Winter Riding Gloves: A Comparative Review

It's that time of year again: the time to freeze your fingers taking off your gloves every three seconds because you can't function with them on.

I own a depressing collection of winter riding gloves, but my collection is your gain! Here's what I think of them:

Dublin Thinsulate Everyday Fleece Riding gloves: 

Fleece exterior, thinsulate lining, synthetic "sure grip" palm and finger protection. Cinch velcro closures at wrist.

These gloves are great for above freezing riding, but the fleece exterior is less than waterproof and windproof, and is a major downside during shedding season. They are warm and don't seem to have extraordinarily long fingers as some gloves do.

Finger Use Rating: 3/5, relatively dexterous but not waterproof, windproof or shedding proof.

SSG 10 Below Waterproof Glove:

Ribbed exterior and cuff, grippy palm with riding reinforcements and a thinsulate/fleece lining. Listed as Waterproof, I was unable to test that as one glove arrived with a hole in it (missed stitching). My gloves also have wrist hangers so you can feel like Ralphie in "A Christmas Story" with your gloves on strings.

These gloves were too bulky for me to do much in - they were okay for activities like throwing hay or other manual labor, but were too thick for me to easily use snaps, buckles or other finer tasks.

Finger Use Rating: 1.5/5, one step above mittens.

Heritage Extreme Winter Gloves:

These gloves are similar to the SSG 10 Below with their ribbed exterior and knitted cuff to hold out drafts. They also feature a cell phone friendly index and thumb in addition to the thinsulate and fleece lining and waterproof protection. I like these a little better than the SSGs, though I can't put my finger (nuk nuk nuk) on why that is. These gloves also have a super cool pocket on the back to hold a hand warmer - which is great, as those buggers can burn you if put directly on skin!

Like the 10 Below's, I found these gloves to be too bulky for riding - I really hate feeling like my reins are floating in my hands between layers of fabric, and dislike feeling like I have to keep a death grip on them to have any sort of feel. These are probably perfect for western riders who neck rein or for trail riding, but aren't good for arena, dressage or jumping work.

Finger Use Rating: 1.5/5, one step above mittens.


Mountain Horse Trail Winter Glove:

I think these are the ones I have, at least. I know they're Mountain Horse, and are very similar to ski gloves you'd find in a sports store. Mine have the Ralphie-style wrist strings like the SSG 10 Below gloves, and a similar knitted cuff. Microfiber-esque exterior, and a fleece/possibly loft lining means that they aren't particularly waterproof.

These gloves were heavy - I wouldn't consider doing anything but the most basic, no dexterity needed chores in them, and riding was completely out of the question for me in these. With waterproof options on the market, I'd skip these.

Finger Use Rating: 1/5, one step above mittens AND not waterproof.

SSG Fleece Lined Winter Gripper Gloves:

These were a super cheap whim purchase, and would be great for people riding in a heated or well insulated indoor - just a bit warmer than one's standard riding gloves, these are basic and have a cozy fleece lining. My pair were SUBSTANTIALLY too large and grew annoying because of it, and have since moved on to use by my mom who has bigger hands and longer fingers. Not waterproof or windproof, these are not appropriate for chores - and wouldn't hold up, anyways.

Finger Use Rating: 5/5, in the correct size, these gloves would be no different than a summer riding glove in my opinion.

SSG Pro Show Winter Glove:

These gloves are leather with a pinched back and feature stretchy lycra material between the fingers, giving them a good close fit. They have a knit cuff to prevent wrist drafts and are thinsulate lined. These gloves are a great balance between warmth and dexterity but do fail out on the colder days, especially if it's windy. They are not bulky and I can do bridle buckles up with no issue.  With the addition of the Ovations below, these gloves will be my gloves for temps around freezing and a little below.

Finger Use Rating: 4/5 - these are not summer gloves, but they have very low bulk and do keep your fingers quite warm.




Ovation Syntac Thinsulate Winter Glove

These gloves are my newest purchase, and I'm pretty excited about them. They are a bit heavier than the Pro Shows, but are still nice and grippy and pretty darn low bulk. The exterior is grippy and stays pretty clean. The thinsulate lining appears to be augmented with a soft fleecy lining. As of right now, I'm pretty thrilled with this find, and intend them to be my gloves for the colder temps. I rode in them on a 35 degree day in our unheated, uninsulated indoor and found them to be almost too warm which was a lovely surprise!

