As any skier will tell you, cold hands are no fun, and most think that frozen fingers are just apart of the sport. While that may have been true for our parents and grandparents, these days you have the option to buy heated gloves. Now if you’re anything like me, you probably have this preconceived notion of what these gloves might look like, and you would probably rather suffer with something that offers a bit more style and function. I mean seriously, the battery powered heated gloves that I have seen in the past are these huge monstrosities, which include a very heavy, cumbersome battery pack that not only keeps your hands toasty but also works your biceps as you ski down the mountain!
I’ve always thought of these gloves as something that I would buy if I had serious circulation issues and no matter what I tried I could not get my hands warm. It always seemed that using the little hand warmers that come in packs that you shake might be a better solution then some of the battery powered ski gloves out there.
However, recently I came across a pretty sweet pair that not only look like a normal pair of gloves, but are also made by Black Diamond, one of the best ski gear companies out there. The Black Diamond Cayenne heated gloves (pictured to the right) offer 10 hours of battery powered heat for the coldest days old man winter can throw at you! Yep, that’s right, charge these bad boys overnight, and you are guaranteed to have warm hands all day. Also, I might mention that the Cayenne’s are completely waterproof. I know in the past many skiers have complained about this type of system being great until the afternoon when there hands became soaked from the elements.
What I like most about this glove is the size. Unlike its competitor, the Columbia Bugaglove (cool name isn’t it?), the Cayenne offers a much more streamlined approach and the result is a much lighter weight, stylish glove with all the same functionality of the Bugaglove. I know many skiers out there prefer a glove with a big gauntlet to help keep snow out, if that is you, the Bugaglove might actually be a better solution… all a matter of opinion really.
Whatever option you decide is best for you, the bottom line is that if you are constantly struggling with cold hands, then you might want to consider trying heated gloves this winter. Just think, warmer hands equals more time on the hill, which equals more time doing what you love, and less time in the lodge thawing out while your friends shred all the freshies!
