The Best Men’s Waterproof Gloves

Buying Guide

When it’s cold or wet outside, you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure out how to stay warm. The more material you’re wearing, the more body heat you can hold onto. That works with most of your body, but things get a little trickier when you’re talking about gloves.

Waterproof gloves come in all kinds of materials and thicknesses, and they’ve got to do more than just keep the cold and ice off your hands. They also need to let you use your fingers, and that means they can’t simply wrap your mitts in lots of wool. If you’re buying a set of waterproof gloves, the first thing you need to think about isn’t necessarily how cold the weather will get. Work gloves have to be a lot more versatile than simple winter mittens, but here are a few things to look for depending on your needs.

Specialized variants aside, there are two basic kinds of winter wear for your hands: Mittens and gloves. If all you need to do with your hands is keep them warm, mittens are the clear choice. The simple act of keeping your fingers close together will allow them to share heat, and that can make all the difference.

But you might need the dexterity gloves offer. Modern waterproof gloves come in a variety of fabrics, and they all have their pros and cons. The best gloves will usually be made of several materials: An insulating fabric on the inside and waterproofing synthetics on the outside, possibly with pads of leather or some other tough material to prevent wear and tear in high-contact areas.

There are plenty of waterproof materials, and many of them are proprietary to the clothing company that makes the glove. Gore-Tex is one of the most popular, because it can not only repel water but is also breathable. That means that it can keep your hands dry from rain or snow while at the same time allowing water vapor to escape from inside the glove, which helps keep the insulation inside your glove dry and therefore warmer. If sweat is allowed to build up, your hands will be wet no matter what the weather is like outside. Gore-Tex isn’t your only option, of course. Nylon, polyester or leather can be treated to repel water as well, and well-made gloves using these materials can be quite effective.

If you want to keep the cold and wind at bay along with the rain, you’ll want to buy with an eye toward the insulation. Thinsulate and other modern synthetics can keep your hands surprisingly warm without adding a lot of bulk, although some prefer the natural feel of wool. Just keep in mind that if it does get wet, wool has a tendency to stay that way.

That’s why how you wear the gloves is just as important as what kind you wear. No matter what the material, your best bet is to keep your gloves secure so that water doesn’t seep in around the wrists. Straps or fasteners at the cuffs can make all the difference, and if you’re really looking to keep dry you might consider “gauntlet” style gloves that extend further up your arm.

If you’re planning to stay extra warm, you can even get electric gloves with heaters built into the palm. One other modern perk that’s increasingly popular is conductive or textured fingertips that allow you to tap away on your smartphone without removing your gloves.

While you won’t truly know if a glove is right for you until you try it out in the elements, buying with an eye to your specific needs will help you weed out the wrong ones.

Winter clothing can get pretty grimy after just a few trips outside, and that goes double for gloves. You don’t want to go too long without cleaning your gloves, but you should also know that cleaning them the wrong way can do more harm than good. Always follow the washing instructions that come with your gloves, but if they’re not available, you can rely on some general rules.

Leather gloves, while tough, can be the most sensitive to machine washing. If your gloves contain even partial leather strips, it’s best to simply wipe them with a damp towel or use a leather polish. Most synthetic waterproof material is machine washable, but it’s always a good idea to place them in a mesh bag first so that they don’t damage the rest of your laundry. If you have removable liners inside your gloves, that’s a good sign that the liners can be machine washed while the gloves themselves can be cleaned by hand.