Best Running Gloves of 2025

Hands are one of the most challenging parts of the body to keep warm when running in cold weather, and the best running gloves can make a big difference in your ability to enjoy colder months. Fingers can receive reduced blood flow as temperatures drop as the body keeps blood closer to the core to stay warm. This can result in cold and numb fingers, and the situation can be exacerbated if you have Raynaud’s Syndrome and your fingers regularly turn white, even in mild temperatures. The best gloves for running will block the wind, provide the right amount of insulation, wick moisture away from the skin, and fit comfortably. They’ll also allow you to have the dexterity to perform basic tasks like tying your shoes.

For the majority of conditions people run in, having one or two pairs of gloves is plenty. If you regularly run in extremely cold temperatures, you may want to have several options to choose from.

We took gloves, thin and thick, out in a variety of conditions to assess their functionality. We tested gloves on chilly morning runs in the desert, cold days out in the mountains, windy days in the spring, and rainy days in the fall. Our goal was to find gloves that would suit any situation that you face in your running so that you can keep your digits warm and avoid the pain that come from having to thaw your hands after they’ve gone numb.

Ultimately, our testers chose The North Face Etip Recycled Gloves as the best everyday running gloves and opted for the DexShell Ultra Weather Primaloft for truly bad weather conditions. When it comes to variable weather conditions, we’ve continued to choose the Ultimate Direction Ultra Flip Glove for their versatility.

Below are our favorite running gloves, from light- and medium-weight everyday running gloves to those that’ll get you through whatever weather comes your way. For more background information, see our buying advice, testing methodology, and frequently asked questions below the picks. Scroll down to read our review of each glove.

Best Running Gloves

• • Best Overall Running Gloves: The North Face Etip Recycled Gloves
  • Best Overall Running Gloves — Runner-Up: Black Diamond Mont Blanc Gloves
  • Best Convertible Running Gloves: Ultimate Direction Ultra Flip Glove
  • Best Running Gloves for Bad Weather: DexShell Ultra Weather Primaloft
  • Best Budget Running Gloves: REI Co-op Liner Gloves 2.0
  • Other Running Gloves We Love:
    • Patagonia Capilene Midweight Liner Gloves
    • Marmot Power Stretch Connect Gloves
    • Craft Adv Lumen Hybrid Glove
    • Trailheads Convertible Zip Mitts
    • ReflecToes Reflective Running Gloves

Best Overall Running Gloves: The North Face Etip Recycled Gloves($45)

Pros:

• Very soft
• Uses recycled materials
• The best touchscreen capability of all the gloves we tested

Cons:

• High price point

While no glove is perfect for its touchscreen capabilities, The North Face Etip Recycled Gloves are better than all of the other options we’ve tried — when correctly sized. We’ve worn versions of The North Face gloves containing this touchscreen technology for several years and have observed marked functional improvements. It’s not just the touchscreen capabilities we love in these gloves; they’re also the right thickness for cool- and cold-weather running, keeping our digits warm without causing us to overheat.

At their core, these gloves are standard lightweight fleece gloves that breathe well and block wind reasonably effectively. They are made of a blend of 93% polyester and 7% elastane and are ideal for chilly morning runs when there’s a good chance you’ll end up stashing your gloves away as the temperature warms. We appreciate the soft feel of the recycled polyester. The silicone gripper dots on the thumbs, first two fingers, and part of the palm allow us to easily hold dog leashes and water bottles without slippage. The glove-keeper clip for storing the gloves clipped together is a nice final touch.

Shop The North Face Etip Recycled GlovesShop The North Face Women's Etip Recycled Gloves

Best Overall Running Gloves — Runner-Up: Black Diamond Mont Blanc Gloves ($30)

Pros:

• Good breathability
• Grippy
• Great value

Cons:

• Touchscreen capability isn’t great
• Gloves feel less warm if used for non-heat-generating activities

Named after the famous Mont Blanc massif in Europe, home to one of the epicenters of global trail running, the Black Diamond Mont Blanc Gloves will work for activities with high aerobic outputs, including running, ridge line rambling, and cross-country skiing. They also work well as everyday gloves because their silicone grippers are the best in class. You won’t have to worry about dropping keys, coffee cups, or anything else you’re holding when wearing these gloves.

