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In the past, I would go without gloves even on the chilliest winter days because I couldn’t stand having to take them off just to send a text. But as touchscreen gloves have improved, I’ve since realized the error of my ways. If you also spend time in frigid conditions as a commuter, have an outdoor job, or don’t want cold temps to impede your exercise, having the proper gear that lets you use your phone and simultaneously keep your hands warm can be a game changer.
Below, to find the best touchscreen gloves on the market, I spoke with a range of experts, including construction and wood workers, ski instructors, runners, photographers, and a delivery person. (I’ve also included my own experiences trying out a few that made our list.)
What we’re looking for
Material
Material will determine the structure, dexterity, feel, and situations each glove is ideal for. For example, if your priority is warmth, you may want to look into lined options made of leather or faux leather. Conversely, if you’re using your gloves for running, you might want to avoid overheating by choosing gloves made with a breathable material like elastane. We’ve noted the primary materials of each choice below.
Thickness
The thicker the glove, the more protection it offers from the elements. One potential drawback, however, is that touchscreen compatibility can suffer as bulkier fingers make it harder to select just one letter when you type. As a result, if you’re on the move and need to be precise, a thinner make will allow for more dexterity. Here, we asked our experts to describe their recommendations as thin, medium, or bulky based on their own experiences with finger dexterity while wearing each glove.
Touchscreen capability
While every pair of gloves on our list is touchscreen compatible, some are UR-powered, which allows you to use all five fingers; meanwhile, others only offer touchscreen capability on your index fingers and thumbs. Our experts were asked to rate how well the gloves worked using the following range: “lower,” meaning that our experts could type but with effort; “medium,” meaning good touchscreen compatibility, but still not quite the same as using your fingers; and “high,” meaning that compatibility was as close as possible to typing without gloves.
Price
All the gloves ahead fit into these price ranges: under $30, $30–60, and over $60, represented as $, $$, and $$$, respectively.
Best overall touchscreen gloves
Material: Fleece, polyester, suede leather | Thickness: Thin | Touchscreen compatibility: High | Price: $$
In terms of bang for your buck, it’s hard to beat Black Diamond’s Midweight Screen Tap gloves. I own a pair and was immediately struck by the comfortable fit — while other gloves can feel bulky, these are made with a stretchy fleece shell that’s highly adaptable while in use. And even though the material is thinner, it doesn’t skimp on warmth on days where the temperature has fallen well below freezing. Of all the gloves I tested, I also found Black Diamond’s touchscreen compatibility to be the best, thanks to its UR fabric.
These gloves are a Strategist regular, appearing as our best overall pick for men’s gloves and in our guide to the best gloves for women. In the latter story, Strategist writer Katherine Gillespie, who wore them on a five-day hike in Patagonia’s Torres Del Paine National Park, says “they’re thin enough to provide ample dexterity when fishing items out of a backpack or taking photos of scenic vistas yet thick enough to insulate against frosty mornings or random rainstorms.”
Like Gillespie, Brian Githens, a certified ski instructor at the Jackson Hole Mountain Sports School, says he appreciates that the Black Diamonds let him “actually grab things out of my coat pockets” while allowing him to stretch his hands and use his phone to communicate with clients at the base of the mountain. Githens says he also likes that the grippy suede palm gives him enough traction to hold onto his poles.
Best less expensive touchscreen gloves
Material: Nylon, acrylic, copper, spandex | Thickness: Thin | Touchscreen compatibility: High | Price: $
This pick from Glider fits into a rare category of gloves that are durably built, have solid touchscreen compatibility, and don’t cost more than $40. Made from a copper microfiber yarn, the entire hand is touch-sensitive, similar to our best overall winner above. But unlike the Black Diamonds, these come with thermally insulated layers for extra warmth, as well as a soft, brushed interior for comfort and added protection.
Colm Coen, the general manager of S&E Bridge & Scaffold, owns three pairs that he keeps in his car, at home, and in his coat pocket. Coen says his fingers get unbearably cold overseeing projects on construction sites but that these gloves “are as warm as any leather ones” he’s tried. “The difference is I can actually move my hands in them,” he says. “When I have to answer client calls or texts, I don’t have to try and tap the phone a million times.”
Best work touchscreen gloves
Material: Polyester, spandex nitrile metal wire | Thickness: Thin | Touchscreen compatibility: High | Price: $
These Schwer work gloves come highly recommended by Grant Zwayer, the founder of Cedar Hill Design & Co., who highlights their high touchscreen compatibility. “Other gloves always feel like a compromise,” he says. “With these, I don’t miss customer calls trying to remove them — I can just answer the phone.” While the Schwers aren’t UR-powered, the brand has its own technology that allows usage of all ten fingers.
These are also the most cut-resistant model the brand offers and can handle a weight of more than 6,000 grams from a sharp blade penetrating, according to Schwer. A nitrile coating adds further protection against punctures, while spandex provides a stretchy feel. “I find other work gloves to be too restrictive, but I can actually move in these,” Zwayer says.
Best breathable touchscreen gloves
Material: Fleece, Polartec power stretch fabric| Thickness: Thin | Touchscreen compatibility: High | Price: $$
Made with a stretchy, moisture-wicking blend of polyester and elastane, these gloves from Mountain Hardwear “keep the hand warm but not sweaty,” says ultramarathon runner Dan LaMorte, who wears them when he’s logging miles to avoid stopping to change the music or check his distance. These are also the most durable gloves LaMorte says he’s tried, out of the four pairs he’s gone through in the last two years.
