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Before You Buy

How To Choose Your Snowboard Gloves

Mitts vs gloves... and beyond

Choosing the right pair of gloves essentially means balancing two factors: warmth and dexterity.
A classic five-fingered glove offers a good amount of insulation without being super bulky, and your fingers are free to fiddle with zips or do up your bindings. It’s a good all-rounder for the whole winter.

Mittens are the warmest option, since there is less surface area in contact with the air and your fingers can stay huddled together inside rather than fending for themselves. They’re a great choice for January powder days, colder destinations like Canada or just for people who typically feel the cold more.


The downside of mitts is that they tend to be bulkier and of course they offer less dexterity, so you may have to take them off to access jacket pockets and so on.

Trigger mitts seek to offer the best of both: more warmth than a traditional glove but with an index finger free to help crank binding buckles, tap your mobile screen or have a smoke on the chairlift!

Pipe gloves, as the name implies, are aimed at park riding. They are minimal and lightweight, offering just enough protection from rough landings while being super flexible for tweaking grabs. Typically made using neoprene and designed to slip under your hoodie or jacket, they are not particularly waterproof and should therefore only really be used in warm spring conditions.

Trigger mitts with reinforced palms

Once you know the kind of glove you’re after, keep an eye out for useful features…

Reinforced palms, as shown above, are especially practical for snowboarding. It’s common to drag your hands on the snow and you’d be surprised how easy it is to quickly tear up weaker gloves.

Leather or goatskin is a classic look, and offers a supple feel that’s both waterproof and tough – though you’ll typically need to pay a premium for it.

Nose wipes like on the pair pictured below give you a nice soft area on which to rub your nose – super handy in the mountains!

Wrist loops are fairly standard but are essential to help stop you losing your gloves on the chairlift. They can break so look for a set made from strong elastic.

Separate inners allow you to take off your gloves to fish around in pockets without getting too cold. They’re especially handy for photographers – the pair below even comes with a zip so you can free your fingers in a flash.

Velcro wrist tabs allow for a snug seal and make it easier to slip your glove beneath your jacket.

Gauntlets, on the other hand, are designed to go over your jacket. They are usually more weatherproof but it’s a bulkier style that’s not to everyone’s taste.

Having chosen the style of glove and the features you’re after, then like everything else in life it’s just a question of budget.

Ready to buy? Check out the latest snowboard gloves at Surfdome.

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