These gloves excel when you’re generating a lot of body heat by releasing moisture well while still holding in heat. That said, they feel decidedly less warm when just wearing around otherwise. We found these gloves are great for temperatures at or just above freezing. The glove is made of polyester and has a weather-resistant softshell overlay on the outside. When running, we found these to be some of the warmest gloves that we tested.

We’re not sure we’d regularly use them to scramble up rocky peaks or outcroppings, but they’re durable enough to do so occasionally. They come with a two-year warranty, which gives us some peace of mind. When sized correctly, the touchscreen capability works okay. One last detail is the glove-keeper clip, which allows you to store the gloves clipped together. Those of us who have a habit of losing a single glove appreciate this small feature.

Shop the Black Diamond Mont Blanc Gloves

Best Convertible Running Gloves: Ultimate Direction Ultra Flip Glove ($40)

Pros:

• Highly versatile
• Mitt is waterproof
• Inner glove is warmer than expected for its thickness

Cons:

• No silicone grippers on the inner glove
• Touchscreen capability isn’t outstanding

Several years back, Ultimate Direction made one of the first running-specific convertible gloves with their Ultimate Direction Ultra Flip Glove, and the iRunFar team has been using them ever since. These gloves have evolved through the years to be warmer, more durable, and better at warding off the weather.

In the current iteration, the glove is made of a soft grid fleece. The tips of the thumbs and index fingers have a faux-suede patch meant to provide touchscreen capability, but we haven’t found it to work very well. We appreciated that the wrists of these gloves extend a fair distance to provide extra protection.

The overmitt, which is made from waterproof Cordura, stows atop the wrist and can be deployed over the glove to add protection. We’ve found the waterproofing of the mitten cover to work very well, even in robust weather conditions. However, note that the overmitt doesn’t fully cover the inner glove, so your hands won’t stay totally dry if you’re in foul weather. Also, we found that in a downpour, if walking with our hands at our sides, the overmitt will fill with water.

We’ve found the inner glove is less durable than those with silicone grippers on their palms and fingers, as the silicone is more durable when grabbing sharp rocks. But that’s a minor complaint for a wickedly awesome, versatile convertible running glove. One of our testers took these gloves while setting an unsupported FKT on the 100-mile high-altitude Nolan’s 14 line in Colorado and noted that while they looked a little worse for wear after plenty of scrambling over rocks, there was no major damage. Several of our team members have been using a single pair of these gloves for multiple years of running and fastpacking adventures and have found that they’ve held up well.

Check out our in-depth Ultimate Direction Apparel review to learn more about these gloves.

Shop the Ultimate Direction Ultra Flip Glove

Best Running Gloves for Bad Weather: DexShell Ultra Weather Primaloft ($55)

Pros:

• Absolutely waterproof
• Excellent price point for advanced specifications
• Nose-wipe panel
• Lifetime durability

Cons:

• Limited dexterity

The iRunFar team learned about the DexShell Ultra Weather Primaloft gloves in 2019, and we were immediately impressed by how they allowed us to run in the most horrid of weather conditions. We turn to these gloves when it’s blizzarding, frigid, windy, or all three at once. The warmth comes from Primaloft Gold insulation, and the waterproofness comes from a Porelle membrane. While warm and waterproof, these gloves still breathe and keep sweat from building up on your hands.

In addition to their ability to handle the elements, what we found equally impressive about these gloves was their dexterity. They’re thick, for sure, but the articulated fingers have enough flexibility to hold anything from a water bottle to a dog leash. While tying shoes might be difficult with these gloves on, we felt like we could do a lot without having to expose our hands to the elements.

