On the slopes, your hands are the part of your body most exposed to both cold and wet. Mittens, where the fingers touch each other, generally keep you warmer than gloves with separate fingers; in a single-subject Antarctic test, the best results came from mittens with liner gloves and heated products. Gloves with fingers, on the other hand, make it easier to hold poles and use zips and buckles. Whichever you choose, get a waterproof model that covers your wrist, and add a thin liner glove underneath. The EN 511 code on a glove shows test results against cold and water but does not give a temperature rating. The first signs of frostbite are redness and pain, followed by white or grey-yellow, waxy and numb skin; if this happens, do not rub the skin, and warm it with lukewarm (not hot) water.
In the cold, the body protects the internal organs first; blood flow to the hands and feet decreases. On top of that come the wind on the slopes, wet gloves and minutes spent motionless on the chairlift. We explain how the temperature you feel drops with the wind in our guide to wind chill.
Gloves or mittens?
Gloves
Mittens
Warmth
Less
More: the fingers warm each other
Dexterity
Easier for poles, zips, buckles and your phone
More limited
Who for?
Mild days, using poles
People sensitive to cold, very cold days, children
In-between option
Lobster (three-finger) models
The evidence is limited, but the direction is clear: in Iserson's 2016 single-subject Antarctic test, the only things that kept finger temperature above 15 °C were heated products and mittens with liner gloves; a mitten with a liner kept the finger at 23 °C, while the best unheated glove only managed 10 °C. As this was a test with one person, read the result as a hint, not as a general rule.
Liner gloves
A thin liner glove worn inside your glove:
Stops your hands being completely exposed when you take your glove off to use your phone or a buckle.
Wicks sweat away and keeps the inside of the glove drier.
Warms your hands up again when you swap it for a spare liner in the middle of the day.
Cotton liners take a long time to dry when wet; choose wool or synthetic.
What to look for in a ski glove
Feature
Why does it matter?
Waterproof membrane
When snow melts and gets inside, your hands cool down fast
Long cuff (gauntlet) or short cuff
A gauntlet goes over the jacket sleeve; a short cuff goes inside it. Both should stop snow getting in between
Wrist leash
Stops the glove falling when you take it off on the chairlift
Reinforced palm
Withstands rubbing from poles and edges; snowboarders often push off the snow with their hands
Right size
A tight glove reduces circulation and makes you colder; there should be a little room at the fingertips
What does the EN 511 code tell you?
Some gloves carry the mark of EN 511, the European standard for protective gloves against cold, and a three-digit code:
Digit
What it measures
Level
1st
Convective cold (heat loss to the air)
0–4
2nd
Contact cold (touching a cold surface)
0–4
3rd
Waterproofing
0 or 1
The higher the level, the greater the protection; "X" means that property was not tested. Note: EN 511 does not give a temperature rating; claims such as "down to −30 °C" come from the manufacturer, not from the standard.
Hand warmers
Chemical hand warmers are useful on very cold days. But numb skin does not feel heat well and burns easily: do not put a warmer directly on your skin; place it on top of your glove or liner. The CDC also advises against warming frozen or numb skin with a heating pad.
Frostbite: first signs and what to do
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the signs of frostbite are:
First redness and pain,
Then skin that is white or grey-yellow, looks hard or waxy, and goes numb.
According to the 2024 guidelines of the Wilderness Medical Society (WMS), there is a risk of frostbite between 0 and −15 °C too, and it rises markedly below −15 °C. According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, when the wind chill is between −28 and −39, exposed skin can freeze in 10–30 minutes, and between −40 and −47 in 5–10 minutes.
What to do (UK National Health Service, NHS):
Get somewhere warm and take off wet gloves.
Warm the area with lukewarm (not hot) water; do not rub it.
Do not warm it with a fire, a radiator or a hot-water bottle; do not drink alcohol.
If the skin stays white, hard or numb, or blisters form, seek medical help.
Prevention: According to a review summarising the WMS guidelines, the strong recommendations include maintaining blood circulation (avoiding tight clothing and alcohol), keeping moving, suitable clothing, using warmers and limiting time spent in the cold.
Warm hands, long day
Warm hands mean staying on the slopes until the end of the day on an activity holiday. Doğadayız winter packages include accommodation, a ski pass and ski or snowboard equipment. Passing a spare liner glove to the person next to you on the chairlift is also a small but real act of solidarity on a social adventure holiday. For the full list of what to wear, see our guide what to wear skiing and snowboarding; for programmes, see our winter activity holidays page.
Doğadayız Packages
Doğadayız packages for your level
Winter activity holidays with accommodation, ski pass and equipment included, shared with a group.
The easiest way to learn to ski: a winter activity holiday
An activity holiday puts a sport at the heart of your trip: transport, accommodation and meals are planned, so you can focus on learning on the slopes. On Doğadayız winter activity holidays, accommodation, ski pass and ski or snowboard equipment are included in every package; course packages include basic lessons with instructors affiliated with the Turkish Ski Federation, while experience packages let you practise on the slopes at your own level.
What makes the programme different is the group: sharing the slopes with people at a similar level, dinners and nights out together, and a group leader by your side at all times. Solo travellers become part of this social adventure holiday from day one. That is why we describe our programmes as a social adventure holiday.
Mittens are generally warmer because the fingers warm each other. In a single-subject Antarctic test, the best at maintaining finger temperature were mittens with liner gloves and heated products. Gloves with fingers, on the other hand, make it easier to use poles and buckles.
What does the EN 511 code on a glove mean?
EN 511 is the European standard for protective gloves against cold. The three digits show, in order, the level of convective cold (0–4), contact cold (0–4) and waterproofing (0 or 1); X means it was not tested. The standard does not give a temperature rating.
What are the first signs of frostbite?
According to the CDC, redness and pain appear first, then the skin turns white or grey-yellow, waxy and numb. The NHS recommends warming the area with lukewarm water without rubbing it, not using a fire or radiator, and not drinking alcohol.
A ski jacket and trousers have to do two jobs at once: keep snow and water out and let sweat escape. On labels, the first number shows waterproofing (mm) and the second shows breathability (g/m²/24 hours); according to Burton, 5K/5K for dry snow, 10K/5K for above-average snow and 20K/10K for heavy wet snow or rain are a good starting point. However, there is no official industry standard for these values, and results from different test methods cannot be compared with each other. Membrane fabrics are made as 2 layers (2L), 2.5 layers (2.5L) and 3 layers (3L). When the water-repellent surface coating (DWR) wears off, the fabric wets out and can no longer breathe; that is why caring for it matters. The most versatile choice for skiing is a shell jacket and trousers that you can layer underneath.
Wind chill is when the temperature you feel is lower than the actual air temperature because the wind quickly carries heat away from exposed skin. According to an information card from Turkey's Ministry of Labour and Social Security, at −5 °C a 30 km/h wind feels like −13 °C. According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, when the wind chill is between −28 °C and −39 °C, exposed skin can freeze in 10–30 minutes; at lower values this drops to a few minutes. When skiing, you create part of the wind yourself: skin cools very quickly when you are coming down fast and especially when you are sitting facing into the wind on a chairlift.
For skiing and snowboarding you wear three layers: a synthetic or wool base layer that wicks sweat away, a fleece mid-layer that holds in warmth, and a ski jacket and trousers that keep out wind and water. Add a single pair of thin ski socks, waterproof gloves, a neck gaiter, a helmet and goggles. Do not wear cotton: it gets soaked with sweat and makes you cold.
