The best running gloves we tested
Best overall running gloves: Oiselle Lux Watch Window Gloves
Best running mittens: Tracksmith Franklin Mittens
Best 2-in-1 running gloves: Craft Hybrid Weather Glove
Best running gloves for snow and rain: Outdoor Research Commuter Windstopper Gloves
When temperatures drop, even when you’re running and generating body heat, your body moves blood away from your extremities to preserve the warmth around your vital organs. The result? Absolutely freezing fingers.
Your hands and feet act as powerful thermoregulatory regulators in the body, so when your hands are cold, chances are, the rest of your body will feel colder, too. But a good pair of gloves can mitigate some of the effects of lower temps, helping you to stay comfortable and more focused throughout your run.
Whether you’re looking for a lightweight pair for cool fall mornings or need heavy duty hand warmers that can stand up to the worst of winter weather, rest assured that you won’t be resigned to frigid digits. We tested 13 of the most popular, highly recommended running gloves and narrowed our picks down the four great pairs to keep your hands warm in any scenario.
Best running gloves overall
Soft, breathable and perfectly fitted, these polyester and spandex running gloves nabbed our top spot. Though they are ideal for fall temperatures, they also did well in colder, sunnier weather. The watch window is key if you want to peek at your screen while you’re running, and the extra length at the wrists made them even warmer than expected.
Best running mittens
A lightweight, incredibly warm mitten, the Tracksmith Franklin Mittens are lined with double velour fleece fabric — perfect for weather in the 30's. If you're going to be running in even colder temps, we also suggest wearing a liner underneath.
Best 2-in-1 running gloves
These gloves from Craft offer both heat and protection, with a mitt cover that is wind- and waterproof to block cold and wet air.One thing to consider: gloves are made from polyester and elastane for breathability and moisture-wicking, so the fit can be tight. We recommend ordering a size down.
Best running gloves for snow and rain
At just 2.4 ounces, these surprisingly lightweight, super-thin gloves are crafted from four-way stretch outer material GORE-TEX Windstopper technology — making them perfect for being pelted with freezing rain or snow.
Best overall running gloves: Oiselle Lux Watch Window Gloves
$36 at Oiselle
Oiselle calls their Lux fabric, a mix of polyester and spandex, the “cashmere of running.” And, you know what? They’re not wrong. The Lux Watch Window Gloves were so soft, the kind of soft we’re used to on a running glove’s snot strip (or “chamois” if you want to keep things fancy) except the whole way around. The polyester allows the gloves to breathe and wick sweat from your skin, while the spandex provides a second-skin fit.
In fact, these gloves fit the best of any we tested, and despite their thin nature, that tightness made them warmer than we expected. Still, they’re really ideal for fall temps — think: the low 40s or high 30s, without too much wind. When we ran in the higher 40s, we were ready to strip them off after a couple warm-up miles; on a sunny day in the 30s, though, they were perfect.
Two other things set the Oiselle Lux Watch Window Gloves apart from the rest. First, we loved the watch window, which lets your running watch screen peek through without exposing any of your wrist to the cold (usually, gloves stop at the top of the watch and you have to pull your sleeve down to meet the other side of the watch). There’s a window on both gloves, but no chilly air cut through on our right wrist, which was sans watch. Plus, we loved the extra length at the wrist — the fabric came all the way to our mid-forearm, and we think that helped make these warmer than expected as well.
Best running mittens: Tracksmith Franklin Mittens
$29 at Tracksmith
We put these gloves through the wringer last winter, and they’re still one of the pairs we most recommend to other runners—mostly because they’re incredibly warm. For colder runs, we always opt for mittens over gloves, because your fingers actually generate more heat when they’re together, and the mitten structure traps that heat inside.