An anti-slip material on the palms adds durability and functionality, and a super-long cuff can be worn over your jacket and seal in your wrists. Velcro adjusters on each cuff allows for further fit customization. We must admit that we really appreciate gloves that have a clip to keep them together and reduce the risk of losing a single glove. We found these to be some of the warmest and burliest running gloves on the market, so if you regularly go out in challenging weather conditions, these could be worth the investment.

Be sure to read our in-depth DexShell Waterproof Breathability Accessory review.

Shop the DexShell Ultra Weather Primaloft

Best Budget Running Gloves: REI Co-op Liner Gloves 2.0 ($27)

Pros:

• Long and protective wrist cuff
• Good windproofing

Cons:

• No silicone grippers
• Touchscreen capability isn’t great

If you’re looking for a ligthweight everyday running glove with a technical feature or two that won’t break the budget, we recommend the REI Co-op Liner Gloves 2.0. This glove is stretchy, with soft inside fabric and tightly woven material on the outside. This combination creates a glove that feels nice against the hand, allows you to open gels and bar wrappers, and blocks wind in the process.

Their low profile also makes them an excellent option for pairing with a second layer, and they work great under an outer-mitt. We are fans of being able to layer on our hands so that we can adjust to changing weather conditions and dexterity needs. These have a glove-keeper clip that allows you to stow the gloves clipped together, but the ribbons you attach are tiny and not awesome for use in the field. REI Co-op says these have touchscreen capability in the palms and fingers, but we’ve found that — like many other gloves that make the claim — they don’t really work for any type of precision phone use.

Shop the REI Co-Op Liner Gloves 2.0

Other Running Gloves We Love

Patagonia Capilene Midweight Liner Gloves ($50)

Pros:

• Very soft
• Pull loops make it easy to put them on
• Great for layering

Cons:

• Questionable durability
• Expensive

When temperatures are just chilly, and we want a little extra protection for our hands, the Patagonia Capilene Midweight Liner Gloves provide just enough warmth and weather protection. You can wear these lightweight gloves alone, and their thin material and design make it easy to layer them underneath an overmitt when temperatures drop. Made from recycled polyester, these gloves are breathable and effectively wick away sweat. The material is treated with the brand’s Hei-Q Mint odor control technology to help prevent bacterial growth and odor.

We found that the recycled polyester material stretched well and provided a snug fit on our hands without feeling like they were compromising circulation in our fingers at all. The gloves have a strap at the wrist to help with pulling them on. We found this feature useful when trying to tug the gloves on with cold fingers, as we didn’t have to wiggle our fingers underneath the wristband to get purchase to pull the gloves on.

The gloves have two panels on the first finger and thumb that allow for the use of touchscreen devices. As long as the gloves fit our hands snugly, they worked quite well. Overall, we found these gloves to be incredibly versatile. They are great for wearing alone during chilly morning runs and for using underneath a shell when the weather turns nasty.

Shop the Patagonia Capilene Midweight Liner Gloves

Marmot Power Stretch Connect Gloves ($40)

Pros:

• Warm and breathable in most conditions
• Durable

Cons:

• Not water-resistant
• Lacks grippy material on the palm

The Marmot Power Stretch Connect Gloves are a great pair of medium-weight running gloves made with Polartec fleece. These gloves are an excellent choice when the temperatures dip below freezing and wind chill is a concern. If sized correctly, they are snug yet stretchy enough to provide enough dexterity for tearing open a gel or fiddling with your headlamp. These gloves come in an impressive six sizes — from X-small to XX-large — so they can fit a variety of hands, and the options make it easy to get the right size for you.

The touchscreen fabric on the fingertips and thumb is pretty reliable as long as neither the gloves nor your phone is damp. And speaking of dampness, these gloves will lose their warmth once wet, so while they’re great for cold and windy conditions, you’ll want more protection in the rain.

Like our other favorites on this list, these gloves are impressively durable. We’re not easy on our gloves, and to be honest, these probably weren’t designed with some of our activities in mind — such as scrambling on volcanic rock. Yet, these have held up impressively well, while other medium-weight and even softshell gloves have ended up in tatters within months. And finally, their reliable glove-keeper clip has ensured that we’ve held onto them through many dark, cold days of running.

