Gear Guide – We Test Three of XTM’s Finest Gore-Tex Gloves

Mountainwatch | Gear Guide

It wasn’t until I photographed a beginner ski lesson in Japan last season, that I realised how important ski gloves were to a day on the hill. Why? Because the participants of the lesson turned up without any…

Indeed, nothing ruins a day on the hill sooner than a pair of wet gloves and/or cold hands – the two are normally synonymous.

We took a handful of gloves (pun intended) up the chairlift with us at Thredbo resort for a day of hard riding to see how they held up. From a sweaty boot pack up behind the Cruiser Chair to some frontside carving, they fared very well indeed under bluebird skies.

CREMA ADULT UNISEX SNOW MITT

I’m a mitt man so naturally, I reached for XTM’s Crema Mitt for my first few runs in the morning. I kept them on whilst boot packing to see if I’d work up a sweat and being the warmest of XTM’s offerings, I remained sweat-free (maybe I wasn’t hiking hard enough).

Named after former Winter Olympian Katya Crema herself, they’re unsurprisingly just as high performance as they are warm.

Buy if: warmth is a priority.

Why? XTM’s ‘Gore Warm’ Tech.

PODIUM ADULT UNISEX SNOW GLOVE

If I weren’t such a mitt fanatic, these would be my pick as they’re almost as comfortable as a mitt (a hard ask for a glove) and have superior breathability. XTM market this one as a second skin and when friends were pulling their gloves off after overheating during our day lapping Thredbo I was more than happy to keep these on thanks to the GORE-TEX breathable insert.

Buy if: comfort, breathability and podium finishes are your thing.

Why? XTM’s ‘Gore Active’ Tech.

FABLE ADULT UNISEX SNOW GLOVE

The Fable Adult can be purchased as either a glove or a mitt. If you’ve ever avoided buying the latter because you’re worried grip will suffer as a result then these are the model for you.

XTM employs so-called ‘GoreGrip’ in these, which essentially amounts to a specially designed grip tape within the Gore-tex insert and inner lining to ensure maximum grip and minimum slippage with the outer goatskin leather shell. The low profile cuff fits neatly under outerwear and your fingers will have the dexterity to match the grip.

Buy if: you want to hang onto your poles while going as fast as you can…

Why? XTM’s ‘Gore Grip’ Tech.

If none of the above tickles your finger fancy, check out the boxing-inspired pro model mitt they developed with Scotty James.