I haven’t lived in an extremely cold climate since childhood.
I own and use gloves. Including a nice soft calf skin pair I wear on chilly winter days. Great for driving when the steering wheel is cold. They look nice when I dress up. I also have work gloves.
I haven’t owned mittens since the 2nd grade.
Is there an advantage over gloves?
Why would anyone wear something that restricts using their fingers?
Just curious. I’m guessing there’s some advantage to wearing mittens.
Warmth. No matter how well-made the gloves are, in cold weather they’re not as good at keeping your fingers warm as mittens do. Mittens trap all the heat of your fingers and keeps them warmer.
I’ve got a good pair of big leather gauntlets. If I have to walk to work in really cold weather (-30 or so), I wear gloves, inside the gauntlets. Keeps my hands warm in a way that gloves by themselves just can’t do.
So much warmer.
Yep, got it in one. I’m guessing the OP is not as much of a northerner as @Northern_Piper and I.
Yup, mittens are just warmer. The fingers help keep each other warm, there’s less surface area to lose heat.
When I’m commuting, and don’t need to use my hands much outdoors, i use gloves and pockets. But if I’m going to be outdoors and using my hands extensively, like skiing, i want mittens.
For skiing/snowboarding I use gloves, but on really cold/storm days I have a pair of mittens with sleeves that go up past my wrist. Much warmer than gloves in storm conditions.
I have a great pair of hybrid type mitten-gloves. They are fingerless gloves (thumb fully covered) that have a separate mitten like cover that goes over the 4 fingers. The cover is attached to the glove on the back of the hand and velcro attached on the palm.
Pretty handy and warm.
On ordinary cold days when riding my bike (I commute by bicycle), I wear gloves.
On really cold days when riding my bike, I wear gloves with a pair of oversized mittens over them.
It really makes a difference, with my fingers directly in the path of the wind (the mittens are made from a wind-resistant fabric).
I have a collection of gloves, mittens, and a few hybrid combinations. There’s no question that mittens are warmer, and on cold skiing and hiking days they are an essential part of my gear.
As others have said, mittens keep your fingers warmer than gloves do.
In addition, mittens are easier to put on than gloves are. This is a factor if you’re going to be taking them off and on a lot. Or if you’re choosing hand covering for a small child or person with limited dexterity.
I also commute year round and during real cold periods, I put on a pair of Hippo Hands and can then wear my normal biking gloves but have that extra protection. Hands can get cold real quick when biking!
Thank you for the replies.
I’ll pick up a pair of mittens. We get a few days in the mid 20’s F with windy days. A cold wind can be very uncomfortable.
Somewhat hard to believe that the OP needed to ask the question…
As I get older, my hands become more susceptible to the cold. For several years now, I have given up using gloves when I ski, because none would keep my fingers warm enough. Now I use mittens, and they are much better.
I guess everyone needs a hobby.
It’s something he wanted to try his hand at.
I have these as well. Very convenient when it’s darn cold outside, but still need to do things with bare fingers.
We’re usually outside for 30 minutes both morning and evening due to public transportation. Wind + minus temperatures = mitten weather.
Hubby has a set of mittens or gloves with each of his warmer coats. The coat for the really cold days has mittens.
In other words it doesn’t get really cold where you live.
We only get cold snaps for 8 to 10 days. It will be mid 50’s and drop to the upper 20’s overnight. 10 days later its back in the 50’s.
I just stay indoors when it’s cold, except for going to work or shopping.
I understand people that live in cold climates learn to adjust. Otherwise they would be housebound for months at a time.
I do love my gloves in cold weather.
Newfoundland has a type of hybrid mitten, with separate spots for the thumb and index finger, with the remaining fingers all together.
I have a pair of Newfoundland trigger mitts!