Shop the Marmot Power Stretch Connect Gloves

Craft Adv Lumen Hybrid Glove ($50)

Pros:

• Warm
• Very soft
• Good touchscreen capability
• Reflective

Cons:

• Expensive
• Key pocket isn’t practical

The Craft Adv Lumen Hybrid Glove is a medium-weight glove that’s cozy, breathable, and comfortable to wear. The liner and the overmitt have a ton of reflectivity, which is not necessary for trail running, but nice to have if you’re looking for your gloves in the dark before a pre-dawn run or wearing them overnight for an ultra. They’re also useful if you’re running on the road in the dark, as they’ll light up under the illumination of a car’s headlamps.

We appreciated the incredibly soft jersey knit fabric of the glove portion, and its touchscreen capability works better than most. The overmitt feels burly and is protective against the wind, but it’s not the softest material if you brush your hair out of your face. The seam, in particular, feels a bit stiff.

There’s a key pocket in the palm, but it’s not very large or practical since it doesn’t close securely. However, it could be helpful in a pinch. Nonetheless, that’s a minor gripe with a quality-constructed glove that excels under a variety of weather conditions.

Shop the Craft Adv Lumen Hybrid Glove

Trailheads Convertible Zip Mitts ($52)

Pros:

• Exceptional warmth
• Zip top allows for venting or briefly using hands
• Great value

Cons:

• Heavy
• Bulky and less packable than everyday gloves and mitts

The Trailheads Convertible Zip Mitts have become an iRunFar favorite for the coldest winter days. Sometimes, feeling cozy in our gear is the only motivation we need to get out the door, and these mitts do the trick.

They contain Primaloft insulation and have a recycled polyester shell, extended cuffs, and wrist straps to seal in warmth. While on the surface, this may look like a mitten, a zipper reveals a glove inside. You can easily free up your fingers if you need to use your hands, and the feature also lets you dump heat if your hands get too warm. These mittens only come in two sizes, but they have both a men’s and women’s version, with the women’s sizing being smaller.

If you live where temperatures regularly drop into the single digits Fahrenheit or colder, these mittens are a worthwhile investment. However, they’re probably overkill if you live where winter is milder and one of the convertible mitts listed above would suffice. We’ve found the temperature sweet spot for these mitts to be between -15 and 20 degrees Fahrenheit and it’s easy to overheat in them if using them in warmer temperatures.

One tradeoff for supreme warmth is that these mitts are a bit heavy and not very packable if you get too warm and want to stash them.

Shop the Trailheads Men's Convertible Zip Mitts Shop the Trailheads Women's Convertible Zip Mitts

ReflecToes Reflective Running Gloves ($28)

Pros:

• Bright and highly reflective
• Comfortable
• Great price

Cons:

• Not warm enough for sub-freezing temperatures

The ReflecToes Reflective Running Gloves are our top pick for gloves in our Best Reflective Running Gear guide. Like many of our favorites gloves, these have a grippy silicone material on the palm that helps hold onto trekking poles, a dog leash, or a post-run cup of coffee. They also have touchscreen capability, which works about as well as other touchscreen gloves as long as they fit properly. We also appreciated that they’re easy to slide on and off, even with sweaty hands midway through a run.

The gloves’ bright, fluorescent day-glow color provides visibility in daylight or low-light conditions, and the reflective material across the top of the hands really pops when it catches light from a car headlight or headlamp in low light.

Although lined with soft fleece that provides warmth on brisk days, these gloves are inadequate for running in sub-freezing temperatures. However, they’re perfect for the shoulder season when temperatures are chilly, but the weather hasn’t fully turned yet. And if you’re running on streets with car traffic where visibility is paramount, these gloves can help you stay seen — and hopefully safe.

Shop the ReflecToes Reflective Running Gloves

How to Choose: A Buyer’s Guide for Running Gloves

Comfort and Fit

In the end, choosing the best running gloves is a matter of personal preference, but it begins with finding gloves that fit correctly. Getting the right size gloves can be tricky, as the shapes and sizes of our hands vary, as do the sizing guides of different brands. The best way to get the right fit is to try gloves on and purchase from a local retailer. If you buy online, be sure to use a specific brand’s glove sizing guide.

