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How do I pick the best hunting glove?
With the days starting to get a bit shorter, and the promise of cooler weather in the near future, hunters across the country are beginning their preparations for the upcoming hunting seasons. No matter what you are hunting or where you are doing it, having the proper gear is paramount to your comfort and success. In this article, we are going to look at something that is often not thought through near enough, but something that can make or break a hunt: gloves. Realistically, who has the time to go and read all of the reviews, let alone actually test many of the gloves on the market? Luckily for you, we already have, and our recommendations are below.
back to menu ↑Best cold weather hunting gloves?
Top pick: Cabela’s Silent Suede gloves
With their Thinsulate insulation and waterproof design, Cabela’s Silent-Suede gloves are a great cold weather hunting glove, with a very reasonable price point. The suede construction helps keep stickers and other plant material from sticking in to them and also keeps the sound level down. These gloves are very quiet and very well made. They have a longer cuff to tuck better into your hunting jacket as well.
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Second Best: Under Armor ColdGear Infrared Scent Control 2.0 Primer Gloves
Under Armor utilizes their ColdGear lining to use your own body heat to help keep you warm. If you are not familiar with this lining, it is a soft thermo-conductive inner coating which helps absorb and retain your own body heat. These gloves are lightweight and breathable, yet quite warm. They have an extra silicone printing on the palm to assist with a better grip. Keep in mind, they are a bit thick if you are going to be using a sensitive trigger. It is important to note that these are not fully waterproof…only water resistant.
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Best warm weather hunting gloves?
Top Pick: Primos Stretch Fit Gloves
The Primos stretch fit gloves offer the Sure Grip, a black non-slip gripping surface on the palms and underside of fingers, and a stretchable camo pattern on the top side. The pattern is the Mossy Oak New Break Up pattern, and will match most of the more common break up patterns out there quite well. These gloves offer good dexterity for loading firearms and arrows and also offer a good feel for trigger release. They also have a nifty little pocket on the back of the hand, which is perfect for a small turkey call.
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Second Best: Hunters Specialties Realtree Xtra “Bite Grip” net gloves
The Realtree Xtra “Bite Grip” net gloves from Hunters Specialties are designed to be incredibly light weight and very easy to carry. They feature the Realtree Xtra pattern on the back of the hands and a black “bit grip” on the palms and underside of the fingers, providing a more secure grip, even on moist gear. They are designed with a mesh back that allows great air flow, but which can also let your skin show through in direct sunlight. The sizing can be a bit off for those with really large hands, but overall, it is tough to beat their value.
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Best scent blocking gloves?
Top Pick: Scent Blocker Trinity Glove
Scent Blocker utilizes their Trinity scent control, with S3 silver anti-microbial enhancement to offer a glove that is sure to keep any scent on your hands at bay. These gloves are almost all polyester, with just enough spandex to all for a 4-direction stretch…offering some of the best freedom of movement we have seen. They offer a light insulation which is also moisture wicking to ensure your hands stay dry. They also offer a honeycomb silicon grip for better handling of gear in all weather situations.
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Second Best: Under Armor Scent Control Gloves
Under Armor has a new offering out for close-in hunting where scent can be a real factor. They offer a lightweight design that is rather form fitting…something positive in a hunting glove. They are not designed for ultra-cold weather, but they do offer a slight bit of insulation and a very fast drying exterior. They come with a sued fingertip to allow for touchscreen use while wearing them, something we are seeing more and more of. UA has also added a bit of silicone on the palm to allow for better grip in wet conditions.
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Best women’s gloves?
Top Pick: Under Armor Women’s Scent Control Hunting Glove
Under Armor has brought out a great hunting glove specifically made to fit a woman’s hand. Designed to fit a more slender hand, these gloves are form fitting to allow for good dexterity while also offering the UA Scent Control technology to trap and suppress odors. The wicking technology engineered into the gloves moves sweat away quickly where it can evaporate on the surface of the glove. They have also added a fleece thumb and as it is called a “nose wipe finger” to be gentler on the skin, especially during the drier air that is often found during hunting season. The fingertips are also touchscreen compatible.
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Best waterproof gloves?
Top Pick: Cabela’s Silent Suede gloves
With their Thinsulate insulation and waterproof design, Cabela’s Silent-Suede gloves are a great cold weather hunting glove, with a very reasonable price point. The suede construction helps keep stickers and other plant material from sticking in to them and also keeps the sound level down. These gloves are very quiet and very well made. They have a longer cuff to tuck better into your hunting jacket as well.
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Second Best: Glacier Glove Alaska Pro
With 60 grams of Thinsulate, the Glacier Glove Alaska Pro should help keep your hands warm, and more importantly, dry during hunting season. They feature a Realtree AP HD camo pattern which will blend with most common camo patterns used during late fall and early winter. They also feature a leather palm to offer greater flexibility as well as durability. We have heard some complaints on the warmth level, but it doesn’t generally get cold enough where we tested them to have any issues.
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Best gloves for using a touchscreen?
Top Pick: Legendary Whitetails Spider Web II Pro-Text Glove
Legendary Whitetails has come out with a glove that is specifically designed for using a touchscreen while hunting. The Spider Web II Pro-Text gets its name from the chartreuse silicone pattern on the palms and the very sensitive fingertips designed to allow for texting or other smartphone/tablet activities. They also offer an anti-microbial lining to help eliminate odors. Based on our testing and in speaking with many of our readers who have used these, the Spider Web II Pro-Text gloves are among the most sensitive for use with a touchscreen…and by sensitive, we mean that they work great.
