History of Mittens
A quick history on mittens: the oldest recorded mitten is around 1,000 years old, and comes from Latvia. In the United States, mittens were originally knitted from wool, although you could find mittens made from other materials such as leather and cotton. Polyamide/goat leather mittens were also popular in the past. These days, snowboard gloves are often crafted from synthetics, such as Thinsulate, for extreme insulation. Goose down is another popular filler and is a more natural alternative, though polyester fill works just as well.
Snowboard Glove Buying Guide
It’s an age-old debate: gloves or mittens? For snowboarders, dexterity is often a priority, especially if you have strap-in bindings. Gloves make it much easier to grip and adjust your bindings, whereas mittens are a bit more constricting. Mittens keep your hands warmer than gloves do, however, because all of your fingers are bundled in the same compartment. Whether you opt for gloves or mittens, be sure they’re waterproof; the last thing you want is for wet snow and ice to seep into your gloves and freeze your hands.
Best Snowboard Gloves
There are hundreds of options when it comes to gloves and mittens, but here are a few of the best options:
- Hestra Army Leather Heli 3 Finger gloves: gives you a great balance between dexterity and warmth; a hybrid between a glove and mitten
- Outdoor Research Men’s Alti glove: offers superior levels of insulation thanks to Primaloft technology, but features a removable liner that’s great on warmer days.
- Burton Gore-Tex Gloves: are the best for keeping your hands dry; highly water resistant
- Arc’teryx Fission Gloves: are pretty pricey, but you get what you pay for; these gloves are built to last, and have great insulation
- Dakine Men’s Titan Gloves: crafted with Gore-Tex, great for staying dry
