Glove vs Mitten for Cold-Weather Riding: Which Keeps You Warmer?

Mittens keep your fingers warmer than gloves. In a cold field test and a separate cold-chamber study, mitten-style hand covers held finger temperature better than five-finger gloves. On a motorcycle, though, you need your fingers for the clutch, brake and switches, and mittens can cut dexterity by 50 to 80 percent. Most riders settle on a 3-finger (lobster) glove, a lined glove, or heated gloves.

This page is part of our winter motorcycle gloves guide.

Key takeaways- Mittens without liners generally beat unheated gloves for finger warmth.- Heated gloves beat both.- Mittens cost a lot of dexterity, which matters on the levers.- A 3-finger glove frees your thumb and index finger and keeps the other three together.

Glove vs mitten at a glance

A mitten puts your four fingers in one pocket with the thumb on its own. A glove gives every finger its own sleeve.

Why mittens are warmer: what the tests found

The Antarctic field test

A 2016 study tested a convenience sample of gloves and mittens in an Antarctic winter. A sensor sat on the little finger during a 0.5-mile walk of about 20 minutes, repeated three times, with the hand kept still.

The results, from the published abstract:

• Heated gloves started at 96°F (36°C) and ended at 82°F (28°C), the warmest of all.
• Coverings that kept the finger at or above 59°F (15°C) were heated gloves and mittens and mittens with liners.
• Mittens without liners generally did better than unheated gloves.
• Chemical warmers tucked at the wrist made gloves colder, with a low of 33°F (1°C).

The test used a still hand on foot, not a rider at speed, so treat it as a ranking of hand covers, not a riding forecast.

The cold-chamber study

A 2014 study of utility workers put 10 men in a -4°F (-20°C) chamber for 45 minutes per glove type. Mitten-style gloves showed a smaller drop in skin temperature at the third and fifth fingers and kept hands warmer than the standard five-finger glove.

Two different tests, same pattern: fingers together stay warmer.

The catch for riders: dexterity

Army research reports that even the best mittens cut dexterity by as much as 50 to 80 percent. On a bike, that is your clutch lever, brake lever, indicator and horn.

Cold fingers are clumsy too. The same research found that a 5°F rise in finger skin temperature (50°F to 55°F) brought about 50 percent more dexterity. So the goal is warm fingers you can still use, not the thickest cover.

Speed adds to the problem. Using the National Weather Service wind chill formula, 40°F (4°C) air at 60 mph gives a wind chill of about 25°F (-4°C) on exposed skin.

A snug riding glove gives a better feel for the grips and levers. A mitten gives that up.

Middle grounds that work on a bike

3-finger (lobster) gloves

A 3-finger glove frees your thumb and index finger while the middle, ring and little fingers share one pocket. Gordini's buying guide says they suit activities with handlebars or triggers, but they do not always fit a liner underneath.

Check that two free fingers are enough for how you work the clutch and brake.

Gloves with liners

Mittens with liners were among the warmest unheated options in the field test. You can borrow the layering idea inside a riding glove. Size the outer glove for the liner. See cold-weather glove liners and wearing liners under motorcycle gloves.

Heated gloves

Heated gloves gave the warmest fingers in the field test while keeping five-finger control. Our heated motorcycle gloves page compares 12V and battery types.

Which to choose

• Short rides, mild cold: a five-finger glove with good insulation.
• Cold hands but you want lever feel: a 3-finger glove, or a glove with a liner.
• Long rides near or below freezing: heated gloves.
• Fingertips always go first: see gloves that keep your fingertips warm.
• Off the bike (fuel stops, walking): mittens are fine; the dexterity cost matters less.

Lined leather gloves for cold days

The store we work with does not sell mittens, lobster gloves or insulated motorcycle gloves. For cold days around the bike and off it, Leather Collection men's lined leather gloves include lined winter pairs with Thinsulate, cashmere wool or shearling.

One example is a cowhide glove with a 40-gram Thinsulate lining. It is sold for everyday cold-weather wear and commuting, not as a motorcycle glove. The lining takes up some room, so the store suggests the larger size if you are between two.

Quick answers

Which one is warmer, mittens or gloves?

Mittens. Unlined mittens generally beat unheated gloves in a field test, and mitten-style gloves kept hands warmer in a chamber study.

Why do people wear mittens instead of gloves?

For warmth, when they do not need fine finger control. The trade is dexterity, cut by up to 50-80 percent.

What's the difference between a glove and a mitt?

A glove separates every finger; a mitt or mitten keeps the four fingers together. A 3-finger glove sits between them.

Can you ride a motorcycle in mittens?

Not comfortably. Mittens cut dexterity a lot, so riders usually choose a 3-finger glove or heated gloves instead.