What Snowboard Gloves Should I Buy?
There are lot of snowboard and ski gloves on the market right now, some good and some bad. There are a few basic things you should consider when buying snowboard gloves –
Most snowboard gloves that we stock have a waterproof ‘insert’ or ‘membrane’ inside the glove between the inner part of the glove and the exterior of the glove. In simple terms, this insert almost looks like the type of glove that you find in the petrol station to keep your hands clean when pumping diesel. The purpose of the glove insert is to keep you dry by not allowing the snow to penetrate though the insert to your hands, whilst at the same time allowing your hands to breathe so that you don’t get wet from the inside (sweat). Depending on the brand of glove you buy you will get a specific insert such as Gore-Tex, Hipora or Insane Membrane (Burton) Etc.
(Importantly, most gloves that are designated as ‘pipe gloves’ do not have an insert and so are not really recommended if you intend to have your hands in contact with the snow).
From a warmth point of view, lots of gloves will have some kind of fill to provide insulation and warmth. Depending on the brand of glove you choose and also the model of glove you will get a particular material used for insulation such as Primaloft or ThermoLoft.
As well as having a waterproof/Breathable Membrane inside the glove, lots of gloves will use a waterproof/Breathable fabric on the outside of the glove too such as Burtons DryRide or have a DWR (Durable Water Repellent) coating. If you buy a snowboard glove with a Leather outer then it will probably need to be treated with some kind of waterproofing material otherwise the leather will get soaking wet and although it shouldn’t penetrate through the membrane to your hand you will get a degraded performance from the glove and normally a cold hand as the retained water in the leather cannot dry whilst you remain on the mountain.
Typically Gore-Tex is one of the more expensive Inserts and PrimaLoft is one of the more expensive Insulations.
We get lots of people asking what the difference between an Underglove and an Over-glove. Undergloves have a smaller opening for your hand and so may be less compatible with wrist guards. They typically have a velcro closure and are designed to be worn 'under' your jacket sleeve. Overgloves have a bigger opening and typically have an elasticated draw-string closure. These are designed to be warn over your glove sleeve (they are also referred to as 'Gauntlet' gloves)
Take a look at all of our Snowboard Gloves