It’s hard to find a heavy-duty mitten that’s also lightweight, but Tracksmith really delivers here. The velvety double velour fleece fabric the Tracksmith Franklin Mittens feel barely there on your hands, but—as you probably know from other winter gear—fleece can be incredibly warm and insulating. These mittens are no exception; our hands actually sweat sometimes when we wear them. That’s thanks to the lofted fiber structure, which creates thermal air pockets within the fabric to prevent heat loss. Fortunately, fleece is also a breathable, moisture-wicking material, which helps keep your hands dry and not too hot on the run.
While we’d recommend the Tracksmith Franklin Mittens most for days when the temperature is in the 20s, we also regularly wear them with a thin liner glove on even colder days or actively snowy runs (while fleece is fast-drying, we found the liner to help maintain warmth when they got wet in sub-freezing temps). One scenario to skip: windy, overcast days. The breathable fleece does allow for the air to cut through, which can make for very cold digits.
Best 2-in-1 running gloves: Craft Hybrid Weather Glove
$40 at Craft
You know how sometimes you start a run and your hands feel like blocks of ice, but after just a couple of miles your body heats up or the sun comes out and all of a sudden you’re roasting? Those are the types of runs where we opt for a 2-in-1 option like the Craft Hybrid Weather Glove.
These offer a one-two punch of heat and protection for all kinds of winter conditions. On the outside, the mitt cover is wind- and waterproof to block cold and wet air, while the glove has a brushed interior that’s a) super comfy and b) adds extra warmth. The gloves are made from polyester and elastane, which allows for breathability and moisture-wicking as well as a tight fit (the fit is slightly larger overall, so we’d recommend ordering a size down). We liked these most for temperatures in the 20s, but if it warms up too much while you’re on the run, you can simply tuck the mitt into the built-in pocket on the back of the band so it isn’t flapping around.
When you’re running in mittens, it can be easy to fumble your phone if you’re looking at a route map or just want to take a selfie. In addition to touchscreen-enable forefingers and thumbs, which made it easy to use our phone without exposing our digits, the Craft gloves have a silicone print all over the palm that we found to be the grippiest of any we tested—we were able to film ourselves running in the snow without worrying about losing our grip.
Best running gloves for snow and rain: Outdoor Research Commuter Windstopper Gloves
$65 at Outdoor Research
Sometimes, a traditional knit glove just isn’t enough to stand up to the worst weather winter can throw at you. Enter: The Outdoor Research Commuter Windstopper Gloves. At first glance, they look a little hefty (as the most protective winter gloves usually do), but at just 2.4 ounces, they’re surprisingly lightweight. We’d recommend sizing down so they fit as close to your skin as possible.
Outdoor Research wasn’t messing around when they chose the fabrics for these gloves. The four-way stretch outer material is woven for breathability and features GORE-TEX Windstopper technology, meaning it has a super thin, laminated protective layer that nixes any freezing air from cutting through. It feels almost like neoprene, or a scuba suit material—the ideal kind of protection when you’re being pelted with freezing rain or snow. And the microfleece interior adds an extra layer of warmth—we ran in these on a snowy day with a high of 28 degrees Fahrenheit, and our hands felt great.
Otherwise, the gloves are pretty streamlined and minimalist. The palm is reinforced with silicone print overlays for a better grip on your phone (although the print is limited to a few lines across the middle and your thumb, forefinger and middle finger, so you should still hold it carefully while moving), and the thumb and forefinger are touchscreen-enabled (but they’re not quite as responsive as some other gloves we tested). In our opinion, these gloves are made for the kind of weather you don’t want to expose your phone to, so these features are a nice touch but not essential.
Everyone has a different tolerance to the cold, and running gloves are generally designed for specific conditions. Before you start considering your options, think about what type of cold weather you’ll be running in (is it just cold, or will you be dealing with snow and sleet?), what features are important to you (are you someone who takes out your phone a ton while you run?), and what style you prefer (mittens, gloves, or both?).
