fit. If your gloves are too loose, you won’t be able to operate tools and equipment with them. A tighter glove may give you more dexterity, but if it’s too tight, it will compress the insulation, making it less capable of keeping your hands warm.

A winter glove should fit snugly without cutting off circulation or hindering movement. There should also be a little space left between your fingertips and gloves to allow for heat retention.

How do I know if winter work gloves are cut resistant?

Work gloves are rated by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for abrasion, cut resistance, tear, and puncture. Cut resistance is rated on a scale of 1 to 9 with 9 offering the most cut resistance while tear, puncture, and abrasion are rated on a scale of 1 to 4. Look for these ratings when shopping for a pair of winter work gloves.

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