Leather Ski Gloves Can Do It All
Put your skins on. Take your skins off. Buckle your boots. Loosen your boots. Adjust your bindings. Open your pack. Eat a snack. Take a photo. A typical day in the backcountry asks a lot of our gloved hands – far more than a day at the resort. Backcountry ski gloves must be weatherproof, dexterous, rugged and warm – but not too warm. Given the always-on-the-move nature of a day in the backcountry, the best backcountry ski gloves are equal parts ski and work gloves. Leather gloves are an easy choice for ski touring. Leather palms and fingers are essential. Fortunately, there are lots of options. The most significant differences revolve around leather type, insulation and cuff length.
Here’s a handful of leather ski gloves that get the Off-Piste Mag seal of approval.
Altai Skis Elk Skin Gloves $75
The Altai Elk skin gloves are my do-it-all gloves. If you are hard on ski gloves, these are the gloves for you. The elk hide is thick and incredibly durable, yet it remains supple for reasonable handling of buckles, zippers and gear. They hold up to firewood hauling, ski edge handling, snowmobile maintenance, and most importantly, they are dexterous enough for all-day backcountry touring wear. In traditional work glove style, the cuff is short, but there’s a velcro cinch to help seal out snow and cold. They strike the right balance between being warm enough for cold days and light enough for the skin track most of the time. There’s a break-in period for these gloves. Try heating them for a few min in the drier and then rubbing in a good wax or sealer, and they will start to take the shape of your hand. They are made in the USA and reasonably priced.
Black Kingpin Ski Gloves– $89
More work gloves than ski gloves, the Black Diamond Kingpins use a complete goat leather build for good dexterity and a soft feel. They’re lined but not what I would call insulated. They are great in mild conditions and as an uphill glove. The edition pictured is an older (well-worn) model with a velcro cuff, the current version drops the adjustable cuff in favor of a short gauntlet with elastic much like the Outdoor Research Aksel shown below. BD gives it a 20F-35F temp rating. The Kingpin gloves are a solid choice for mild weather and for those looking for dexterity and minimal insulation for use on the skin track. Shop for Black Diamond Kingpin gloves
Outdoor Research Aksel Ski Gloves – $69
The Outdoor Research Aksel gloves are lightly insulated, all-leather gloves. It’s like a BD Kingpin with a bit more warmth. A wool-blend lining adds enough insulation to extend its range beyond uptrack use. The cowhide build is durable and soft from the first wear. The cuff is long enough to overlap your jacket or tuck into your sleeve. They are a great uphill glove easily pushed to serve downhill duty in moderate temps – especially here in the Northwest. They’re the gloves you can wear all day long provided the weather is reasonably dry. Shop for the OR Aksel glove directly from OR
Outdoor Research ExtraVert Ski Gloves – $79
While not a leather ski glove, strictly speaking, the OR ExtraVert Gloves are well matched to skin track laps. They use a full goat leather palm and fingers with a stretch-woven softshell back and cuff. The result is a lightweight and packable design. They’re great on the skin track and easily push into downhill duty on mild days, thanks to a lightweight wool-blend lining. The ExtraVert has the dexterity you need to manage buckles and zippers. The goat leather is super soft, but it’s not as rugged as cow, deer or elk skin. The gloves pictured are a few seasons old. The latest edition features new textured fingertips for even better grip and dexterity.
Black Diamond Patrol Ski Gloves – $149
A lightweight, insulated ski glove with leather palms and fingers, the Black Diamond Patrol gloves are proper ski gloves. BD merged a classic gauntlet-style ski glove with the leather palm and fingers of a work glove. The Patrol is insulated with lightweight PrimaLoft Gold insulation. Its goat leather palm keeps it soft and lightweight. They are very packable, but not quite as warm as you might think, which extends their functionality as a backcountry glove but limits their appeal as a resort glove. The Patrol is my backup touring glove. Shop for the Black Diamond Patrol glove.
Black Diamond Guide Glove – $179
The BD Guide Gloves are a seriously warm and pro-caliber gloves worthy of the coldest days, harshest weather and long-term wear. They are cold weather, deep pow day gloves. They are ideal for resort days and serious cold, stormy weather anywhere. They are built to last, and what you lose in dexterity, you make up for in warmth and durability. They are significantly warmer than the BD Patrol and are the ultimate backup glove. Shop for the BD Guide glove.
Check out more leather ski glove options.
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