The Best Touchscreen Gloves of 2019
— Recommendations are independently chosen by Revieweds editors. Purchases you make through our links may earn us a commission.Having spent years in a wintry climate, Ive yet to find a good pair of winter gloves that I can use with a smartphone. I've seen leggings that refuse to rip and anxiety-reducing blankets, but where are the gloves that can keep your fingers toasty while texting? So, I rounded up the best touchscreen gloves on the market and put them through Revieweds rigorous testing process.
After weeks upon weeks of testingand a few snowball fights laterwe found the Harrms Leather Gloves (available at Amazon for $27.99) is our top pick because of its chic design and warm, comfortable material. If you're looking for gloves that fit like a second skin, then the North Face Etip Gloves (available at Amazon for $44.95) are for you. But if these picks aren't your cup of tea, don't worry, we've got plenty of other options.
These are the best touchscreen gloves we tested ranked, in order:
- Harrms Leather Gloves
- North Face Etip Gloves
- Black Diamond HeavyWeight Screentap Gloves
- Mujjo Double Layed Knitted Touchscreen Winter Gloves
- Achiou Winter Knit Touchscreen Gloves
- GliderGloves Copper Infused Touchscreen Gloves
- Mujjo Insulated Winter Touchscreen Gloves with 3M Thinsulate
- Moshi Digits Touchscreen Gloves
- Ozero Leather Gloves
- Warmen Touchscreen Texting Nappa Leather Gloves
- Bruceriver Pure Wool Knitted Gloves
Between the premium lambskin leather and all 10 fingertips having touchscreen function,, the Harrms Leather Gloves have a lot to offer.
Between the premium lambskin leather material and all 10 fingertips having touchscreen function, the Harrms Leather Gloves have a lot to offer. The interior is lined with polyester fiber, so it's like slipping your hand into a warm pair of fuzzy socks. Even though these are men's gloves, most of our testers (men and women) loved wearing these gloves because they worked great on touchscreens. When I ran these gloves under a running faucet for a solid minute, I never felt the wet of the wet or the cold.
Leather is the kind of material you either love or hate. I've never owned leather gloves before, but the Harrms are so easy to clean and maintain that I consider myself a convert. That said, some of our testers had different opinions. One of our testers found the gloves to be overly stiff and large, as they didn't provide the right amount of dexterity or nimbleness.
In addition to the stiff material, we also noticed that the sizing was off. You should always measure your palm girth and middle finger length before buying, which allows you to compare the sizes listed online. For me, the palms fit well on this pair but the fingers were a little long. But the gloves still worked great on all of my devices.
The North Face Etip Gloves are awesome because it feels like you're wearing a second skin.
The North Face Etip Gloves are awesome because it feels like you're wearing a second skin. Unlike other touchscreen gloves, you can use all five digits (not just the thumb and index finger). Not only do they work great on phones, but the design is really chic. Plus, the silicone material on the palm of the glove provides a sturdy grip even when wet.
They're not the warmest gloves in the world, but they're fine for chilly days. During testing, a small hole formed at the fingertip (likely due to the thin material). While the gloves kept our hands nice and warm, the hole made us question the long-term use. They also got dirty pretty quickly, but it's nothing a quick toss in the washer can't fix.
How We Tested
To find the best touchscreen gloves, a minimum of three different people tested each of the eleven gloves for at least 24 hours in their regular lives.
The Tester
Hi, Im Melissa Rorech, the video producer here at Reviewed. I live in Boston, so my hands need to stay nice and toasty when I walk to and from the train. However, I like to text my friends and peruse Instagram during my commute, which regular gloves prevent me from doing.
Ive spent a long time buying touchscreen gloves that never worked on my phone or kept me warm. So, on behalf of those who live in cold climates, I wanted to find a decent pair of touchscreen gloves that keep you warm and work on your touchscreen devices.
The Tests
To find the best touchscreen gloves, a minimum of three different people tested each of the 11 gloves we rounded up. They wore them for a day as they would in their regular lives and then filled out a comprehensive survey about the gloves fit, feel, design, warmth, durability, and more. In addition, the testers were asked to run the gloves under a faucet to completely wet them, shake off any extra water, and try to use a device. Touchscreen gloves, just like regular gloves, should be able to keep your hands warm and dry even when wet from snow, rain, or any other circumstancesplus still be able to work on your devices!
Once the 33 individual tests were completed, we narrowed it down the top four contenders so Reviewed Senior Scientist Julia MacDougall could do some additional temperature testing. We had two testers wear one of each of the top four gloves for a full hour, with heat sensors in the palm and middle fingertip to measure the change in temperature. Over that hour, the testers held ice in their hands for about 10 minutes, went outside with the gloves on for 10 minutes, and stuck their hands in the freezer for about 5 minutes, with time in between each test. Afterward, we calculated the temperature difference between the warmest and the coldest temperatures experienced by the sensors to see how much cold conditions outside the gloves would affect the finger temperature inside the glove. The gloves with the least amount of temperature change proved the glove's ability for temperature retention and thus were the warmest gloves. If we were judging our final rankings based on this test, the Harrms came in first, followed by Black Diamond, North Face, and then the Glider Gloves. But for our final considerations, we took into account the ease of maintenance, storage needs, material, price, and a few more details.
How Do Touchscreen Gloves Work?
The devices we use daily (phones, tablets, laptops, etc) have touchscreens made of capacitive technology. In other words, touchscreens have sensors in them that can detect anything with an electric charge. Conveniently, our bodies have the ability to store an electric charge. So, when your finger touches the screen, a connection forms between the electrical field in your body and the device. Depending on where your finger is on the screen, this circuit tells your device what letter to type or emoji to Tweet.