Material
This might sound counterintuitive, but it’s super important to choose a pair of running gloves made from a breathable, fabric. You’ll want to avoid any materials that hold water, which can make your hands more prone to the effects of the cold. Look for gloves made from a fabric that naturally regulates temperature, like merino wool, or uses thermal fabric technology to promote sweat-wicking and quick-drying properties. If you know you’ll be running in rain or snow, you’ll want a glove that’s water-resistant or water-repellant; look for product features like Goretex or a DWR finish.
Warmth
Generally, if the temperature is below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, runners will benefit from wearing thin finger gloves. If the temperature dips below 35 degrees Fahrenheit, you’ll want to consider insulated or thermal gloves. Keep in mind that you should feel somewhat cold for the first five to 10 minutes of your run — and that includes your hands. As your core body temperature heats up, the rest of your body will too, although your hands and feet will still likely feel colder.
Style
There are three common types of running gloves: traditional gloves, mittens and liner-style gloves with a mitten overlay (AKA two-in-one gloves). Lightweight finger gloves will be best for cool but not cold temps; mittens that allow your fingers to share warmth perform well in cold weather; and two-in-one gloves are great for really cold temps. FWIW, mittens without liners generally performed better than unheated gloves in a 2016 study published in the International Journal of Circumpolar Health, but — as with so many pieces of running gear — comfort is key and your personal preference will play a big role here.
How we tested
First, we compiled a list of the most popular running gloves, whether those were recommended by other runners or by other review websites. Then we narrowed down our selection based on style, fabric technology, features and cost.
Once we had our contenders, we put them to the test over a month of running as Denver’s temperatures started to drop. Since the weather varies drastically day-to-day here (we got our first snow before Halloween), we were able to test each pair of gloves in multiple conditions, including snow, sleet and rain. As we ran, we considered warmth, comfort and fit, protection and durability in order to choose our top picks.
Other running gloves we tested
Nathan Sports HyperNight Reflective Gloves
$21 at Nathan
Winter running also tends to mean running in lower light conditions, so any piece of gear that increases visibility is a win in our book. Nathan’s knit gloves, made from a mix of polyester and spandex for breathability and stretch, are treated with a unique geo-reflective print that will reflect any nearby light, making it easier for cars, cyclists, and other pedestrians to spot you as you run. A small pocket on the back of each hand can hold the brand’s StrobeLight for even more visibility. Nathan recommends these gloves for temperatures between 30 degrees to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, which we would agree with, especially after freezing our hands on a 20 degrees Fahrenheit early morning jog.
Mizuno Breath Thermo® Knit Glove
$25 at Mizuno
These may look like cheap knit gloves you can grab at the dollar store, but there’s a lot more fabric technology behind the basic aesthetic. Mizuno’s Breath Thermo material actually absorbs moisture and then uses it to generate heat. That warm air stays trapped between the fibers, allowing the gloves to act as thermal insulation without all the extra puffy fabric you’d typically find in thermal wear. These are still relatively thin, though, so we preferred running in them on days that didn’t dip too far into the 30s. And it’s worth noting that these didn’t have touchscreen pads on the fingers or any grippers on the palm, so be careful when holding your phone in them.
SealSkinz Waterproof All Weather Ultra Grip Knitted Glove
$65 at SealSkinz
These SealSkinz gloves are designed for the worst of winter weather, and we luckily had an early season snowstorm to test them in. They use a three-layer construction to protect your hands from the elements: The outside is a durable nylon blend exterior with four-way stretch, while the inside is a premium Merino wool that’s warm, breathable and sweat-wicking. Sandwiched between those two layers is a hydrophilic windproof and waterproof membrane that releases perspiration from inside the glove without exposing your skin to any cold. All that said, pay close attention to what size you need; we would suggest ordering down a size to make sure you get a close-to-skin fit so excess fabric doesn’t bubble up and allow cold air in.