You’ll also want a glove that provides your hands the right amount of insulation for the temperatures you’re running in, breathes well to wick away sweat, and protects you from the weather. We found that the Black Diamond Mont Blanc Gloves do a great job of regulating hand temperature and keeping our hands sweat-free.

Temperature Rating

The temperature at which you start wearing gloves is also a personal choice. A lightweight option, like the Patagonia Capilene Midweight Liner Gloves, is excellent for temperatures above freezing. If you’re going to go out in the deep cold, consider something like the Trailheads Convertible Zip Mitts. Choose a glove that provides enough insulation for the temperatures in which you’re running, and be aware that mittens provide more warmth than fingered gloves.

Many brands offer a temperature rating or range for their gloves. For example, the Black Diamond Mont Blanc Gloves rate from 30 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit. If provided, the temperature rating should be your first point of reference for choosing the right glove for the conditions in which you’ll run, but it’s also important to be aware that running generates a lot of heat which will affect how gloves feel. Also, we all experience cold differently, so apply your real-life experience to the suggested temperature ratings. For example, if your hands get colder sooner than your running partner’s, you might need warmer gloves.

Breathability

Like other areas of our body, our hands sweat. While we all differ in how much we sweat, keeping our hands dry, warm, and comfortable means choosing moisture-wicking gloves that will move moisture from your skin to the outer layer of the glove so that it can evaporate without getting the glove soaked in sweat. A glove’s breathability will depend on its material and thickness.

If you’re worried about temperature regulation and your hands getting too sweaty during a cold-weather run, consider a pair of convertible gloves, like the Ultimate Direction Ultra Flip Glove. Gloves are also small and compact, so if you find yourself sweating in them, it’s easy to take them off and carry them for a little while until your hands cool off.

Waterproofing and Windproofing

Waterproof gloves employ fabrics or fabric coatings that prevent water from transferring into the inner layer of the glove. Windproof gloves are generally either made with a tight weave that blocks the wind, or materials with a windproof membrane. Wind is one of the fastest ways to lose heat, so it’s important that gloves keep cold airflow off of your fingers.

A running glove that is waterproof or water-resistant will also be windproof. The DexShell Ultra Weather Primaloft gloves are fully waterproof, and we turned to them when the weather was at its most challenging.

Grip

No one wants to drop their phone when taking that summit selfie, and you’ll want gloves that can confidently grip things like your phone, keys, water bottle, dog leash, and trekking poles. Most companies use silicone overlays on the palms and inner fingers of gloves to provide additional grip.

The downside to silicone grippers is that they make gloves heavier and can wear off with use. Our team found the silicone pattern on the Black Diamond Mont Blanc Gloves to be grippier than other gloves we tested, and we also appreciated the grip on the ReflecToes Reflective Running Gloves.

Touchscreen Capability

We live in a connected world, and sometimes, we want to answer a call, reply to a text message, or take a photo. While touchscreen capability in gloves has advanced over the years, it’s still far from perfect. The North Face Etip Recycled Gloves are the best gloves for people who want to easily control their devices while keeping their gloves on.

Many companies claim that their running gloves have touchscreen capability, but the functionality is often marginal. Our best advice for now is to stay skeptical, especially if you have dreams of typing out text messages without taking your gloves off.

Convertible Gloves

Convertible gloves contain an inner glove and an overmitt stored on the glove for when conditions warrant. They have long been a tool for mountaineers, arctic explorers, and climbers. More recently, running gloves have adapted this style into a lightweight package suited for the specific needs of runners.

We love these convertible options for their versatility and how easily they adapt to changing conditions or exertion levels. Our testing team was impressed with the performance of the Ultimate Direction Ultra Flip Glove and the Craft Adv Lumen Hybrid Glove.

