--- title: "The Best Hiking Gloves of 2026, Tested and Reviewed" description: "We evaluated the best hiking gloves on materials, comfort, grip, fit, and weather resistance while hiking in Alaska." date: "2023-09-18" modified: "2023-09-18" authors: - name: "Justin La Vigne" job_title: "Freelance Writer" link: "https://www.outdoorlife.com/authors/justin-la-vigne/" url: "https://www.outdoorlife.com/gear/best-hiking-gloves/" categories: - "Adventure" - "Camping Gear" - "Gear" tags: - "Evergreen" - "Gear Reviews" --- # The Best Hiking Gloves of 2026, Tested and Reviewed ![We tested the best hiking gloves.]() *Justin La Vigne* I bet if you look around your office or house, you’ll find you actually own more gloves, including hiking gloves, than you realized. That’s because each pair has a different purpose and temperature rating. Beyond winter gloves that keep our hands warm, gloves might protect our skin from heat, harmful UV rays, brambles that can tear our skin, chemicals, or poison. They can keep our hands clean from mud or dirt. They can keep our hands dry. And they can give us a better grip. I tested as many uses as I could among more than a dozen of the best hiking gloves, and came up with seven favorites for your outdoors pursuits. - **Best Overall:** [Outdoor Research Versaliner Sensor Gloves]() - **Best Waterproof:** [Showers Pass Crosspoint Knit Waterproof Gloves]() - **Best Windproof:** [Arc’teryx Venta Glove]() - **Best Liner:** [Icebreaker Merino Quantum Gloves]() - **Best for Trail Running:** [Nathan HyperNight Reflective Gloves]() - **Best Heated:** [Eddie Bauer Guide Pro Smart Heated Gloves]() ## How I Tested the Best Hiking Gloves I live in Alaska, so we wear gloves more times than not. For this piece, I concentrated more on gloves that you would wear while hiking in different climates. I am a backcountry guide so I had plenty of opportunities to test the gloves in contention for this piece. My testing cycle was during the summer months here, but that doesn't mean it wasn't cold, as Alaska throws out unforgiving weather patterns all the time. Temps ranged from 35 to 70 degrees, and we received a lot of rain (even some sleet and hail) and wind during my testing period. I evaluated intended use, materials, comfort, grip, fit, and rub spots for all the gloves. In terms of weather resistance, I judged how cold and/or wet my hands felt, how the gloves dried out after rain, and even their sun blocking abilities. I also noted when there were special features that made certain pairs stand out from others. The following gloves are the best ones I found for specific conditions and uses. ## Best Hiking Gloves: Reviews & Recommendations ### Best Overall: [Outdoor Research Versaliner Sensor Gloves]() With this glove, you’re prepared for changing temperatures and environments. The liner glove is a polyester/spandex blend that wicks away moisture, while the outside shell glove has a Pertex Shield that pushes away water. Both gloves have a rather large pull loop at the wrist that you can get several fingers through to easily pull them into place. ![We tested the Outdoor Research hiking gloves.]() *The Outdoor Research Versaliners are two gloves for the price of one.* The liner gloves were the most impressive part of the package with multiple features. The touchscreen fingertips worked well for using my phone, though the shell doesn't have touchscreen capability. There is a glove clip that keeps the pair together when not in use. They also have a nice size zippered pocket on the back that fits the shell glove when not in use. I will say when the shell glove is stuffed inside it, there’s a weird bulge on the back of your hand. You can also use the pocket to store hand warmers, money, or a key. ### Best Waterproof: [Showers Pass Crosspoint Knit Waterproof Gloves]() As a hiking guide in Alaska, waterproof layers are a must because it rains a lot. Since these weigh next to nothing, adding a pair of waterproof gloves to my pack was a no-brainer (no clip, so just have to roll them up). ![Testers picked berries in the Showers Pass gloves.]() *Testers picked berries in the Shower Pass hiking gloves. Justin La Vigne* There are three layers of protection on these: There is an outer shell that is water-resistant, a middle membrane that is waterproof, and an inner liner with a Coolmax blend to wick sweat away. I can attest that after wearing these during our rainy season, my hands were happier. They never soaked through even after hiking five hours in the pouring rain. My only gripe was that the outer layer does take a bit of time to dry out (I don’t own a dryer, but that would be the solution). The fit is tight to your hand with no bunching, and they extend to mid-wrist, so they can fit under your jacket cuff to keep a nice seal. The palm and fingers have a silicone pattern with over one hundred tiny raised rectangular sticky beads for better grip, which worked really well for berry picking. ### Best Windproof: [Arc’teryx Venta Glove]() Sometimes you don’t need a lot of features to get the job done. The Venta glove simply works for light outdoor adventures like hiking in the wind or skiing in the snow. The nylon exterior blocks out the wind and is water-resistant, while the inside fabric is soft and warm, but microporous, so won’t absorb sweat. ![Tester picks berries.]