Best Ski Gloves of 2025

A glove’s first line of defense against moisture and general wear and tear.

The shell of a ski glove is made of leather or a synthetic material like nylon or polyester, and many brands use both types of materials to play to each one's strengths. Most of the time, ski gloves have a leather palm, although some entry-level designs use a faux leather palm. All three of these commonly used materials—nylon, polyester, and leather—create burly exteriors that are resistant to wear and keep wind and moisture at bay, especially when combined with a waterproof application like a Nikwax spray or baked-in wax.

Leather Shell

Leather gloves have a slow break-in time, but they’re worth the wait: Once softened and molded to your hands, they can be incredibly supple, dexterous, and comfortable. They’re also ridiculously durable and can hold up to significantly more use than a synthetic glove. For these reasons, leather is often the choice of lifties, ski patrollers, and other industry professionals who are consistently using their hands to wrangle chairlifts, manage rope, tow sleds, and more. Leather gloves range from pricey and featured designs like the Black Diamond Guide Glove and Swany X-Cell down to simple models like the Flylow Tough Guy and Ridge. 

Aside from the inevitable break-in period, the biggest shortcoming of a leather glove is its need for maintenance. Without regular applications of a waterproof finish, they will start to absorb moisture and grow heavy and cold when wet. Worst case scenario, the leather will then freeze and become stiff as a board, very uncomfortable, and effectively useless. Our favorite waterproof treatment for leather is a baked-in wax like Sno-Seal or Hestra's leather conditioner (which you can apply with the help of a heat lamp, a sunny window, or a warm oven), although spray-on finishes are much simpler to apply.