Aptly protecting one’s hands, which is arguably the most valuable body part for getting work done, is critical.
The question is (as it has been since humans moved to the colder regions of the planet): how does one keep the fingers warm without restricting dexterity?
In short, it ain’t easy.
Anyone who grew up with a doting mother knows, the mitten makes the best accessory for warm fingers. That said, playing the guitar in mittens is harder than hauling wheelbarrows of mud uphill, in the rain.
Talk about clumsy.
Thankfully, the folks who make workwear know this. They’ve been working hard the last century to bring gloves that keep one’s extremities warm while allowing precious dexterity at the same time.
The brand name that comes up most often is Berne, but Red Kap has thrown their hat, er, gloves in the mix too.
These are five pairs of cold weather work gloves that will do a darn good job of keeping your fingers warm while you work. Doubt you’ll be able to play guitar, though, but maybe…
Red Kap Technician Glove
There was a time when there was only one material for warmth and breathability, wool. Synthetics have come a long way, baby.
The Technician Glove from Red Kap demonstrates exactly how well polymers can work to keep you warm and active.
Four synthetics, a faux leather, Polyester, Neoprene, and Elastane come together in perfect harmony to make one of the most dexterous gloves All Seasons Uniforms carries.
The Red Kap design focuses on allowing the thumb and forefinger to labor while granting dexterity too the other three digits for operating a touch screen.
To accomplish this, Red Kap covered the middle, ring, and pinky finger with something they call Smartglove® material, which transmits enough bioelectrical signal to register on a touchscreen as if you had on no glove at all.
You’re able to grip down tight on tools (or whatever) with your thumb and forefinger, supported by the rest. Then, when you need to, you’ll be able to type into screens with the other three without skipping a beat.
Like any good piece of quality workwear, everything is triple-stitched and otherwise reinforced, in this case with synthetic leather. Getting in and out is a matter of a velcro strap.
Don’t let it surprise you if you want to wear these gloves on the ski slopes too so you can control your music or text on the way up the hill.
Color options are black or red and black.
Berne Insulated Work Glove
More simple in design, the Insulated Work Glove from Berne offers a medium-weight waterproof glove with enough cold protection to cover you for most jobs.
When you need a good quality glove that will keep you warm but doesn’t need to do much else, this is a sensible solution. It comes in five different colors, black, brown, bark, olive, and real tree (a camo pattern).
The glove materials in this Berne option are a perfect marriage of traditional and synthetic fibers. The back of the glove is cotton canvas, but the palm-side is PVC.
Inside the glove, there is a layer of Thinsulate to keep your fingers warm, and the Berne has waterproofed the whole glove so they stay warm, no matter how sloppy the conditions.
Berne’s sizes go as large as four times extra-large, so you don’t have to feel like you’re wearing your little sister’s gloves.
And, because they’re Berne, you know they’ll last longer than the cold weather.
Berne Ladies’ Canvas Glove Glove
Because the fellas aren’t the only ones braving the elements, Berne also offers a version for the ladies. These are just as tough as the version Berne makes for the men.
Key to the design is that the makeup of this glove is the same as the men’s version, cotton canvas backing, PVC palms, with Thinsulate linings.
The difference in these warm, waterproof ladies gloves is they’re not just smaller versions of the men’s gloves. They’ve been properly proportioned for a woman’s hands.
Berne also had the good sense to offer a nice red version (which they call raisinberry) in addition to the standard black and brown options.
This Berne glove tightens down as much as you prefer at the wrist with a simple strap you can pull with the gloves on. Sizes include extra large and medium.
Berne Heavy Duty Utility Glove
The Berne Heavy Duty Utility Glove is much like the glove worn by your parents, but with a modern touch.
These are not a good option for vegans. Berne has worked in some lovely cuts of split leather into the cotton canvas parts to give the gloves a timeless look and feel.
We’ve come a long way with synthetic leather, but nothing moves and feels the same as the real thing.
Unlike your parents’ winter work gloves, these offer more than natural fiber fill to keep your fingers warm. They have a Thinsulate lining, which is much thinner [read: more dexterous] and much warmer than any other option on the market.
Go ahead. Wear these gloves all day long pulling lumber or hauling concrete blocks in the cold. Your hands won’t freeze and they won’t give up.
Berne has black or brown versions, and like the other Berne gloves, we carry them up to four times extra large.
Berne Performance Work Glove
This is Berne’s response to Red Kap’s Technician Glove or as Berne would put it, Red Kap’s is the response to this one. (We try not to get involved in these debates.)
The reality is, the Red Kap glove will work better for some. For others, it’s Berne or nothing else when it comes to work gloves.
Note that the Berne glove takes a slightly different approach. There are two main synthetic fabrics at play here, Polyester, and Spandex. The latter gives the former pliability so you can reach and grasp without fighting to close your hand.
Inside the glove, the palms are a synthetic leather, again for mobility.
Like the other Berne glove, they’ve included a Thinsulate liner for warmth, but Berne adds something the Red Kap glove does not. The thumb of this glove is a soft cloth, perfect for wiping sweat from your brow.
For anyone who had ever dragged the back of a 100 percent synthetic glove across the brow, it’s a painful and worthless effort. That plush cloth of this glove on your skin is like a quick swipe from heaven when you need it.
These gloves cinch tight at the wrists with an easy to pull strap, but they also have elastic closures at the wrist in case you’re in a hurry.
Also, these are the only gloves in this lineup that offer a high visibility yellow option. Yes, they come in bigger sizes.
If all you need is something rugged to take a beating, look at the Berne heavy Duty Utility Glove. But, if you want something a little more dexterous without going full bore, the insulated work gloves will do the trick. For those who need the perfect hybrid, the Red Kap to the Berne Performance Work Glove will the way to go.
The rest of us will wear our mittens per the advice of our first boss, Mom.
About the Author
Nick Warrick
Nick Warrick is the Sales Manager at All Seasons Uniforms. With over 15 years of experience in the work uniform business, he has worked with hundreds of clients across 20 different industries. Holding bachelor’s degrees in both Business Administration and Information Technology, Nick revamped the company’s online presence, offering its customers a new uniform shopping experience.