I own a pair too, and when I commute on days that are 32 degrees and below, they keep my fingers cozy — plus, they have some stretch so my hands don’t feel trapped. They’re also lightweight enough to comfortably keep in my coat pocket.
Best windproof touchscreen gloves
Material: Polyester, polyamide, spandex | Thickness: Thin | Touchscreen compatibility: High | Price: $$
I wear these Mammut gloves — which are partially constructed from GORE-TEX Infinium, a windproof and water-repellent material — to hike in blustery conditions and as a liner inside of my thicker ski gloves. In both cases, I find that they do protect against the wind while maintaining some breathability due to the Infinium. The pre-shaped design also molds very well to my hand, while the stretch cuff makes for a much snugger fit than other gloves I’ve used — there isn’t as much stretch in the palm or fingers as the Schwer pick above, but combined with the aforementioned features, this further makes them feel like part of my hand. As a result, the touchscreen compatibility works very well because there’s no extra space between my fingers and the gloves’ tips. The synthetic leather on the palm also provides enough grit so I don’t have to worry about my phone slipping out.
Best leather touchscreen gloves
Material: Leather | Thickness: Bulky | Touchscreen compatibility: Medium | Price: $$$
These all-leather Timberland gloves are the bulkiest option on our list, meaning that they retain more heat than the Mammut Astro but with slightly less finger dexterity. Erik DaRosa, a ski instructor at the Aspen Skiing Company, wears a very similar Timberland pair that’s now unavailable. He says that while he “would place these very high on the warmth scale,” the thicker fingers are a bit cumbersome for clicking on apps but can perform simpler actions like sliding to answer a call with no issue. And while DaRosa doesn’t wear these gloves to ski, he says they work well for shoveling and other outdoor activities that require a warm winter glove. Note that unlike many other bulkier gloves, the wrist has a pull strap to make sure you get the perfect fit.
Best knit touchscreen gloves
Material: Acrylic, nylon, polyester | Thickness: Medium | Touchscreen compatibility: Medium | Price: $
Travel journalist Brittany Loggins recommends these knit gloves that she purchased last winter when she got sick of having freezing hands during winter trips. While she initially bought them for their look and affordable price, she says she now can’t travel without them for their effectiveness at keeping her warm. The microfleece lining and dual-layered construction help keep the heat in, and they also feature a conductive fiber on all ten fingertips. A final feature that Loggins — who says she’s prone to dropping her phone — calls out is the GripTrak pattern that offers a secure hold.
Best waterproof touchscreen gloves
Material: Nylon, polyester, spandex | Thickness: Thin | Touchscreen compatibility: High | Price: $$
There are more affordable options on our list, but Seirus’s gloves earn their price tag by living up to their “100 percent waterproof” claim. I own a pair and specifically tested their waterproofing on a rainy night recently: The drops beaded and rolled right off, leaving my hands completely dry and free to type, with no liquid absorption to impact the gloves’ touchscreen capabilities.
Uber Eats deliveryman Jake Timothy — who has been working in New York City for two years, including on the coldest winter nights during that period — agrees that these gloves’ high quality make them worth the money. Timothy says that with the Seiruses, he can be “out for an entire three-hour shift in rain or snow and my hands remain dry as a bone,” whereas when he tried a cheaper pair of waterproof gloves last year, his hands were wet within 30 minutes of delivering in the rain. A soundtouch palm also means that Timothy, who has to constantly call customers or look at directions, never has to expose his hands to the elements.
Best touchscreen gloves for cycling
Material: Polar fleece, polyester | Thickness: Medium | Touchscreen compatibility: High | Price: $$
New York City–based comedian Matthew Broussard has biked to all his gigs for the past two winters, but after cold fingers almost stopped him after his first ride, he purchased these North Face gloves made from a combination of heat-retaining fleece and moisture-wicking polyester. “These are perfect because they keep my fingers warm, which is great for comfort but as important for being able to check my phone for directions,” he says. UR-powered palms give these even more of an edge, especially when compared to gloves with only index and thumb touchscreen capability, like the Timberlands above.
Broussard adds that he also likes the silicone gripper palm that prevents his phone from slipping, as well as the thinner profile that features Radiametric Articulation, which the brand says improves blood flow by mirroring the natural position of your hands — to that last point, Broussard confirms that these do “feel like they are just an extension of my own hands.”
Best touchscreen gloves for running
Material: Polyester, spandex | Thickness: Thin | Touchscreen compatibility: High | Price: $
Like other gloves on this list that are designed for exercise, these from Nike are highly breathable and come recommended by Strategist junior writer Brenley Goertzen, who wears them for running. Goertzen calls them a lifesaver because “the touchscreen feature allows me to change my music or hit buttons on my Garmin watch without stopping, so I can still be in full stride.” The slimmer silhouette means you won’t feel weighed down as you move, plus a fitted cuff retains heat balanced with the Dri-FIT technology’s breathability. Goertzen also says that while these gloves aren’t waterproof, they are durable enough for contact with snow without adversely affecting their touchscreen compatibility.
Some more touchscreen gloves we’ve written about
Our experts
• Matthew Broussard, stand-up comedian
• Colm Coen, New York–based construction general manager
• Erik DaRosa, ski instructor at the Aspen Skiing Company
• Brian Githens, ski instructor at Jackson Hole Mountain
• Brenley Goertzen, Strategist junior writer
• Dan LaMorte, ultramarathon runner
• Brittany Loggins, travel writer
• Jake Timothy, Uber Eats delivery person
• Grant Zwayer, founder and woodworker of Cedar Hill Design & Co.
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