Rabbit EZ Gloves
$30 at Rabbit
Rabbit’s gloves were almost as soft as the Oiselle Lux Watch Window Gloves. You’ll find this fabric, which is a mix of polyester and spandex, in the brand’s tees, pullovers, zip-ups, joggers, bras and more — that’s how popular it is. We loved running in these on those fall days when the temperature stayed in the 40s; they’re super lightweight and quick-drying, which kept our hands from getting clammy even when our core temp heated up. The stretchy fabric fit perfectly, and we found the touchscreen pads on the thumb and index finger to be very responsive. Outside of running, these are the kind of low-profile gloves we keep stashed in a coat pocket or tote just in case the temperature dips unexpectedly.
Smartwool Thermal Merino Glove
$38 at Smartwool
Smartwool makes great winter gear that capitalizes on the natural thermoregulating properties of 100 percent merino wool. We found these to be similar to the Rabbit EZ Gloves and the Oiselle Lux Watch Window Gloves, they just weren’t quite as soft as those two styles. In addition to the interlocking knit trapping warmth while allowing for breathability, wool is naturally odor-resistant, which makes these great for those whose hands do sweat a lot in gloves, even on colder days. Like the other two pairs mentioned, we found these Smartwool gloves to work best on fall days, when temperatures hovered in the 40s or even the high 30s. We especially liked the extra length that kept our wrists warm, although there was no watch window, which meant we did have to push down the glove (and expose that skin) in order to see our stats as we ran.
Nathan Sports HyperNight Reflective Convertible Mitt
$25 at Nathan
Similarly to the brand’s HyperNight Reflective Gloves, these convertible mitts from Nathan aim to make you as visible as possible when the light is low — they also have a geo-reflective print on the back of the hand, as well as small pockets to hold StrobeLights. But these were significantly warmer for us on colder runs. They’re made from a thermal stretch fabric with weather-resistant DWR finish, with a thermal mitt shield that adds extra warmth in temperatures ranging from 20° to 35°F. We liked not having to expose our fingers to colder air when taking out our phone, like you typically would with mittens; both the gloves and the mitts have grippers to hold your phone, and the index finger and thumb have touchscreen pads for tapping on your phone.
Brooks Draft Hybrid Running Glove
$50 at Brooks
These convertible gloves are part of Brooks’ Run Visible Collection, which is made up of gear that helps runners be seen from up to 600 feet away. Style- and feature-wise, they’re pretty comparable to other 2-in-1 options like the Craft Hybrid Weather Glove and the Nathan Sports HyperNight Reflective Convertible Mitt, although we found these to be lacking a little in the warmth department. Instead, we preferred them for windier fall runs thanks to the windproof, water-resistant mitt that pulls over the lightweight, breathable gloves. We also liked the mesh inserts at the palm, which allow for air flow when you warm up and prevent any sweat from gathering on your hands.
TrailHeads Convertible Running Gloves
$38 at TrailHeads
The TrailHeads Convertible Running Gloves could pass as another dupe for the Craft Hybrid Weather Glove. We liked these best for temperatures in the 30s, especially because once our hands warmed up, we could tuck the mitten shell right into the built-in pocket. But when we wore them on an early morning run that started out in the 20s (reflective accents on the back of the hand increase visibility during those dawn and dusk outings), our hands were cold for the entire run — even with the mittens pulled over our fingers. The waterproof shell was a nice touch for the one snowy run we wore these on, as it kept the inner layer dry and our hands warmer.
Sugoi Zap Wind Mitts
$27 at Sugoi
Two-in-one mitten gloves are great, but sometimes you just want a warm pair of mittens — remember, mittens allow your fingers to generate more heat than gloves. The Sugoi Zap Wind Mitts were downright toasty, even when we were moving fast and getting blasted by wind running loops around a local lake. The brand’s stretchy MidZero fabric feels like a brushed fleece on the inside, which made for a super cozy fit (although we wouldn’t have minded a snot strip made from that material to wipe our nose on on the thumb of the mitten). With a touchscreen-compatible thumb, you can even use your phone without taking off these mittens. Plus, the back of the hand offered the most reflective print of any of the gloves or mittens we tried, which makes it great for low-light conditions.