Price and Durability

The best running gloves vary in price depending on their thickness, materials, insulation, and extra features. A thinner and more basic glove, like the REI Co-op Liner Gloves 2.0, is probably plenty for most of your everyday running, especially if you live in a mild winter climate. When conditions get bad, you’ll need a burlier set of gloves containing more protective materials and technologies, which usually comes at an increased cost.

The DexShell Ultra Weather Primaloft may be expensive, but they’ll keep your hands warm and dry when it gets cold and wet out. Sometimes, you can get away with layering two pairs of inexpensive gloves to protect your hands, but some weather conditions warrant heavy-duty gloves to stay safe and comfortable. We often turned to the Ultimate Direction Ultra Flip Glove for runs that went through a variety of weather and temperature conditions.

Most running gloves are highly durable when used for just running and when laundered correctly. Many members of the iRunFar team run in the same gloves today that they got five to 10 years ago, so we think it’s often worth investing in a high-quality pair of gloves that you can enjoy for a long time.

Why You Should Trust Us

The iRunFar team comprises road, trail, and ultrarunners with hundreds of years of collective running experience. We began this running gloves buyer’s guide by digging into our team’s extensive knowledge and experience with gloves and researching the market for gloves of all thickness and styles.

We then took the potential best running gloves into the field and tested them in all kinds of conditions from raging snowstorms in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains to super windy days in the Alps. We tested lightweight, mid-weight, and heavy-duty gloves in various challenging conditions and chose what you find here by considering durability, warmth, breathability, wicking ability, and comfort.

Since originally publishing this buyer’s guide, we have continued testing gloves throughout multiple winters and updated this guide with new options. Testing includes many testers based across the U.S. in many different winter climates, from the cold and dry Southwest to the damp and frigid Midwest.

Frequently Asked Questions About Running Gloves

What are the best running gloves?

Most runners will find there’s a single glove that meets most of their running needs. These everyday running gloves, like The North Face Etip Recycled Gloves, are generally great for moderately cold conditions.

Some of us venture into more extreme conditions when we run. When you need more insulation to stay warm or waterproof and windproof materials to keep the elements off your hands, check out our best bad weather running gloves, the DexShell Ultra Weather Primaloft, and our best cold weather running gloves, the Trailheads Convertible Zip Mitts.

The best running gloves don’t have to cost a fortune! Our favorite budget running gloves, the REI Co-op Liner Gloves 2.0, serve their purpose of providing extra warmth and blocking the wind without breaking the bank.

What should I look for when choosing running gloves?

First, consider the conditions in which you regularly run, including temperature, precipitation, and wind. This will help you determine the basic kind of glove you need to stay warm. Next, consider your thermal comfort level. Do your hands seem to get hot sooner than others, or do your hands always seem a little cold? Take your individual needs into consideration. If you know your hands sweat a lot, you’ll want to choose a glove that breathes well, like the Patagonia Capilene Midweight Liner Gloves.

Once you’ve found the right glove, size it correctly according to the company’s sizing guide. Gloves that are too big or too small will not work as well. The Marmot Power Stretch Connect Gloves come in six different sizes so that you can dial in the fit, while the Trailheads Convertible Zip Mitts only come in two sizes, though they do have a men’s and women’s version with different size ranges.

How do convertible running gloves work?

Convertible running gloves are among the iRunFar team’s favorite gloves these days. They feature inner gloves and stowable overmitten in a lightweight and sleek package. When conditions are relatively benign, you’ll need just the inner glove to feel comfortable, but when the weather breaks bad, deploy the overmitt to add a second layer of warmth and protection from the elements.

The Ultimate Direction Ultra Flip Glove has been our favorite convertible glove for a long time.

What are the best waterproof and windproof gloves?

When it’s wet and windy, you’ll want gloves made with materials and technologies that keep moisture and wind away from your hands. We appreciated the waterproof construction of the DexShell Ultra Weather Primaloft gloves, which also provided plenty of warmth in bad weather conditions.

Call for Comments

It’s time for you to weigh in on your favorite running gloves! Leave a comment to share what gloves you love to run in and tell us in what conditions they perform best for you.