If you’re working out in the cold, you need a pair of gloves to keep your hands warm—more specifically, touchscreen gloves if you plan on using your phone or fitness tracker.
Investing in a great pair of gloves can help keep your workout on track, your skin from drying out, and your fingers from freezing. But if you’re just wearing regular gloves, you’ll probably find yourself having to strip them off to swipe through a playlist, answer a call, snap a pic, or simply start the workout tracking on your device. This can be annoying and can totally distract you from your workout. Besides, have you ever tried to cram back on a pair of sweaty gloves halfway through a long run?
That’s why making sure you find a great pair of touchscreen gloves is clutch if you intend to use these devices during your workout.
Finding a great pair of touchscreen gloves is really individualized—what feels comfortable for you may not work for someone else—but there are a few general factors you should consider.
First, think about whether you’re looking for touchscreen gloves or touchscreen mittens. Touchscreen gloves will generally give you more dexterity to operate your devices, but if your hands tend to run really cold, mittens may be the better choice since they trap heat better, Laura Norris, a certified running coach from Valparaiso, Indiana, tells SELF.
Then, pay attention to fit.
“For gloves it’s generally best to get them tighter fitting, especially if you’re using the tech part [for touchscreen use], Tammy Whyte, a certified running coach and NASM-certified personal trainer from Chicago, tells SELF. “For mittens you’ll want the thumb to fit more snugly and the rest more loosely.” If you plan to layer, you’ll need to add even more room.
If you plan to work out in the early morning or evening, when it’s dark out or visibility is poor, you may also want to look for gloves with some reflective strips or pieces so cars and bikers can see you more easily, Whyte says. And material matters too. Most exercise gloves are made of wicking material, which pulls moisture away from your hands so the sweat doesn’t chill you, says Whyte. Look for those made of polyester, nylon, Spandex, or merino wool.
Looking for the perfect pair of touchscreen gloves to keep your hands warm during your cold-weather workouts? Here are 11 recommendations from outdoor runners and exercisers.
