How to Keep Your Hands Warm When Skiing

Having cold hands can turn a wonderful day on the slopes into a nightmare. Although there is no miracle way to keep hands warm when out skiing, selecting the right equipment and adopting certain behaviours can help greatly. Here are our tips.

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1. Gloves or Mittens: Cover Up When Heading Out

Gloves or mittens? Your choice is down to your preferences and needs on the slopes. Be aware that while mittens come out tops in terms of warmth, gloves have the advantage of being more practical when it comes to handling zips, backpack straps, hooks on ski boots ... Between the warmth of mittens and the comfort of using gloves, check out our advice for choosing what suits you best.

The must for keeping your hands warm? Don't forget to take a pair of liner gloves. They add 2 to 3 degrees of additional warmth to gloves, but also manage humidity by absorbing it to prevent hands from getting cold when resting (ski lift, meals, waiting on the slopes). Liner gloves dry more easily than a glove’s lining, so they are nice and dry when setting off again after a meal break.
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2. Movement and action for Good Heat

Skiing is quite an intensive sports activity which uses a large amount of energy. So, our first tip for keeping your hands warm: recharge your batteries before setting off for a full day on the slopes with a good night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast.

Throughout the day, between descents and heading back up the mountain, you’ll be alternating between intensive and calmer periods. Effort brings warmth, as well as perspiration. So, be careful and keep moving your fingers during rest periods, don’t remove your gloves or mittens, and make sure you don’t restrict blood circulation by resting your hands on ski lift bars, for example.

Some people, like me, will say that they follow these tips, but always end up having cold hands at some point during the day. My tip? Heating pads placed inside your gloves as soon as you feel the cold, but not beforehand otherwise you run the risk of perspiring unnecessarily.

3. Dressing Properly on the Slopes: Your Best Ally to Combat Cold Hands

To avoid having cold hands and feet, you must dress correctly and cover your head. Because if your outfit lets in the cold and wind, and keeps in the moisture, you risk cooling down, starting with your hands! Read our tips for dressing properly on the ski slopes. As you can see, a good pair of gloves or mittens is not enough to keep your hands warm, so you have to think more widely, including your head. Correct clothing with a good hat and correctly fitted gloves or mittens and nothing can get in your way on the slopes.