Finger Use Rating: 3.5/5 - these are not summer gloves, but they have relatively low bulk and do keep your fingers quite warm.



Hopefully these reviews are useful and I'll keep you updated on the new Ovations!
A.

How To Survive the Polar Vortex: Rider Edition

If anyone reading this actually knows me, they will know that I am a freeze baby. I am cold all the time, and wear more layers than any person has any right to. BUT I did survive last winter (may I remind you, the -35 degree "feels like" and the wind so cold you couldn't have your face uncovered) with all of my fingers and toes. For a minute there it was tense, but with some thought and new winter boots, I SURVIVED!

 

Much cold when riding outside on a "nice" day.

Here's how I did it:

Baselayer: 

I start with Cuddle Dud long john bottoms, or, if it's legit freezing, I bump up to my Columbia Omniheat baselayer (Omniheat is the best. Seriously.) with coolmax base layer socks to hold them down. I also usually rock a Cuddle Dud top, or, again, the Omniheat (mine is a mens, but #YOLO) should it be legitimately too cold to function. The Cuddle duds are wicking, warm and the 360 degree stretch gives you a great range of motion, and they're pretty affordable, too!

Mid layer:

I add a fleece layer next; usually a Columbia zip up fleece and Kerrits Sit Tight and Warm breeches. I am a Kerrits ambassador, yes, but I sincerely LOVE these breeches (and the discounts Kerrits gives me ;) ). I walked out of the barn, bracing myself, the first time I wore them, for the wind to blow through them and steal every iota of body heat from my lower extremities. And I felt... nothing. Windpro fleece blocks the wind, and the seat is super sticky which is wonderful when it's freezing and muscles don't work. Over the breeches, I usually wear REI mereno wool hiking socks (they come in different weights, but I prefer to go for the warm ones!) or Smartwool knee highs, which were a gift last year. I love them, and they have Koi on them and they're just so cool.

Outer layer:

My riding jacket is my old college jacket - a Columbia interchange with a windbreaker layer and inside, a puffer type jacket with omni heat. As you can tell, Columbia has worked out really well for me - if I don't wear the omni heat jacket, I have another Columbia that is oversized that I wear when I need to be active and have room to move. If you have a jacket you like, maybe try an Omniheat vest. which is also one of my favorite layers.

For boots, I have my new Ariat Brossard boots (link to my review post), which I put toe warmers in. The thinsulate lined foot and leg are the winning factor with me - between them, and the wicking coolmax socks, my feet stay warm and most importantly DRY should I cold sweat or overheat. Dry feet are warm feet, remember that. I bought mine through Amazon Prime and paid 150$ for them (just watch the prices - a deal will come along!!).

For gloves, I'm at a bit of a loss. I really like my SSG ProShow winter gloves, which are again fully lined with thinsulate. They're flexible and I can actually do buckles and ride in them without feeling like I can't feel the reins or function. They are not amazingly warm, but they hold their own, especially because I don't have to pull them off every two seconds to do a buckle or use my fingers. Otherwise, if it's dry, I will double up on the $1 cheapo gloves from Target or where ever - I tend to go crazy buying them up when they clearance out in the spring, and I get to indulge my love of crazy colors in the process. Two layers of them blocks the wind better, and you can strip off the top pair should they get wet and your bottom layer might still survive.

I also sometimes throw on a neck gaiter, especially if the wind is super cold. I pull it up over my face when I'm outside. When I rode outside full time many-a-year ago, I'd ride with a full balaclava on under my helmet. And while you look like a ninja, your face is warmer and your snot doesn't freeze to your face. It's the little things, right?

I have Helmet ear muffs in my helmet and they actually work great - when I'm not mounted I wear an omni heat hat, and it is legitimately worth it's weight in gold, plus more. The minute you put it on it goes to work reflecting your heat back at you and keeping you warm.

Seriously, I'm obsessed with Omniheat - some of it is pricy, but you can find it at Columbia outlets or online (Sierra Trading Post FTW) for pretty reasonable prices. And it's worth it. So, so worth it.

Stay warm, my friends.