For the purpose of this post I won’t be going into brands but the various benefits of different types of gloves to help you make an informed decision when it comes to purchase. Here I have purposely chosen cheap models to show that it doesn’t always need to be the most expensive. I don’t think I paid over £15 for any of the gloves in this post.
There are 3 standard types of gloves:
Standard Gloves
Mitts
Hybrids
Standard Gloves
The standard gloves are my go to for when the weather is dry, they keep my hands warm enough and I can easily undo zips and get into my pack without having to remove them. The biggest problem with my particular gloves is that they’re made with a material that’s no good for heavy rain, they tend to adsorb water and hold it making my hands cold. Also, because they have five fingers, warmth isn’t stored well across the fingers, which can increase the chance of raynauds syndrome.
Mitts
Mitts are the best for heat insulation. People who suffer with raynauds would be better off with them. The heat from all fingers is shared in one area which lessens the chance of cold setting into the fingers. The biggest problem with mitts is the limited ability to manipulate zips & pockets – leaving you to have to remove them to be able to get out your phone or go for a call of nature. The types in the images are waterproof overgloves, I use them in combination with my standard gloves.
Hybrids
Hybrid gloves are the best of both worlds. The particular models in the images are fingerless, but there are models which have covered fingers. These gloves allow the dexterity to be able to go into your pockets or open zips without having to remove them and lose heat in the process.
For people who suffer from raynauds, you would be best off trying to maximise the insulation by using mitts, perhaps the hybrid types (not fingerless) would be the best direction and ensuring waterproof, breathable material. Which, I have been reliably informed, has the best chance of reducing raynauds symptoms.
If you’re a person who runs hot and hands can tend overheat when constrained in gloves you might be better with the standard glove type to reduce the wind chill factor and allow an amount of air flow around the fingers to take away excess heat.
Ultimately, your glove type is down to personal preference. At the moment I use my standard gloves in combination with the waterproof mitt overgloves. The overgloves are easily stored away without taking much space and can be used in their own if just needing a water guard, I tend to take them out and put them on if needed. It’s a combination which has so far worked for me, particularly, on the longer runs.
