Snowboard Gloves

Snowboard Gloves at Behind The Pines Amsterdam

Close to fifty gloves, with Hestra taking most of the rack: the Army Leather Heli Ski, Fall Line 5 Finger, Wakayama, the Utsjö elk leather, the Fält Guide and Touch Point. Around them, the Arc'teryx Fission SV and Venta, Pow's XG MID and Royal, Patagonia's Retro Pile fleece, and our own Performance Merino Liner.

Several of those are liners rather than outer gloves, which is deliberate. A thin liner is the cheapest upgrade in this collection, and most people buy one only after they have already bought the glove.

Gloves win on everything except raw warmth

A glove is what you choose when your hands have to do things: ratchet a binding closed, pull a zip, clear a goggle lens, get a phone out of a pocket. The price is thermal. Every finger sits in its own shell and loses heat on its own, so a glove will never match a mitten of equal build and cost.

Our position: for most resort riding, a well-made glove plus a thin merino liner beats a cheap mitten. Not because the glove is warmer, but because the liner stays on your hand when the glove comes off, and it comes off several times a day. A cheap mitten leaves you bare-handed exactly when you are standing still in the wind. If you only want the warmest option, take the snowboard mittens.

The liner is the most underrated thing here

A merino liner does three jobs for very little money: it adds a usable amount of warmth under any glove, it moves sweat away so your hand is not sitting in damp insulation by midday, and it means you are never bare-handed with the glove off. That last one is the real argument. The Behind The Pines Performance Merino Liner is the one we wear ourselves; Hestra's cover the same ground in several weights.

Leather, Gore-Tex and fleece are three jobs, not three tiers

A Gore-Tex glove is for wet days, so the Arc'teryx Fission SV or the Pow Wayback for spring slush and a Dutch winter. A leather glove is for dexterity and longevity: the Army Leather Heli Ski, Wakayama and Utsjö elk leather give the best feel for a ratchet. A fleece glove like the Patagonia Retro Pile is for the walk to the lift and a warm spring afternoon, good at that job and bad in a storm. Most riders end up with two of the three.

How gloves fit with the rest of your kit

Pair the glove with a base layer from thermal underwear and a jacket whose cuffs close over or under it, worth checking against snowboard jackets. Every Hestra model is in Hestra gloves.

What to look for in a snowboard glove

• Membrane and waterproofing: Gore-Tex or Hestra's Czone for wet snow and spring riding, unlined leather for cold dry weather where breathability matters more.
• Insulation versus dexterity: more loft means warmer hands and clumsier fingers, so decide whether you strap in fast or sit on long cold lifts.
• Cuff length: a short under-cuff is quick and low-bulk, a long over-cuff keeps snow out on deep days and goes over the jacket sleeve.
• Touchscreen and leash: a touch-compatible fingertip saves taking the glove off, and a wrist leash stops it falling from the chair.

Why buy snowboard gloves at Behind The Pines

Glove fit is hard to judge online. Fingers a few millimetres too long go cold, and a glove that is too tight goes cold faster. In the shop on Ceintuurbaan 248 in Amsterdam you can try a Hestra against an Arc'teryx and feel which one you would want on a binding strap.

We ride in this gear and we will say when the cheaper glove is right, or when to spend the difference on a liner. Everything ships from Amsterdam, with 30 days to send it back.

Frequently asked questions

Should I get gloves or mittens for snowboarding?

Gloves if you need your fingers through the day, for bindings, zips or teaching. Mittens if warmth is the priority and you can live without working hands. The honest middle is a glove plus a merino liner, but if you run cold the snowboard mittens are warmer.

Is a liner glove actually worth it?

Yes, and it is the first thing we suggest. It adds warmth, keeps sweat off your skin and leaves you covered whenever the outer glove is off. For the price of a lift ticket it does more than moving up a tier of glove.

How should a snowboard glove fit?

Snug in the palm with a couple of millimetres at the fingertips and no dead length past them, because empty fingertips go cold. You should be able to make a fist without the cuff pulling off your wrist.

Are leather gloves better than synthetic?

Better at feel and lifespan, worse at being left alone. A waxed leather glove lasts years and gives the finest control on a ratchet, but needs balm two or three times a season. A Gore-Tex glove is waterproof out of the box.

Can I use a touchscreen with snowboard gloves?

Some models have a conductive thumb and index fingertip, including Hestra's Touch Point gloves. Thick insulated gloves generally do not, and a merino liner underneath is the reliable workaround.

Shop snowboard gloves at Behind The Pines Amsterdam

Hestra, Arc'teryx, Pow, Patagonia and Transform gloves plus liners, shipping from Amsterdam. If you are weighing it up, read the other side on the snowboard mittens page, or see the whole range in snow gloves.