Cold fingers are the worst, especially when you’re skiing.
How can you focus on what your legs and feet are doing when your fingers are frozen?
Unfortunately, skiing-specific gloves can be outrageously expensive.
But, there’s good news: there are a few gloves that aren’t skiing-specific that work incredibly well as ski gloves. And they’re much more affordable.
These are the best non-skiing gloves for skiing.
Kinko Leather Ski Gloves
I know, I’m cheating here.
These are actually ski gloves.
But, when people think “ski gloves,” they usually don’t think, “Kinko.”
They should, though.
Leather ski gloves are warm, incredibly durable, and, best of all, very affordable. They’re a favorite among ski patrollers.
There are two options for Kinko ski gloves:
Both will work for cold weather. However, mittens are typically warmer than gloves, because they enable your fingers to share heat. But, you lose quite a bit of dexterity. Definitely never try to get your phone out of your pocket while wearing mittens.
On the other hand, it’s easier to pick things up while wearing gloves. But your fingers might get frostier when it’s super cold.
Either way, you can get set up with a pair of Kinko ski gloves for about $35. That’s a great deal for gloves that will hold up for years. As an added benefit, you can use them for yard work, too.
The only caveat with leather ski gloves is that you’ll need to apply waterproofing wax to make them truly waterproof. But, Kinco ships two packets of Nikwax waterproofing wax with each pair of gloves, so all you have to do is lather them up, then you’re good to go.
Carhartt Gloves
Carhartt isn’t known for their ski gear.
This is primarily because they don’t have any.
However, they do make gear designed for working on oil pipelines and doing construction in the freezing cold.
So, Carhartt gear is plenty durable and warm enough for skiing.
Additionally, their cold weather gloves look a lot like skiing-specific gloves. So nobody will know you saved fifteen percent or more on your ski gear.
The Carhartt Pipeline Insulated Glove is where it’s at for cold days on the hill.
They’re waterproof, warm, and have a nose wipe to keep your face clean when the cold triggers a runny nose.
Carhartt gloves aren’t as affordable as Kinko gloves. However, they’ll hold up just as long, and will probably outlast gloves from most ski companies.
There you have it. If you’ve checked out some ski gear retailers and had your hair blown back by the cost of gloves, give these a try.
Same gear. Better price.
That way you can spend more time skiing, and less time saving money to ski.
P.S. If you’re wondering where the women’s gear is, this is it. Women have ten fingers, too.
The Casual Skier 