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Second Best: Scent Blocker Trinity Glove
Scent Blocker utilizes their Trinity scent control, with S3 silver anti-microbial enhancement to offer a glove that is sure to keep any scent on your hands at bay. These gloves are almost all polyester, with just enough spandex to all for a 4 direction stretch…offering some of the best freedom of movement we have seen. They offer a light insulation which is also moisture wicking to ensure your hands stay dry. They also offer a honeycomb silicon grip to all for better handling of gear in all weather situations.
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Third Best: Under Armor Scent Control Gloves
Under Armor has a new offering out for close-in hunting where scent can be a real factor. They offer a lightweight design that is rather form fitting…something positive in a hunting glove. They are not designed for ultra-cold weather, but they do offer a slight bit of insulation and a very fast drying exterior. They come with a sued fingertip to allow for touchscreen use while wearing them, something we are seeing more and more of. UA has also added a bit of silicone on the palm to allow for better grip in wet conditions.
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Best long gloves?
Top Pick: Mossy Oak Extreme Decoy Hunting Gloves
The Mossy Oak Extreme Cold Weather Decoy Hunting Gloves offer some of the best waterproofing we have seen, thanks in part of the long length of these hunting gloves. Lined with a good layer of Thinsulate, these gloves do the trick on really cold days, where outdoor activities involve potentially getting your hands wet. The grip has a good texture to allow you to grab your gear in virtually any weather condition.
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What are features to look for in gloves and what is the advantage of each?
How much insulation do I need?
The amount of insulation needed depends on a number of factors. The three most common factors to consider: How cold will it be where you are hunting? How long will you be exposed to that cold? How easily do your hands get cold?
It is really a simple equations…the colder it is, and the longer you are exposed to that cold, the more insulation you will need.
It’s important to note that it is not always about having the most insulation possible, but rather the proper amount for your individual needs. Cold hands are going to make for a miserable hunting experience, but hot and sweaty hands are not going to help your hunt either!
One of the most common insulators used is Thinsulate. You will likely see this listed in grams of Thinsulate, such as 60 grams of Thinsulate. The higher the number of grams, the more insulation is provided, and thus the warmer you will be.
Do I need to worry about scent control?
There has been a lot of weight placed on total scent control in recent years. How much scent control you need really depends on your quarry, and how you intend to hunt it.
If you are hunting doves, waterfowl or turkeys, scent control really isn’t an issue. These birds do not use smell as a defense…having total visual camouflage is much more important than scent camouflage.
However, if you are hunting deer, elk or bear, hiding your scent can be very important. If you are archery hunting one of these animals, scent camouflage is paramount. If you are hunting from a high platform from 200 yards away, not as much. Knowing your range, prey and overall situation will allow you to better decide on how much importance to give towards scent elimination.
Why worry about ventilation?
Proper ventilation of your clothing can do much more than keep you comfortable, it can save your life in truly cold conditions. Many new clothing items, including gloves, are designed to wick perspiration away from your skin, keeping you dry.
In warm conditions, this is excellent as it can help lower your body temperature through evaporative cooling. In cold conditions, having your sweat wicked away from your body will keep you drier, which is a very important aspect of cold weather survival.
Do my gloves need to be waterproof?
Having gloves that are water proof is very important when in cold, wet conditions. No matter how much insulation a glove has, if your hands get wet in cold conditions, they are eventually going to get cold as well.
In warm conditions, however, there are many situations where you might not want waterproof gloves. Often times waterproof gloves are much warmer, even without insulation, so you may end up with very sweaty hands when wearing waterproof gloves in warmer weather. Some users will actually opt, intentionally, for non-waterproof gloves that are thin and fast drying and that can wick the moisture from hands.
How long do my gloves need to be?
The best length for a glove to come up the forearm again depends on your individual hunting needs. If you are hunting very warm weather, you likely will not want a glove that comes up too far, as allowing more air to flow across your skin will help cool you.
If, however you are hunting waterfowl in cold conditions, having a glove that comes up almost to your elbows might be the difference in dry warm hands, and cold wet hands. Also, if you intend to wear gloves for field dressing animals, having a waterproof glove that goes almost to your elbow…and is waterproof the whole way up, will keep you dry and make cleanup very easy.
What other features should I look for?
There are a number of additional features to be found in gloves, and the importance of each is again up to the individual user and their specific needs.
With the popularity of smartphones and tablets, having a glove that allows you to use a touchscreen while wearing it is something that many hunters find useful. Keep in mind that there is a trade off with these types of gloves as there is often less insulative quality on the fingertips where the touchscreen material is.
Flexibility is another critical factor that is often overlooked. As a glove becomes more insulated, and especially as it becomes more waterproof, dexterity can be adversely affected. As an example, you would not expect to be able to thread a needle with insulated waterfowl gloves on…they are designed grab larger items, such as decoys, while ensuring the user stays warm and dry. Looking for gloves that are ‘form fitting’ is a great way to ensure you keep your fine motor abilities intact, although you aren’t going to stay as warm. Again, there is always a tradeoff.
Color/camo patterns are another aspect many users look for when selecting gloves. In general, most gloves are going to have a suitable pattern to hide a hunter from most game. It is important to remember though, if hunting fowl, stay clear of the ‘flashy’ gloves that have neon colors on them in their stitching or logos. These colors won’t affect your deer hunting, but a turkey is going to key in on them from quite a distance!
Choosing the right glove is really up to the individual hunter and what his or her specific needs are. There are a lot of variables in what a hunter needs, and most likely, there is not going to be one glove to fit all occasions. It is wise to gear up for each hunting situation to allow for the most comfortable, safe and successful hunt possible.
