Full sized gloves might offer complete warmth, but they also restrict finger movement. You can find a bit of both worlds – warmth for your hand, but also free fingers – with a fingerless glove. Choosing the right one for you is important to ensure they are durable and warm and I am here to help.
Today, I am sharing with you my top picks for fingerless gloves: from cheap ones that are warm enough for most days, to really warm ones and even a pair optimized for mobile phone usage… we’ve got them all covered in today’s article.
Fingerless gloves give you the protection, heat, and comfort of covering your hands, but with an added element of control.
In this guide, I will be giving you an insight into the world of fingerless gloves and you will get a chance to learn about the most important things you should take into consideration before buying.
But, before heading to the deeper sections of the article, you can check out the table below to get an idea of the models reviewed and what they offer – in case you’re in a hurry.
Note: We get commissions for purchases made through links in this article
Product Name | Details |
---|---|
Minus33 Fingerless Gloves | Editor’s Choice – Merino Wool, Stretch Nylon, Elastic – long wrist coverage Check price on Amazon |
Winter Knit Fingerless Gloves | Best for Phone Use – Leather, Acrylic, Wool – shorter wrist cover Check price on Amazon |
Gravity Threads Half Finger Gloves | Best Budget Gloves – Acrylic, Elastane – long wrist coverage Check price on Amazon |
Fox River Fingerless Glove | Warm fingerless gloves – Wool, Nylon – long wrist coverage Check price on Amazon |
Beechfield Fingerless Gloves | Budget alternative – Acrylic, Elastane – shorter wrist cover Check price on Amazon |
Best Products on the Market
If you want a bit more about each model below – especially that personal experience details, read on! This will surely help you make the most educated guess possible.
Minus33 Fingerless Gloves
Editor’s Choice
This is by far my favorite pair of fingerless gloves. They are built from high quality material that keeps your hands warm even when the weather is really cold, but they are not uncomfortable or itchy – which is always a great bonus coming from wool-made gloves.
Made from a mix of wool, nylon and elastane, they are extremely durable, but also comfortable and offering solid mobility. They also offer a long wrist coverage, so the bad weather is always kept away.
I absolutely love the design of these gloves too. I know there’s not a lot of room to play with when it comes to fingerless gloves, but these ones are simple and elegant, but also with a nice touch of color. Perfect!
If I really want to complain about something, that would be the price. You do pay a bit more than on a regular pair – but at the same time, you do get a lot in return. Flawless gloves that are perfect for colder weather, without becoming uncomfortable if it’s warmer outside
PROS
– excellent quality
– really warm
– great design
CONS
– a bit pricey
Winter Knit Fingerless Gloves
Gloves optimized for using your phone
I believe that the main reason most of us opt for fingerless gloves is the ease of use of a phone while wearing them. And this is what these winter knit pair has been optimized for.
Apart from keeping your fingers free (like all models on this list), this pair also has a lambskin leather patch on the palm to offer you better grip.
This comes in handy for more than mobile phone use, of course, while also ensuring that your gloves are as durable as it gets.
Apart from this, they are made from acrylic material, so they’re not incredibly warm – but unlike the other models recommended below, it’s a thicker build offering a decent amount of warmth. All in all, they are a really solid pick that do manage to keep you warm.
One problem I have with them is that they’re not particularly long and they won’t give the long wrist cover that you might want from a pair of gloves. But for a slightly warmer weather, they’re still perfect.
PROS
– increased grip
– durable
– warm
CONS
– shorter wrist cover
Gravity Threads Half Finger Gloves
Best Budget fingerless gloves
The Gravity Threads Half Finger Gloves are a good combination of comfort and control. Made of acrylic and elastane, this pair of gloves is very comfortable, but not weatherproof.
It is also not as warm as your insulated, wool-made gloves are, so it’s better suited for when freedom of movement is more important than being very warm.
They come in a variety of colors and they good wrist coverage, to ensure they keep the heat where it belongs while keeping the cold out. They are moderately breathable but could hold in more moisture than what you might like.
Furthermore, these gloves are made using incredibly soft and stretchy acrylic material, which is extremely comfortable and pleasant to touch. It is also pretty durable.
In addition, this pair of gloves also offers a lot of finger flexibility, which ensures that your hands will remain warm while you are busy taking part in various activities. Not to mention the fact that, like with all fingerless gloves, using your phone while wearing them is a breeze.
PROS
– durable, good material
– comfortable
– cheap
CONS
– thinner, less warm
Fox River Mid-Weight Fingerless Gloves
The Fox River Mid-Weight Fingerless Gloves are a solid option to consider.
Made of 85% wool and 15% nylon, these gloves are tough, built to last, and super warm. The lining is the same as the outer with the wool and nylon combination.
Furthermore, these gloves come with a thermo-regulation feature, which ensures your hands are kept in a normal temperature, meaning they won’t be too hot or too cold, and they will remain in ideal condition.
These gloves are moisture wicking and are resistant to shrinking when washed.
This will enable the gloves to last longer than the average pair. The coolest part of these gloves is that they have extra grip control.