() *The touchscreen capability on the Venta actually works well. Justin La Vigne* The sensors are aptly placed on the pointer finger and thumb, and they truly do work very well. The palm also has a layer of sticky reinforcement across it to give a better grip. When they say “it fits like a glove,” it truly does, which could be a problem for unisex sizing, but they fit both my wife and I fine. And another downside was not having a clip to keep them together when not in use or carrying in my pack. ### Best Liner: [Icebreaker Merino Quantum Gloves]() I feel like I’ve tried a million glove liners, and when I moved to Alaska, I realized how important it was to wear multiple gloves and mitts to battle the cold. These are nearly all merino wool, which means they are moisture-wicking and provide excellent insulation. I used them alone, but also paired them with other gloves and mitts easily. Having touchscreen capability on the thumb and pointer finger is always a bonus on gloves, as is a silicone material for better grip, especially on lightweight gloves like these. ### Best for Trail Running: [Nathan HyperNight Reflective Gloves]() I am not a runner, but my trail-running tester said these struck the right balance. The stretchy spandex/polyester meant dexterity, while the fleece interior lining kept her hands warm when temps hovered around freezing. Yet they wicked away moisture when she heated up. The bright color and the reflective beads are a nice touch, making it harder to lose them and easier to find them on the trail again if you do. Plus, there are two extra features—a small pocket on the back to add a small running strobe light and a chamois cloth on the thumb for wiping your nose. Lastly, the touch screen capability worked well. ### Best Heated: [Eddie Bauer Guide Pro Smart Heated Gloves]() These are not the gloves for your everyday walk, but for colder days and even colder activities. Not only do they have Primaloft insulation, a leather shell with waterproofing, and two points of cinching—plus removable leashes—but they are also heated. I’ve tried many types of heated gloves, and what sets these apart is that they automatically adjust to your needs. The AI technology knows when you need more heat and can be controlled via an app, clim8. You can’t control the settings on the glove itself. The app is easy to understand and will adjust the inside temperature of the glove up to 95 degrees. As you continue to wear them, the app and the gloves will adjust to your input to understand when you need more or less heat. The pair comes with two rechargeable batteries. They can last up to four and a half hours, but I will admit the battery feels a bit bulky. The nose wipe on the thumb is always a nice touch. ## Things to Consider When Buying the Best Hiking Gloves ### Comfort You try on shoes at the store, so you definitely should try on gloves while shopping. Pick some things up with them, grip and squeeze. Make sure you do not feel any rub spots or seams that could cause irritation. Most importantly, make sure they fit properly. You don’t want baggy gloves, as they will get in the way and decrease warmth. ### Material Gloves are made of many different materials. From latex to rubber to leather to synthetic, the materials make a difference depending on the activity. There’s also the consideration of the materials that keep you warm and dry, like Primaloft, down, and Gore-Tex. ### Intended Use If you are looking for a glove for a specific activity, like trail running, you need to seek out that glove. If you are looking for something that can stand alone or be added under another glove, your best bet is some type of liner like the [Icebreaker Merino Quantum Gloves](). ## Best Hiking Gloves FAQs **Read Next:** [The Best Winter Gloves]() ## Final Thoughts on the Best Hiking Gloves There are hundreds of gloves out there and narrowing the field to the best for hiking is a tough task. It comes down to your preference and the activity you are choosing. Your glove drawer should actually have many types of gloves for the different weather patterns. Any time you head outside for a hike or backpacking trip your pack should have some type of glove in it as you never know when you may need a pair. - **Best Overall:** [Outdoor Research Versaliner Sensor Gloves]() - **Best Waterproof:** [Showers Pass Crosspoint Knit Waterproof Gloves]() - **Best Windproof:**[Arc’teryx Venta Glove]() - **Best Liner:**[Icebreaker Merino Quantum Gloves]() - **Best for Trail Running:**[Nathan HyperNight Reflective Gloves]() - **Best Heated:** [Eddie Bauer Guide Pro Smart Heated Gloves]()