In order for this to work, the electrical charge from your finger needs to interact with the touch screen. When you put on grandmas handmade gloves, the cloth or wool is now blocking that circuit from connecting. Touchscreen gloves are different because they have a conductive wire at the fingertips. This allows for the electricity in your body to travel through the wires in the glove. These wires are so minuscule you shouldnt be able to feel them.
Mens vs Women's Gloves
At the end of the day, hands are hands. However, women's gloves tend to be smaller and lighter whereas men's are bigger and bulkier. That said, some women have larger hands than men and may feel more comfortable ordering gloves that are designed for men.
Unfortunately, after hours of research, I discovered that there aren't too many unisex touchscreen gloves out there. That's why I included a good mix of men's and women's gloves on this listall black in color and large in size. To get different thoughts and opinions, I asked my coworkers (both men and women) to wear these gloves for a day or so. My coworkers weren't given gender-specific gloves, so men wore women's gloves and vice versa.
Other Touchscreen Gloves We Tested
The Black Diamond HeavyWeight Screentap Gloves are incredibly comfortable, so they work great for driving and commuting. Not only are they warm and easy to text with, but they're also pretty darn chic. One of our testers said they looked like they came straight out of the Matrix universe. During temperature testing, in which we held ice for an hour, these gloves scored second highest. The only drawback is that these gloves need to be hand-washed, which is a little inconvenient.
The Mujjo Double Layered Touchscreen Winter Gloves are really comfortable and warm when dry. They also had a ton of grip and worked great for texting. Plus, with their fancy wrist clasps and dotted silicone texture, they're really sophisticated-looking. That said, there were a few concerns regarding long-term use and durability.
Within minutes of use, the wrist clasp on one of the gloves snapped off. You'd have to sew it back into place to fix it. After days of use, the first tester returned the gloves with frayed fingertips. When the second tester tried them out for an extended period of time, they returned with even more fraying. Another tester had to remove these gloves because they were so bulky he couldn't buckle his kids in their car seats.
Not only are the Achiou Winter Knit Gloves affordable, but they're also comfortable and fit close to your hand. They're great for outdoor activities like running or hiking. Our testers raved over the strong grip of the gloves and how comfortable the material was. You can easily toss it in the washing machine to clean them, which is a plus. But if it's the warmth you're after, you're better off going with a bulkier glove.
The major downfall? They dont work great on touchscreenswhich is kind of their purpose. Our testers described it as a difficult, frustrating experience. Unfortunately, only the first 3 fingertips are touchscreen-capable, but one of our testers complained the thumbs just didnt work at all for them. Their affordable price is very tempting and the form-fitting style is super comfortable, but they just arent touchscreen gloves.
The GliderGloves Copper Infused Touch Screen Gloves work incredibly well with touchscreens. There's even a non-slip grip layer sewn onto the palms, which keeps your phone or coffee from slipping out of your hands. The idea behind this is great but when gripping something, the layer underneath tends to slide away from the non-slip layer on the outside. One tester described it as having a similar feeling to your sock slightly coming off your foot. It was a little annoying, but a quick readjustment fixes it. But for this price? You cant really get much better.
The one real downside is that they're a little stiff. The testers also had mixed feelings about the aestheticsone saying they looked great, one saying they were ugly, and one saying they didnt mind the neutral color. That said, if you like getting work done on the go and dont care too much about looks, then these might be the ones for you.
I really enjoyed testing the Mujjo Insulated Winter Touchscreen Gloves with 3M Thinsulate, as the thick material kept my fingers warm and I was able to swipe and text with zero issues. However, our testers had a different experience. After running these gloves under cold water, they shrunk in size the following day. Our testers also had a difficult time using their phones.
The Moshi Digits Touchscreen Gloves are very cozy and warm. That aside, they don't work great as touchscreen gloves. They're so bulky that your fingers feel like sausages, so you can't properly type or swipe with them. When it comes to touchscreen gloves, you dont have to sacrifice warmth for touchscreen usability. If you're looking for a pair of warm gloves that you can use your phone with, we'd recommend opting for our top pick.
If you're looking for something stylish, you should definitely check out the Ozero Leather Gloves. Not only are they stylish, but the velour lining on the inside is really soft and comfortable for day-to-day use. However, when it comes to using a touchscreen, they're a bit finicky. Our testers ended up taking off the gloves to text or navigate their social media pages. Many of them also disliked the deerskin suede material, as it left their fingers feeling cold.
Made of soft sheepskin, the Warmen Touchscreen Gloves are both stylish and warm. They're also lined with cashmere and wool, which is pretty fancy. While we ordered the same size for all the gloves we tested, these were the smallest fit. They were difficult for our testers to get on and off their hands. They even split at the bottom seams. In the rain, it was almost impossible to navigate a touchscreen with them as well.
They also don't work well on touchscreens. One of our testers said it took forever to type out a message, as it's difficult to find the right amount of pressure to use. So, if you favor fashion over function, the Warmen gloves are for you.
The Bruceriver Pure Wool Knitted Gloves are so long they go up to your forearms, which is great if you're looking for maximum coverage. Although they kept our hands nice and toasty, there were some drawbacks.
The material was itchy and there was no grip support, so objects would easily slip out of our hands. There was no protection from the cold, either. One of our testers said their hands felt cold when running the gloves underwater for five seconds. Overall, using these gloves was a frustrating and difficult experience.