Rubber bubbles have been lined along the palm of the glove and act as stickers to the things you hold onto. This is a huge advantage when you never have to worry about things slipping through the soft glove material.
Have in mind that they are usually a larger build, so if you have smaller hands, you might be better off ordering a smaller size than usually.
PROS
– high quality gloves
– comfortable
– great warmth
– secure grip
CONS
– a bit baggy
– fairly priced (but not cheap)
Beechfield Winter Fingerless Gloves
The Beechfield Winter Fingerless Gloves are simple and basic gloves, but they are a good budget option for not-too-cold weather.
Made of acrylic and elastane, these are a one-piece knit, which means there are not unwanted or uncomfortable seams that may rub your skin.
At wrist length, these gloves will do well keeping in the heat while still allowing all motion of the wrist joint.
This pair also has ribbed cuffs at the wrist to keep snow and other elements from getting inside the gloves.
Additionally, these gloves come in a knit design, so you are surely going to love how durable and comfortable they are. And also, they are made of an amazingly soft fabric which guarantees that your hands will remain warm throughout the day.
Besides, these pair of gloves has an ergonomic design which enables to take part in a number of activities and feel comfortable using both hands.
They are a bit larger by design, so ordering a smaller size (especially if you have small hands) is recommended to improve the fit. But for the price you pay, you do get a good quality pair of gloves!
PROS
– budget-friendly
– pleasant material
CONS
– a bit baggy
– not very warm
How to choose the perfect pair for you
If you want to know exactly what to look for when choosing your next pair of fingerless gloves, I have everything you need listed blow.
Comfort
Your fingers will be comfortable as far as your knuckles are. The kind of material used in making the gloves is the determinant of the comfort you will get from the glove.
Some design materials like nylon or acrylic are normally flexible and they guarantee more comfort and mobility.
Therefore, you should avoid buying the stiffest and hardest cheap leather due to the fact that it won’t be comfortable. Luckily, all the models recommended above are extremely comfortable!
Size
In order for the gloves to fit properly, the size is very important. When your pair of fingerless gloves is small, the mobility of your fingers will be restricted, and subsequently make it difficult for you to carry out any task.
Also, small gloves can also compromise the circulation of air, especially if there are no breathable layers or vents.
On the opposite side, it is also important to avoid buying a large pair of gloves. If your gloves are large, your comfort will be compromised, and the enclosure of the wrist might be loose.
Besides, the enclosures of the fingers might be loose as well, which would result in your hands getting no heat.
Airflow
Another important thing you should consider is the airflow to your palms, particularly when your palms tend to over-sweat. The absence of airflow will bring a lot of sweat and annoying heat.
To ensure this doesn’t happen, some fingerless gloves have perforated leather to enable sweat evaporation while others enable airflow through the enclosures of the fingers.
So, before you buy gloves, make sure that you double check if they are insulated, but enable airflow.
Glove Lining
The glove’s lining is typically made of natural material which can hold the internal heat. The outside is important as well, but the heat can’t be held by anything better than a natural material.
The most widely recognized linings are wool, Lycra, acrylic, and fleece. The last three materials are recommended for temperatures that aren’t too low since they are artificial materials not ideal for colder temperatures.
However, fleece is a superb material which is ideal for colder climate conditions. I recently wrote an article on how to wash your fleece jacket – make sure to check it out as well.
Warmth
Warmth is the primary reason for wearing these gloves during winter time. Even though you’re not aiming for complete warmth (since your fingers are exposed to the cold), you still want them to offer enough protection from the cold.
Go for natural materials (like wool) when you expect to use them in very cold conditions. Otherwise, synthetic materials are better.
On a personal note, I can say that I actually prefer the warmer ones even if it’s warmer outside. I prefer to feel snug and comfortable instead of getting just a bit of extra warmth from the synthetic materials.
So in this case, it’s better to go for the extra warmth instead of the other route.
Durability
One of the most important things you should consider is the durability. In any case, take note that durability is enhanced by the kind of material used in making the fingerless gloves.
Leathers that are of low quality, often wear out as a result of repeated use, particularly if you take part in severe exercises. For example, aid climbing and abseiling.
Wrap Up
You know now what to look for in order to make sure that your next pair of gloves is just right for you, but most importantly, you have the best products on the market today listed above.
Make your pick based on what you like the most, but also how warm you want the gloves to be. In almost all situations, going for my top pick – the Minus33 Fingerless Gloves is the best idea, as they are warm, comfortable and durable.
Mark Foster loves to push his limits when it comes to survival in the wilderness. He might go for a 30-days adventure without any food or equipment except for a survival kit and a knife. We should mention that his survival kit has 122 items in it, so he know what he is doing. Mark is working on his book to share with the world all his experience gained during those brave adventures.
Gravity Threads are quite good. When my hands are cold or covered up, I can’t feel what I’m doing. This splits the difference by keeping my fingers warm and allowing me to keep feeling with my finger tips. I’d rather have natural fibers, but for cheap acrylic gloves these are amazing. I plan to hand wash them to extend their life 🙂
Don’t you just love the variety of colors of this brand? I love the comfort and the material – very affordable too. Fingerless gloves are great options to have. Beats the regular, bulky gloves each time!