Forums >Gears and Wears>Glove/Mitten Recommendation for Cold Weather (20F and below)
I have a drawer full of abandoned running gloves that are fine if it's 40 out but are unbearable when it's actually cold and windy. My strategy now is to run with hand warmers inside my gloves but even then my fingers get cold. Anyone find something they really like?
I'm a female runner in Chicago. Happy to go with a small men's option if you know of anything that works!
Old , Ugly and slow
I am a fairly big man with small hands
if it is not snowing sometimes I will wear thick socks on my hands
first race sept 1977 last race sept 2007
2019 goals 1000 miles , 190 pounds , deadlift 400 touch my toes
Prince of Fatness
I’m usually ok with just gloves but if it’s real cold I’ll use layers. My experience is that mittens over gloves works pretty well.
Not at it at all.
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Lots of options. One worth considering is the convertible gloves which have a wind cover you can pull over the fingers, then pull off when your hands warm up. I use 180s and Craft in temps down to single digits.
Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.
Double up on the cheapy "magic" gloves (the kind that you can get for a buck or so at Walmart). If your hands get too warm, pull both pairs off, pocket the sweaty inside pair, and put the outer pair back on.
A list of my PRs in a misguided attempt to impress people that do not care.
I have trouble with cold hands also. Mittens are warmer than gloves. I have some Brooks mittens that have a not-too-heavy fleece inner mitt with a separate windproof shell mitt. Also have a pair of Thinsulate mitts that I usually wear over gloves or glove liners (with the metallic threads, supposed to keep in more heat) On really cold days I use hand warmers inside the mittens. If you're using hand warmers inside gloves I can see where they wouldn't keep your fingers warm. What has not worked for me- Hot Hands mitts, look like mittens but have separate holes for fingers inside. Also the ones that have no fingers but have a "hood" to pull over fingers like a mitt don't keep me warm.
If you can start out with warm hands that seems to help- put your hands into some warm water, or put gloves in dryer for a few minutes before going out.
UM 45 Ohio 23
I am a fairly big man with small hands if it is not snowing sometimes I will wear thick socks on my hands
I've done running gloves with a pair of old, thick socks over them. Hand warmers also work inside the socks. Cheap, handy and effective, if somewhat funny looking. But since I run in the pitch black early morning hours, who cares!
Laura
I second this one. I like my running gloves that are gloves but then have a wind cover/ that pulls over like mittens. Trailheads has a good pair of these that I like. The light wind cover makes a difference, at least for me.
Pre-Baby PR's (all from 2015): 5k: 18:46 10k: 38:37 HM: 1:24:51 FM: 2:58:13
Postpartum PR's: 5k: 18:18 (2018) HM: 1:21:14 (2019) FM: 2:57:02 (2019)
Next Up: Unsure - but most likely some solo TT's
{Strava}{IG}
not bad for mile 25
I have trouble with cold hands also. Mittens are warmer than gloves. I have some Brooks mittens that have a not-too-heavy fleece inner mitt with a separate windproof shell mitt. Also have a pair of Thinsulate mitts that I usually wear over gloves or glove liners (with the metallic threads, supposed to keep in more heat) On really cold days I use hand warmers inside the mittens. If you're using hand warmers inside gloves I can see where they wouldn't keep your fingers warm. What has not worked for me- Hot Hands mitts, look like mittens but have separate holes for fingers inside. Also the ones that have no fingers but have a "hood" to pull over fingers like a mitt don't keep me warm. If you can start out with warm hands that seems to help- put your hands into some warm water, or put gloves in dryer for a few minutes before going out.
As far as I can tell, Thinsulate is overrated, and I've tried the metallic gloves as well and was not impressed. Mittens are a lot warmer than gloves, and your fingers are warmer if they are actually touching, skin-to-skin. That's why I think having gloves as the first layer, and a mitten-like covering is not quite as good. Sometimes I just wear large gloves, but take my fingers out of their sleeves and curl them up in my palms (until I need them). But mittens are best.
I second (or third!) the gloves with the convertible wind blocking mitten! I found mine at Marshalls or TJMaxx and I adore them. I am a female runner in the KC area and we get some pretty windy and cold mornings too. I can use these gloves for temps that get pretty cold and my hands always stay warm. In the thirty degree range I actually usually have to peel the mitten part off and tuck it away because my hands get warm.
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It's useful to realize that hand circulation and warmth really vary from person to person. The runners with Reynaud's or similar can be wearing mittens at 50F (when I'm not wearing anything), and multiple mittens at 20F, supplementing with hand warmers, when I'm just using a single pair of cheap "throwaway" gloves.
Mittens seem to always be warmer than gloves, as mentioned above by several people.
It's a 5k. It hurt like hell...then I tried to pick it up. The end.
I have the Brooks combo described above.
Over the past week, I have been looking for a link to them, but can't seem to find them. If you find something like them, I would give them a try.
"If you have the fire, run..." -John Climacus
Mother of Cats
Some time ago, I gave up on "running" gloves or mittens for truly cold temperatures (25F or below in my book). I went to REI and bought a pair of snowboarding mittens.
Best decision ever. I tuck hand warmers in them, and they've been fine down to 0 degrees F (that's the coldest I've ever run in).
Honestly, we don't really use our hands when we run, so I'm not sure why gloves are essential.
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Some time ago, I gave up on "running" gloves or mittens for truly cold temperatures (25F or below in my book). I went to REI and bought a pair of snowboarding mittens. Best decision ever. I tuck hand warmers in them, and they've been fine down to 0 degrees F (that's the coldest I've ever run in). Honestly, we don't really use our hands when we run, so I'm not sure why gloves are essential.
I do have problems pushing the button on my Garmin when wearing mittens. Today, for that reason, I wore one mitten and one glove. I felt especially jaunty and stylish.
#RunEveryDay
If anyone is looking for mitts to run when it is really cold, these are amazing. They have women and men's versions. I know they are available in the US bc I recommended them to a runner on my 2018 team last year. My hands are never cold when it is really cold (-20*F right down to -45*F).
https://ca.shop.runningroom.com/gear/winter/gloves-mitts/manzella-women-s-adventure-100-mitten.html
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