Snowboard Gloves vs Mittens — Which Should a Beginner Buy

Cold hands ruin more snowboard days than cold anything else. Choosing between gloves and mittens is the first decision, and the answer is almost always the opposite of what new riders pick.

Gloves vs Mittens

• Gloves — Better dexterity. Easy to strap in bindings, hold a phone, zip a pocket.
• Mittens — Significantly warmer. Your fingers share heat instead of each fighting alone. Less dexterity, but most riders find this is fine.
• Lobster (3-finger) mittens — Compromise. Index finger separate for triggers, the other three together for warmth.

What Beginners Should Choose

If your hands run cold, get mittens. Beginners spend a lot of time sitting on cold snow strapping in, getting up from falls, and waiting in lift lines. Warm hands win.

Features That Matter

1. Long cuff or short cuff — Long cuffs go over your jacket sleeves and keep snow out. Short cuffs go inside the jacket. For beginners who fall, long cuffs are safer.
2. Wrist leash — Stops you losing a glove off a chairlift.
3. Removable liner — Lets you dry the inside fast at lunch.

Buy one good waterproof pair, not two cheap pairs. The difference between dry hands and wet hands at hour four is the difference between staying on the mountain and quitting at lunch.